Life Insurers ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ LOMA Says
Most companies are predicting 2010 sales growth, premium growth and profitability to be modest to flat compared to 2009.
TARP Recovery Fee Could Affect Insurers
If implemented, the proposal would require certain insurers to pay a fee equal to 0.15% of “covered assets.”
Mike Treske To Run Annuity Sales and Distribution at John Hancock
He succeeds Robert T. Cassato, who will assume a new role as a senior advisor to Manulife Chief Operating Officer John D. DesPrez III on global distribution strategy.
AXA Equitable To Help Advisors Build a ‘Retirement Income Planning Practices’
The program, which combines live presentations with self-study materials, is approved for continuing professional education credit in 49 states.
Getting Rich Used to Be Easier, 70% Say
“Many Americans aren't necessarily buying into the country's long-held belief that anyone with a dream can strike it rich,” said the editor of Bankrate.com.
Freedom One Financial To Use vWise Participant Education Tools
vWise's SmartPlan Enterprise “provides the benefits of a personal financial professional in a website available 24/7/365.”
Obama Is All Ears About Annuities
But there's no clear indication that Washington understands the nuances that make annuity decisions so complex and problematic.
The Visible Hand Behind the Crisis
Viral Acharya and colleagues at NYU's Stern School of Business say the economy was pushed off a cliff by bankers skirting reserve requirements.
Ready for a Reality Check
A recent Journal of Financial Planning article on annuities was a bit perplexing.
VALIC Sued Over “Redundant” Tax Benefits
Lawsuits accusing insurers of selling tax-deferred annuities to fund tax-deferred accounts have not been entirely unfruitful for plaintiffs.
Unfinished Business
Ernst & Young's Lynn Pettus and Hall Kesmodel show how the regulations governing participant education have shifted over the years, and how the changes in Washington have delayed their...
Wealthy Less Materialistic, Survey Shows
Thirty-five percent of high net worth respondents “believe that my children may be too spoiled by money and have too many material possessions,” up from 22% in 2007.
Western & Southern Enhances Income Annuity
Third-quarter 2009 YTD sales of Western & Southern's IncomeSource SPIA were $170.42 million, a 43% increase over the same period in 2008.
Will “Auto-Enrollment” Kill the Employer Match?
By raising participation rates, auto-enrollment will raise the cost of employer-matching efforts and may encourage some employers to reduce or eliminate their match.
Anglo-American Economy Still Needs ‘Sugar Daddy’—Bill Gross
U.S. and U.K. asset markets may suffer from the absence of the nearly $2 trillion of government checks written in 2009, opines PIMCO's founder.
Life Insurers Face Lean Years: Ernst & Young
Instead of relying on a “back-to-basics” strategy in 2010, insurers should focus on innovating in five key areas, said the leader of E&Y's Financial Services and Insurance & Actuarial...
Roth IRA Conversion Promotions Are All The Rage Online
Many firms have launched engaging online sales campaigns focusing on the Roth IRA conversion opportunities that will be available in 2010.
