Honorable Mention
New A-CAP 10-year FIA linked to Credit Suisse Momentum Index; PlanGap Annuity insures against Social Security failure; 80% of older Americans need financial advice: The American College; ‘Mercer Wise...
Private-equity firms will keep buying life insurers: Cerulli
'A takeover of general account assets by a PE firm gives the insurer, in effect, an affiliated PE manager and the fee advantages typically seen in co-investing scenarios,' a...
Honorable Mention
Retirement Income Journal takes a break; Explaining the stock market/real economy disconnect; MetLife Investment Management originates $6.2 billion in private placements; Jackson National creates insurance portal for ‘iRIAs’; DPL...
Annuity sales hurt by low interest rate policy: Wink Inc.
'MYGA sales increased double-digits, while indexed annuity sales declined by double digits. This is a new trend,' said Sheryl Moore, CEO of Wink Inc., the...
Low interest rates shock sales of most annuities
Of major product lines, only registered index-linked annuities (RILAs) saw growth in 2Q2020. RILA sales were $4.5 billion in the second quarter, up 8% from 2Q2019, according to LIMRA...
Honorable Mention
U.S. equity funds on pace for record outflows: Morningstar; Insurers remain vulnerable to bond downgrades: AM Best; 'Schwab Plan' web-based planning tool unveiled; Fidelity retirement accounts keep growing; Prudential...
Jackson National Life to go independent
Jackson National experienced a loss of more than $2 billion on its interest rate hedges this year, partly due to the drop in rates and equity prices last March.
Honorable Mention
Innovator launches ladder of buffered ETFs; Principal continues to integrate acquired Wells Fargo plans; Employees and employers see HSAs differently: Further; Variable annuities can shine in times like these:...
Markets ‘unnervingly detached from economics’: CFAs
'CFAs “are particularly interested in full transparency on whether any affiliate of Congress or executive branch received funding,' said a CFA Institute release.
COVID-19 Will Cause a Drop in AUM: Cerulli
'Around the world, investments into private markets slowed in the first half of 2020, with only US$433.7 billion of capital raised,' said an analyst at the global analytics and...
Low rates are ‘key obstacle’ for U.S. life/annuity firms: AM Best
Life insurers have exited, re-priced or de-emphasized their most interest rate-sensitive business lines, including individual and group annuities, the ratings firm said in a new report.
Virus and low-rates cut deep into Q2 annuity sales: LIMRA SRI
'We believe investors will hold off purchasing income annuity products, hoping interest rates rebound over the next 6–12 months,' said Todd Giesing, senior annuity researcher at LIMRA SRI.
Honorable Mention
Net worth of $655k = Happiness, Schwab survey suggests; Athene to hold earnings call August 5; RIAs can now access Pacific Life fee-only annuities on the Orion platform; Fed...
Honorable Mention
UBS to pay $10 million to settle “flipping” charges: SEC; Jackson National completes sale of equity stake to Athene; AM Best downgrades, removes Foresters from ratings; Craig DeSanto named...
Vanguard’s (recordkeeping) passage to India
Infosys, the India-based IT giant, is taking over Vanguard's defined contribution recordkeeping business in a deal valued at $1.5 billion.
Honorable Mention
COVID-19 exposes vulnerable populations: Prudential; Global Atlantic’s ratings unchanged by KKR deal; Vanguard introduces socially conscious bond ETF.
Lincoln rolls out in-plan retirement income option
The annual cost of the income option is 0.9% of the 'income base.' At age 65, the payout rate for a married couple would be 4.5% of the income...
Honorable Mention
SIMON platform to offer Allianz Life fixed indexed annuities; Janus risk-managed index available in Global Atlantic FIA; Morningstar completes purchase of Sustainalytics; MetLife joins sustainability initiative; Life insurers’ real...
Nassau Financial creates Apple app to sell fixed-rate annuities
The contract, “Simple Annuity,” and the app of the same name will support the sale of the annuity by independent, commissioned insurance agents and by Nassau’s own licensed, salaried...
In robo deal, Empower pays $1 billion for Personal Capital
'There’s a scarcity of pure-play platforms that can drive this technology. That’s one reason why Empower made this acquisition,' Personal Capital co-founder Rob Foregger told RIJ.
