Net Percentage of Asset Allocators Reporting Overweight in Equities Surpasses Previous Spikes
High number of investors are overweight in equities, despite, also, stating that equities are overvalued.
A.M. Best gives life/annuity industry a “negative outlook”
The industry 'remains plagued by macroeconomic and regulatory factors' as well as 'lackluster sales, rapidly evolving technological requirements and changing consumer preferences and behavior,' the ratings agency said in...
Interest outpaces adoption of digital advice: Cerulli
Investors ages 30-39 and older investors with $2 to $5 million to invest showed the greatest enthusiasm for pure digital offerings, the research firm said.
ETF traders dumped U.S. equities but not global: TrimTabs
“Contrarians should consider favoring U.S. equities over non-U.S. equities now,' the alert from the Los Angeles-based investment research firm said.
Honorable Mention
Securities America adds two new advisor groups; Transamerica Center for Retirement Research promotes Saver's Credit; new book from Wolters Kluwer explains new tax law; Great Western fee-based FIA joins...
Incentivizing Delayed Social Security Claiming with Lump Sum Payments and Reduced Annuities (Effects for Early, Normal and Late Claimers
Source: “Optimal Social Security Claiming Behavior under Lump Sum Incentives: Theory and Evidence, “ Raimond Maurer, Olivia S. Mitchell, Ralph Rogalla, and Tatjana Schimetschek, 2017DC-02-08-2017
England’s first hybrid retirement plan gets a tentative start
Under a recent agreement, the Royal Mail will contribute 13.6% of members’ pensionable pay to a new type of DB/DC hybrid plan and union members will contribute 6%. Government...
Managed accounts are a proxy for income options in DC plans: Cerulli
'While the DC industry continues to wonder how best to structure in-plan retirement income solutions..., managed accounts are quietly making progress as a less controversial option for plan sponsors...
ADP and Financial Engines in financial advice deal
The Financial Engines advisory service offering, on the ADP platform, will launch in the summer of 2018. The deal expands FE's reach to thousands of small and mid-sized firms...
Honorable Mention
Lori Lucas is named CEO of Employee Benefit Research Institute, Prudential inks $1.8 billion pension risk transfer deal, DPL to bring no-load annuities to RIAs, Nuveen bolsters DCIO sales...
US States with the Most Income Annuity Sales, 2017
Source: Cannex, January 2018
‘Missing’ group annuitants give MetLife a share shock
“It's not just embarrassing, it could cost MetLife future business,” wrote Canadian pension blogger Leo Kolivakis, who follows global pension issues and insurance companies. A.M. Best affirmed MetLife's A+...
Prudential plays the ‘index card’
The PruSecure fixed indexed annuity offers one-, three-, and five-year index term options. Initial cap rates provide “up to a 32% return” based on the chosen index, credit term,...
High demand for bond mutual funds is ‘concerning’: TrimTabs
The inflow of $38.2 billion into bond mutual funds (MFs) and ETFs this month through Thursday, January 25 is on track to be the highest since October 2009, driven...
Outsourcing will persist in management of insurer general account assets: Cerulli
The 'pause that refreshes,' said the old Coca-Cola tagline. That's also how Cerulli characterizes the recent slowdown in the practice of assigning management of insurance carrier general account assets...
ISO seeks to support opportunities of aging
Dementia, preventative care, ageing workforces, technologies and accessibility are just some of the areas of standardization that the committee proposes to work on, said ISO/TC 314 Secretary Nele Zgavc...
Why DC Plan Sponsors Don’t Offer In-Plan Annuities
As reported in Callan's 2018 Defined Contribution Trends Survey, many sponsors either believe they're unnecessary or are uncertain on the fiduciary implications.
What’s in the latest issue of Journal of Retirement?
The Winter 2018 issue features a mix of articles by familiar authors, including Mark Warshawsky, David Blanchette, John Turner, Michael Kitces, and others.
2017 was another big year for Vanguard funds: Cerulli
Vanguard’s total flows for year were over $207 billion (DFA was second with $31 billion).
