More than one-in-four seniors never expect to be debt-free
Among people age 65 and older, 28% said they 'never expect to get out of debt.' (In late 2015, 35% felt that way.)
LOMA issues ‘Forecast for the Life Insurance Industry’
'We would expect under two percent growth in North America, with larger single-digit growth in the developing world,' said Tom Scales, research director, Celent and a contributor to the...
A.M. Best forecasts life insurance industry M&A
Disruption from financial technology, or fintech, companies in the industry likely will drive strategically focused M&A activity, A.M. Best predicted.
NextCapital to provide robo-advice to John Hancock plans
NextCapital and John Hancock will roll out the new digital advice solution across the John Hancock Retirement Plan Services business over the next 12 months.
Vanguard establishes behavioral research center
The Center for Investor Research “will examine how investors make decisions through observational studies based on Vanguard's administrative data and the growing pool of digital interactions,” the Malvern, PA-based...
America’s 20 best online stockbrokers and robo-advisors: NerdWallet
The online credit-card rating site names some of its favorite fintech players.
Tilting at windmills
A Danish pension fund's investment in American wind farms looked like a safe diversification bet--until the prevailing price of electricity in Texas dropped by more than 50%.
Goodbye “Obamania.” Hello, er, “Trumpelstiltskin”?
Puns, portmanteau words and neologisms--especially those incorporating the name Trump--dominated Investopedia's annual list of financial terms whose meanings were sought most often on the information site.
“Hipsters, lend us your ears,” says Betterment
Those who download Betterment's new podcasts will glean “unconventional and entertaining insights on money and life” from “thought leaders” in the fields of finance, entrepreneurship, sports, and show business.
Economies of scale allow Vanguard to further reduce fund fees
Vanguard CEO Bill McNabb said the reductions were not “another volley fired in the fee war” but rather “business as usual” for the Malvern, Pa., firm.
Bull market raises red flag: TrimTabs
“Fund flows tend to be a good shorter-term contrary indicator, so the post-election buying spree bodes poorly for U.S. equities,” said David Santschi, TrimTabs' CEO.
Quote of the Week/Honorable Mention
“Winning is not a secret that belongs to a very few; winning is something that we can learn by studying ourselves, studying the environment and making ourselves ready for...
In November, money shifted from bonds to (passive) equities: Morningstar
For the first time in 2016, active intermediate-term bond funds saw monthly outflows, which totaled $4.0 billion in November. However, the category is in the black for the year...
AIG offers fixed-rate annuity with an income rider
The product offers a 1.5% annual return for seven years and, for 95 basis points a year, a living benefit with a 7.5% simple-interest annual deferral bonus during the...
Honorable Mention
Brief or late-breaking items from Security Benefit Life, the Department of Labor, Global Atlantic Financial Group and Prudential Financial.
RIJ will return on January 5
Retirement Income Journal wishes all of its readers and strategic partners a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Happy New Year. We will publish next on January 5, 2017.
Financial institutions brace for DOL haircut
A recent survey of executives at banks and credit unions showed that the typical U.S. financial institution can expect a 17% fall in revenue from investment services because of...
Trump rally could be sign of trouble ahead: TrimTabs
“ETF flows tend to be a good contrary indicator when they become extreme, so the buying frenzy doesn’t bode well for U.S. equities,” said David Santschi, CEO at TrimTabs
Will your grandkids shop for annuities on Amazon?
'Should decide to make a large scale entrance into the insurance marketplace, this could further disrupt the current U.S. life insurance distribution model,' A.M. Best...
Ascensus to run Oregon’s public DC plan for private-sector workers
Pennsylvania-based Ascensus is the nation’s largest independent retirement and college savings services provider, with more than $139 billion in assets under administration.
