First quarter annuity sales: Better for fixed than variable
Jackson National was again the top seller of variable annuities, Allianz Life the leader in indexed annuities and New York Life led fixed-annuity sales. But AIG issued the most...
In UK, Aegon shifts focus from annuities to web-mediated advice
In 2010, Aegon decided to start withdrawing from the UK annuity market, believing that annuities wouldn’t meet its long-term risk adjusted return requirements.
Pace of share buybacks, a plus for equity prices, slows
In a research note, TrimTabs reports that stock buyback announcements have totaled $261.5 billion this year through Thursday, May 19. This volume is down 35% from $399.4 billion in...
Former AARP brand strategist moves to Jackson National Life
Emilio Pardo will be based in Nashville, reporting to Barry Stowe, chairman and chief executive officer of Prudential plc’s North American Business Unit.
Changes to reverse mortgage rules proposed
The proposed rule will reinforce and codify recent HECM reforms that FHA has implemented in the past several years, and will also add new consumer protections.
UBS to partner with SigFig, a robo-advisor
The technology will allow the advisers to spend more time talking to clients and less time constructing investment portfolios and other activities that can be automated, said Tom Naratil,...
Despite DOL rule, A.M. Best raises outlook for indexed annuity issuer
'Positive rating actions could occur if diversifies its product offerings into more creditworthy product lines, resulting in sales growth in products other than fixed indexed annuities,' A.M. Best...
Platform plays matchmaker between fiduciary advisors and prospects
Participating NAPFA advisors can obtain onboarding services at a discounted rate. These include developing messaging for videos and shooting the videos to be included with the advisor profile, as...
Robos force advisors to step up their games: Cerulli
'Investors desire deeper online, goal-oriented resources, research, and content... but they lack the bandwidth or attention span to dedicate significant time toward their financial well-being,' according to Cerulli.
Athene Holdings, a major fixed indexed annuity issuer, registers for IPO
In 2015, Athene USA was the fifth biggest seller of indexed annuities in the US, with $2.55 billion in sales and a 4.8% market share. It trailed Allianz Life,...
Conning study assesses pension risk transfer (PRT) market
'Longevity risk may be a future issue for U.S. insurers since they currently do not incur a longevity charge under RBC,' Conning analyst Scott Hawkins told RIJ in an...
UK investors more open to robo-advice than Americans
In the US, 28% of those surveyed said they don’t think they will use robo advice tools in the future, compared with only 12% in the UK.
Extra, extra! It’s a real-time event-based API!
Wealth management firms, brokers, exchanges, trading software providers and fintech start-ups can use the service, which can monitor price data on stocks, futures, options, forex, mutual funds, ETFs and...
FINRA fines MetLife $20 million for VA replacement misconduct
‘MSI represented to customers that their existing VA was more expensive than the recommended VA, when in fact, the existing VA was less expensive,’ FINRA said.
AXA and BlackRock make news, separately, in the UK
AXA will divest its life insurance and savings business in Britain and BlackRock has sold it defined contribution plan administration business in the UK to AEGON.
Free e-book from Society of Actuaries covers diverse aspects of retirement
The book, which includes essays submitted for SOA awards, includes a first-prize article by R. Evan Inglis that "provides a rule of thumb for decumulation with a range attached...
2016 Social Security Claiming Guide now available
"The Social Security Claiming Guide sorts through all the options, spells out how much you can get, and answers frequently asked questions—all in a clear, easy-to-read, and colorful format,"...
Most Americans clueless about fees: Hearts & Wallets
'We have a major problem,' said Laura Varas, founder and CEO of Hearts & Wallets, in a release. “Consumers should know what they pay... Regulation has a role, but...
