Group annuity risk transfer sales top $14 billion in 2015: LIMRA
In the fourth quarter, group annuity risk transfer sales were $5.8 billion or almost 19% lower than the previous year. Total assets of buy-out products increased 10%, to $90...
MassMutual pays $165 million for MetLife’s captive agent force and retail operation
On a combined basis, MSI and MassMutual’s existing broker-dealer, MML Investors Services, LLC, will be among the nation’s largest insurance company-owned broker-dealers.
Job anemia puts interest rate hikes into doubt: TrimTabs
“The labor market is not nearly as robust as the conventional wisdom believes,” said David Santschi, chief executive officer of TrimTabs.
Honorable Mention
Brief or late-breaking items from Vanguard, Morningstar, PIMCO, Allianz Life and Retirement Clearinghouse.
Mobile Imperative Drives TIAA Re-Branding
“We approached the design challenge as if the only interface we had was the mobile phone, and then we worked back to design the other channels,” said Ed Moslander,...
Genworth’s “Medically Underwritten” SPIA Offers Higher Payouts
People ages 70 to 95 who are about to enter care can receive monthly payments that are 20% to 50% higher than payments from a comparable conventional life-contingent single...
‘Stretch match’ is the key to higher DC savings: LIMRA
LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute noted that a 100% match of the first 3% of savings tends to promote savings rates of 6%, but a 50% match of the first...
Indexed annuities post new sales records in 2015
Total annuity sales improved for the third consecutive quarter, driven by strong fixed annuity results. In fourth quarter, annuity sales were $61.4 billion, 5% higher than the prior year....
Jackson and Morningstar partner on tax demonstration tool
This tool is available for wholesalers and advisors, and supported by Jackson’s Advanced Strategies team, a group of senior portfolio strategists and retirement and wealth strategy consultants who study...
Here’s how the Jetsons might save for retirement
"FutureJet," a video game produced by MassMutual that aims to enliven the retirement savings message, is available as a free download from the Apple App Store and the Google...
Decline in tax withholdings bodes ill for economy: TrimTabs
Withholdings fell 0.2% year-over-year in real terms in the past four weeks ended Thursday, February 18, TrimTabs found. This decline compares with growth of 2.0% year-over-year in December and...
The RICP, as Seen By Three Graduates of the Program
David W. Smiley, CFP, RICP, of Oxford Asset Management in Durango, CO, Troy Miller, RICP, of Hilliard Lyons in Louisville, KY, and Curtis Cloke, CLTC, RICP, owner of Thrive...
Eight core ideas for retirement planning: Wade Pfau
Here are eight useful principles from the award-winning economist and professor of Retirement Income at The American College of Financial Services.
RetireUp can now illustrate Allianz Life and Great American annuities
'Usually if a client brings up something new in a meeting, you have to go back to the home office to see how it will affect the annuities in...
Hybrid robo-advisors will eclipse pure robo: Swiss report
'The robo model of investment portfolio management will be good enough in the eyes of a larger proportion of investors than the wealth management industry itself yet seems ready...
‘No time for complacency,’ A.M. Best warns annuity issuers
In 2016, life and annuity companies will face increasing life expectancy trends, the rise of cyber risk as a life “catastrophic” event and increasing investment risk from traditional and...
New fintech solutions from ASI, BondView and Envestnet
"With this release, we believe we have set new standards for usability, scalability and flexibility in the digital advice space," said Andrew Rudd, Chairman and CEO of Advisor Software...
New York City eyes public savings plan for private sector workers
Contributions would be made exclusively by employees and their accounts would be portable from job to job. The city would create a board to oversee and manage the program.
401(k) and IRA balances reflect market volatility: Fidelity
After decreasing in Q3 2015 due to market volatility, average retirement account balances recovered in Q4 2015, but were still below the averages from Q4 2014.
‘American Savings Account’ proposed
The ASA has provisions similar in some ways to automatic IRA programs that have been proposed at the federal level, and are now being pursued by a number of...
