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...
Road to “ruin” should be less traveled: Milevsky
Finance professor and decumulation expert Moshe Milevsky, writing in an upcoming issue of the Financial Analysts Journal, thinks that the practice of using "probabilities of ruin" when creating an...
Born to be vetoed: Two more House bills target DOL proposal
The bills emerging from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce would maintain the status quo by requiring disclosure of, not elimination of, conflicts of interest in sales...
Human asset transfers: Finke to American College, Webb to New School
Michael Finke, the widely published financial planning professor, is moving to The American College and Anthony Webb, an economist specializing in retirement income, is moving to the Schwartz Center...
Mothers, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be… Student Debtors
Two out of three households headed by people who borrowed for college but didn't graduate are at risk for not maintaining their pre-retirement standard of living in retirement, according...
Honorable Mention
Brief or late-breaking items from Starburst/Wealthbox, LIMRA, T. Rowe Price, and Sumitomo Life/Symetra.
Retirement Crisis? Not for Educated Couples
A new study shows that about 29% of single women with less than a high school education and 90.2% of married women with at least a college degree education...
$100 million for retirement pilot programs in Obama budget proposal
Certain pilots are expected to study "auto-portability"--the automatic transfer of small accounts from one 401k to another when people change jobs--and, potentially, help make it a standard feature of...
