Wealth protects health—but not permanently: EBRI
Among Americans who died at or above age 85, 20.6% had no non-housing assets, according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute. Among single people who died at those ages,...
Grasshoppers know they should act more like ants
Two-thirds of American adults consider themselves “savers,” but 54% have no net savings, according to a new survey sponsored by Northwest Mutual.
BlackRock fined $12 million for fund manager conflict of interest
One of the firm's top portfolio managers had a $50 million interest in one of his funds’ largest holdings, the Securities and Exchange Administration said, in announcing its settlement...
Video: Elizabeth Warren at the National Press Club
Sen. Warren spoke in favor of greater financial regulation at the annual Hyman Minsky Conference, sponsored by the Levy Economics Institute and held this year at the National Press...
AXA’s have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too approach to RMDs
AXA has developed RMD Wealth Guard, a guaranteed minimum death benefit designed to boost sales of its Retirement Cornerstone variable annuity among retirees who want to protect a chunk...
What time is it? Time for you to build an app for the Apple Watch
E*Trade has introduced an app for the Apple Watch, due out next week.
Public pensions aren’t falling behind in mortality expectations: CRR
A study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College shows that if public pension plans used the private sector mortality tables, they would have to increase their...
Quantitative easing in Europe entices equity investors: TrimTabs
“U.S. investors continue to follow the printing presses into European and Japanese equities,” said David Santschi, TrimTabs CEO.
IRS relaxes penalty that discouraged auto-enrollment
A penalty on plan sponsors for failing to make scheduled deferrals to auto-enrolled plan participants was identified as a barrier to adoption of auto-enrollment into retirement plans, so the...
Towers Watson CEO extols ‘bridge’ strategy
People who retire at age 62 should spend personal savings for eight years and claim Social Security at age 70, rather than claim SS at age 62. So says...
Britain invaded! By robo-advice!
'The low-margin business of fund distribution is being standardized, innovative digital propositions are flourishing, and layers of distribution are being removed' in the U.K., according to a new report...
The Bucket
Brief or late-breaking items from New York Life, Northwestern Mutual, Vanguard, AIG and Primerica.
Secrets of Tax-Efficient Drawdown
In a regular new feature on the latest retirement-related research, we look at a variety of recent articles, including one that might just change the way you think about...
What is the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council?
The IALC is a three-year-old advocacy group representing fixed indexed annuity manufacturers, with former North Dakota insurance commissioner Jim Poolman as executive director.
Pacific Life issues qualified longevity annuity
The insurer's press release positions the product mainly as a way for advisors to help their clients reduce annual taxes during retirement, instead of as insurance against running out...
Hueler’s Income Solutions now offers QLACs
Vanguard, Alliance Benefit Group, Beneplace and several large plan sponsors offer the Hueler platform to their plan participants.
AIG, BofA Merrill Lynch collaborate on index annuity option
Through a daily “non-discretionary process eliminates the impact that emotions may have on allocation decisions,” AIG said in a release, the contract moves money into cash when short-term...
The Bucket
Brief or late-breaking items from Bank of the West, Vanguard, Global Retirement Partners and LPL Financial.
Surge of fixed indexed annuity sales at independent broker-dealers in 2014
Industry-wide annuity sales reached $229.4 billion in 2014, a 3.8% increase from $220.9 billion in 2013 and an 8.2% increase from $212 billion in 2012.
Voya enters the structured variable annuity game
The product resembles other structured variable annuities in the marketplace, issued by MetLife, AXA, CUNA Mutual and Allianz Life. These products offer more upside potential than fixed indexed annuities...
