More Plan Sponsors Want to Keep Retiree Accounts: Cerulli
For years, people have been rolling their DC plan assets over to brokerage IRAs at retirement. Many plan providers hated to lose the managed money, but plan sponsors were...
Insurers increase their private equity holdings: AM Best
Low interest rates, mild inflationary environments and the prospects for higher investment yields are tailwinds for private equity investments. But financial stress in the markets or severe public...
Honorable Mention
Principal's new pooled employer plan Is growing quickly; 'Personal Retirement Strategy' will support Bank of America plan participants; Allianz Life survey reveals hot-button personal finance issues; Tom Smith will...
Feds block Aon’s bid for Willis Towers Watson
In suing to block the mega-merger, the Justice Department said the merged firms could 'use their increased leverage to raise prices and reduce the quality of products relied...
Top-Selling Annuity Contracts, First Qtr 2021
Wink's first-quarter sales data showed that Perspective II from Jackson National, the Allianz Benefit Control Annuity, and Prudential's FlexGuard contract were the best-sellers in their respective product categories.
Investors Sought ‘Cheaper, More Cyclical’ Stocks in May: Morningstar
US equity fund flows were quiet for the second consecutive month. After taking in a record $54 billion in March, inflows were just $211 million in May, according to...
Vanguard publishes 2021 ‘How America Saves’
In this 20th annual survey of its own 1,700 retirement plans and 4.7 million participants, the full-service plan provider and fund giant offers a detailed snapshot of plan design...
Honorable Mention
Prudential ‘FlexGuard’ RILA adds income feature; Americans seek more ‘holistic’ view of their finances: Franklin Templeton poll; Riskalyze and RightCapital report ‘seamless integration’; Voya certified in ESG by...
AM Best’s outlook for the annuity industry: Negative
'The negative market segment outlook is due to the persistent low interest rate environment, operating margin pressure and organic growth challenges,' a new AM Best report said.
Honorable Mention
Nationwide annuities join SIMON’s shelf ; 2021 starts better for life/annuity industry than 2020 did: AM Best; “Extended care” requires as much planning as “long-term care”: Thrivent; Modern Woodmen in...
Cryptocurrencies available in ForUsAll retirement plans
'By introducing the Alt 401(k), we are democratizing access to what drives wealth for the wealthy - alternative investment options, combined with our original core offering of low-cost index...
Honorable Mention
Annuity sales will rebound in 2021: Secure Retirement Institute; ‘Income-oriented’ models are a growth category: Cerulli; Equitable and Venerable close transaction.
A close look at ‘collective defined contribution’ plans
A timely new white paper from the Center for Retirement Initiatives at Georgetown University makes a case for these retirement plans, which try to blend elements of defined benefit...
Honorable Mention
Strength helps insurers withstand volatility: AM Best; T. Rowe Price announces fund fee reductions and a new TDF series; $13 million settlement in high-fee suit against Columbia's 403(b) plan;...
US Equity Flows Cool Down in April: Morningstar
After record inflows of $54 bn in March, US equity funds shed over $500 million in April. Large-blend funds saw roughly flat net flows in April after collecting $25...
24 billion trades recorded on last January 27: Cerulli
The infamous short-squeeze craze of 2021, led by Millennial and Gen-Z investors on Reddit, led to an average of 15 billion trades per day executed in January 2021.
Honorable Mention
Under proposed bill, non-profits could join PEPs; NY ruling on Reg 187 could help life sales: AM Best; Jason Fichtner named chief economist at Bipartisan Policy Center; John Thiel...
Fidelity’s average 401(k) balance: $123,900
The average 401(k) employer contribution rate was 4.6%, and the average contribution was $1,720. Among 403(b) accounts, the average employer contribution was 4.1% and the average amount was $3,000.
Structured annuity (RILA) sales volume up 89% in 1Q2021: LIMRA SRI
'RILAs offer better pricing than indexed annuities to investors looking to mitigate downside risk and enjoy potential investment growth as the bull market continues,' said Todd Giesing of LIMRA...
Honorable Mention
SPCG, a new consulting group, focuses on structured products; MassMutual and Arconic Corp in $1 billion pension risk transfer deal; ‘Jackson Financial’ appoints new directors; Allianz adds 'auto lock'...
