Kerry Pechter, Author at Retirement Income Journal

Articles by Author: Kerry Pechter

Editor and Publisher of Retirement Income Journal, Kerry Pechter is author of Annuities for Dummies (Wiley, 2008) and former editor of the SourceMedia publication, Annuity Market News/Retirement Income Reporter. He has been an annuity columnist for Senior Market Advisor, and his feature articles have appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Men's Health and many other national publications. From 1997 to 2006, he was a writer and editor supporting the Retirement Resource Center at The Vanguard Group. In 2009, he traveled to Taiwan and reported on the retirement industry there as a fellow of the National Press Foundation. A graduate of Kenyon College and recipient of a fellowship in creative writing at Indiana University, Pechter resides in Emmaus, PA, with his wife Lisa, the director of marketing and publicity for the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University.

Takeaways from the FPA Conference in Boston

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Oct 1, 2015

At the Financial Planning Association's Business and Education Conference in Boston last weekend, Bill Reichenstein talked about tax-efficient withdrawal strategies, Steve Deschenes made a case for income-oriented American Funds,...

Published October 1, 2015

Questions for the DOL’s Tim Hauser

By Kerry Pechter

The DOL may believe that, by establishing a blanket “Best Interest” principle, it won’t have to pick winners and losers. But it can’t avoid picking winners and losers. A...

Published October 1, 2015

Will the ‘BIC’ Affect QLAC Sales?

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Sep 24, 2015

We're talking about the DOL's proposed Best Interest Contract exemption and sales of Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts. "Most firms will just pass on this uncertainty and risk," said Caleb...

Published September 24, 2015

The DOL’s Missed Opportunity

By Kerry Pechter

By proposing a solution that could disrupt the distribution of financial products and deny broker-dealers a major source of revenue, the DOL guaranteed resistance. Instead, it might have required...

Published September 24, 2015

How to Personalize Withdrawal Rates

By Kerry Pechter Tue, Sep 15, 2015

Safe spending rates range from 2% to 10%, writes researcher Luke Delorme in the Journal of Financial Planning. It all depends on when people retire, how much guaranteed income...

Published September 17, 2015

GM Adds Hueler’s Income Solutions to its DC Plan

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Sep 10, 2015

GM closed its defined benefit plan in 2012. Its 401(k) provider is Fidelity. To offer its DC plan participants an option to roll over part of their savings to...

Published September 11, 2015

The People’s Retirement Industry Group

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Sep 3, 2015

To mark the Retirement Income Industry Association’s 10th anniversary, RIIA founder and chairman Francois Gadenne (above) spoke with RIJ recently about the group’s past, present and future.

Published September 3, 2015

Of Fly-Fishing and Financial Advice

By Kerry Pechter

I and most other people would hope that our investment advisors or financial planners would render us the same quality of service, at least in spirit, that I received...

Published September 3, 2015

DOL Hearings: Wonkishly Stimulating

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Aug 13, 2015

“I believe the proposal is intended to eliminate the commission model,” said Ron Kruszewski of Stifel Financial during the hearings on the DOL conflict of interest proposal. Scott Puritz...

Published August 13, 2015

RIJ Takes a Vacation

By Kerry Pechter

Retirement Income Journal will next appear on September 3, 2015. We will not publish on August 20 or August 27. During that time the management and staff will be...

Published August 13, 2015

Conflict of Interests

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Aug 6, 2015

On Monday, the hearings on the Department of Labor's fiduciary proposal will begin in Washington. Will they deal with the fundamental issues, or with legal technicalities? (Link to the...

Published August 6, 2015

If It Ain’t Fixed Indexed, It’s Broken

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Jul 30, 2015

Fixed indexed annuities remain a niche product, representing only about 10% of annuity sales. But that the niche has grown into an almost $50 billion-a-year business. Sales of FIAs...

Published July 30, 2015

Is It Time to End Tax Deferral?

By Kerry Pechter

This strikes me as the issue at the heart of the controversy over the Department of Labor's conflict-of-interests proposal—the issue we duck and dodge, while pretending that it’s all...

Published July 30, 2015

FINRA Sides with Brokers against DOL Proposal

By Kerry Pechter

As it stands, the “fractured approach" of the Department of Labor conflict-of-interest proposal "will confuse retirement investors, financial institutions, and advisers,” wrote FINRA executive Marcia Asquith in a comment...

Published July 30, 2015

Would the DoL Proposal Deny Advice to the Masses?

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Jul 23, 2015

Forcing commissioned brokers and agents to act like fiduciaries would deprive middle-class investors of access to financial advice, critics of Labor's proposal argue. Maybe. It would almost certainly deprive...

Published July 23, 2015

Investments + Annuities = Healthy Retirement

By Kerry Pechter Wed, Jul 15, 2015

Many advisers still treat annuities and investments as apples and oranges--that is, not to be mixed up in a single retirement fruit salad. But experts Michael Finke, Wade Pfau...

Published July 16, 2015

Britain’s Exchequer Mulls an End to Tax Deferred Savings

By Kerry Pechter

Retirement industry watchers in the U.S. should watch what's happening in the U.K. It's a living experiment in pension and tax reform, and it could offer important lessons about...

Published July 16, 2015

‘No Comment’ from NAFA about its Form 990s

By Kerry Pechter Wed, Jul 8, 2015

The leading not-for-profit champion of fixed indexed annuities should explain the "diversion" of assets that was described in its IRS filing.

Published July 9, 2015

The Overlooked Income Vehicle, III

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Jul 2, 2015

Systematic withdrawals from DC plans are one of the simplest and cheapest ways to generate income from tax-deferred savings in retirement. Rollovers get the headlines, but more people advocate...

Published July 2, 2015

Four Little Words, Many Billions of Dollars

By Kerry Pechter

A phrase in the DOL's new Best Interest exemption could make it very hard for broker-dealer reps to accept commissions on the sale of variable annuities and proprietary mutual...

Published July 2, 2015

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