Private Equity in the Life/Annuity Biz
Experts Tim Zawacki of S&P Global Market Intelligence, Rosemarie Mirabella of AM Best, and Jason Kehrberg of PolySystems presented data on “Private Equity and the Life Insurance Industry” at...
It’s Inflation or Recession: Larry Summers
In this research roundup, economist Larry Summers predicts a recession next year. We also review new papers on annuitization habits of TIAA participants, 'tontines' for Chile, shortages of...
Bloomberg’s Ideas for Overhauling 401(k)s
Bloomberg editors call the existing 401(k) program 'dysfunctional' and a 'morass.' Their critique is valid, but their suggestions are not quite new.
To Make the Economy Better, Let’s Not Make It Worse
Raising interest rates, driving down asset prices, and sparking layoffs can't be the best way to neutralize a petroleum-driven inflation. But higher rates could make real returns on bonds...
A ‘Cashback’ Pension-Building Card, from Germany
'The Vantikcard uses the 1% cashback as a kickstart into retirement savings and for customers to then save on top of the cashback,' a Vantik veteran said. Right: Vantik...
Your Retirement Money Diet
Morningstar's investment gurus put four variations of the "safe withdrawal" method through a simulated retirement scenario involving a 65-year-old man, a $1 million portfolio, and a 30-year time horizon....
White Paper Warns of PE-Led Life Insurers
The co-director of the Center for Economic Policy Research claims that conflicts of interest, risky investments, and regulatory arbitrage accompany the incursion of private equity firms into the life/annuity...
Meet Corebridge, AIG’s ‘Bermuda Triangle’ Venture
Corebridge Financial is AIG's Life & Retirement division, spun off and rebranded. It teams up with some of the world's largest asset managers and a reinsurer based in Bermuda....
Who Runs EBSA? It Matters
Ali Khawar, the acting head of the DOL's Employee Benefit Security Administration, spoke at an American Academy of Actuaries webinar. To learn about EBSA’s initiatives, we tuned in.
Europe’s Borderless New DC Plans
After 10 years of preparation, the European Union has created Pan European Personal Pension plans (PEPPs). These will be available to any EU-country citizen working in any EU country....
Tough Fed talk on inflation, little bite
'We prefer to take risk in equities over credit in the inflationary backdrop because we expect real—or inflation-adjusted—yields to stay historically low,' write BlackRock analysts.
401(k)s Are a ‘Fraud,’ and Other New Research
Here are five fresh, timely pieces of academic research on retirement-related topics, including the alleged unfairness of the employer-sponsored defined contribution plan savings system.
Consumer Groups Urge DOL to Tighten “Reg BI”
Consumer advocacy groups are urging the Department of Labor to return to its 2016 stance--when it required annuity sellers to pledge to act solely in their clients' best interest...
What’s the Deal with (Annuity) Reinsurance?
The use of "modified coinsurance" or "funds withheld" reinsurance is helping certain issuers of fixed indexed annuity conserve capital and take more investment risk. Its a strategy that can...
Meet MassMutual’s Bermuda Reinsurer
MassMutual helped finance Martello Re, the $1.65bn Bermuda reinsurer that just reinsured $14bn worth of MassMutual's in-force fixed-rate and fixed index annuities, and recruited Dennis Ho to be its...
Our retirement system needs work: Morningstar
The content and tone of Morningstar's new Retirement Plan Landscape Report, from a new Morningstar retirement research group, reflects the crisp, business-like approach that Morningstar's broad audience needs and...
Investment, Pension, or Annuity? This Fund Is a Hybrid
Purpose Financial's Longevity Pension Fund, introduced in Canada last summer, is designed to provide sustainable income for life with liquidity of principal. Getting SEC approval for its sale as...
‘I Can’t Believe This’
Ukraine had been touted as a cheap place for Americans to retire. That's one way to look at it. Of the ~11 million retirees in Ukraine (as of mid-2021),...
Will Buy-Out Firms Buy Out Medicare?
'Direct Contracting,' as the experiment is called, could put private equity (PE) firms between doctors and patients.
A Policy Dynamo Touts ‘Dynamic Pensions’
Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald, an actuary and retirement policy expert at Canada's National Institute on Aging, claims that a non-guaranteed lifetime income tool could generate more income than any annuities. Tontines,...
