‘Peeps’ Try to Peck Through a Pension Shell

A Pennsylvania maker of colored marshmallow ‘chicks’ wants to be the first company in a ‘closed MEP’ pension plan to stay in the plan but put all new hires in a 401(k). A $60 million withdrawal penalty is at stake. The U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, is hearing the case.
Anecdotal Evidence

Should My Neighbor Buy that Indexed Annuity?

By Kerry Pechter
My 60-year-old friend went to a free retirement seminar and met an investment advisor who recommended that she move 60% of her savings into a fixed indexed annuity for income at age 70. What should she do? You decide.

Investors keeping selling US equity funds

By Editorial Staff
TrimTabs says U.S. equity funds lost a net $63.3 billion in 1Q2018, the second-highest quarterly outflow on record, while global equity funds received a net $63.9 billion.

Ascensus to buy ASPERIA

ASPERIA (formerly Group Health & Benefit Administrators, Inc.), will become part of Ascensus’ TPA Solutions division.

‘Excessive fee’ case against Yale to continue

By Editorial Staff
Yale is among more than a dozen universities to be sued over the past 30 months for allegedly failing to reduce the costs of their 401(k) plans and the fees charged to participants.

Alcoa transfers DB risk to Sun Life and others

By Editorial Staff
Sun Life Financial, Desjardins Financial Security Life Assurance Company, and Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. (IAFS) will begin making benefit payments to the affected plan participants by July 2018.

InsurMark receives infusion from Simplicity

InsurMark now identifies as itself as ADO, or Advisor Development Organization. The repositioning reflects an emphasis on 'helping advisor-clients optimize the value of their business.'

COVER STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

March 29, 2018

It’s Hot Around the ‘Collar’

By Kerry Pechter
Nervous investors can get an indexed collar strategy from an annuity or an ETF. Great West Financial and Innovator Capital Management have new products in the category. Cap-and-buffer products, pioneered by AXA, are the...
March 22, 2018

In Canada, ‘LIFE’ Begins at 85

By Kerry Pechter
Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald (right or below), a research fellow at Toronto's Ryerson University, proposes a voluntary, tontine-like deferred income annuity called Lifetime Income for the Elderly (LIFE). Canadians could make a one-time payment at age...
March 16, 2018

‘We Shall Never Surrender!’

By Kerry Pechter
At the Insured Retirement Industry's marketing conference in Orlando this week, speakers from AXA, Brighthouse Financial (formerly MetLife’s retail division), Great-West Financial, Jackson National Life, and New York Life described their companies' strategies in...