Comment: The High Price of Low Rates

A low interest rate policy, while necessary in a crisis, acts as a tax on the average person and plants the seed for the next credit crisis, according to two NBER Working Papers published in July.

How to Walk Through Fire

Crossing the retirement "red zone" might be compared to a fire-walk. But here are three advisors who are guiding clients (and their portfolios) from age 55 to age 65 with barely even a hot-foot.

A Summer Crop of Variable Annuities

Allianz Life, Genworth Financial, John Hancock Life, and MetLife have all introduced new variable annuity contracts. Of the four new entries, John Hancock's stands out as the simplest and cheapest.

CalPERS Gives Rating Agencies an FFF

In a new lawsuit, California's state pension fund blames the 'issuer pay system' at the top three rating agencies for part of its investment losses last year.
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Banks Reap Record Annuity Income

The steep yield curve enabled fixed annuities to outperform CDs, and drove fixed annuity sales to a new record in the second quarter.
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