A Chat with Jackson’s Clifford Jack
'We talk all the time about not being the team that performs extremely well for eight and two-thirds innings just to screw it up on the final out,' said the Jackson National EVP.
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.
Featured
Will Boomers Pony Up for these Riders?
Deferred annuities have lapse rates as high as 40% to 70%, but the lapse rates of LTCI/annuity hybrids could shrink to as low as one or two percent—the rates associated with LTCI policies.
IRI: Not Just NAVA by Another Name
Where NAVA might have been described as inward-looking, IRI seems to be outward-looking. Some members think that's a refreshing change.
News
Impaired Risk Annuities Sell Well in the U.K.
The popularity of enhanced annuities—which provide bigger payouts for those with adverse medical conditions—is likely to grow, consultants said.
More Large Employers to Restore 401(k) Matches
But many employees still face smaller raises, lower bonuses and higher health care costs, a Watson Wyatt analyst said.
Cerulli Report Reveals Investor Concerns
From August to December of 2008, the number of households describing themselves as conservative investors jumped to 32% from 25%.
Index Annuities Set Quarterly Sales Record
“Never has there been a more challenging period for those selling indexed annuities,” said Sheryl J. Moore, president and CEO of AnnuitySpecs.com.
John Hancock Issues New MVA Fixed Annuity
Investors can choose either a 3-, 5-, 7-or 10-year period with a matching withdrawal charge schedule.
