Waiting on the Fed

By Kerry Pechter
'The long end of the curve will stay stable but the front end of the curve will go up, so that we’ll have eventually have 2.5% at the short end and a long end between 2.5% and 3%,' predicted a BNP Paribas managing director recently. (Pictured: Janet Yellen.)

Research Roundup

By Kerry Pechter
Almost every controversial subject in the US today--from Fed policy to machine learning to immigration--contains an element or theme related to retirement policy. The articles reviewed in this month's Research Roundup are proof of that.

‘iTDFs’ Smooth the Bumps of Retirement Income

By Per U. K. Linnemann
A former chief actuary of Denmark seeks a US target date fund company that might use his technology, the 'iTDF,' to create a seamless transition from pre-retirement savings to safe income during the first 20 years of retirement.

A Revolt Against PE-Led Annuity Issuers

By Kerry Pechter
Matt Zagula is an annuity wholesaler and fixed indexed annuity (FIA) designer. He and forensic accountant Tom Gober created the TSR ratio, a scale for rating FIA issuers. Mutual and fraternal insurers score best; private equity-led life insurers score worst.
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Jackson National Has a Growing Share of a Shrinking VA Market

By Editorial Staff
Historically, third-quarter sales have been soft for variable annuities. Declines from the second quarter have occurred in each of the last ten years and declines from the previous third quarter have occurred in each of the last four years.

Why Roofers Retire Earlier than Professors

By Kerry Pechter
To learn more about the link between physically demanding jobs and early retirement, researchers at the Center for Retirement Research developed a “Susceptibility Index” that assigns ratings to different occupations.
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