‘Smart,’ from UK, Enters the US PEP Market

'Smart' is the recently-launched American branch of a British fintech with expertise in a kind of retirement savings plan that's called a 'master trust' in the UK and a 'pooled employer plan' or PEP in the US. RIJ interviewed two of its top executives.

MassMutual flies into the ‘Bermuda Triangle’

By Kerry Pechter
MassMutual has all the pieces--a life insurer that issues fixed annuities, a stake in a Bermuda reinsurer, a big in-house asset manager, and various partnerships--that should enable it to compete with Athene and Global Atlantic.
Anecdotal Evidence

Why Asset Managers Keep Buying Annuity Issuers

By Kerry Pechter
What is concerning are not so much the practices of pioneers of this business. More concerning are the 'me-too' players--smaller johnny-come-lately asset managers who want some of those billions flowing from desperate institutional investors.

Breaking News

By Editorial Staff
DPL and Security Benefit add ‘total return’ index option to FIA; Americans expect market volatility in 2022: Allianz Life; Lincoln redesigns participant-facing website.

COVER STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

January 6, 2022

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.
December 16, 2021

‘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...
December 9, 2021

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;...