How TOPS Avoids Bottoms

By Kerry Pechter
2012 was the first full year of performance of a managed volatility strategy designed by Milliman for TOPS Protected Portfolios and used in Ohio National, Nationwide and Minnesota Life variable annuities with rich GLWBs. The market threw it a curve ball last June.

Three New Annuities to Ring in 2013

By Kerry Pechter
Rates may still be low, but annuity products keep coming off the assembly line. American General has a new deferred income annuity, Security Benefit a new fixed indexed annuity and Securian a new variable annuity contract.

New Kids on the Blocks

By Kerry Pechter
What happens when Wall Street dealmakers who are in business to make a killing enter the life insurance industry, where people are traditionally in business to make a living?

England’s Search for a DC/DB Hybrid

By Kerry Pechter
The U.K.’s pension ministry has proposed ‘defined ambition’ as a remedy for the country’s retirement savings ills. ‘DA’ is a hybrid of DC and DB, but remains otherwise undefined. Pictured: A worker at a Morrisons supermarket in Britain.
Featured

Guardian Life launches deferred income annuity

By Editor Test
"There’s such a great need for income-producing products, that there's no threat of cannibalizing sales” between Guardian Life's variable annuity with living benefits and its new deferred income annuity, said Guardian's Doug Dubitsky.

From Prudential, Prudent Forecasts for 2013

By Editor Test
“We’re overweight stocks across the world. We’re also overweight high-yield bonds even though the rally there has been going on a long time,” said Edward F. Keon of Quantitative Management Associates, a unit of Prudential Financial.
News

DTCC protests swaps data reporting rules

By Editor Test
A proposed CFTC rule would require that customers who trade derivatives at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange must direct their cleared trades to the CME’s own captive swap data repository.

Simplifying the British national pension is complicated

By Editor Test
Starting in 2017, Britain will switch from a double-tier national pension to a single-tier system. Workers must contribute for at least 10 years to get the minimum benefit. For the maximum benefit, they must contribute for 35 years, up from 30 years.

Our events calendar is now up to date

By Editor Test
More than 30 professional and trade group meetings and conferences in 2013 are now posted on the RIJ home page, under the Events button on the menu bar, just below our logo.

The Bucket

By Editorial Staff
Brief or late-breaking items from Nationwide, Neuberger Berman, Symetra, and Phoenix Marketing.