Envestnet’s Big Annuities Play

Envestnet, with the help of six major annuity issuers, has built a platform where advisors from broker-dealers, banks and RIAs can blend insurance products and investments in the same financial plan. It's a service life insurers can't live without. But will RIAs embrace annuities?
Anecdotal Evidence

Where’s the Nuance in News about Annuities?

By Kerry Pechter
In stories about annuities, even in the Wall Street Journal, writers seem to assume that annuities are a single product, and not five or six financial products with overlapping but distinct purposes.

Honorable Mention

By Editorial Staff
At AIG, Solash and Scheinerman move up as Greer retires; Beth Wood named to top marketing role at Principal; Barnabas Capital to distribute Great American annuities; Prudential explains its 'four building blocks' of success; Merrill Lynch to use Envestnet | Tamarac solutions.
Guest Column

The Case for Lower Rates is Vanishing

By Stephen Slifer
Although it looks like the Fed will yield to pressure for an interest rate reduction, our guest columnist thinks the US economy will be able to reach its target inflation rate without one.

Hazards may lie ahead for life/annuity industry: AM Best

By Editorial Staff
'Life iinsurers have steadily increased their allocations to Class 2 bonds, with BBB rated bonds having the highest exposure. Allocations to collateralized loan obligations and holdings in mortgage and alternative assets have also increased, AM Best noted.

COVER STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

June 27, 2019

FIAs for Retirement Income (Why Not?)

By Kerry Pechter
In this last article in our series on fixed indexed annuities, we consider the potential role of FIAs in providing retirees with guaranteed lifetime income. We find FIAs to be valuable, but underused for...
June 20, 2019

The Derivatives that Power Index Annuities

By Kerry Pechter
FIA owners can pick from an array of choices as cryptic as those on a roulette table. But if they don't understand options, how can they evaluate these safe but esoteric insurance products?
June 13, 2019

Allianz Life’s Index Annuity Winning Streak

By Kerry Pechter
In this second article in a four-part series on the fixed index annuity (FIA) business, we profile Allianz Life, the top issuer of FIAs in the US in 18 of the last 19 years....