At SPARK conference, a Plug for In-Plan Annuities

In touting his firm's LifePath TDF-based deferred income option, Chip Castille of BlackRock emphasized that insurers should position in-plan annuities as retirement income enhancers rather than longevity risk mitigators. (I.e., appeal to greed, not fear.)

At Your Service: Courting the Affluent Tennis Fan

Prudential Financial, Raymond James, ING, Fidelity Investments and E*Trade all advertised during the French Open final between Rafael Nadal (above) and Roger Federer on NBC TV last Sunday--all vying for the "elite demographic" that follows tennis.

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Debt?

Not Warren Mosler, bond trader, racecar dabbler, Senatorial candidate and recent author of “The Seven Deadly Innocent Frauds.”

How to End ‘Annuicide’

Compensation-wise, income annuities can backfire for many advisors. An industry committee wants to solve the problem, but it’s not easy.
Featured

The Hartford enhances VA suite

The product enhancements are part of a series of investments The Hartford is making in its annuity business in recent months, the company said.
News

DC Plans and Deficit Reduction

"A big bulls-eye has been painted on the employer-sponsored defined contribution system," writes the president of the Profit Sharing Council of America.

Wolters Kluwer weighs in on Supreme Court’s Janus decision

In its 5-4 decision on Janus Capital Group, Inc. v. First Derivatives Traders, a lawsuit first filed in 2003, the high court held that liability for allegedly misleading statements in Janus' mutual fund prospectuses did not extend to the funds' investment advisers.

The Bucket

Brief and late-breaking items from Vanguard, the MetLife Mature Marketing Institute, Lincoln Financial Group and eRollover.