Does Your Suffering Need Buffering?

Buffered or structured variable annuities 'are the new shining star of the annuity market,' said Sheryl Moore, CEO of Wink, Inc., which tracks annuity sales. 'This is where life insurers will start focusing their product development resources.'
Anecdotal Evidence

June is Index Month at RIJ

By Kerry Pechter
In June, Retirement Income Journal dedicates most of its coverage to the world of indexed annuities. This year we’re concentrating on the indexed variable annuity, for two reasons. Its sales are growing, despite the repressive rate environment. It also defies easy understanding.
Guest Column

More Self-Inflicted Risks Than We Need

By Tim Duy
'This shouldn’t be that hard: Keep pumping money into the economy to support incomes as you build out the public health infrastructure,' writes our guest columnist, an economist at the University of Oregon. But the riots and possible military intervention worry him.

A buffet of buffered ETFs for jittery investors

By Kerry Pechter
Allianz Life will compete in the structured ETF space against Innovator Capital Management, which invented this type of investment in 2018, First Trust, and New York Life Investments, which will distribute a structured ETF built by m+.

COVER STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

May 28, 2020

BlackRock Makes a Bundle (with Annuities)

By Kerry Pechter
BlackRock, the giant asset manager, is adding a lifetime income dimension to its LifePath target date funds by partnering with Brighthouse, Equitable and Voya on a service that will help 401(k) participants buy individual...
May 21, 2020

Research Roundup

By Kerry Pechter
For weeks, interesting studies have been gushing from the National Bureau of Economic Research and elsewhere on the economic implications of COVID-19. We've selected and summarized seven of them for you.
May 14, 2020

With BluePrint Income, AARP Ups its Ante on Annuity Sales

By Kerry Pechter
AARP's 38 million members can now buy income annuities and fixed-rate annuities on a platform powered by fintech firm Blueprint Income. Buyers get a complimentary annual 'retirement income check-up' from a salaried, insurance-licensed adviser. ...