Morningstar Enters the Indexed Age
Just in time for the activation of the DOL fiduciary rule, Morningstar has expanded its Annuity Intelligence resources to include indexed and fixed annuities.
Complex Annuities for a Complex Era
Indexed variable annuities (IVAs) offer a potential solution for paralyzed clients—perhaps for those who feel baffled by a market where both bond and stock prices are at all-time highs. Allianz Life and Brighthouse Financial have just issued new IVA contracts.
Fiduciary Rule Hurts First Quarter Annuity Sales
Sales of certain fixed annuities were lifted by the recent uptick in the Fed's benchmark interest rate, but sales of variable and indexed annuities were depressed in the first quarter of 2017 by uncertainty over the future of the DOL fiduciary rule.
What to Do About Low Returns
The anticipated low return environment doesn't have to ruin your retirement plans, according to industry and academic speakers at the Pension Research Council's annual symposium, held May 4-5 at Penn's Wharton School.
Featured
Variable Annuities Suffer Steep Net Outflows
But a 6.07% burst of first-quarter growth in the S&P 500 boosted total VA assets under management to $1.86 trillion, up 2.73% from the previous quarter and 4.49% from the first quarter of 2016.
‘Don’t Expect Action By the SEC’
The retirement industry and its legal teams are receiving about as much useful new information from the SEC about the fiduciary rule as Dorothy Gale got from the Scarecrow when she and Toto stopped to ask for directions to Oz.
News
Jackson National switches to DoubleLine from PIMCO for a VA subaccount
Pimco's flagship Total Return investment strategy had been one of Jackson National’s variable annuity subaccount options since 1998.
BlackRock enhances iRetire platform for advisors
iRetire is an “end-to-end retirement planning framework that financial advisors can use to take clients to and through retirement,” a BlackRock release said.
To attract youth, TIAA’s new robo offers socially-responsible investments
The service requires a minimum account balance of $5,000 and charges annual advisory fees of just 30 basis points (0.3%).
Honorable Mention
Brief or late-breaking items from T. Rowe Price, The American College, Nationwide and Natixis.
