In Canada, ‘LIFE’ Begins at 85

Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald (right or below), a research fellow at Toronto's Ryerson University, proposes a voluntary, tontine-like deferred income annuity called Lifetime Income for the Elderly (LIFE). Canadians could make a one-time payment at age 65 and begin collecting income at age 85 (if they live that long).

Float shrink: US firms continue to buy stock

By Kerry Pechter
New cash takeovers have totaled $48.1 billion, and they have would have been $136.9 billion had Broadcom’s bid for Qualcomm succeeded, said TrimTabs research.

Less debt for near-elderly households: EBRI

By Editorial Staff
'Families with a near-elderly head show a pattern of stubbornly higher indebtedness than in past generations—specifically those in the 1990s,' the EBRI said.
New product

Phoenix issues MYGA annuity

By Editorial Staff
If contract owners can choose to keep the right to take a 10% “free withdrawal” of up to 10% of their premium, their guaranteed interest rate will be 0.25% less.
Anecdotal Evidence

Hold the Parade

By Kerry Pechter
Annuity industry advocates say that this week's Fifth District Court of Appeals ruling has nullified the DOL fiduciary rule. Others disagree. I question Judge Jones' understanding of how the industry works.

COVER STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

March 16, 2018

‘We Shall Never Surrender!’

By Kerry Pechter
At the Insured Retirement Industry's marketing conference in Orlando this week, speakers from AXA, Brighthouse Financial (formerly MetLife’s retail division), Great-West Financial, Jackson National Life, and New York Life described their companies' strategies in...
March 8, 2018

Allianz Life’s New FIA Aims for Accumulation

By Kerry Pechter
'By using volatility controlled indices, we can offer higher caps,' said Matt Gray, vp of product innovation at Allianz Life. 'In such a low-rate environment, those higher caps have been well-received.' (Image from Allianz...
March 1, 2018

A Fintech Fix for the Small Plan Cost-Crisis

By Kerry Pechter
'We’re offering to clean house in a very fragmented broker market,' said Shin Inoue, CEO of ForUsAll, a turnkey 401(k) provider. Founded in 2014 by three former Financial Engines executives, ForUsAll has received $34...