The Reverse Mortgage Puzzle
With so many Boomers retiring with low average savings but high average home equity, demand for government-insured reverse mortgages, or HECMs, should be growing. Instead, it's shrinking. Here's why.
The Alt-Asset Teams that Reinvent Annuity Companies
'Insurance Solutions' groups use private assets to boost the returns of life/annuity company investment portfolios. RIJ talks with Todd Fonner of Investcorp Insurance Solutions about this trend.
One Life Insurer’s Pivot to Private Assets
American Equity Investment Life’s ‘AEL 2.0’ strategy is designed to help it thrive even in a low yield environment. Allocating up to 40% of its money to ‘private assets’ is key to the fixed annuity specialist's plan.
NAIC Eyes ‘Bermuda Triangle’ Strategy
A document from the NAIC's Financial Stability Task Force reflects the concerns that the NAIC has heard from a variety of sources about the increased ownership of life insurers by private equity firms. (Image from NAIC document.)
Featured
Selling like Coldcakes
This week, RIJ features the first installment of a three-part series on the reverse mortgage industry, and why it's shrinking when it should, on paper at least, be growing.
The Future of Robo-Advice
'I’d love to see several of the start-up robo-advisors thrive in the coming years. But most face serious economic headwinds,' writes the founder and CEO of Morningstar, Inc.
News
MetLife isn’t a SIFI, federal judge rules
Judge Rosemary Collyer's opinion was sealed, but parts may be made public next month.
Ruark shares results of FIA behavior study
In contrast to variable annuities, the FIA experience does not show clear sensitivity to the relative value or “moneyness” of GLWB riders, Ruark found after studying eight years of indexed annuity owner behavior.
Another robo—the “Robin Hood of fees”—takes aim at fund fees
"FeeX" shows visitors the differences between the fund fees they are paying and funds that offer similar investments but lower fees--then helps visitors into a rollover IRA at Betterment, E*Trade, Scottrade, TD Ameritrade or Wealthfront.
