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.
Overcoming Hurdles in the Variable Annuity Race
Prudential and AXA have remained among the perennial leaders of the variable annuity space by patiently tweaking existing products and exploiting niche opportunities.
Mortality Credits: Sweet and Sour
'The only way to get closer to meeting your spending goals is through some sort of partial annuitization strategy,' said Michael Finke, dean of The American College of Financial Services, at the Retirement Industry Conference in Orlando last week.
In Target-Date Space, It’s Vanguard, Et Alia
Vanguard’s domination of TDF flows in recent years has paralleled its domination of overall mutual funds flows. Competitors search for ways to be different, but not too different.
Featured
Roll Over and Play Fair
The LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute's study of participant behavior around rollovers comes at a time when financial advisors need to talk about rollovers more carefully than in the past.
Ready for Take-Off? Or a Crash Landing?
'The Trump effect that carried the market through the end of April now shows some evidence of running out of steam,' writes our guest columnist, of Chao & Co., a retirement plan and fiduciary consulting firm in Vienna, Va.
News
A mixed picture of life/annuity industry from A.M. Best
'Earnings from individual annuities business were strong, up 63% from 2015, due mainly to the Federal Reserve’s 25-basis-point interest rate increase during the fourth quarter and the decline in asset adequacy reserves,' the ratings agency said.
Average 401(k) balances up 27% in five years: Fidelity
The post-election equities rally and higher contributions drove the average Fidelity 401(k) balance to a record $95,500 and the average IRA balance to a record $98,100 the end of Q1. (Average balances tend to be much higher than median ones.)
Mass Mutual has a new look
In explaining the logic of the new look, MassMutual pointed to some of the financial stresses felt by various U.S. demographic groups, which reflect a lack of income, of savings or of an ability to save.
Honorable Mention
Olivia Mitchell wins EBRI award, Tim Seifert to lead annuity sales at Lincoln Financial, and Brian Duperreault becomes AIG's new chairman and CEO.
