Gold, Not Tariffs, Saved the 1890s

By Kerry Pechter
President Trump said his "Liberation Day" tariffs would boost the U.S. economy the way President William McKinley's tariffs did in the 1890s. But the boom of the 1890s came from huge gold strikes and the Spanish-American War, not tariffs.

Equitable Joins the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ Club

By Kerry Pechter
Equitable Holdings' recent reinsurance deals were the topic of critical articles in three financial publications this summer. Underneath the controversy, the leader of the RILA industry was catching up with the Bermuda mega-trend.

A Fixed Index Annuity with a Dash of Risk

By Kerry Pechter
The Momentum Growth contract from Delaware Life introduces a bit of gambling to the FIA product category—but within guardrails, and only with what contract owners might call 'house money.'
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QLACs: The ‘Greek yogurt’ of Retirement Products?

By Kerry Pechter
Longevity annuities were the topic of a two-hour discussion at the Brookings Institution two weeks ago and of a RIIA/New York Life webinar this week. Having read the transcript of the first one and attended the second, I offer these highlights.

Going Dutch, with a DB-DC Hybrid

By Kerry Pechter
Can the use of "buffers" in collectively-managed defined contribution funds offer defined benefit-like income predictability? In the Netherlands, where pensions are a passion, a team of business, academic and governmental experts is recommending it.
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