Annuity-Friendly Nominee at DOL

Preston Rutledge (above) is reported to be the Trump administration's nominee to lead the DOL's Employee Benefits Security Administration, which handles the fiduciary rule, et cetera. He's currently the retirement policy wonk on the Senate Finance Committee.
Medicare

OOPs! Medical expenses can eat up retirement income

By Editorial Staff
Nearly one-fifth of retirees had less than half of their 2014 Social Security income remaining after out-of-pocket (OOP) spending, with 6% of retirees having less than half of their total income after OOPs, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

DOL delay will help annuity sales in 2018: LIMRA

By Editorial Staff
Because of the delay of the DOL fiduciary rule, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute now expects fixed annuity sales to increase 5-10 percent in 2018, an improvement over the expected 0-5 percent decline expected in 2017.

Another Nobel Surprise for Economics

By Robert Shiller
The Nobel committee just honored Richard Thaler, one of the founders of behavioral economics. Our guest columnist calls the choice controversial but appropriate.

Jackson National VAs Offer Vanguard Funds

By Kerry Pechter
Ten Vanguard funds (including seven actively managed funds) are now available as investment options in several Jackson National variable annuities, including the fee-based Perspective Advisory II, issued three weeks ago.

COVER STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

October 5, 2017

Don’t Mess Up a Good Thing

By Kerry Pechter
Fee-based indexed annuities have generous crediting terms. But unless fee-based advisors can decide how to bill clients for holding such a safe, low-maintenance product, they may not recommend the category at all. That would...
September 28, 2017

‘Tell Ken Fisher To Stuff It’

By Kerry Pechter
That's what variable annuity pioneer Bob Saltzman said at the Insured Retirement Institute's 25th anniversary conference in Florida this week. The fiduciary rule, he added, will lower the cost of annuities and make them...
September 21, 2017

Bob Reynolds’ & the Future of 401k

By Kerry Pechter
Reynolds emphatically favors the investment interpretation, as does Brian Graff of the American Retirement Association and other industry advocates.