A New Brand of VA Conference
Under Cathy Weatherford’s command, the IRI annual conference has become smaller, more strategic, less tactical, and more Washington-oriented.
Plan Experts Like Annuities
In a workshop at this week's ASPPA annual meeting in Washington, D.C., few third-party administrators believed that the average couple will be able to afford the retirement they dream of. Many people, they said (including themselves), will need annuities.
Retirement Income ‘Smackdown’
In a three-way competition at the CFDD conference, the winning income plan was one that maximized Social Security, converted a 401(k) to a Roth IRA, and rebalanced the remaining portfolio monthly.
A Fortune in Reversals
New federal reverse mortgage rules make it cheaper for seniors to tap their home equity for a line of credit.
Featured
How the Tax Stalemate Might Play Out
President Obama has left open the possibility of capping the tax on dividend income at 20%, says tax pundit Andy Friedman, but that would cost the government an estimated $100 billion in tax receipts.
A Case of Election Psychosis
“Doc, I can’t sleep. I stay up all night, trying to figure out who I should vote for,” said the Undecided Voter as he reclined on the leather longue...
News
Quote of the Week
"The president thinks that over $250,000 is wealthy and under $250,000 isn't wealthy. I know that you don't think of $250,000 as wealthy. You feel that $250,000 means you're broke with better things" -- Andy Friedman of TheWashingtonUpdate.com, addressing executives at the IRI Conference in Chicago.
BlackRock, SunGard to Ease Administration of In-Plan Annuity
SunGard is providing “a technological advancement that will help make retirement income options more readily available to DC plan participants,” said SunGard’s COO.
Morningstar Buys VA Data Business for $14 million
The Annuity Intelligence Report (AI Report), one of Advanced Sales’ two product lines, is a web-based service that helps render variable annuity products more understandable to broker-dealers, insurers, advisers and clients.
If More Retirees Buy Annuities, Fewer Will Be ‘At Risk’
It’s riskier to try to live off the interest of your savings or to use a 4% drawdown than to buy an inflation-indexed income annuity, according to a study conducted by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College and sponsored by Nationwide Mutual.
Three Ways to Rein in the Runaway Deficit
Without changes in tax and spending rules, the national debt will rise from 62% of GDP now to more than 100% of GDP by the end of the decade, says economist Martin Feldstein.
Almost Four in 10 U.S. Households Hit By ‘Great Recession’
U.S. households generally are “not optimistic about their economic futures," Rand analysts say.
