Time to Put Benjamins Back in the Sock Drawer?
At the LIMRA annual conference in Boston earlier this week, MIT economist James Poterba described how low interest rates make saving for retirement more of a challenge.
Guest Column
Lessons of Past Intra-Government Investigations
The 1998 Taxpayer Bill of Rights offers guidance for preventing politically-motivated governmental investigations, writes our guest columnist, an economist.
$30 million in prizes
Instead of ‘life span,’ think ‘health span’
A conference will be held to kick off the National Academy of Medicine's 'Healthy Longevity Global Grand Challenge' at AARP headquarters in Washington, D.C. on November 6-8, 2019.
Regulations
Scalia will help draft new fiduciary rule (after helping kill the old one)
'Mr. Scalia first defended the brokerage and insurance industry’s right to engage in conflicts of interest that harm retirement savers. Now, he seems eager to engage in his own conflicts of interest,” said Micah Hauptman of the Consumer Federation of America. (Photo of Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia.)
Interest Rates
‘Greatest Economy in American History’ still needs Fed help
'Leverage among corporations is historically high. We’re monitoring that and taking appropriate steps,' Fed chair Jerome H. Powell told reporters Wednesday after announcing a third quarter-point hike in the fed funds rate.
Honorable Mention
Great American amends fee-based annuity contracts; Security Benefit issues two new index annuities; New mortality tables for pension plans issued by SOA; Fidelity offers in-plan income planning tools; State regulators pass on ‘best interest’ rule—for now; Athene gets $1.6 billion in capital from Apollo; Brexit stymies pension law progress in UK; Settlement between MIT and its plan participants described
MassMutual’s vision for Open MEPs (if they become reality)
MassMutual, a manager of multiple-employer retirement plans for affiliated companies since 1989, hopes to manage Open MEPs. Legislation on Open MEPs is stalled in the U.S. Senate.
COVER STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
October 24, 2019
Pitching Income Annuities on Greed
Speakers Wade Pfau and Curtis Cloke showed planners at the Financial Planning Association's 2019 conference in Minneapolis that income annuities can provide growth as well as protection.
October 18, 2019
Research Roundup
Recent research offers new insights into financial decision-making, the decision to work after retirement, and reveals surprising links between aging and interest rates, the rise of the service economy, and the 'shadow banking' phenomenon.
October 10, 2019
‘Safety First’ Income Plans, Per Wade Pfau
Pfau's new book shows the benefits of replacing bonds with annuities for less risk and more income in retirement.
