Is Trump Killing the Dollar?
'In the administration’s first 200 days, the dollar has lost almost 10% of its value,' writes our guest columnist. 'Investors have been looking for alternative safe havens in other markets, from...
View ArticleOn the Case: A Solution from ‘Retirement NextGen’
Robert Fourman, a colleague of Curtis Cloke at Acuity Financial, uses their Retirement NextGen software to create a retirement income plan for Andrew and Laura, a near-retirement couple with $1.24...
View ArticleRIJ Takes a Two-Week Holiday
Everybody needs an occasional break from the daily grind. RIJ will be taking the second half of August off, returning with the September 7 issue. See you after Labor Day!
View ArticleFed leaves rates unchanged at 1% to 1.25%
The Open Market Committee said it will keep reinvesting principal payments from holdings of agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities in agency mortgage-backed securities and rolling over...
View ArticleERISA lawyers explain latest DOL moves
'The most interesting change is that... the adviser can avoid calling itself a fiduciary during the transition period, even if it is providing fiduciary advice,' said the Client Alert from the Drinker...
View ArticleAnnuity issuers need to innovate: A.M. Best
Many post-election signs in the U.S. appear favorable for life insurers, but it may be 'a little too early to lock in this enthusiasm,' said the ratings agency in a special report on the life/annuity...
View ArticleBrighthouse offers fee-based indexed variable annuity
Brighthouse Financial reported $570 million in sales of its Shield portfolio in the second quarter of 2017, up 28% year-over-year. The products were previously sold under the MetLife brand.
View ArticleRoth 401(k)s Are the People’s Choice
New research suggests that the majority of participants, without doing the math, might actually prefer to get taxes on their savings out of the way today and have the pleasure of looking forward to...
View ArticleFinancial / Retirement Planning Software Directory
See the detail on financial planning software including vendors, scopes, costs, and contacts.
View ArticleSocial Security Maximizer
The Social Security Maximizer is an integral tool for a retirement planner's comprehensive financial planning calculations.
View ArticleOn the Case: TIPS Ladder + QLAC + HELOC = Income Security
Mike Lonier, of Lonier Financial Advisory, solved 'Andrew and Laura's' retirement income puzzle with a combination of products. A certified Retirement Management Analyst, he first builds a safe income...
View ArticleOn the Case: A Solution from ‘Retirement NextGen’
Robert Fourman, a colleague of Curtis Cloke at Acuity Financial, uses their Retirement NextGen software to create a retirement income plan for Andrew and Laura, a near-retirement couple with $1.24...
View ArticleBill Sharpe's "Lockbox" Income Strategy
The Nobel Prize winner's new e-book describes a retirement income generation method that combines Modern Portfolio Theory and income annuities. Advisors, life insurers, quants and even retirees should...
View ArticleTrend toward centralized investment advice will continue: Cerulli
Advisors at wirehouses and national broker-dealers will be do less investment management and focus more on client relationship-building and financial planning, explains Tom O'Shea, associate director...
View ArticleGoodbye HelloWallet. Hello, United Income
Matt Fellowes, who sold HelloWallet to Morningstar for $52.5 million, is introducing United Income, a digital advisor that promises even to help clients sign up for Social Security and Medicare. The...
View ArticleFixed annuities outsell variable in second quarter: IRI
'While total variable annuity sales rose slightly,' said John McCarthy, Senior Product Manager at Morningstar, “the largest increases were in non-qualified sales. We are also seeing growth in newer...
View ArticleOn the Case: Income from a ‘Certified’ Used Annuity
In this latest income solution for "Andrew and Laura," a real couple near retirement, Bryan Anderson of AnnuityStraightTalk and Nathaniel Pulsifer of DCF Exchange combine a secondary market annuity,...
View ArticleA heads-up from Wagner Law on the fiduciary rule
In a new posting, ERISA expert Marcia Wagner helps financial advisers and financial institutions answer the question, 'What do I do during the Transition Period?'
View ArticleHonorable Mention
Consumer research from Jackson National and Insured Retirement Institute, Bitcoins for your IRA, Aite's growth projections for robo-advisors, AXA hires gerontologist Sandra Timmerman and MassMutual...
View ArticleTax-Free QLACs? It Makes Sense
There would be no better way to jump-start awareness of longevity risk than by making withdrawals from qualified longevity annuity contracts tax-free. By reducing dependence on public assistance, the...
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