Stan the Annuity Man Goes (Almost) Robo
Insurance super-agent Stan Haithcock, aka Stan the Annuity Man, says that his new cluster of annuity sales websites position him to become the first truly direct seller of fixed annuities in the...
View ArticleProof that SPIAs Still Make Sense
Even when interest rates are low, adding a lifetime income annuity to a fund portfolio 1) reduces the risk of portfolio ruin, 2) increases current income, and, 3) if the portfolio is shifted toward...
View ArticleBright Ideas from the SOA Investment Meeting
Last week, the Society of Actuaries held its investment conference in New York. We weren't far from the brass statue of the Wall Street bull, but the sell-side's unquenchable optimism about the future...
View ArticleThe Future of Robo-Advice
'I’d love to see several of the start-up robo-advisors thrive in the coming years. But most face serious economic headwinds,' writes the founder and CEO of Morningstar, Inc.
View ArticleRuark shares results of FIA behavior study
In contrast to variable annuities, the FIA experience does not show clear sensitivity to the relative value or “moneyness” of GLWB riders, Ruark found after studying eight years of indexed annuity...
View ArticleSecurity Benefit offers floating-rate fixed deferred annuity
Contract owners receive a guaranteed base rate of interest that is set for the contract’s guarantee period, plus the 3-month ICE LIBOR USD Rate (subject to a cap), which resets annually on the...
View ArticleAnother robo—the “Robin Hood of fees”—takes aim at fund fees
"FeeX" shows visitors the differences between the fund fees they are paying and funds that offer similar investments but lower fees--then helps visitors into a rollover IRA at Betterment, E*Trade,...
View ArticleMetLife isn’t a SIFI, federal judge rules
Judge Rosemary Collyer's opinion was sealed, but parts may be made public next month.
View ArticleHalf-a-point rise in benchmark rates now expected in 2016
“I consider it appropriate for the committee to proceed cautiously in adjusting policy,” Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen said at the Economic Club of New York this week.
View ArticleThe Reverse Mortgage Puzzle
With so many Boomers retiring with low average savings but high average home equity, demand for government-insured reverse mortgages, or HECMs, should be growing. Instead, it's shrinking. Here's why.
View ArticleSelling like Coldcakes
This week, RIJ features the first installment of a three-part series on the reverse mortgage industry, and why it's shrinking when it should, on paper at least, be growing.
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 ArticleProof that SPIAs Still Make Sense
Even when interest rates are low, adding a lifetime income annuity to a fund portfolio 1) reduces the risk of portfolio ruin, 2) increases current income, and, 3) if the portfolio is shifted toward...
View ArticleBright Ideas from the SOA Investment Meeting
Last week, the Society of Actuaries held its investment conference in New York. We weren't far from the brass statue of the Wall Street bull, but the sell-side's unquenchable optimism about the future...
View ArticleThe Reverse Mortgage Puzzle
With so many Boomers retiring with low average savings but high average home equity, demand for government-insured reverse mortgages, or HECMs, should be growing. Instead, it's shrinking. Here's why.
View ArticleSurprise: DOL Rule Targets Indexed Annuities
The DOL may have put a crimp in the sales of the hot-selling but controversial annuity product when, without specific warning, it raised the regulatory bar for the sale of fixed indexed annuities....
View ArticleA Conversation with Jackson National’s CEO
'If a guy is getting ready to lose his house, and the VA account is the only liquidity he’s got, he’s not going say, ‘But our guarantee is in the money so we won’t touch it,’ said Jackson National...
View ArticleRecord sales of indexed annuities brighten otherwise flat 2015
Fixed indexed annuity sales hit a new high of $16.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2015, up 11.9% from $14.4 billion in the prior quarter and up 32.2% from sales of $12.2 in the fourth quarter of...
View ArticleFiduciary rule may be long-run “negative” for life insurers: Fitch
The new regulations could have a "negative impact on the sale of certain annuity products, drive changes in product offerings, distribution strategies and compensation structures and lead to increased...
View Article