Robos Take Manhattan
In New York last week for InVest, a fin-tech conference, I learned that advisors of the future won't be robots. They will be less sexy: Phone reps who help Millennials "navigate the site and provide...
View ArticleHonorable Mention
Brief or late-breaking items from Pacific Life, Genworth, MetLife, LPL, BlackRock, Fidelity, Prudential (2) and Advicent.
View ArticleSurrender to Lapse Risk? Not These Insurers
Over-estimates of variable annuity lapse rates have cost life insurers billions. A group of VA issuers is now working with actuaries at Ruark Consulting to predict those rates more accurately.
View ArticleBrexit: A Long Goodbye, Not a Clean Break
Britain's unemployment rate was low in the run-up to its referendum on EU membership, and the UK needs its 2.1 million European workers, writes The Conference Board's senior economist for Europe.
View ArticlePwC to Wealth Managers: Go Digital or Drown
'Digital has the potential to completely transform every stage of the wealth management journey, from how existing clients are advised and serviced to how prospective clients are identified and...
View ArticlePace of stock buybacks slows: TrimTabs
Buyback announcements by U.S. companies have totaled $291.7 billion this year, or 32% lower than the $432.0 billion in the same period last year.
View Article‘Live to 100? We can’t afford it’: Allianz Life survey
When asked what stopped them from living a less conventional life, 46% blamed 'worries about money,' 33% said 'life events' got in the way, and 22% cited 'lack of a clear plan for how to go about it'...
View Article‘Live to 100? We can’t afford it’: Allianz Life survey
"The Gift of Time" survey found that almost half (49%) of respondents were open to a non-traditional lifestyle that was unique to their interests, instead of taking a traditional sequence of school,...
View ArticleVanguard reports on its services for small 401(k) plans
Vanguard launched Vanguard Retirement Plan Access (VRPA) in 2011 to provide cost-effective 401(k) plans for small business owners with plans with up to about $20 million in assets.
View ArticleBank customers welcome “robo” solutions: Accenture
Of those who switched banks last year, 15% of consumers ages 55+ joined an online-only bank, up from only five percent who did the same a year ago.
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 ArticleThe Cinderella Annuity
Has the time finally arrived for the variable income annuity? At TIAA, where the VIA was invented, they say it never left. New research from the TIAA Institute compares the VIA with a variable annuity...
View ArticleRobos Take Manhattan
In New York last week for InVest, a fin-tech conference, I learned that advisors of the future won't be robots. They will be less sexy: Phone reps who help Millennials "navigate the site and provide...
View ArticleSurrender to Lapse Risk? Not These Insurers
Over-estimates of variable annuity lapse rates have cost life insurers billions. A group of VA issuers is now working with actuaries at Ruark Consulting to predict those rates more accurately.
View ArticleA Hydrologist’s View of Cash Flows in Retirement
John Walton, a professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, has combined his knowledge of water with his personal curiosity about retirement income to create a "framework" for comparing safe...
View ArticleGreat Hopes Ride on Great-West’s New Annuity
Great-West Financial's new Smart Track II variable annuity contract has four different income riders. Will it help Bob Reynolds achieve his goal of making Great-West a top-five retirement company in...
View ArticleNow accessible on all platforms: DOL fiduciary training from LIMRA
'DOL Fiduciary Basics for Employees' is presented in 13 multimedia vignettes, each several minutes long. The vignettes are accessible through mobile devices, tablets, or personal computers.
View ArticleLapse rates of ordinary life products near two-decade low: A.M. Best
The last two years have seen the highest persistency rates in nearly 20 years, around 86%, according to a new A.M. Best report.
View ArticlePoland’s experiment with private pension funds nears end
Inspired by the late-90s equities boom, the so-called OFE program helped Poland develop a fledgling capital market, centered on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. But then came the financial crisis.
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