Friendship is one of the linchpins of a successful advisory practice.
Linda Koco, MBA, is a contributing editor to InsuranceNewsNet, specializing in life insurance, annuities and income planning. Linda can be reached at [email protected].
Linda Koco
Which is the most pressing objective for Americans in 2016 — retirement planning or getting out of debt?
Annuities got more than a few accolades in a final report issued by the 2015 White House Conference on Aging.
Nationwide has debuted a long-term care accelerated benefits rider for survivorship universal life insurance policies that company insiders informally dub the “parents rider.”
A look-back at the annuity industry in 2015 shows that carriers are no longer hiding from the recession.
The long-term care insurance business may get a lift from the Federal Reserve’s recent move to increase a key interest rate for the first time in nearly 10 years.
A researcher predicts new sales of fixed annuity products will likely increase in the wake of the 0.25 percent jump in a key interest rate the Federal Reserve announced Wednesday.
An investor bulletin on variable annuities from the Securities and Exchange Commission includes a caution to investors to watch out for policy charges.
If the proposal gets legs, it could spur more use of immediate annuities with qualified retirement assets and thus greater use of annuitization to ensure lifetime income.
The rule outlines a safe harbor that would allow states to run their own retirement savings plans for people who have no workplace savings options from certain private sector employers.
FIAs Heat Up With Volatility Control Options
Genworth is the newest carrier to enter the increasingly crowded market for volatility controlled indices inside of fixed index annuities (FIAs).
The third quarter produced some surprises in the fixed index annuity market. Nationwide vaulted from 22nd place in the third quarter last year to 5th this year.
A wave of retirements among the baby boomers, combined with increased longevity rates, are leading this trend.
FA Competition Shifting into High Gear
The latest fixed/variable sales statistics show heavy movement on the fixed side, and few significant changes among variable sellers.
The total advisor headcount inched upward in 2014 for the first time in nine years, Cerulli reported. But the industry is on the brink of a new decline in the number of advisors, the same study said.
A new carrier plans to enter the long-term care insurance market, with a policy slated to debut in the first quarter of 2016.
This lack of familiarity can set the stage for annuities to be presented as solutions that address concerns many women have about retirement.
The Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule is coming in some form, a leading ERISA lawyer said. Industry professionals dealing with retirement funds have work to do to get ready.
Proposal bill would give Social Security recipients a one-time $580 payment. If approved, it would add to the list of recent changes to the retirement program.
Variable annuity carriers need to focus carefully on disclosures they make in their buyout offers to policyholders, a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official said.
