Study: Does pessimism really suppress annuity sales?
A recent study from the Boston College Center for Retirement Research suggests that pessimism has less of an effect on annuity sales than might be expected.
Steven A. Morelli
Sweet streams of income: ChatGPT, the bard of annuities
Annuities are lovely things for retirement income, but there isn’t nearly enough poetry about them.
Study: Education level should drive decisions on Social Security, annuities
Less educated people tend to live shorter lives, so they should delay Social Security and use their retirement funds as a bridge, while better educated have longevity and should buy an annuity and not delay Social Security, according to a study.
Will ChatGPT, artificial intelligence replace financial professionals any time soon?
Will artificial intelligence replace financial advisors or insurance agents anytime soon? The consensus is that it won’t in the near future, but AI can provide some assistance and a little bit of fun in the meantime.
Critics say SECURE 2.0 did little to help the economically insecure
A tax lawyer is the latest critic to say SECURE 2.0 did little to help those who need it most, while proponents say it opens the door wider to retirement security.
Student loan debt may bite future Social Security checks, as forgiveness hangs in balance
Americans aging with their student debt can expect any delinquencies to come out of their Social Security checks, disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic borrowers. A recent report showed that loan forgiveness can blunt that impact.
Morningstar sees a bright second half for stock market
Contrary to other market observers, Morningstar analysts say the economy and stocks will rebound in the second half of the year and spring into 2024.
Analysts predict rough year in stocks while investors rush to ‘neutral’
Leading analysts at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are saying that the market is not pricing in how bad things will get for companies this year, while a recent survey showed investors are trending neither bullish not bearish but neutral.
After record year, indexed universal life likely to stumble in 2023
Indexed universal life is expected to have had a record year in 2022 when the fourth quarter is tallied. But new regulatory guidance this year might disrupt the streak.
Fed’s 2% inflation target means deep recession, says BlackRock
The Federal Reserve has been aggressively raising its key rate to bring inflation down to 2%, but it will also bring down the economy with it, according to a BlackRock report
Morningstar raises ‘safe’ withdrawal rate recommendation
Cash and bond yields have given accounts a “nice lift,” leading the analysts to increase their recommended withdrawal rate to 3.8%, up from 3.3%.
Young, brash and wrong: FINRA study profiles investing risks
A FINRA survey showed that more young people are getting into investing – and may be getting in over their heads.
Economists predict 2023 recession — but naysayers still scoff
Polls of economists show a likelihood of a recession in 2023, but key observers such as Goldman Sachs say that the worry is overblown.
As Social Security anxiety rises, Americans grab annuities for guarantees
A LIMRA survey finds that annuity buyers are looking for an income besides Social Security, while a Nationwide Retirement Institute poll found that most Americans are worried that the entitlement program will run out of money.
Banner sales a theme in year’s top 10 annuity articles
This has been very, very good year for annuities. The bear market for stocks and rising interest rates provided a perfect combination for a winning 2022 for the products, mostly fixed-rate deferred, indexed and registered index-linked annuities. Not so much for variable annuities, which slumped with the markets.
Women lag in retirement savings – and are stressed out about it, study says
Women are retiring earlier than expected and are not happy about having to manage their own retirement planning, according to the annual Goldman Sachs Retirement Survey & Insights Report.
GOP proposals would create flat Social Security benefit, up retirement age
Republicans poised to take control of the U.S. House say their plans will save Social Security by returning it to its antipoverty roots.
Debt ceiling standoff could crash economy
As the days tick down to the end of this Congress’ term, hopes dim on raising the debt ceiling, which could set up a dangerous game of chicken next year.
Is limiting choice the key to stop retirement leakage?
A panel at Employee Benefit Research Institute’s Retirement Summit discuss how to plug retirement fund leaks – and how far to go with solutions.
Expect the MYGA, indexed annuity boom into next year, Moore says
Multiyear guaranteed and fixed index annuities had a breathtaking year so far – and the party is just getting going, according to Sheryl Moore, Wink Inc. CEO.
