In a major policy shift, the American Council of Life Insurers will endorse a federal proposal requiring employers without retirement plans to provide workers with access to a payroll deduction for savings through an IRA, 401(k), or other qualified retirement savings plan. A bill to this effect is expected to be introduced in Congress this year.
After reviewing FINRA’s monthly disciplinary reports, press releases, and online database, Eversheds Sutherland analysts found that in 2018 the amount of fines increased compared with 2017, although the number of cases and amount of restitution were down. In addition, anti-money laundering cases continued to lead to the largest amount of fines.
The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) announced today its 2019 federal and state policy blueprints to advance retirement security policies for all Americans.
It’s time for our industry to help bridge the gender retirement gap so women have every opportunity to secure their financial futures.
Bringing in the right candidates is often the most important step a business takes to grow.
The average American will hold at least eight jobs during their lifetime and the term life insurance benefit provided will most likely also terminate when the decision to part ways is made. Because of this, it is important to separate the employment insurance from personal insurance.
Millennials are a lot more focused on hard statistics, scientific methods, historical trends and technology-focused ways to analyze and invest efficiently. Compared to older generations, they are much more likely to make an investment decision based on the methodology and statistics. Knowing how generations think can help advisors connect with new clients.
Facing competitive pressure from start-ups and tech giants, traditional insurers are being forced to embrace innovation and change at a rapid pace.
After working through some challenges related to regulation, capital flow and underwriting, the life settlements industry is coming off another year of growth in 2018 and seems poised to remain on that steady growth trajectory.
Analytics are crucial to the future of life insurance and every carrier is in an arms race to get a 360-degree view of the people they serve or want to serve. The more data that is collected about a customer base, the better job insurers and agents can do in reaching those customers.
The Fed held its benchmark rate at a range of 2.25 to 2.5 percent at its January meeting, after having hiked rates four times in 2018 — decisions that drew harsh criticism from the president. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that he would need to see a jump in inflation in order to raise a benchmark interest rate.
Agents can better manage client purchases – and travel expenses – by investing in automated expense management technology. This eliminates all manual entry, better organizes and tracks expenses, and ultimately saves agents lots of time and money.
Traditionally, customers buying insurance products and financial services have had little or no voice in the purchasing cycle. Up until now, this approach has enabled carriers to retain business, despite the plethora of offerings in the marketplace. That is changing — and fast.
Even if the stock market rebounds from last year, a fixed indexed annuity still provides more retirement income than the same investment in the S&P 500. The major drawback is liquidity, but this is where an advisor can make the difference through effective planning.
An aging population and a greater need for retirement income are factors behind the prediction.
You and your firm should have one goal – make sure the client wins!
Market volatility and loss make this the right time for clients to turn to the security of a fixed indexed annuity.
LIMRA is expects U.S. individual life insurance sales to rise 3 percent to $15 billion this year. Growth will be primarily driven by gains in disposable income and bond rates, coupled with low unemployment, the research organization reports.
The IRS finalized a regulation Friday making clear that owners and shareholders of insurance agencies and brokerages organized as pass-through entities can fully benefit from a new tax deduction. Under the regulation, owners and shareholders of insurance agencies and brokerages can take up to a 20 percent tax deduction on qualified business income.
The government shutdown is moving into week five and the damage is beginning to show. The direct economic damage is estimated at around 0.50 percent so far, which is material in an economy expected to grow around 2.5 percent in the first quarter. Slower growth is an inevitable result of the slowdown.
