Why the life insurance industry must provide senior policyholders with information on exploring alternatives to surrendering or lapsing a policy they no longer need or want. Sixty-seven percent of consumers are interested in more transparent life insurance buying options.
Advisors seeking to match clients with the best annuity benefits need accurate expense-to-benefit ratio tools to help protect them in an era of regulatory pressure. For example, lifetime withdrawal riders allow retirees to receive income for the rest of their lives, but cost extra.
Stock Investors Pick The Wrong Exit In Emerging Markets
The EM index is also down 16 percent from its high on Jan. 26, just shy of the 20 percent decline that signals a bear market.
While plenty of new fee-based options are emerging in the advisory world, traditional asset-based fees remain most popular. It is easiest for clients to understand a 1 percent fee on their money as opposed to a fee-for-service structure, analysts say. Critics of the AUM model remain, however.
New York finalized its best-interest standard for annuity and life insurance sales this week. The rules have industry officials concerned that a ‘patchwork’ of different rules across different states could make cross-state sales a nightmare of paperwork.
The Department of Labor fiduciary rule is gone, but regulation of independent marketing organizations (IMOs) is likely to continue. That reality is forcing IMOs big and small to evolve into a more hands-on role with financial professionals than in the past, execs say.
Congress is considering a variety of changes to make it easier for Americans to set aside money for retirement, including allowing annuities to be sold inside 401(k) plans. Auto-enrollment and multi-employer plans are some other ideas on the table.
A new Schwab survey finds that nearly 75 percent of registered investment advisors are planning to hire over the next 12 months. Likewise, many firms are offering many more holistic services such as tax prep.
(Bloomberg) Escalating trade tensions are threatening to derail a global upswing that’s already losing momentum amid weaker-than-expected growth in Europe…
Commentary By Erica Davis There are several semi-famous authors and media personalities who push their financial advice to the masses,…
But winners and losers are more likely to be determined by the fundamentals underlying them.
The GOP needs to move on from its nearly decade-long obsession with killing the Dodd-Frank Act, a top Republican congressman says. Supporters of the legislation simply do not have the votes, the lawmaker adds.
Commentary By John Hutchinson I’m often asked the question, “Who is the ideal candidate for indexed universal life and why?”…
By David Polen If I asked you to name a billion-dollar-selling employee benefit, accident insurance might not be the first…
Disney World offers a lesson in marketing that insurance agents can learn from. The theme park does not stop appealing to customers after they have left, and that comprehensive marketing makes them want to go back.
Sometimes going a non-traditional route and forgoing the typical plan of leaving your agency to heirs means reaching a higher potential than an agency owner could have ever imagined.
The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors began the process of paring down its structure from 550 local associations….
Why private placement programs have become a favorite strategy among ultra-wealthy investors.
Clients making a first-time long-term care claim are usually in their 80s or 90s, a new survey finds. The majority of clients receive services in the home, the data shows.
