As advisors and assets continue to shift away from wirehouses and toward RIAs, the RIA channel itself is becoming more…
Read moreInsurance companies are adding illness and long-term care features into indexed universal life products. The new features are expected to boost an already-booming business.
A survey shows consumers are becoming more comfortable with risk but at the same time terrified of an economic cataclysm devastating their savings. Could an annuity help soothe those anxious consumers?
Variable universal life used to be a hot product line but their sales dipped around 2000 and had not recovered since. But lately they are showing some signs of life.
Insurance companies are adding illness and long-term care features into indexed universal life products. The new features are expected to boost an already-booming business.
A survey shows consumers are becoming more comfortable with risk but at the same time terrified of an economic cataclysm devastating their savings. Could an annuity help soothe those anxious consumers?
Variable universal life used to be a hot product line but their sales dipped around 2000 and had not recovered since. But lately they are showing some signs of life.
Annuities and fiduciary duty are usually mentioned together in the context of protecting clients in annuity transactions. But an annuity provider is turning that around by saying advisors are failing their fiduciary duty when they do not include annuities in the discussion.
Universal life sales fell 19 percent in the first quarter compared to the first quarter of last year. Not even white-hot indexed UL sales could lift the segment.
Securian has tweaked its SecureCare linked-benefit life and long-term care contract to give the product more flexibility in a growing…
KANSAS CITY — Things started hot at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ working group meeting today as members immediately…
A National Association of Insurance Commissioners meeting to iron out a new annuity transaction law turns into a battle over the suitability standard with opponents saying the insurance industry needs a tough best interest rule closer to the fiduciary standard.
Analysts are surprised that American Equity is suddenly a takeover target for private equity buyers. But the company has an appealingly growing business with stable assets.
A National Association of Insurance Commissioners committee called a special meeting in Kansas City to hammer out a model law for annuity transactions. But member states have a wide gulf of disagreement to bridge.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not defined what a best interest standard means in its more than 100 pages of rule-making. But whatever it is, don’t expect it to be implemented before 2020.
Banks and broker-dealers are asking, and getting, shorter surrender periods to sell fixed indexed annuities. They now sell more than a third of all FIAs.
Younger clients aren’t all about the money, even if they have money. Some say RIAs will need to include personal well-being in their holistic practices.
The new variable annuities are not even all variable, but they all carry some level of risk for the investor.
Members of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors visited Congress as midterm fever sweeps Washington.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a final appeal by a trio of states today, clearing the way for the Department of Labor fiduciary rule to be officially killed.
A Morgan Stanley analyst’s report sees significant strain on the life insurance industry, much of it from long-term care insurance. The report points to rising interest rates and the nearly dead Department of Labor fiduciary rule.
Financial advisors have the opportunity to grow their practice and gain name recognition by doing podcasts, either as a host, or a guest. Experts provide a few dos and don’ts for those thinking about it.
After the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates by 0.25 percent, banks, especially online financial institutions, started to move CD rates up toward 3 percent. Is it enough to move money?
Are Morningstar ratings a useful tool for investors, or an overrated tool of the past? Money managers weigh in and say the answer might be a little of both.
When the Department of Labor postponed the full implementation of its fiduciary rule, it apparently also opened the gate to more annuity sales. Companies across the board are reporting stronger performance in earnings calls.
Why a parent should consider purchasing life insurance on a child.
A California insurance agent is accused of selling an annuity to a man diagnosed with dementia and then helping the man’s relative withdraw $700,000 from the annuity, incurring $92,000 in charges.
Grow, specialize, merge or die. That’s the message to broker-dealers struggling with thinning profit margins, according to a new report by Cerulli Associates.
Eighty seven percent of workers whose employer enables them to manage life in and outside of work are more loyal and satisfied, according to a MetLife survey that found workers want to be treated like whole people.
Health insurers must guide consumers to the most cost-effective health measures and medical treatments as seamlessly as Amazon Prime serves up suggestions for bedspreads to match the sheets you just bought.
Emotional intelligence plays a critical role in helping clients successfully navigate their financial lives.
A mystery shopper found that insurance companies are not putting their best selves forward online. Most of the shortcomings arise from the lack of follow-through.
A new service intends to rank advisors against one another based on performance managing money. Is it a fair and worthwhile endeavor?
Voya Financial will save up to $130 million in annual expenses after the company sells its annuity business, chairman and…
Agent pruning and lower unemployment may be factors in the falling agent count at Bankers Life, said CNO Financial CEO…
Lessons the insurance industry can learn from Amazon’s grocery store venture.
Nearly half of the inquiries from advisors for an annuity quote involved a return of premium option, according to Cannex.
When you are genuine and focus on serving clients, you will unlock their greatest potential.
The global market selloff is sounding alarms for many investors who fear a bear market. But while experts say that could happen, indicators are not pointing toward anything but continued market growth at the present time.
As part of your strategy for Disability Insurance Awareness Month this year, consider how you can connect with women about making their income protection needs a priority. Here are a few ways you can bring up the need for IDI with them.
Millennials want to hear more than just ‘pay debt, save money and plan for retirement’ from their financial advisors. Retaining those valuable young clients means listening to what they want, experts say.
AARP is not giving up on its fight to restore the Department of Labor fiduciary rule. The lobbying group will file an appeal to keep the rule, which was tossed out by a New Orleans court last month.
Long-term care insurance claims originating from people in assisted living facilities is on the rise, according to new data.
First-quarter RIA mergers and acquisitions rocketed to a record 47 deals, bouncing back from 33 deals in the fourth quarter, according to new data.
NAIFA needs to adapt and become more nimble in order to reverse membership losses that go back decades, CEO Kevin Mayeux told the Pennsylvania chapter Monday.
Gerber Life would be a good fit for middle income life and health insurer Torchmark, a company executive said recently….
Today’s benefits brokers must help their group clients establish and maintain a strong company culture.
More Americans are relying on life insurance as a retirement investment vehicle, but will they receive the income they expect from it?
As regulatory activity increases, more and more advisors are going the independent route, partly to reduce the cost obligations of compliance as a broker-dealer firm.
Nationwide’s move might set a precedent for other mutuals to sell exclusively in the independent channel.
A new survey finds Americans opposed to giving the federal government more say in their retirement planning. Respondents much prefer their employers sponsor retirement plans.
Agents might take for granted that prospects and clients know the basics about life insurance, but a survey showed that they don’t even know that benefits are not taxed.
Several things contribute to clients outgrowing their advisors. In particular, advisors should be wary of these six things as they could be signs their client is ready to move on from the relationship.
Markets continued to be roiled by uncertainty, from the U.S. trade wars with China to potential conflicts with rogue nations. Money managers are looking at various strategies to safeguard investors’ assets.
“We can tell them what to do, and yet we have a hard time taking our own medicine.”
Americans generally worry about wages, but younger workers are also concerned about affordable education.
ETFs are growing more popular but some warn that they are encouraging short-term thinking.
As the business of money merges, so are the platforms that moves that money, a report says.
An annuity unveiled this week by Prudential Financial ushers in a new era of simplicity and affordability, company executives said….
Allianz is finding traction with fixed indexed annuities in the financial advisory world with the top-selling FIA in the independent broker-dealer channel.
Fewer employers are offering just one plan, with a majority offering a traditional and high-deductible health plan.
Let’s take a look at some potential income and tax planning strategies that our prospects and clients may want to consider.
It’s crunch time for clients who have not yet filed their income tax returns, and some clients may be feeling the pain of seeing how much tax they are paying on their investments.
