NU Online News Service, Oct. 20, 2004, 3:20 p.m. EDT
As president, John Kerry might be a little better for the fortunes of the life insurance industry than would George W. Bush, an industry analyst concludes.[@@]
“Bush endorses tax incentives that could weaken the appeal of life insurance and annuities,” says Andrew S. Kligerman, UBS Warburg LLC, New York. “Kerry’s agenda on taxes, which is narrower in scope, would preserve the industry’s competitive advantage.”
Bush’s proposal to repeal the estate tax permanently, which Kerry opposes, is a threat to sales of life insurance, which is often used to help heirs pay off estate taxes, Kligerman says.