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Life Health > Annuities > Fixed Annuities

3Q Annuity Sales Up 9%, With VAs In The Lead

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Individual annuity sales reached $58.7 billion in the 3rd quarter of 2006, making for a 9% increase over the same period in 2005, according to figures from LIMRA International, Windsor, Conn.

For the first 3 quarters of 2006, annuity sales totaled $177.9 billion, also up 9% over the same period in 2005, says LIMRA.

Variable annuities led the 3rd quarter results, reaching $37.9 billion, up 9% over the same year-earlier quarter, says LIMRA. For the first 3 quarters, VA sales hit $119.6 billion, up 18% compared to the same year-earlier period.

Fixed annuity sales totaled $20.8 billion in the 3rd quarter, reversing their declining trend, according to the researchers. Specifically, fixed sales were up 9% over the same year-earlier period total (of $19 billion). But, at $58.3 billion for the first 3 quarters, fixed sales were down 5% compared with the same period in 2005, says LIMRA.

Equity indexed annuities were $6.4 billion, down 7% from the 3rd quarter 2005. This is the 5th straight quarter of decline from the comparable prior year period, says LIMRA. However, EIA sales did go up slightly over the 2nd quarter 2006 total of $6.2 billion, making this the first increase in quarterly results in the last year.

Contributing to fixed annuities’ 3rd quarter growth were book value deferred annuities (up 10%) and market value adjusted annuities (a smaller segment but up 127% over 3rd quarter 2005), says LIMRA.

Among distribution channels, LIMRA research shows that financial planners and independent broker-dealers experienced the strongest total sales growth in both fixed and variable annuities, up 35% overall for the first 3 quarters, followed by career agents and stockbrokers at 12% and 10%, respectively. Banks increased variable annuity sales 21% but declined 15% in fixed sales for a net increase of 1%.

The accompanying chart shows sales results, developed by LIMRA International, of the top 20 writers of variable annuities, fixed annuities, and overall total annuities.

While there has been little movement in the overall rankings compared to 3 months ago, TIAA-CREF became the new variable annuity leader year-to-date, passing AXA Equitable and MetLife. Prudential Annuities (8th), IDS Life (10th), and Sun Life of Canada (18th) all moved up one position.

The top 10 fixed annuity writers remained unchanged during the same 3-month period. The Hartford, contributing to the sizeable gain in market value adjusted annuity sales, jumped 3 spots to 15th.


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