Annuities
Annuity news and analysis, including coverage of annuity market regulatory, compliance and legislative issues.
The designation debate and annuity misinformation
By staff WriterEditor's note: The following letters from a quartet of industry organizations were written in response to Charles Duhigg's article in the July 8, 2007 New York Times, "For Elderly Investors, Instant Experts Abound," calling into question
April 16, 2008
May 'Red flag reminder' advice disputedWow! While it's understandable we don't want persons licensed only as insurance agents giving "investment advice" (Red flag reminders, May 2007 SMA), it seems impossible to know where the various regulating bodies/authorities will draw the line.
April 16, 2008
Sales down in fixed arenaFixed annuities are the staples of many senior advisors' offerings. And while many advisors are having great success with the products, overall sales were down in 2006, according to Beacon Research, which compiles fixed annuity sales numbers
April 16, 2008
Hancock sets sales recordAs annuities continue to fight image problems and their perception faces a shaping battle between the insurance industry, the media and regulators, a piece of good news emerged from the variable side of the industry. John Hancock Financial Services
April 16, 2008
What is your perception of variable annuities?Jerome G., 76New Prague, Minn."I don' know any details about them; I have other investments. I guess I have heard a few things about them in the news, and none of it was good. The feeling I got is that a lot of advisors use variable annuities to
April 16, 2008
'Commission-free investing' claim clouds VA articleI must express my disappointment in John Huggard's article, "10 reasons variable annuity sales are soaring" (Senior Market Advisor, Dec. 2006).
April 16, 2008
Rider adds living benefitMidland National has announced the availability of a living benefit rider that can be added to any of the company's fixed annuities. The Guaranteed Income Provider provides an alternative to annuitizing a contract. It allows clients to receive
April 16, 2008
Hancock creates new business unitIn an effort to expand integrated lifetime retirement solutions for consumers, John Hancock has formed a business unit that will create new solutions for retirement income goals. The Retirement Income and Rollover Solutions unit will complement the