Results for "fixed annuities"
Displaying 124 results
Account opening is No. 1 tech concern: Survey
April 2, 2014
The challenge of capturing account-opening data has replaced social-media archiving as advisers' primary technology concern, according to a survey conducted by advisory think tank Beacon Strategies. In fact, 96% of the 55 broker-dealers surveyed...
Indexed annuities gain popularity while rates remain low
February 23, 2014
Indexed annuities, long the black sheep of retirement products, are enjoying a wave of popularity among financial advisers grappling with low interest rates. Indexed annuities are a type of fixed annuity that credits clients' accounts with a...
ING wins fixed-annuity deal as Allstate narrows focus
December 9, 2013
ING U.S. Inc. will begin selling fixed annuities through Allstate Corp. agencies as the largest publicly traded U.S. auto and home insurer ceases to offer its own brand of the retirement products. The deal gives ING U.S. access to one of the...
Fixed-annuity sales driven by frustration with low interest rates, thirst for income
December 6, 2013
Fixed-annuity sales in the third quarter reached their highest level since 2009, topping $22 billion. That number represents a 31% rise from the previous quarter and more than a 35% increase from the same period last year, according a report...
Dynasty branches out to the insurance side
June 3, 2013
Dynasty Financial Partners LLC has launched a new service, Dynasty Insurance Services, to support its network of 18 firms in writing fixed-life-insurance, annuity, disability and long-term-care contracts. With advisers leaving wirehouses and...
Axa latest insurer to yank generous VA options
April 1, 2013
The variable annuity industry continues to shudder as companies become even more cautious in their offerings. Axa Equitable Life Insurance Co. last month notified clients that it will drop 26 investment options from its Accumulator variable...
The case for fixed-indexed annuities
December 9, 2012
So far this year, somewhere around $34 billion worth of fixed-indexed annuities have found their way into Americans' retirement portfolios. Though that's well below the $80 billion in variable annuities purchased, the gap is closing. And there...
Guggenheim's Security Benefit Life climbs among top fixed-annuity players
December 4, 2012
Security Benefit Life Insurance Co. helped push indexed-annuity sales to record levels in the third quarter, illustrating that offerings from private-equity-owned firms are no flash in the pan. The Guggenheim Partners LLC-backed insurer made...
Advisers not very confident on their annuity know-how
October 19, 2012
Despite their clients' interest in guaranteed income, many advisers still hesitate to recommend annuities. Much of that uncertainty appears to be tied to lack of understanding and experience with the insurance products, according to research...
Mutual insurers ramp up development of deferred-income annuities
October 2, 2012
Amid all the cooling in the annuity development space, one area is picking up steam: deferred-income annuities, or longevity insurance. On Monday, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. announced the release of its Select Portfolio Deferred...
GM follows in Ford's tracks, offers lump sum to retirees
June 1, 2012
Apparently, as Ford Motor goes, so goes GM. General Motors Co. on Friday announced plans to cut its pension obligation by $26 billion by offering lump-sum payments to about 42,000 white-collar retirees. The nation's largest automaker is also...
Annuities fell in 1Q; indexed up
May 27, 2012
Annuity sales took a dive during the first quarter, but sales of fixed indexed annuities jumped, thanks in large part to guaranteed-lifetime- withdrawal-benefit riders. Annuity sales fell to $54.8 billion in the quarter, down 8% from a year...
With VA bennies being jettisoned, customers hop on indexed annuities
May 23, 2012
Annuity sales took a dive during the first quarter, but sales of fixed indexed annuities jumped — thanks in large part to guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit riders. During the first three months of 2012, annuity sales fell by 8% compared...
Ratings upgrade a real benefit to Security Benefit, says insurer's boss
May 23, 2012
Now that Security Benefit Life Insurance Co.'s ratings have been bumped into the A range, chief executive Michael Kiley hopes to get more banks and broker-dealers selling the insurer's annuities. This month, Standard and Poor's raised the carrier's...
'Transformative events' shape client's financial thinking, survey finds
March 19, 2012
Even a solid income and respectable household net worth aren't always enough to keep investors from worrying about the future, according to the results of a new survey. A Citibank study of more than 600 U.S. adults with household incomes of...
Indie B-D reps flocking to fixed indexed annuities
March 14, 2012
Fixed indexed annuities were a hot product among independent broker-dealer reps last year as clients sought a safe-money alternative to CDs, made virtually worthless by low interest rates. Jackson National Life Insurance Co. was the top-selling...
Why hanging on to your older fixed annuity is a solid bet
January 18, 2012
Clients who decided to hold on to fixed annuities of the past are benefiting from attractive yields, making the products a standout among fixed-income investments. Financial advisers note that some of their investors are holding on to attractive...
Variable annuity players join the fixed indexed annuity fray
September 29, 2011
Carriers that have been stalwarts in the variable annuity industry are trying their hand at manufacturing and selling fixed indexed annuities. John Hancock Annuities earlier this month launched its Inflation Guard annuity, which credits a fixed...
Fixed and indexed annuity sales crept upward during 2Q
August 26, 2011
Benefiting from depressed rates on certificates of deposit, indexed annuity sales experienced a bump in sales during the second quarter. Sales of the products surged to $8.4 billion, growing 18% from the first quarter. Meanwhile, income annuities...
Ratings aside, new Security Benefit CEO aims for stronger retirement product presence
August 12, 2011
Insurance and investment veteran Michael Kiley, who will take the helm of Security Benefit Corp. on Sept. 30, is setting his expectations high. The insurer, which is undergoing a turnaround under the ownership of Guggenheim Partners LLC, moved...
