There is value to annuitization through a single premium immediate annuity, said insurance industry experts.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. is drawing the ire of some brokerage firms by partnering with the AARP — a group that some in the industry see as a competitor.
Regulators and participants are strengthening market discipline but oversight is still needed, the report says.
At a time when recession fears are rattling the stock market, some financial advisers are looking to trees for growth.
The process could come to a favorable conclusion for the bond insurer early this week.
Managed accounts aren't popular default options in 401(k) plans, because fees are too high for plan executives to justify, leaving them concerned about fulfilling their fiduciary responsibility, experts say.
The Vanguard Group Inc. has slashed costs on five more exchange traded funds in its latest effort to play catch-up with Barclays Global Advisors.
RevenueShares Investor Services LLC became the latest firm to enter the exchange traded fund market Friday, launching three ETFs based on indexes weighted by the amount of company revenue.
Insurers are stepping up their wholesaler education efforts to help advisers prepare for tougher suitability rules involving the sale of variable annuities.
As Wisconsin's insurance commissioner and vice chairman of the Life Insurance and Annuities (A) Committee of the Kansas City, Mo.-based National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Sean Dilweg is focusing on suitability, wholesaler training and curbing VA abuse.
Aware of the appeal of variable annuity riders, carriers plan to strengthen their offerings while attempting to meet financial advisers' calls for simplicity.
Morningstar Inc.'s recent launch of a star-rating system for hedge funds is the ultimate move into the mainstream for an asset class that has long thrived as an exclusive alternative investment.
Portfolio volatility and the sequence in which returns are realized play a unique role in portfolios subject to regular retirement withdrawals.
Some people might describe the American Beacon International Equity Fund (AAIPX) as an international fund for the faint of heart because it doesn't expose investors to far-off and exotic markets.
While industry experts and broker-dealers are working to simplify variable annuity processing and cut down on paperwork electronically, software vendors are trying to help advisers easily compare products to comply with suitability requirements.
As it presses to improve profitability, Putnam Investments may also have to contend with even more upheaval among its mutual fund managers.
Closed-end mutual funds caught in "failed" preferred-securities auctions are making investors nervous, but industry experts and advisers say there are opportunities for those who look beyond the current turbulence.
MBIA has pulled away from the Association of Financial Guaranty Insurers, saying it no longer shared the trade association’s views.
The two were among a group of ex-Marsh executives who were charged in a criminal indictment in September 2005.
The composite Eurekahedge Hedge Fund Index fell 3.1% in January, the worst performance since the company began keeping data in January 2000.
