A hefty charge ING Groep NV will take on its American variable annuity business appears to be a mixed blessing for investors hoping to snap up shares of the company's insurance unit once it makes its public debut.
Volatile equity markets and record low interest rates have led major variable annuity issuers to rein in sales, but a few insurers are drumming up business with products that reflect the “new normal”
MetLife Inc., the largest U.S. life insurer, kept the top spot in variable annuity sales in the third quarter by cutting rates to attract customers looking for a consistent return amid equity market declines.
John Cole Scott believes that sometimes it would be easier to squeeze blood from a stone than provide his clients with the retirement income they demand from their assets
Fed's low-interest-rate policy making tax-exempt debt very attractive, say portfolio managers; 'renewed confidence'
States, cities face rate cuts as financial pressures mount, credit rater warns; defaults, while rare, could increase
Supply to rise next year, likely driving down returns; 20% hike in issuance seen
Timing is everything, and the high-profile analyst blew hers with that celebrated muni meltdown prediction for 2011; she still may end up being right, though
Dire prediction by high-profile analyst fails to pan out; tax-exempt debt sees 10.5% gain this year
Unsecured debt for company maintenance facility now trading at 16 cents on the dollar
President Barack Obama's plan to cut the budget deficit repeats his call for curbing the tax exemption on municipal bonds and would give states a break on unemployment debts owed the federal government
Bipartisan support is growing in the U.S. Congress for new rules banning insider trading by lawmakers amid concerns about waning trust among the public.
Environmentally friendly portfolios will attract more investors, experts say
The biggest bond gains in almost a decade have pushed the 30-year returns on long-term Treasuries above those of stocks — the first time that's happened since before the Civil War
ING Groep NV will close its registered indexed annuity to new sales Oct. 31 after a little more than a year.
The government is hoping that its upcoming support for lifetime-income solutions such as annuities will encourage companies to add these options to their retirement plans for employees, but some worry that Uncle Sam isn't giving a big-enough push
History is on the side of a Santa Claus rally by the stock market at the end of the year, but the bigger issue is what it means for stocks next year if that year-end rally doesn't pan out.
Investing in equities these days should come with a warning for those who suffer from motion sickness
Carriers that have been stalwarts in the variable annuity industry are trying their hand at manufacturing and selling fixed indexed annuities.
For those with a long horizon, I am sure well-managed forestry and farmland will outperform the average of all global assets.
