
Crafting Annuity Confidence and Clarity Is Hard Work

Being Realistic About Longevity

Insurance Companies Are Experiencing Investment Challenges
State Insurance Regulators Seeking Harmony with Reg BI
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is seeking to update its rules and restrictions on the sales of annuities so they better harmonize with the SEC’s Regulation Best Interest.
Big Providers Focused on Retirement Income—Just Not Annuities
To guarantee or not to guarantee? For some of the leading recordkeepers and investment managers, that’s not a question they necessarily want to answer.
In-Plan Guaranteed Income Will Always Be a Challenge
There is clearly a growing interest among retirement plan industry stakeholders in providing guaranteed income annuity options within defined contribution plans, yet consensus remains elusive.

Retirement Income Coming Soon to a 401(k) Near You
A Seamless Advisory Experience
The typical investor has five to six accounts, multiple products and custodians, and two or three advisers managing their assets.
Illustrative Stories Can Help With Understanding Retirement Income Choices
Whether by video or written text, researchers found a short story significantly improved test scores about annuities and Social Security claiming.
IRS Private Letter Ruling Solves Crucial Annuity Transaction Friction Point
A new IRS private letter ruling essentially conforms the tax treatment of properly structured advisory fees from non-qualified annuity contracts to those paid out of qualified accounts, which typically are not treated as taxable distributions.
New York Trial Court Endorses Fiduciary Standard for Insurance Sales
New York’s expanded “best interest” standard took effect on August 1st for annuity contracts and will take effect February 1, 2020, for life insurance policies. In a new decision, the New York Supreme Court calls the expansion “a rational and reasonable movement towards consumer protection.”
Global Atlantic Launches Retirement Income Education Resource for Advisers
It helps educate advisers on how to discuss income planning with clients.
Annuities Are Potentially More Useful Today Than Ever
Anxiety about turning DC plan assets into a “lifetime retirement paycheck” in such a low-rate environment is keeping aging Americans in the workforce—including many who very likely have enough money saved to retire comfortably and don’t want to keep working.
New DIETRICH Practice Aims to Provide Annuities to DC Plans
“ANNUA is challenging the status quo around retirement savings by helping pioneer lifetime income features within 401(k)/403(b) plans at a time when participants are experiencing insufficient account balances and disappearing pensions,” the firm says.
Fixed Annuity Sales Jumped in First Quarter
Sales of fixed annuities increased 38% during the first quarter of 2019 relative to the same period last year, according to the LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute.
Insights Into How to Better Communicate Lifetime Income
A professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management discussed biases that must be considered when helping people make retirement income decisions.
HSA Ownership Boosts Confidence About Retirement Expenses
Those who have a health savings account are more certain about how they will cover future health care costs.
Avery Dennison Transferring $750M in Pension Obligations to AIG
The agreement covers 8,500 retirees, beneficiaries and deferred and active members.
Sri Reddy on Smashing Annuity Misconceptions
In conversation with PLANADVISER, Principal’s retirement and income solutions leader shares advice for how to talk about annuities with skeptical consumers.
More Needed in Proposed Annuity Safe Harbor Legislation
Speaking about RESA, J. Mark Iwry, nonresident senior fellow - Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, said during an event, “If the legislation cannot be changed, maybe regulations following passage of the legislation can shore up the safe harbor.”