White House, lawmakers back VA probe of retained-asset accounts; 'unacceptable'
Negative publicity about so-called retained-asset accounts may fuel litigation, withdrawals by beneficiaries
Variable annuities, which combine mutual-fund-like investing with income or other guarantees, are as controversial as ever — but investors increasingly are considering purchasing them, financial advisers say
MetLife Inc., the largest U.S. life insurer, has selected Steven J. Goulart as chief investment officer to oversee a portfolio valued at more than $450 billion
Offers exclusive program for high-producing FMOs — if they agree to tougher compliance standards
Investors are slowly warming up to variable annuities. They'd get even more excited if annual charges on the products were reduced.
In an attempt to buffer its variable annuity clients' accounts from market volatility, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. expects to launch a program that will shift funds into fixed-income investments when the stock markets dip
Insurers look to ramp up profits on variable annuities
Rising medical costs and longer live expectencies are putting the squeeze on long-term-care insurance providers. This week, another carrier -- Guardian Life -- said it's exiting the LTC biz.
U.S. life carriers had a fairly small appetite for mergers and acquisitions in 2010, with much of the activity taking place in AIG's shedding of its foreign life insurance subsidiaries.
At a time when litigation has threatened the financial viability of several securities firms, executives at independent broker-dealers, as well as the more than 110,000 or so independent-contractor registered reps, often are woefully underinformed about their errors-and-omissions insurance, according to industry observers
Smaller life insurers — battered by the recession but ready to get back into the annuity business — have begun to outsource the manufacturing of fixed indexed annuities to marketing groups
Advisers notified clients about planned reduction in features, hike in fees
The indie B-D is bucking the trend with the launch of its expanded fee-based VA platform. A single fiduciary standard will likely improve the odds of success
Axa Equitable Life Insurance Co. has paired up with Wilshire Associates Inc. to give small and midsize retirement plans access to fiduciary services.
Absolute Return 500 aims to tamp down volatility
