Recently I saw an Internet personality say in a video that the United States has the most fertile soil on earth, which was something I thought made sense, seeing how this country has prospered so much over the years and boasts such a vibrant agricultural sector. I did a quick Google search and saw that, by one measurement, that individual's statement was true - a 2019 study said the U.S. has the most arable land in the world, at 157,736,800 hectares - followed by India, Russia and China. Arable land is defined as that which has the greatest potential for producing seasonal crops.

So we are certainly blessed to live in a country whose soil can produce an abundance of food which we share with the world.

Therefore to the point of this post: I think I am fortunate to cover an industry that has a plethora of different products and features to cover - call it fertile ground for someone like myself with a high degree of intellectual curiosity - which is one reason why I have been able to be in business for over 16 years now. Annuity issuers build and sell products which are among the most complex of all financial instruments. The complexity of contracts and features has only grown over the past decade, due to risk management concerns.

In my latest weekly commentary, I opined that given the surge in annuity sales in the second quarter, even more new product concepts will arise to address increased investor demand. Some of them will no doubt be intricate and, at times, difficult to understand on first reading. I will do my best to keep up with all the developments and present them as accurately as I can.

In closing, I hope you all are having an enjoyable summer!