Research & Reports
Q4 Earnings Review – Annuity Insurers Finished 2021 on a Strong Note
After reviewing fourth quarter annuity business results of publicly traded insurers we regularly track, we came away with the feeling that most continued the upward momentum they established in the prior quarter. All companies in...
Q2 Earnings Review – RILAs Again Fueled Industry Sales Growth
Judging by the results of publicly traded insurers we regularly track, the annuity industry experienced sales growth in the second quarter, building on momentum generated during the prior quarter…
An Update on Trends in VA Living Benefit Values, Net Amount at Risk
Every so often we like to study variable annuity guaranteed living benefit (GLB) account value and risk levels around the industry, as they can impact the health of insurers. This report will be an update...
Taking a Moment to Think About VA Benefit Values, Net Amount at Risk
In covering the variable annuity business, oftentimes, due to the amount of product filing activity insurers engage in, our reports almost “write themselves” in that we have much to discuss. During slower periods like these,...
VA Insurers Say They Are Managing Benefit Risks – But Still Want to Trim Them
It’s been a while since we checked in on variable annuity guaranteed benefit risk levels, and we were reminded of that fact by MetLife’s recent investor day, where the topic was discussed at length. We...
A Season of Change: VA Sales Fall as Insurers Cut Back on Their Products
The year 2012 was a time when insurers made reductions to their variable annuity products: these moves included the trimming of guarantees, fee increases, closures of contracts and riders, installation of tighter investment restrictions, cuts...
Reviewing VA Guaranteed Benefit Assets, NAR Movements From Q2
At different points in the past we have combed through quarterly financials of stock-traded insurers for data related to variable annuity guarantees, in an effort to gain insight on how such benefits might be impacting...
VA Insurers are Taking Divergent Paths in this Period of Uncertainty
The way we see it, variable annuity insurers are moving in one of two directions these days: either de-risking, or enhancing their products with an eye toward moving up the market share ranks. What this...
A Quick Look Back – on 2011 and its Significance for the VA Industry
As we have done in the past, we reserved our last weekly commentary of this year for a reflection on how the variable annuity business performed in 2011. It is our way of getting a...