Research & Reports
How We Did Last Summer – Appraising Public Insurers’ VA Results from 3Q07
After reviewing third-quarter variable annuity deposits and net flows for the group of major publicly-traded insurers we regularly track, we found most of them endured at least a slight decrease in deposits compared to the...
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from August, 2007
For the month August, we conducted our regular “rummage” through SEC filings related to variable insurance funds and found a large and diverse group of documents, many of them centering on mergers and consolidations, sub-advisory...
The Growing Number of Lifetime GMWBs – in Interesting and Complex Varieties
It’s about time we checked back in on variable annuity lifetime Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefits (GMWBs) and our goal for this report will be to offer highlights of the latest filings and attempt to identify...
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from April, 2007
During April we didn’t identify a great many new variable fund registrations, rather most SEC filings over the month consisted of routine annual prospectus updates, many of which reiterated, or made official, changes or adjustments...
The Latest News on Variable Annuities in Defined Contribution Plans
In this commentary we’re going to quickly give our perspective on news and developments related to variable annuities and defined contribution (DC) plans, especially 401(k)s, since many insurers perceive these programs to be a possible...
Beyond Product – Insurers Work to Become Retirement Planners, Aggregators
There’s little doubt that success in the variable annuity marketplace over the years has been largely dictated by product and distribution strength, competition depending on what’s currently in favor, whether it be the latest VA...
Impressions on the Variable Annuity Business in 2007 – Part II
In this report, our last of the year, we’ll conclude our two-part commentary summarizing key forces influencing the sale of variable annuities in 2007 – our main three being “features, shelf space and scale” –...
A Simpler Story – Insurers Move to Streamline VA Sub-Accounts, Features
In getting started with the New Year, we’ll comment on a growing tendency for insurers to trim the number of sub-account options and features on their variable annuities in order to make them simpler for...
Assessing Windows of Opportunity for Variable Annuities in Qualified Plans
One topic we plan to tune into regularly in our reports is the use of variable annuities in qualified plans, a practice that has its critics, yet quite a few industry observers think this section...