Research & Reports
Regarding Risk – and How VA Insurers’ Methods Are Evolving to Manage It
This year has been one of rapid change, as variable annuity insurers of all sizes have sought to reduce their product-related risks in one form or another, and we’re sure that anyone looking at all...
Thoughts on Variable Annuity Change Trends As We Enter 4Q12
Variable annuity insurers have certainly been very active this year in de-risking their products in response to competitive and market-related conditions, however in recent weeks filing activity has slowed down a bit. It could be...
VA Insurers Attempt to Design Attractive – But Manageable – Guarantees
A dilemma for insurers working in the variable annuity space these days is how to offer guarantees without taking on undue amounts of risk. To our minds this consideration is a priority for the industry,...
Newer Annuity Types That Are Emerging During this Period of De-Risking
For the most part, variable annuity insurers are moving away from selling risky benefits, but we think that the process of de-risking will take time, because industry sales are still largely driven by the richest...
As Summer Winds Down, More VA De-Risking Moves are Occurring
Lately we’ve been seeing fresh product reductions taking place around the variable annuity business, and we think that the effectiveness of such moves will depend largely on how each insurer will look, competitively, after making...
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...
Earnings Season Review: VA Insurers Weathered Q2 Market Dip
We were under the impression that second quarter sales for variable annuity insurers might have suffered due to the drop in the equity markets, along with the effects of various de-risking moves – which are...
VA Insurers are Following Through – With a Fresh Series of De-Risking Moves
Around the variable annuity industry there are some pending product changes that will soon be taking effect that we will discuss in this commentary. In looking at them as a group, we are reminded of...
Hot-Button Issues for VA Insurers as Q2 Results Start to Come In
Second quarter earnings season for stock-traded insurers has gotten underway and we are very much looking forward to hearing how variable annuity players performed because in our opinion, the quarter was a stressful one…