Research & Reports
2010 – For the Variable Annuity Industry, a Time of Renewed Risk Taking
It’s become our custom with the last report of December to offer reflections on how the variable annuity business performed over the past year, and suggest issues to watch in the future. We admit that...
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from November, 2010
During November, the rate of variable fund filings is usually rather slow, and the same pattern held true this year. We noticed no new registrations during the month. Insurers appeared to be tidying up their...
Mixed Messages – Can VA Insurers Hope for a Strong Showing in Q4?
We have a somewhat positive outlook for variable annuity industry sales in the fourth quarter, even though things tend to slow down during that time period, there has not been a great deal of product...
Matching Up – VA Insurers Plan Moves to Answer Competitors
We have been noticing some rather interesting variable annuity product filings lately, which we think hint at strategic directions insurance companies will be taking, both now and into next year. The catch is that in...
An Agreeable Summer – Insurers Post Respectable VA Sales in Q3
As is our custom, we delved into the variable annuity business results of 10 stock-traded insurers we track, and, overall, came away with a pretty positive impression about the third quarter. We say this even...
Concerning the RIA Market – and Noteworthy Product Filings
The number of variable annuity contracts designed for fee-based financial advisors has been growing of late, and in this commentary we’ll share some thoughts as to the why this is happening, and weigh in on...
GLWB Movements – Answering the Competition, Preparing for Next Year
It’s our feeling that newer variable annuity lifetime withdrawal benefits getting filed of late – plus various modifications to existing ones – are being introduced this quarter to “prime the pump” for next year. Barring...
Q4 Launches – Products Insurers Hope Will Attract Sales into the New Year
It’s our feeling that these days, most variable annuity insurers are in a “reactive mode” in that few are making truly bold moves with their products; rather they are content to make modifications and enhancements...
Competitive Direction: Tactics VA Market Leaders May Employ, Near Term
It will take a little while before variable annuity industry sales results from the third quarter come out, and at this point we are unsure what those numbers may reveal, since we are not expecting...