
Research & Reports
Insurers Start Plotting New Approaches With Variable Annuity GLWBs
The variable annuity living benefits arms race is certainly dying down in most quarters, however we think the most common feature being sold, the Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit (GLWB), will remain important in the scheme...
A Discussion of Variable Annuity Industry Hot Topics as 2Q09 Gets Underway
Just as we were this time last year, we’re very curious about the performance of the variable annuity business in the first quarter – especially given the kind of difficult market conditions we’re in –...
Uncovering Meaning in Recent Rounds of VA Industry Repositioning
Since the second half of last year, the variable annuity business has been in transition, and a nearly constant stream of adjustments have been made to contracts, riders, not to mention other things, these certainly...
Sundry Thoughts on VA Sales – During a Time of Rider Tweaks and Twists
Lately we’ve learned there was movement along the variable annuity sales leader board during the fourth quarter. For now we think the top 25 will remain in place, with some shifting within that group, although...
Various Stressors Are Impacting the VA Business as Spring is on the Way
We have a feeling this spring will be a busy one for the variable annuity business because in addition to submitting annual prospectus updates, most insurers will be looking to adjust their contract and benefit...
Sliding Finish to a Volatile 2008 as Downward Markets Jolt VA Players
Fourth-quarter earnings season has almost concluded and in this report we’ll offer our customary review of variable annuity operating results for selected publicly-traded insurers. As we expected, most companies went through a difficult time during...
Evaluating the Cycle of Change and What it Means for the VA Business
These are very interesting times for the variable annuity industry, if for no other reason than the sheer amount of product and feature amendments that have been occurring since late last year. We think that...