Research & Reports
MetLife Becomes Latest Insurer to File an Investment-Only VA
For a while now we had a suspicion MetLife would come out with an investment-only variable annuity, since so many of its peers have done so. As it turns out the insurer filed one not...
VA Insurers’ Profits Were Up in 2Q14 – But Sales? Perhaps by a Little
During the second quarter publicly-traded insurers we monitor regularly experienced increased profitability within their variable annuity operations, however sales for most were somewhat lackluster, as has been the case of late…
VA Insurers Move Ahead With Rider Buyback Packages, Other Incentives
In recent weeks we have seen new interesting things coming from variable insurers: rider buyout offers, benefit updates and other initiatives scheduled to come out later this year. In this commentary we’ll get caught up...
MetLife Files a New Simplified Variable Annuity – With a GMAB
In recent reports we’ve opined about how slow activity along the variable annuity product pipeline has become this summer. Yet last Friday MetLife cut through the seasonal doldrums by registering an interesting new contract with...
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from June, 2014
This commentary contains our regular coverage of notable variable insurance fund filings from the prior month. In June we saw fairly brisk rate of activity, including a number of new registrations…
Summer – A Good Time to Evaluate Directions in the Variable Business
In recent weeks we’ve seen a reduction in variable annuity product flings, which is typical for this time of year. This slower pace gives us the opportunity this week to reflect on currents of activity...
Principal Financial Files a New VA Contract – With an Optional DIA Module
Late last week Principal Financial registered a new variable annuity containing a deferred income annuity (DIA) sleeve, and because of that development we thought we’d take the opportunity to consider the progress of such features...
Identifying Trends in Variable Annuity Industry Product Changes in 2014
Since the start of the year we have been steadily tracking modifications to variable annuity products and in this commentary we’ll share what we think are prevailing trends from around the industry…
Jackson is Revamping its GLWBs – Adding Tiered Withdrawal Rates, Fees
Jackson National is an insurer that tends to make interesting – if not downright intriguing – product moves and late last week we saw another example of this in a filing that contained alterations to...