Research & Reports
We Suspect VA Industry Sales Were Probably Down Again in 1Q16
We just finished conducting our review of first quarter results of publicly-traded insurers we monitor regularly, and for all of them, variable annuity sales fell, thus we suspect the industry experienced a similar result…
Variable Annuity Industry Sales in 4Q15 – Hard to Get a Handle On
As is our custom, we reviewed fourth quarter results of publicly-traded insurers we monitor regularly, and found it hard to come up with a strong indication as to where the industry finished for that period....
Insurers are Preparing VA Product Changes for May – and Beyond
In recent SEC filings we’ve seen interesting variable annuity developments scheduled to take place either during the May prospectus update season – typically the time when insurers update or launch new products – or even...
A Rough Market Start – Does it Portend Anything for Annuities?
Just as we were getting back into the swing of things after the holidays, there was a sharp decline in the stock market, which prompted us to think of what the implications could be for...
On 2015: A Time of Shifting Realities For the Variable Annuity Business
Each year we provide, with our last issue of December, a quick rundown of how the variable annuity business performed so far, from our perspective, and a few forward-looking thoughts for the New Year. While...
Variable Annuity Sales Were Down in Q3 for Leading Stock-Traded Insurers
We just completed our third quarter review of variable annuity business results of selected stock-traded insurers and found that for all of them, sales fell sequentially during that time period. Market volatility was the most-often...
Zurich American Offers Buyback to Owners of Vintage VA Contracts, Riders
This week we’re going to comment on an interesting new variable annuity buyout launched fairly recently by Zurich American Life, an insurer that long ago pulled out of selling new contracts. The fact the company...
Thoughts from Q2 Earnings Season – We Suspect VA Sales Improved
Overall, we’re of the opinion that second quarter earnings for stock-traded insurers we watch regularly were pretty strong, and for all of them, variable annuity sales went up sequentially, thus we suspect the industry experienced...
How Do We Think Q1 Variable Annuity Sales Moved? Not By Much, Either Way
Last week we finished reviewing first quarter results for stock-traded insurers we monitor regularly, and for most of them, variable annuity sales were lethargic, thus we expect the industry experienced similar results…
