subscriber-login-icon
Subscriber Login
Sign Up

Research & Reports

Soleares Research, LLC is a market research and consulting firm servicing the annuity and life insurance businesses. We provide, through our website, periodic articles that cover important industry trends; we also offer clients phone or on-site consultations, executive briefings and presentations. We pride ourselves on first-class customer service and responsiveness to our clients. We aim to be an indispensable resource to the marketplace.
Sort By Type
Reports
All Reports Research
Sort By Topic
Variable annuities
All 1035 exchanges Acquisition Asset allocation Benefit buyback programs Benefit exchange programs Benefit Rate Sheets Benefit risk update Commissions Compliance Contingent annuities Contract exchange programs Death benefits Deferred income annuities Defined Outcome Portfolios Distribution DOL fiduciary rule Dual Direction ESG Investing Fee-based annuities Fixed annuities Fixed-indexed annuities Hedging Immediate annuities IOVAs IRAs Living benefits Managed-volatility portfolios Marketing Merger Monthly fund report Net flows Pensions Principal protection Purchase provisions Qualified plans Quarterly earnings report Quarterly reports Registered Index-Linked Annuities Reinsurance Reserving Sales Suitability Taxes Variable annuities Variable funds Variable life Year in review report

Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from October, 2012

This October we thought that the rate of variable fund filing activity with the SEC was about what we usually see this time of year. There were relatively few new portfolio registrations. A continuing trend...

VA Insurers Look to Ease Back Carefully on Their Benefit Guarantees

Most leading variable annuity insurers are seeking to lower their sales of guaranteed benefits, but want to do so gradually, even if that means making multiple de-risking moves in fairly quick succession. The sheer number...

Industry VA Sales Look Steady for Q3 – But Earnings Results Were Mixed

After reviewing the variable annuity business results of the group of stock-traded insurers we track regularly, we’re figuring that third quarter industry sales were flat to slightly up sequentially, and probably got a little lift...

Hartford Introduces Rider Buyback Program to Accelerate VA Runoff

As the year is winding down we have been thinking that more insurers would consider coming out with guaranteed benefit buyback programs to trim their risk profiles. Late last week we got evidence that such...

VA Insurers Are Developing New Limits on Contracts, Riders, Underlying Funds

This year most variable annuity insurers have been cutting back on the generosity of their guarantees, however we think any companies seeking to remain competitive are sort of walking a fine line – they want...

Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from September, 2012

This report is our customary roundup of noteworthy variable insurance fund filings from the prior month. In September we did not notice many new registrations, rather most of the filing activity involved changes to existing...

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...

VA Insurers Are Fine Tuning Their Products – But Not Always De-Risking

Last week we saw an interesting mix of variable annuity product adjustments filed with the SEC. Some, as should be expected, were reductions to benefit guarantees, but a couple involved enhancing them…

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...