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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.

The Growing Number of Lifetime GMWBs – in Interesting and Complex Varieties

It’s about time we checked back in on variable annuity lifetime Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefits (GMWBs) and our goal for this report will be to offer highlights of the latest filings and attempt to identify...

Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from May, 2007

After reviewing variable fund filings from the month of May we found, as usual, interesting new registrations plus numerous changes and adjustments to fees and expenses, sub-advisors and other matters. Of particular note were some...

Implications to the VA Business of Consolidation Within Major Distribution Firms

Distribution is, by its nature, the linchpin to the variable insurance space: if you know the channels an insurer sells in, you can get a good idea as to what products and riders it offers...

Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from April, 2007

During April we didn’t identify a great many new variable fund registrations, rather most SEC filings over the month consisted of routine annual prospectus updates, many of which reiterated, or made official, changes or adjustments...

The Latest News on Variable Annuities in Defined Contribution Plans

In this commentary we’re going to quickly give our perspective on news and developments related to variable annuities and defined contribution (DC) plans, especially 401(k)s, since many insurers perceive these programs to be a possible...

More of a Bargain: Movements in VA Contract Design and Structure

If there’s any one trend in variable annuity design we see building momentum, it’s that of insurers offering contracts with lower-than-average costs, usually combined with a relatively modest number of sub-accounts and optional benefits. Since...

Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from March, 2007

Maybe we’ve said this all too often, but a pervasive theme in variable funds of late has been that of asset allocation, and in March this held true again, as there were a number of...

Beyond Product – Insurers Work to Become Retirement Planners, Aggregators

There’s little doubt that success in the variable annuity marketplace over the years has been largely dictated by product and distribution strength, competition depending on what’s currently in favor, whether it be the latest VA...

Continuing the Discussion: VA Industry Issues Informing Product Designs

With this commentary we’ll follow up on our previous report by reflecting on some important themes in the variable annuity industry and how they are intimately connected to the products, features and funds being marketed...