Research & Reports
VA Rider Design Trends – GLWBs That Stay Rich, But Address Risk Issues
In this commentary we will be discussing some of the newer variable annuity Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefits (GLWBs) that insurers have been filing, many of these riders offering robust base growth rates, yet also incorporating...
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from October, 2009
During the month of October there was the usual moderate stream of variable insurance fund filings, and within them one could see evidence of key priorities for the industry, one of the most obvious being...
“Stealing the Show” – A Select Few VA Players Excel During 3Q09
During the third quarter we saw a familiar pattern that’s emerged lately in the variable annuity business, that of a minority of insurers – those still selling the richer guaranteed benefits – posting exceptional sales,...
Checking Up on Trends in Variable Annuity GMIBs – Changing, Mixing, Matching
On the variable annuity scene, insurers are still changing their guaranteed living benefits with great alacrity in response to market conditions, albeit less aggressively than in the past, and while most of this movement is...
A Look at the Pipeline: What’s in New VA Contracts Registered This Year
One of the many ongoing tasks we have on our “to-do list” is to stay current with what’s happening in new variable annuity contracts coming to market, so in this commentary we’ll catch up with...
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from September, 2009
During September the rate of variable insurance fund filings with the SEC slowed down a bit – as is the tendency each year – and accordingly there were relatively few new registrations. We think activity...
Factors Influencing the Positioning of VA Benefits in the Current Environment
To continue with an opinion we expressed last week: over the remainder of the year we expect to see a mixture of aggression and retreat on the part of variable annuity insurers, as some will...
VA Insurers Will Pursue Studied Tactics, New Directions, During Q4
As the fourth quarter commences we get the sense that the variable annuity business is thankful for the recent appreciation in the financial markets, however there is concern over whether the recovery will persist. For...
Recent Distribution Moves – That Are Influencing VA Product, Rider Offerings
Through the second quarter of this year, there remains a lead pack of variable annuity writers still offering relatively rich living benefits, and by our reckoning, this fact contributed to their robust sales during that...
