Research & Reports
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from January and February, 2013
At The Soleares Report it’s our intention to always keep up with what’s happening in variable insurance underlying funds, and in this commentary we’ll cover noteworthy filings from the first two months of this year…
Jackson National Jumps to Top of VA Industry Sales Standings for 4Q12
From some of our sources we heard that Morningstar was to report final fourth-quarter 2012 variable annuity sales data today, and, if early indications prove correct, we think Jackson National took the No. 1 spot...
“What’s Working?” – Thoughts On the Industry As it Awaits Q4 Sales Data
In this report we’ll try to break from our usual preoccupation with product nuances to raise questions as to where the variable annuity business is headed. It’s clear that most insurers are moving beyond offering...
Insurers Are Building New VA Living Benefits to Handle Interest Rate Risks
As variable annuity insurers have been scaling back on their products, they have tended to make more refined adjustments over time, aimed at addressing specific contingency factors. Recently we have seen a few insurers introduce...
Thanks to De-Risking, Sales Were Down for Leading VA Insurers in Q4
By the end of last week we finished reviewing the fourth-quarter earnings reports of selected publicly-traded insurers we watch regularly, and we came away with the suspicion that variable annuity industry sales were probably down...
As Market Leaders Make De-Risking Moves, Other VA Players Follow Suit
Around the variable annuity business, the past few weeks have been characterized by a pattern of activity that goes like this: first, rumors start circulating about a given company making a de-risking change, only for...
Insurers Are Creating More Optionality Within Their VA Contracts, Riders
Due to the constant stream of product changes occurring around the industry, variable annuity insurers are finding they must make adjustments much quicker than ever before, in order to respond to market conditions and moves...
Leading VA Insurers Are Following Through with Pending De-Risking Moves
In this commentary we’ll discuss some variable annuity product reductions from leading insurers that have been in the pipeline and will be implemented soon. It’s our feeling that these moves provide evidence that most of...
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from November-December, 2012
It’s been our habit to provide a regular review of noteworthy variable insurance fund filings each month, however during the holiday season there were other product happenings that got us a little behind in that...