Research & Reports
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from December, 2011
With the publication of this report we’ll conclude our regular monthly coverage of variable insurance fund filings from 2011. We thought December was quite an active month: there was a nice batch of new registrations,...
“Stretching Exercises” – That Might Pull VA Products in New Directions
It’s our sense that, unless there is a dramatic (and sustained) rebound in the financial markets near term, most variable annuity insurers will be in de-risking mode. For that reason we expect more of the...
A Busy Beginning – for Product Moves Around the VA Business
Through the latter months of last year, we saw a number of variable annuity product changes in the pipeline whose details were not fully fleshed out. Because of this we got the feeling that most...
A Quick Look Back – on 2011 and its Significance for the VA Industry
As we have done in the past, we reserved our last weekly commentary of this year for a reflection on how the variable annuity business performed in 2011. It is our way of getting a...
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from September, 2011
Last month we saw a nice batch of new variable insurance funds registered with the SEC, quite a few of them containing risk-levered components that we think were designed to be used in connection with...
More Thoughts on Prospects for the Industry, Given the Current Environment
We fully expect more product de-risking, and other changes and adjustments, to occur on the variable annuity scene over the last quarter of the year. However we also think the value proposition of the industry...
The Latest VA Contract Designs – With Pricing, Options as Priorities
This week, we thought it would be a good time to check in on new variable annuity contract filings with the SEC, since we’ve seen a good number come through recently…
GLWB Variations – Latest Designs, Tweaks, Reflect Competitive Realities
Lately there’s been a mixture of activity involving variable annuity Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefits (GLWBs). A few insurers have been trimming back on the generosity of their riders, but the industry is not in full...
In Transition – VA Industry Leaders Downshift, Prepare for Fire Sales
Based on the kind of shifts in variable annuity sales that took place during the second quarter, it’s hard for us to guess at how the industry might perform going forward. One thing we can...