Research & Reports
“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...
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...
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...
A Season of Change: VA Sales Fall as Insurers Cut Back on Their Products
The year 2012 was a time when insurers made reductions to their variable annuity products: these moves included the trimming of guarantees, fee increases, closures of contracts and riders, installation of tighter investment restrictions, cuts...
Why Did VA Industry Sales Decline in Q3? There Were Multiple Reasons
According to leading industry research firms, variable annuity sales dropped in the third quarter, and we weren’t too surprised by that, given the kind of moves insurers have been making of late. Furthermore we expect...
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...
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...
