Research & Reports
Q2 Expectations – For Variable Annuity Industry Sales, Net Flows
Second-quarter earnings season for insurance companies is now underway and we’re looking forward to learning how variable annuity sales went, however we are not very optimistic about how the industry as a whole fared, for...
The Adjustment Game – There’s No Set Formula to Tweaking VA Products
We are accustomed to seeing numerous variable annuity ideas get introduced in early spring, however lately things have become slower than usual. We attribute this to insurers being a bit tentative about taking any serious...
A Look Ahead – Question Marks for the VA Business as Q2 Begins
Because of the diminished sales of variable annuities last year, we can’t help but wonder whether the industry can eventually participate more fully in the recovery of the financial markets – or, will it continue...
Some of the Whys and Wherefores – Influencing VA Product Movements
The rate of filing in the variable annuity business has settled down a bit in recent weeks, although we figure that there are plenty of new concepts in the pipeline. Since things are a little...
“Playing the Percentages” – Where GLWB Competition is Headed
During this prospectus update season we intend to be vigilant in tracking variable annuity product developments, and in this commentary we’ll provide some more perspective on an area in which we’re seeing a good deal...
VA Contract Considerations – And Assorted Notes on Other Matters
We’ve been providing frequent commentary lately about guaranteed living benefits – which we think is warranted since they are so integral to the variable annuity sales story these days – however this week we’ll focus...
Ratcheting Rates – Insurers Develop GLWBs with Adjustable Withdrawals
The stream of variable annuity-related filings moving through the SEC has been speeding up of late, and a common theme we keep noticing is that insurers are building in new forms of flexibility to their...
NFL Game Planning: A Fitting Analogy for the Industry at the Start of 2010?
In the past, we have employed comparisons with the sporting world to describe competitive conditions in the variable annuity space, and we’re going to do so again in this, our first commentary of the New...
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...