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Research & Reports

Soleares Research, LLC is a market research and consulting firm servicing the annuity and life insurance businesses. We provide, through our website, periodic articles that cover important industry trends; we also offer clients phone or on-site consultations, executive briefings and presentations. We pride ourselves on first-class customer service and responsiveness to our clients. We aim to be an indispensable resource to the marketplace.

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...

“Trading Places” – De-Risking Caused Shifts in the VA Market During 2Q11

The second quarter is traditionally one of the best for variable annuity sales, and we are hearing estimates from our contacts that the industry performed well this time around. However we’re also getting the distinct...

“In Sync” – VA Sales in 1Q11 Followed Flow of the Financial Markets

Variable annuity sales for stock-traded insurers we cover regularly were split down the middle in the first quarter of this year, one half reporting some measure of improvement sequentially while the rest did not fare...

Results for 2010 are In, Reflecting a Rebound – But Is It Sustainable?

Final variable annuity sales figures for last year were released not long ago, and, much as we expected, the industry showed improvement. The question foremost in our minds is whether the upward trend can continue...

Rising Markets, Benefit Riders Helped Spur VA Sales During 4Q10

After reviewing fourth quarter variable annuity sales results of stock-traded insurers in our regular coverage group, we strongly suspect that the industry fared well during that time period as well. What remains to be seen...

GLWB Update – Taking Stock of Trends in Benefit Design, Function

Our last commentary was rather product focused, but the same will hold true this week, as we continue to get caught up with our coverage of variable annuity Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefits (GLWBs). We would...

Wading Back – Into Variable Annuity Living Benefit Competition

We firmly believe that, over the near term, most leading variable annuity players will need strong guaranteed living benefits to maintain their current sales levels – if not capture more market share. We say this...

2010 – For the Variable Annuity Industry, a Time of Renewed Risk Taking

It’s become our custom with the last report of December to offer reflections on how the variable annuity business performed over the past year, and suggest issues to watch in the future. We admit that...

Matching Up – VA Insurers Plan Moves to Answer Competitors

We have been noticing some rather interesting variable annuity product filings lately, which we think hint at strategic directions insurance companies will be taking, both now and into next year. The catch is that in...