Research & Reports
Impressions on the Variable Annuity Business in 2007 – Part II
In this report, our last of the year, we’ll conclude our two-part commentary summarizing key forces influencing the sale of variable annuities in 2007 – our main three being “features, shelf space and scale” –...
New Internal Replacement Accounting Could Be Challenging for Annuity Insurers
In the coming months, an issue of much interest to annuity issuers will be that of an impending change in accounting for Deferred Acquisition Costs (DAC) on internal replacements that will impact how companies conduct...
Impressions on Consumer-Friendly Issues for the Variable Annuity Business
In our last report we discussed how insurers are building fee reductions into their variable annuities, which we think is good for the industry in that it may help counter some negative perceptions. This week,...
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from July, 2006
In composing our usual roundup of variable fund filings from the previous month, we did not see a great many new registrations in July. We identified just two, but they were fairly notable: one was...
Publicly-Traded VA Insurers Fare Better in Q2 – as Reported in Earnings Calls
We always look forward to reviewing major public insurers’ quarterly calls during earnings season, as these companies in many ways act as barometers for the health of the variable annuity business as a whole. In...
VA Sales and the Opposing Themes of Staying Competitive – or Cost-Conscious
We recently took time to reflect on divergent trends within the pricing and structure of variable annuities, a topic that should become more “front-and-center” in the future and cut across distribution outlets, since products and...
Reviewing Variable Insurance Fund Filings from June, 2006
We identified 14 new variable insurance funds filed in the month of June, a fairly good number. In addition, activity was fairly energetic around sub-advisory and name changes, mergers, closings and other modifications, covering a...
Considering Variable Product Commission and Revenue Sharing Programs
We’ve long been noting how variable annuity insurers are faced with multiple opposing pressures. On the one hand, critics of the business clamor for annuities that are easier to understand and less expensive than the...
Q1 Earnings Calls of Public Insurers Illustrate Need for Continued Sales Growth
Last week we listened to first quarter earnings conference calls of five publicly-traded insurers who do business in the U.S. variable space, and for some of these companies, annuity sales improved, although surrenders – more...
