Annuities

SPONSORED BY: Ameritas Advisor Services

• New Features in MetLife's Variable Lineup

  MetLife has revamped its variable annuity suite.

• Cheerleaders in Lab Coats

  Bob Veres's Industry Insight column: New research on variable annuities and their guarantees offers less than meets the eye. Read Ibbotson's rebuttal of this article.

• Fixed Annuities Rise Again

  Falling interest rates on CDs have finally given new life to these languishing contracts.

• The Immediate Solution

  Immediate annuities are starting to come into their own as a reasonably priced source of retirement income.

• Withdrawal Methods

  Annuities are a popular solution to the retirement income question, and many retirement scholars advocate their use. But in the real world, of the billions of dollars invested, many are deferred but few are annuitized.

• Stay on Target

  Forbes: Target date retirement funds, which adjust the stock-bond mix as you age, are all the rage. But some of them will take years off your life.

• Phoenix Cos. Rolls Out No-Loan Annuity

  The investment manager Phoenix Cos. Inc. has a new low-cost, no-load annuity.

• Jackson National Offers Annuity Benefit

  Jackson National Life Insurance Co. launched an optional benefit that provides guaranteed minimum annual withdrawals and the opportunity to increase retirement income.

• Infographic: Variable Annuities Down Slightly

• Licensed Bankers Boost Compass' Brokerage Sales

  A mentoring program in which brokers coach small teams of licensed bankers helps explain Compass Bank's retail brokerage sales growth.

• Sellers of Annuities Make Buying Easier

  WSJ.com: Buying an annuity has become almost as easy as buying a stock or a mutual fund, but some experts advise caution, saying that along with easy access must come education and access to guidance.

• Uncertainty Abounds

  Variable annuity sales remained strong in the third quarter of 2007, but regulatory changes could squelch future sales.

• It's the Assets, Stupid

  Clients can end up with substantial retirement money when protected assets grow through low fees and tax deferral.

• Hungry for Fees

  Small banks are struggling to create business models that will help them bring in recurring revenue sources.

• Northern Exposure

  Minnesota reps serve small small towns to help clients achieve big dreams.

• Banks Are Missing 401(k) Rollover Business

  Investment firms have muscled their way into the retirement market over the past decade, leaving banks in the dust.

• Almost 10% of Brokers and Advisors Considering Switching Firms in 2008

  According to Broker and Advisor Sentiment Index, many would prefer independent, regional or RIA firm.

• Immediate Gratification

  New studies show that immediate annuities add both income and stability to a retirement portfolio.

• Making Divorce Work

  Advisors dealing with divorcees may take custody of substantial new retirement accounts, but like divorce itself, specializing in this niche is no bed of roses.

• JNL Sets Its Sights on the Bank Channel

  Executives at Jackson National Life say that growing annuity sales via banks provided impetus for expanding its Prudential unit's wholesale force—and there's room for further growth.