Annuities

Revenue from FIAs surged to well over the existing mark in the second quarter, while VAs stabilized after 17 straight quarterly declines.

The largest firms’ combined VA and FA revenues hit a three-year low in 2017, but the products still make up a significant portion of their businesses.

Clients will be better off using the income allocation strategy than the asset allocation approach when building a retirement portfolio, an advisor says.

The new tax law lowers the tax rates for many investors, allowing clients to enhance tax savings on the converted amount.

It's not easy to talk about health and sickness with clients, but advisors must explain the options.

Even high-net-worth clients are reluctant to discuss LTC planning, a new survey finds.

After the Fed raised rates, many market participants with fixed-income-heavy investment mixes are wondering what a period of rising interest rates could mean for their portfolios.

LIMRA predicts annuity sales could gain 5% to 10% in 2018.

Clients saving for retirement are advised to overweight their portfolio with small-cap value stocks and funds. Here's how.

The industry research organization LIMRA sees reasons for optimism despite flat overall sales figures in the first quarter.

A fee-only insurance advisor shared the tricks of the trade to a room full of skeptical NAPFA advisors.

The number of clients owning taxable brokerage accounts has increased 10 percentage points over the past five years, while ownership of employer-sponsored plans remained unchanged.

Annuity products will be on the tech giant's platform by year end.

As sales of LTC insurance plummet, combination products — annuities with LTC riders — are picking up some of the slack, serving as a useful alternative for some clients.

While it offers a hefty tax deduction for pass-through income, an expert says the rules are a "convoluted mess.”

Annuities can be qualified or non-qualified and are subject to different tax treatments. There are also estate tax consequences as well as tax penalties to consider.

These products get a bad rap, but they can be useful in certain situations. However, advisors must make sure their clients aren’t losing money from sky-high expenses.

Workers with a high-deductible health plan will be better off setting up a health savings account, which offers tax benefits for savings earmarked for future medical expenses.

The products are designed to provide some upside potential yet limit investment risk, which has helped boost their popularity.

Many people expect to collect more than they actually will, which can prompt them to retire and file for benefits early and, in turn, reduce their actual payouts.