Annuities

One way to help clients avoid outliving their money is to encourage them to use a portion of their assets to purchase an ordinary, straight-ahead immediate annuity without any bells and whistles.

Traditional immediate annuities are now known as income annuities, and consumers are making sure of substantial future cash flows by paying well in advance.

Some academics maintain that if a client obtains an immediate annuity, it pays an income stream for life and the individual is less likely to outlive his or her money. But of course, many planners often see issues with this in real-life situations.

An annuity offers the investor income for life -- for a price. Considering the return on investment, how do annuities compare to bonds?

Lincoln National topped $10 billion in individual variable annuity sales in the nine months ended Sept. 30, the most in at least six years, as rivals retreated from the contracts.

Clients’ desire for principal protection plus profit potential has benchmark-based products booming.

Such annuities typically mean “watered-down guarantees” and there’s not a lot of demand for that, a panel of speakers said at LIMRA’s 2013 annual conference on Monday.

The firm was praised for its client marketing materials at the annual Retirement Income Industry Association conference. Allianz and Principal were also honored.

IRS private letter ruling gives heirs choices about annuities.

Issuers have been busy changing fees, adjusting payout levels and consolidating age bands.

Advisors may say they're comfortable developing retirement income strategies -- but none seem to agree on the right way to create an income stream.

Despite a tarnished reputation, annuities make sense for some clients. Even so, advisors highlight some of the biggest challenges they face in using annuities for clients.

In the first half of 2013, they generated $283.3 million in revenue, the most they’ve made in the first six months of any year since 2007.

Lincoln joins about a dozen companies who either offer or have filed to offer an annuity product that is gaining traction in the market.

In the second quarter, fixed annuities experienced highest quarterly sales since 2011, according to data from Morningstar and Beacon Research.

Deferred income annuities last year generated about $1 billion in sales and are expected to be the fastest growing annuity product.

Clients who inherit an annuity may now have a few more options thanks to a recent private letter ruling from the IRS.

Mark Tibergien, CEO of Pershing Advisor Solutions, wants to custody more client assets. Here's what he's offering in return.

Wheaton Wealth Partners reaches out to clients by "mind mapping" their emotional priorities first, then developing a plan and a portfolio.

During the first quarter of 2013, banks generated $790.7 million in annuity sales, up 1.2% from $781.7 million in the same quarter last year.