Annuities

Adhering to Shariah principles, Amana Growth is also attractive to many non-Muslims.

As carriers move to adjust risk, sales taper off after three straight years of growth.

Income annuity sales set new quarterly record, increase for fourth-consecutive quarter; fixed annuity sales drop 11 percent compared to 2011.

“Interest rates are having a large impact on overall annuity sales,” says Catherine Theroux, director of Public Relations at LIMRA. “For fixed annuities, people are less inclined to lock in rates at this level.”

In 2012, banks sold $29.6 billion in annuities, down 20% from 2011. Fixed annuities fell 33% to $11.9 billion, while variable annuities slipped 10% to $17.7 billion.

Rapidly changing U.S. demographics are ikely to render industry assumptions ineffective, Conning says. Protection gap offers potential for future growth.

After hiring 3,597 full-time agents last year, New York Life is raising the ante, with a goal of adding 3,700 reps in 2013. Among the new hires, more than half are expected to be women or individuals who represent the “cultural markets,” as the company put it, referring specifically to the African-American, Chinese, Hispanic, Korean, South Asian, and Vietnamese communities.

More advisors say tax deferral will become increasingly important in annuity sales. In a recent poll by the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI), 28% of advisors expect tax deferral to take on greater importance in the next five years, a “notable increase” from 20% of advisors expressing this opinion in 2011.

Karen Wimbish, head of retail retirement at Wells Fargo discusses her 16 years in the securities business.

Many women say their current financial professionals don't measure up. Shouldn't you be offering your services instead?

RegentAtlantic has built up a $2.4 billion firm by rounding up a baker's dozen of niche-focused wealth advisors.

How one firm is preparing for a few of the megatrends heading our way.

Sales of deferred income annuities grew to more than $1 billion in 2012. But they are still a minor portion of the overall market, representing less than one percent of total annuity sales.

Men and women 35 – 64 with income of $150,000 - $249,000 may represent the ripest sales opportunities for advisors, according to poll by Nationwide Financial.

Raoul Rodriguez Walters' planning practice specializes in the intricacies of financial migration.

Named for a Gospel passage, the Matthew 25 fund has been churning out superior performance for a decade and a half.

The amount of money flowing into annuities declined last year more than 6% from prior-year levels, according to a report from the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp.

Consumers may be wary of life and annuity products as they confront more immediate financial concerns, according to the Deloitte Center for Financial Services.

Lincoln Financial Group has selected the FireLight platform to automate and streamline its annuity applications.

Annuities are a form of insurance and insurance companies are good at pricing risk. Here's how to tell if they are right for your clients.