Annuities

Annuity sales top $231 billion in 2011, driven by robust sales of variable annuities.

The new product attempts to capture the potential for higher returns and offset market volatility in clients’ portfolios.

Polaris Venture Partners will make a $4 million investment in Aria Retirement Solutions to help it expand its technology platform for independent advisors.

Bank holding companies earned a record $2.26 billion from the sale of annuities in the first three quarters of 2011, up from $1.84 billion, or 22.6%, from the year-ago period.

Fresh messages about the value of annuities have started to flow from a variety of sources.

Investing in 2012 may very well prove to be the year of “risky business” because of the possible rewards and punishments, according to Prudential Annuities Chief Market Strategist Quincy Krosby.

There are fresh messages about the value of annuities—but don't assume your clients are aware of them yet.

Fresh messages about the value of annuities have started to flow from a variety of sources.

The IRI said the nation’s insurance regulatory system needs to be modernized – and insurance products, most notably annuities and other insured retirement income products – need to be made available to underserved populations.

On the heels of reports coming out of Washington on the government’s scramble to protect the country’s power grid from cybercriminals, CSC reports the launch of an Insurance Cybersecurity Advisory Council for life insurance and annuity providers and property/casualty insurers.

For the second straight year, MetLife leads life insurers in annuity considerations through the first three quarters, ended Sept. 30, 2011. Prudential Financial and Jackson National Life Group round out the top three in the rankings released by SNL.

In 2012, the U.S. life and annuity insurance industry will be challenged to find ways to manage both capital and risk in an economically and politically uncertain year, while continuing to lay the groundwork for future growth, according to Ernst & Young's new Global Insurance Center U.S. Outlook report.

Fixed annuity sales fell 7% in the third quarter to $19 billion, according to Beacon Research’s Fixed Annuity Premium Study. For the year to date, sales fell slightly less than 1% to $58.3 billion.

Wealth accumulation is taking a back seat to another important investor goal: having guaranteed retirement income.

Eight in 10 advisors who sell annuities report that they are having more client discussions about retirement income planning than they did five years ago. And those discussions are becoming more emotional, according to a new report, “The Evolution of the Annuity Industry," released by the Insured Retirement Institute and Cogent Research.

Eight in 10 advisors who sell annuities report that they are having more client discussions about retirement income planning than they did five years ago. And nearly two-thirds of advisors currently selling annuities indicate that guaranteed income options are expected to increase in importance over the next five years -- more so than any other factor.

The Insured Retirement Institute said third-quarter annuity sales rose to $57 billion in the third quarter, up 5% from the year-ago period. Sales year-to-date were $175.4 billion, up from $163.1 billion in 2010.

The ongoing decline of both public and private pension plans has afforded life insurers space to offer products that guarantee a person an income stream for life.

The mere mention of variable annuities is enough to set off a heated discussion among financial advisors. Below are excerpts from our discussion boards about our coverage of a report from the Insured Retirement Institute.

Independent and insurance brokers/dealers are the strongest sales channels for variable annuities, according to a report from the Insured Retirement Institute.