7 Lies Salespeople Tell Themselves
{January 27th, 2012} by Kelley Robertson
By Kelley Robertson January 25, 2012 Do you lie to yourself? You may not think so, but I’m guessing you probably do. See if any of these sound familiar. 1. “I could reach my quota if my company lowered their prices.” If I had a nickel for every time I heard this…While price is a […]
The Biggest IRA Mistake
{January 27th, 2012} by Michael Ham
By Michael Ham January 26, 2012 Thank you Ed Slott for your tireless work in educating us on IRAs, their benefits and their near misses. But for the agents and reps who don’t want to spend three days and several thousand dollars in a workshop, here is the key to making you an invaluable IRA […]
John Hancock Annuities Wins 2011 Dalbar Award
{January 27th, 2012} by N/A
PR Newswire Association LLC BOSTON, Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — John Hancock Annuities was named a service leader by Dalbar in its recently announced 2011 Financial Intermediary Service Awards. Dalbar honored John Hancock Annuities as a leading firm in the post-sale award category among financial intermediary firms, based on testing of advisor calls. “Winning Dalbar’s […]
N.Y. Fed Sells Off $7B in Former AIG Assets
{January 27th, 2012} by Meg Green
Meg Green The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said it has sold $7.01 billion in face amount of assets from Maiden Lane II LLC, one of the limited liability companies that it created to take on the troubled assets of American International Group in 2008. Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC won the $7.014 billion […]
Insurers Shares Drop On Interest Rate Worries
{January 27th, 2012} by N/A
Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Shares of insurance companies were mostly trading lower on Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve predicted low interest rates through late 2014. Low rates often make it difficult for insurers to pay consumers the higher rates guaranteed in insurance contracts, such as annuities and universal life policies, which the […]
Fed's low interest rates could lower interest in annuities
{January 26th, 2012} by Darla Mercado
Extension of cheap money policy seen boosting annuity costs, reducing benefits and commissions By Darla Mercado January 26, 2012 Reduced commissions for agents, more tweaking to annuities and lower profitability could be in store for life insurers now that the Federal Reserve has committed to keeping interest rates low until late 2014. The Fed announced last […]
FDIC Insurance: The Truth Your Clients Need to Know
{January 26th, 2012} by Brian D. Mann
January 18, 2012 By Brian D. Mann AnnuityNews When you sell annuities, one of the most common sales objections you hear is that they are not FDIC-insured. Some advisors like to answer that objection by telling prospects about their state guaranty fund, but I’m not a proponent of doing that since, in most states, it […]
Add Plain Jane Annuities for Real Sales Sizzle
{January 26th, 2012} by Christopher Martin Scott
January 24, 2012 By Christopher Martin Scott AnnuityNews Are you a broker reluctant to address consumers’ misconceptions about annuities? Have you resisted employing the selling advantages that annuities can provide? This is understandable in light of the industry’s sensitivity to the sharp disappointments and losses that investors have suffered in other financial markets over […]
Pacific Life Foundation Announces $2.4 Million in Grants to Nearly 200 Nonprofit Agencies in Southern California During Annual Grants Reception
{January 26th, 2012} by Tennyson Oyler
$5.6 Million Committed for 2012 NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Jan 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The Pacific Life Foundation announced $2.4 million in grants, ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, to nearly 200 nonprofit agencies serving Southern California during an early Monday evening reception. Overall, the Pacific Life Foundation has committed to provide $5.6 million in charitable […]
Fixed Annuities Poised for Growth in 2012, but Challenges Remain
{January 26th, 2012} by Kim O'Brien
Even after the defeat of 151A, proposed regulations could impact fixed annuities. By Kim O’Brien January 19, 2012 The National Association of Insurance Commissions (NAIC) released updated data on Dec. 26, 2011 (see chart below), which shows that fixed annuity complaints to be very low and decreased even further in 2011. This is good […]
U.S. Households Investigating But Not Buying Life Insurance?
{January 26th, 2012} by Bill Kenealy
Bill Kenealy New research by Cheryl Retzloff, senior research director of LIMRA Markets, has identified a market that is largely untapped by life insurers—the single-household. According to LIMRA’s “2011 Life Insurance Buyer/Non-buyer” study that found only 39 percent of U.S. households recall having an opportunity to buy life insurance in the past two years, only […]
MIB Life Index: US Life Insurance Activity Up .2% in 2011
{January 26th, 2012} by David O. Aronson
PR Newswire Association LLC BRAINTREE, Mass., Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The MIB Life Index showed marked resilience in 2011. A strong December, up +5.8% year-over-year, contributed to year-end results that were slightly positive, up +0.2% YTD all ages combined, according to the MIB Life Index. This is the third consecutive year where the Index finished […]
Securian Financial, Pacific Life and Prudential Financial Roll Out New Offerings
{January 26th, 2012} by Warren S. Hersch
By Warren S. Hersch January 25, 2012 Securian Financial Group, St. Paul, Minn. (SECUP), has debuted SecureOption Focus, a fixed deferred annuity that offers a choice of initial guarantee periods, a return of premium guarantee and a bonus interest rate in the one-year guarantee period. Securian Financial says the product provides four initial guarantee periods: […]
Securian's New Annuity Product Well-Positioned for Inflationary Times
{January 26th, 2012} by Maggie Jensen
ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan 25, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Securian’s first annuity product designed for nationwide distribution — SecureOption Focus — positions the company for strong sales on the inevitable day when interest rates start rise. “The fixed sales success we had in 2008 and 2009 showed us that fixed annuities from a company with […]
Are you an annuity competitive intelligence analyst?
{January 25th, 2012} by Sheryl J. Moore
Have you ever thought to yourself, MY LIFE WOULD BE SO MUCH BETTER IF I LIVED IN: – Forbes’ #1 City for Best Places for Business and Careers – Forbes’ #1 by Best City for Young Professionals – U.S. News & World Report’s #1 Richest Metro in the Nation – Parenting Magazine’s #5 Best City for […]
Ultra Exclusive Offering From Security Benefit Promises Consumer Benefits
{January 24th, 2012} by N/A
press release Jan. 23, 2012, 12:57 p.m. EST TOPEKA, KS, Jan 23, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Security Benefit(R) Corporation, a Guggenheim Partners Company, today announced that four independent marketing organizations (IMOs) have been selected to participate in a unique product manufacturing and distribution model for its subsidiary, Security Benefit Life Insurance Company (SBL). SBL, […]
Research Reveals Differences in How Men and Women Approach Retirement Planning
{January 24th, 2012} by N/A
Men focus on the numbers while women tend to plan based on lifestyle goals MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Men and women are preparing for retirement in very different ways, according to additional findings from the New Retirement Mindscape® City Pulseindex, released today by Ameriprise Financial (NYSE: AMP). While men outpace women in planning for the financial aspects […]
DTCC: Annuity Product Activity for December Up 13%
{January 24th, 2012} by N/A
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) Insurance & Retirement Services (I&RS) released today full-year and December information on activity in the market for annuity products from its award-winning Analytic Reporting for Annuities online information service, which leverages data from the transactions that DTCC processes for the industry. Analytic Reporting for Annuities […]
Allianz Life Named to FORTUNE’s List of 100 Best Companies to Work For
{January 24th, 2012} by N/A
Business Wire, Inc. Joining List for the First Time, Allianz Life Earns Top Ranking for Minnesota Companies MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life) today announced that it has been named to FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the first time, ranking 51st and earning the top […]
Allianz Life Receives BestPrep Humanitarian Award
{January 24th, 2012} by N/A
Business Wire, Inc. BROOKLYN PARK, Minn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– On January 21, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life) was presented with BestPrep’s Humanitarian Award during the 14th annual “Birdies for BestPrep” event at International Market Square. The award, given to a Minnesota company for their outstanding community involvement and commitment to educating Minnesota students, […]
AIG Announces Simplified Web-Based Life Insurance Application
{January 24th, 2012} by N/A
Business Wire, Inc. HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– American General Life Companies (American General) announces the availability of “AG Quick Ticket,” a web-based life insurance application that allows producers to complete and submit applications electronically via a computer or tablet and ensures fast turnaround times for the interview, exam and submission of the full application to American General. […]
Never Mind the Baby Boomers, Here Comes Gen X (Unprepared, Too)
{January 24th, 2012} by Elizabeth Festa
By Elizabeth Festa January 23, 2012 Nearly two-thirds, or 65%, of the members in Generation X lack confidence that they will have enough money to live comfortably in retirement, to cover medical expenses during retirement and to pay for the cost of their children’s higher education. The stark unpreparedness of a generation that grew up […]
Roger McCarty: Light Up a Room
{January 24th, 2012} by Brian Anderson
By Brian Anderson January 23, 2012 A very small percentage of people in the world truly have the ability to energize a room. Life insurance and annuity industry icon Roger McCarty, the founder of Brokers International who passed away late last year at the age of 81, was one of those people. I had the […]
Fixed Indexed Annuity Holders Keep Holding On
{January 24th, 2012} by Maria Wood
Between 2006 and 2010, full surrender rates dropped by 40 percent. By Maria Wood January 23, 2012 Photo credit: jscreationzs: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1152 A recent study revealed that holders of fixed indexed annuity (FIA) contracts want to keep those policies in force rather than surrender them. In a first-ever report on the subject, Ruark Consulting, LLC of […]
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
{January 24th, 2012} by Michael Ham
By Michael Ham January 23, 2012 News Flash: The big investment houses on Wall Street and the mega no-load investment shops are all rapidly jumping into your pool of insurance products (namely, index annuities) and quickly adapting their proposals to include products with living income benefits. Paul Revere I am not, but the Red Coats […]
Why consider an annuity?
{January 22nd, 2012} by Scott Lunsford
Jan. 22, 2012 | Written by Scott Lunsford Are you frustrated with the interest rate your bank is paying you? Can’t quite handle the twists and turns of the stock market? Are you interested in an investment that is paying 3.25 percent and is guaranteed never to pay less than 2 percent? Would access to 10 […]
Allianz Life Appoints Cathy Mahone as Chief Administrative Officer
{January 20th, 2012} by N/A
Business Wire, Inc. MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life) has namedCathy Mahone to the post of Chief Administrative Officer where she will be responsible for Enterprise Operations, IT, Compliance and other strategic initiatives. Mahone also joins the company’sExecutive Leadership Group and will report directly toAllianz Life President and CEOWalter White. […]
How Annuities Could Be a Health-Care Cost Cushion
{January 20th, 2012} by Linda Koco
By Linda Koco Contributing Editor, AnnuityNews Most annuity agents don’t talk about using annuities to help pre-retirees and retirees with funding their health care expenses in retirement, but that could change. “Earmarking an annuity for health care is a great idea,” says Brian Lipinski, director of fixed annuity marketing at Executive Brokerage Services, Inc., McKees […]
How to Grow Retirement Income Even If Your Annuity Account Doesn’t Grow
{January 20th, 2012} by N/A
Business Wire, Inc. Pacific Life’s new lifetime income benefit provides annuity owners a way to increase retirement income NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– With the recent ups and downs of the investment markets, individuals at or nearing retirement have put a premium on finding safe, predictable ways to fuel their retirement incomes. Now, for an additional […]
Why hanging on to your older fixed annuity is a solid bet
{January 19th, 2012} by Darla Mercado
Old contracts that hold 3% guaranteed minimum rates look attractive By Darla Mercado January 18, 2012 Clients who decided to hold on to fixed annuities of the past are benefiting from attractive yields, making the products a standout among fixed-income investments. Financial advisers note that some of their investors are holding on to attractive three-, […]
Allianz Life Taps Lisa Hoene as Senior Director of Market Management [Professional Services Close – Up]
{January 19th, 2012} by N/A
Proquest LLC Allianz Life Insurance Company ofNorth America(Allianz Life) namedLisa Hoeneas the new senior director of Market Management. In this role, the Company said Hoene will have accountability for Customer Experience and Customer Intelligence, two of the company’s top initiatives. “As we continue to deliver Allianz Life’s message about the importance of guaranteed income in […]
Up to 11 Commissioners Could See Terms End After 2012 Elections
{January 19th, 2012} by Jeff Jeffrey
Jeff Jeffrey As many as 11 insurance commissioners could see their terms come to an end in 2012, either because they are part of gubernatorial administrations that are up for re-election on Nov. 6 — or they face elections of their own. The five commissioners facing elections this year include Wayne Goodwinof North Carolina; Adam […]
Annuities Can Be A Great Way To Invest Safely
{January 19th, 2012} by N/A
(RTTNews.com) – In times of market mayhem, annuities can be a safe way to invest your money, especially if you’re eying retirement. An annuity is a financial product sold by financial institutions, such as an insurance company. It is designed to accept and grow funds from an individual and then pay out a stream of […]
Where’s the Life Insurance T-Shirt?
{January 14th, 2012} by Corey Dahl
By Corey Dahl January 10, 2012 You know that movie “Fever Pitch”? Where Jimmy Fallon plays a fan obsessed with the Boston Red Sox? If you changed the team to the Denver Broncos and amped the crazy up a few notches, you’d have my family. We’re die-hard, lifelong Broncos fans, not just Tebow bandwagoneers. So, […]
Kevin Connor joins WealthVest Marketing to lead Hartford Fixed Index Annuity Sales Team for WealthVest
{January 14th, 2012} by Wade Dokken
WealthVest Marketing announces that Kevin Connor has been hired to lead WealthVest’s Fixed Index Annuity Sales Team, focusing on The Hartford’s fixed index annuity products. Bozeman, Montana (PRWEB) January 12, 2012 WealthVest Marketing, with offices in Bozeman, Montana and San Francisco, California, announces that Kevin Connor has been hired to lead WealthVest’s Fixed Index Annuity […]
The (Regulatory) Rules of Social Media
{January 14th, 2012} by Todd Greider
By Todd Greider January 9, 2012 Social media can bring many things to your business: leads, referrals, brand awareness. It’s a key way to build relationships with existing and potential clients; however, everything comes with a price. In this case, being active on social media platforms can bring you unwanted attention from regulators. This isn’t […]
Allianz Life to Contribute $1K for Each Lehman Birdie at 2012 Allianz Championship [Professional Services Close – Up]
{January 14th, 2012} by N/A
Proquest LLC Allianz Life Insurance Company of North Americaannounced that it will be donating $1,000for every birdie from Allianz-sponsored golfer Tom Lehmanat the upcoming Allianz Championship, shared between the southern Floridachapters of Junior Achievementand the Alzheimer’s Association. In a release, the Company said that it partners with Junior Achievementand the Alzheimer’s Associationin the Twin Citiesbecause […]
MetLife, Axa limiting customer contributions to certain variable annuity purchases
{January 14th, 2012} by Darla Mercado
Curbs on clients’ VA additions a way to rein in market exposure amid tough economy By Darla Mercado January 12, 2012 Axa Equitable Life Insurance Co. and MetLife Inc. have enacted limits to the amount that some customers can add to their variable annuities. In both cases, the limitations apply to customers who have already purchased […]
Indexed Universal Life Products- Part 5
{January 14th, 2012} by Sheryl J. Moore
The last video about indexed life insurance products with Steve Savant, of Brokers Alliance, and Sheryl Moore. Indexed Universal Life – Part Five of Five
Indexed Universal Life Products- Part 4
{January 14th, 2012} by Sheryl J. Moore
Yet another video about indexed life insurance products with Steve Savant, of Brokers Alliance, and Sheryl Moore. Indexed Universal Life – Part Four of Five
Checking Into Annuities
{January 14th, 2012} by Maria Wood
By Maria Wood January 13, 2012 After over a decade covering the hotel business, I now find myself learning about annuities, which got me thinking: Are there similarities between hotels and annuities? At first glance, they appear to be completely different species. One is a bricks-and-mortar building and the other is a printed insurance policy. […]
Pacific Life, Midland National and ING Unveil New Products
{January 14th, 2012} by Warren S. Hersch
By Warren S. Hersch January 13, 2012 Pacific Life Insurance Company (Newport Beach, Calif.), has launched a variable annuity, Pacific Destinations O-Series, that offers the low mortality, expense, and administrative fees of an A-share product without an up-front sales charge. The product features four investment asset allocation categories. For an additional cost, two optional guaranteed […]
Don't Get Mad … Get Educated
{January 14th, 2012} by Laura Hahn
By Laura Hahn January 13, 2012 You did your job. You talked to your client about fixed annuities and their benefits and how they can help with retirement planning goals. You took their application, and made sure it was fully completed. You checked that you had all the required forms. Your client gave you a […]
Buying Behavior: How 2011 Will Affect Annuity Sales in 2012
{January 14th, 2012} by Jack Marrion
The fear of actual loss is driving consumers and that is good for index annuities. By Jack Marrion January 13, 2012 Although we like to think that we make completely rational decisions there are 25 biases that often get in the way and result in a less than optimal choice. Four are especially prevalent in […]
Genworth Exec: US Indexed Annuities 'Play Well' With Traditional Insurer Expertise
{January 14th, 2012} by Fran Matso Lysiak
By Fran Lysiak A.M. Best Company, Inc. Genworth Financial Inc. has re-entered the U.S. indexed annuity market following an absence of many years. Annuities are a big opportunity for the industry, Pat Foley, president of U.S. life insurance distribution and marketing at Genworth Financial (NYSE: GNW) told Best’s News Service. About 10,000 people turn 65 […]
Genworth Financial Selling Broker-Dealer Unit for $78.5 Million
{January 12th, 2012} by Fran Lysiak
Fran Lysiak Genworth Financial has agreed to sell its broker-dealer unit to Cetera Financial Group for about $78.5 million. With the sale of Genworth Financial Investment Services, a tax and accounting financial adviser unit, Genworth said it will focus on its core asset-management business, called Genworth Financial Wealth Management.Al Orendorff, a spokesman for Genworth Financial […]
More Policyholders Keeping Their Indexed Annuities
{January 11th, 2012} by Linda Koco
January 11, 2012 By Linda Koco Contributing Editor, AnnuityNews Just about everyone in the indexed annuity business says that annuity owners have been keeping their annuities for longer and longer periods in the past few years, but is it true? It is, according to lapse data collected by Ruark Consulting, but with some surprising twists […]
Do You Need an Annuity?
{January 11th, 2012} by Phil Taylor
By Phil Taylor January 6, 2012 For most of us, our 401(k) plan in conjunction with some savvy savings is what we are depending on to fund our golden years. A few lucky individuals also have a traditional pension, but fewer and fewer people will have this benefit to rely on. So, how do you […]
Indexed Universal Life Products- Part 3
{January 11th, 2012} by Sheryl J. Moore
Another video about indexed life insurance products with Steve Savant, of Brokers Alliance, and Sheryl Moore. Indexed Universal Life – Part Three of Five
Indexed Universal Life Products- Part 2
{January 10th, 2012} by Sheryl J. Moore
Another video about indexed life insurance products with Steve Savant, of Brokers Alliance, and Sheryl Moore. Indexed Universal Life – Part Two of Five- Indexed Insurance Products Series I Life
Indexed Universal Life Products
{January 10th, 2012} by Sheryl J. Moore
A video about indexed life insurance products with Steve Savant, of Brokers Alliance, and Sheryl Moore. Indexed Universal Life – Part One of Five- Indexed Insurance Products Series I Life
Term Life Insurance Is NOT Enough
{January 8th, 2012} by Sheryl J. Moore
In my travels, I have had the opportunity to visit with hundreds of thousands of people that I don’t know in the slightest. In my interactions with these inquisitive strangers, one misconception about life insurance is not only prominent, but particularly disturbing. TERM LIFE INSURANCE IS NOT ENOUGH! Although the MIB cites that one-third of all Americans have […]
Harvard Business School to Launch New Program for Financial Executives
{January 8th, 2012} by N/A
Business Wire, Inc. Program will explore the demands facing industry executives in today’s unpredictable economic climate BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Harvard Business School (HBS) will offer Leadership in Financial Organizations, a new executive education program for senior executives of global financial institutions. The program will take place in England (February 13–16, 2012) and at Harvard Business School […]
Ameritas Life Completes Acquisition of Texas Company
{January 8th, 2012} by Scott Stuckey
Business Wire, Inc. LINCOLN, Neb.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. (Ameritas Life) of Lincoln, Neb., announced today it has completed the acquisition of BNL Financial Corporation (BNL), the parent company of Brokers National Life Assurance Company (Brokers National), an Austin, Texas-based insurance company domiciled in Arkansas. The acquisition was officially closed on December 31, 2011, […]
Annuity Company Ratings: Can You Count On Them?
{January 8th, 2012} by Linda Koco
By Linda Koco Contributing Editor, AnnuityNews Do fixed annuity insurer ratings accurately reflect the true financial strength of the insurer? The question has been circulating in the wake of the financial downturn of 2008 and agents are looking for answers. To find out, Advantage Compendium looked to the historical record for some insight. The answer […]
NAIC: Life Insurance May Be An Untapped Resource
{January 8th, 2012} by N/A
PR Newswire Association LLC KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 4, 2012/PRNewswire/ — In tough economic times, people look everywhere — an IRA or 401(k), credit cards, even under their mattress — for emergency cash. But according to a recent survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners(NAIC), many consumers overlook life insurance as a potential source […]
Sammons Preps Launch of Variable Annuity
{January 8th, 2012} by Maria Wood
By Maria Wood January 5, 2012 Even as several major carriers have either left the variable annuity (VA) business or limited their exposure to the product, one company has a new variable annuity on tap. Sammons Retirement Solutions, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, expects to release its new VA with the next 30 to […]
Indexed Annuity Training with Asset Marketing Systems
{January 6th, 2012} by Sheryl J. Moore
January 6, 2012 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM 15050 Avenue of Science #100 Join Sheryl J. Moore and Asset Marketing Systems in the following indexed annuity training: Indexed Annuity and Safe Money Fundamentals Since their introduction to the insurance market in 1995, indexed annuities have become an invaluable part of the retirement income story. Most […]
Why the withdrawals to basis, then loans strategy is blasé
{January 5th, 2012} by Sheryl J. Moore
Today, indexed life insurance offers partial withdrawal options as well as three different types of policy loan options. Here, we will discuss each of these loan options, their pros and cons, and explain why withdrawals have fallen out-of-favor in the IUL market. Since the creation of cash value life insurance, insurance agents have been advising […]
Lifting the Clouds Over Annuities
{January 4th, 2012} by John Diehl
John Diehl The Great Annuity Rip-Off… Annuity Fraud … Variable Annuities: Invariable Gullibility These headlines, taken from different articles about annuities in the personal finance media, illustrate a bias against these retirement savings and income products. Few financial writers have embraced annuities as a financial planning tool; some have been downright hostile to the concept. […]
VA Writers Cut Benefits in 2011 to Reduce Exposure
{January 4th, 2012} by Fran Matso Lysiak
By Fran Lysiak A.M. Best Company, Inc. Amid 2011’s sharply volatile equity markets, some U.S. variable annuity writers have cut policyholder benefits to reduce their own financial exposure or exited the market. Regulatory changes were cited by two Canadian writers, Sun Life Financial and Manulife Financial. Sun Life cited “unfavorable product economics, which, due to […]
Wall Street Sees the Light on Indexed Annuities
{January 3rd, 2012} by Jack Marrion
By Jack Marrion January 2, 2012 In one recent weekly issue of Investment News there were three articles on fixed annuities‑this from a periodical that in the past might have mentioned fixed annuities three times in a year. One of the articles was titled “Wirehouses warming to indexed annuities,” centering on how wirehouses are now […]
FBL Financial Group Closes EquiTrust Life Insurance Company Sale
{January 3rd, 2012} by Warren S. Hersch
By Warren S. Hersch January 2, 2012 FBL Financial Group, Inc., West Des Moines, Iowa (NYSE: FFG), has closed the previously announced sale of its subsidiary, EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, to a controlled affiliate of Guggenheim Partners, LLC, New York, N.Y., in an all-cash transaction with initial sale proceeds of $471.4 million. FBL Financial says […]
The Hidden Benefits of Life Insurance
{January 2nd, 2012} by Helen Rodriguez-Burton
By Helen Rodriguez-Burton January 2, 2012 Over the years, I’ve advised many of my clients on the importance of life insurance. You’d think everyone would understand the need for life insurance in the event a wage earner or family member dies. Yet LIMRA estimates 41% of U.S. adults — 95 million people — have no […]
What’s New in Annuities
{January 2nd, 2012} by David Port
Here’s a look at sales and product trends in the annuity market. By David Port January 2, 2012 When the final annual sales figures start rolling in from the annuity, life insurance and long-term care insurance marketplaces sometime this quarter, they’re expected to show that 2011 was a solid, if unspectacular, year for three mainstays […]
Where Have all the VA Providers Gone?
{January 2nd, 2012} by Maria Wood
There are still many strong variable annuities in the marketplace. By Maria Wood January 2, 2012 The headlines would leave any advisor‑or consumer‑a bit confused. In the span of several weeks, two large carriers announced their exits from the variable annuity (VA) business and another took a large hit on their earnings due to a […]
Gifting life insurance
{January 2nd, 2012} by Steve Savant
By Steve Savant Brokers Alliance, Inc Before addressing the policies issues, review the donor’s intent to give. Some people insist on their gifts being used right away to help with operating budgets. Charities prefer that as well unless they are far sighted and have their budgets under control. Other donors like the idea of leaving […]
