Third Quarter 2012 Indexed Insurance Sales
{November 16th, 2012} by Sheryl J. Moore
Indexed Annuity AnnuitySpecs.com’s Indexed Sales & Market Report, 3rd Quarter 2012 shows third quarter 2012 indexed annuity sales were $8723 million compared with sales of $8719 million for the previous quarter. Third quarter sales were up 0.04% when compared with the previous quarter and up 0.24% when compared with the same period one year ago. […]
Apollo Said to Be in Lead to Buy Aviva U.S. Life Unit
{November 14th, 2012} by Zachary R. Mider, Cristina Alesci, and Kevin Crowley
By Zachary R. Mider, Cristina Alesci and Kevin Crowley – Nov 14, 2012 12:12 PM CT Apollo Global Management LLC (APO) is in the lead to buy Aviva Plc (AV/)’s U.S. life insurance and annuities unit, positioning the buyout firm to beat Philip Falcone’sHarbinger Group Inc. (HRG), said people with knowledge of the matter. Apollo […]
AIG Brand Returns to American International Group's Property/Casualty, Life/Retirement Businesses
{November 13th, 2012} by Jeff Jeffrey
Best’s News Service – November 12, 2012 03:29 PM AIG Brand Returns to American International Group’s Property/Casualty, Life/Retirement Businesses NEW YORK – American International Group Inc. has renamed several of its businesses, returning to the AIG brand it had attempted to distance itself from after its rescue package during the financial crisis of 2008. The […]
ING Moves Toward Planned Break-Up as US Unit Files SEC Statement on Proposed IPO
{November 13th, 2012} by David Pilla
Best’s News Service – November 12, 2012 03:06 PM ING Moves Toward Planned Break-Up as US Unit Files SEC Statement on Proposed IPO AMSTERDAM – Netherlands-based ING Group NV took a step toward its planned break-up as its U.S. investment, retirement and insurance business filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission […]
AIG completes rebranding
{November 13th, 2012} by Arthur D. Postal
By Arthur D. Postal November 12, 2012 • American International Group (AIG) has now completed the rebranding for its life and property and casualty segments. Under the rebranding, AIG life products’ group will be known as AIG Life and Retirement. And, as part of the rebrand, AIG has also introduced a new brand promise: “Bring […]
ING Moves Toward Planned Break-Up As US Unit Files SEC Statement
{November 13th, 2012} by David Pilla
David Pilla Netherlands-based ING Group NVtook a step toward its planned break-up as its U.S. investment, retirement and insurance business filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissionregarding a proposed initial public offering of common stock. In the Form S-1 filing, ING U.S. Inc. said it serves about 13 million individual […]
Imeriti, Inc. Announces Name Change and Appointments of New Executives
{November 13th, 2012} by N/A
San Diego, CA – November 12, 2012 – Imeriti, Inc. announced today that the board of directors has approved a resolution, which authorized changing the name of the company to Imeriti Financial Network (IFN) and appointing new executive positions. Mr. Nathan Zuidema has been appointed President/Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Ed Prewitt has been appointed President […]
A.M. Best Downgrades Issuer Credit Ratings of Aviva Life and Annuity Company and Its Subsidiary
{November 5th, 2012} by N/A
Published: October 31, 2012 OLDWICK, N.J. — A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “a” from “a+” and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) of Aviva Life and Annuity Company (ALAC) (West Des Moines, IA) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Aviva Life and Annuity Company of New York […]
How can the industry recruit more annuity salespeople?
{November 5th, 2012} by Sheryl J. Moore
Can we ‘captivate’ our independent agent distribution? October 22, 2012 A “dinosaur business.” That is how one life insurance company conducting business via the Internet refers to life and annuity agents that sell face-to-face. I would disagree, since the reference sounds so…negative, offensive, and so wrong. However, they are not far from the truth. […]
NAFA Recognizes Lifetime Achievement of Fixed Annuity Industry Leader – Wendy Waugaman
{November 5th, 2012} by W. Scott Hinds
Milwaukee, WI – November 1, 2012 – Wendy Waugaman, the late President & CEO of American Equity Investment Life Holding Company, was announced as the inaugural recipient of the National Association for Fixed Annuities’ (NAFA) lifetime achievement award. NAFA’s Insurance Marketing Advisory Council’s (IMAC) presented the Bo Johnson Spirit Award for Lifetime Achievement at its […]
Workers Saving Less Than 5 Percent For Retirement
{November 5th, 2012} by N/A
WINDSOR, Conn., Oct. 31, 2012 — A new LIMRA study reveals that two-thirds of middle-income ($40,000-$99,999) American workers are saving less than five percent of their annual income for retirement – with nearly a quarter saving nothing at all. (see chart) “These results, while not surprising, are very troubling,” said Matthew Drinkwater, associate managing director, […]
Trial In Attemped Murder-For-Life Insurance Case Underway
{November 5th, 2012} by Kenneth Hart
By Kenneth Hart, The Daily Independent, Ashland, Ky. Oct. 31–CATLETTSBURG — Jurors in the Thomas Biederman trial on Tuesday heard a tape-recorded conversation between Biederman and one of the scam operators who had been bilking his father-in-law, and who Biederman told authorities he believed might be responsible for the July 28, 2011, car bombing […]
Hartford to buy out clients as McGee confronts annuity risk
{November 5th, 2012} by N/A
Bloomberg News Published 7:48 p.m., Friday, November 2, 2012 Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. is offering to pay some clients to give up retirement products as Chief Executive Officer Liam McGee works to reduce risks tied to stock market declines and free up capital. Holders of some variable annuities, which guarantee payouts, would be offered […]
Jackson ® Named Variable Annuity Firm with the Strongest Personal Connection with Advisors and Prospects
{November 5th, 2012} by N/A
Published: November 2, 2012 Cogent Research Advisor Touchpoints™ 2012 report ranked Jackson number one in connecting with advisors and prospects, and in internal and external wholesaler activity LANSING, Mich. — Jackson National Life Insurance Company® (Jackson), a leading provider of retirement solutions with assets of $129.9 billion, was named the variable annuity (VA) firm with […]
MetLife's $1.6 Billion Annuity Charge Linked to Regulatory Concern
{November 5th, 2012} by Leslie Scism
11/01/2012| 10:37am US/Eastern By Leslie Scism MetLife Inc. (>> Metlife Inc) said its $1.6 billion “impairment” charge to reduce the value of annuity operations recorded on its balance sheet stems partly from probes by New York and other state regulators into whether insurers are potentially masking their financial health through dealings with related companies. […]
Watch your indexed annuity business ‘boom’
{November 5th, 2012} by Philip Rousseaux
Part two of a three-part series By Philip Rousseaux October 26, 2012 The largest, wealthiest, and perhaps most influential body of Americans are currently retiring, and they are doing so in droves. The baby boomer generation, traditionally defined as those who were born between 1946 and 1964, make up the largest portion of working Americans. […]
Nearly half of boomers failing to maximize Social Security benefits
{November 5th, 2012} by Warren S. Hersch
By Warren S. Hersch October 31, 2012 Individuals are failing to maximize their Social Security retirement benefits, according to a new report. BMO Retirement Institute, a unit of BMO Financial Group, published this finding in an October 2012 survey of boomers eligible for Social Security. BMO Retirement Institute conducts research on financial strategies for individuals […]
How to boost your brand with community service
{November 5th, 2012} by Jim Brogan
By Jim Brogan October 26, 2012 How many people in your community know who you are and what you do? If they hear the name of your business, what is the brand they associate with it? Is your brand any different than any other financial advisor in town? Click here to read more…
Top 25 Online Resources for Financial Professionals
{November 5th, 2012} by AnnuityThinkTank
18 September 2012 Today, the internet plays a role in the lives of almost every American. From checking your emails on a smart phone, to watching funny Youtube videos, to buying and trading stocks, all the way to completing college courses online…the digital presence in our lives is on a fast moving train with no […]
Top 25 Online Resources for Financial Professionals
{November 5th, 2012} by AnnuityThinkTank
PRWeb – Wed, Sep 19, 2012 Early adopters of digital marketing and technology in the financial services industry compiled a “Top 25” list of online resources available to financial professionals. The Annuity Think Tank, with the help of their readers and viewers, published this “Top 25” list to provide a reference guide of online content […]
Insurers Shed Annuity Assets
{November 5th, 2012} by Leslie Schism
By LESLIE SCISM Fixed annuities, investments sold by life insurers to generations of conservative savers, have become hot properties to some of Wall Street’s most-sophisticated money managers. Entities controlled by hedge funds, private-equity groups and other investment managers—including Apollo Global Management, Harbinger Capital Partners and Guggenheim Partners—have been snapping up annuity businesses with assets totaling […]
