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A Changing Variable Annuity Landscape -- What to Watch for in the Next Few Years
This is the second part of an interview with variable annuity industry analyst and consultant Ryan Hinchey.
The first part of the interview, which can be found here, addressed the consumer perspective on variable annuity products.
A Changing Variable Annuity Landscape -- The Consumer Perspective
This is the first part of an interview with Ryan Hinchey.
Obama Administration Proposes Fiduciary Standards for Brokers
The Obama administration's proposed financial services regulatory overhaul may have a profound impact on the way that investment advice is disseminated in the United States.
The administration's proposal would impose a fiduciary standard on financial advisors who offer investment advice.
Zvi Bodie on the Safety of Stocks in the Long Run
The notion that stocks are risky in the short-run but safe in the long run is a dangerous financial fallacy according to Boston University professor Zvi Bodie.
Professor Bodie has been communicating this view consistently for many years, and the financial crisis has provided strong support for his argument.
The gist of Bodie's view involves that impact that equity market volatility can have on people who are near retirement or recently retired.
The Fixed Indexed Annuity Study from Wharton Professor David Babbel
There is in fact a study from Professor David Babbel that compares the performance of fixed indexed annuities to portfolios of stocks and bonds and it is fascinating.
Are Equity Indexed Annuities Really the Top Performing Asset Class Since 1995?
A recent article in Forbes magazine discusses the pros and cons of equity indexed annuities.
On the negative side the author makes a high level reference to costs and questions whether equity indexed annuity owners receive fair value for what they pay.
How to Think About Longevity Insurance
A recent article discusses whether it makes sense to consider buying a longevity annuity.
The author addresses the question from an investing perspective. He provides an example of a 65 year old person who uses $10,000 to purchase a longevity annuity that begins payments at age 85. At 85, this person would begin receiving monthly payments of $700 that last for a lifetime.
Why Is Teresa Ghilarducci Considered "The Most Dangerous Woman in America"
Teresa Ghilarducci is a 51 year old economist who directs the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis at the New School in New York.
Why was Ghilarducci--who sure looks like a nice person in her picture--labeled the most dangerous woman in America in a recent US News & World Report column?
The short answer is that she thinks 401k plans stink and she is not afraid to let the world know.
A Roth IRA Conversion Might Make Sense with Tax Increases on the Horizon
Both traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and Roth IRAs are tax advantaged accounts.
With a traditional IRA, contributions to the account are tax deductible. Appropriate distributions from the account are taxed in the future at income tax rates that apply to the account owner's future level of income.
Contributions to a Roth IRA are not tax deductible, but the future distributions are tax free.
Buffett Blasts Life Insurers for Taking on “Crazy” Risks with Variable Annuity Guarantees
Credit risk and the general health of life insurance companies that provide variable annuities were topics of conversation during the recent Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting.
Warren Buffett was critical of the life insurance companies that have provided what are in his opinion unrealistic guarantees over the past several years. Buffett is likely referring to the guaranteed living benefits or living benefits that have accompanied most variable annuity sales in recent years.