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In-depth analysis of how lifetime income products work, what they cost, and how to evaluate them. Mechanics first, no product recommendations.

Moshe Milevsky on Annuity Market Reform

Moshe Milevsky is one of the leading figures in the annuity industry. He is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Schulich School of Business in Toronto.  Professor Milevsky always seems generous with his time and ideas--his writing and research reach wide popular, academic…

Tom CochraneMay 21, 2026

More from Professor Babbel's Study - The Long-Run View of Equity Indexed Annuity Performance

The first part of Professor Babbel's presentation looked at the comparative performance of fixed indexed annuities and alternative investments over a 15 year period. This next set of slides looks at performance over a much longer time period--dating back to January 1926.  The implied account…

Tom CochraneMay 21, 2026

MetLife is Nudging the World of Defined Contribution toward Income Annuities

Jody Strakosch is the National Director for MetLife’s Retirement Products Group.

Tom CochraneMay 21, 2026

Meir Statman on the Behavioral Obstacles Affecting Investing and Retirement Planning

Meir Statman is the Glenn Klimek Professor of Finance at the Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University, and Visiting Professor at Tilburg University in the Netherlands.

Tom CochraneMay 21, 2026

Mark Warshawsky on the Retirement Income Market

An interview with Mark Warshawsky discussing his book Retirement Income and his perspective on challenges that exist in the current environment.

Tom CochraneMay 21, 2026

Maddy Dychtwald on How Women are Driving a Transformation of the Market for Financial Advice and Products

Maddy Dychtwald is a nationally recognized author, co-founder of Age Wave, and a leading expert on the changing demographic trends shaping the marketplace, the workplace and our lives.

Tom CochraneMay 21, 2026

Lower Volatility May be Short-Lived

Capital market volatility is a critical factor in the financial lives of retirees and near-retirees. Volatility plays a major role in the pricing of many different types of annuities, and volatility is the major driver of sequence of returns risk. 2009 was a year of extremes in terms of…

Tom CochraneMay 21, 2026

Longevity Risk and Portfolio Protection Without a Variable Annuity

Two of the most daunting risks faced by the majority of retirees are:

Tom CochraneMay 21, 2026

Low or No Surprises Supports the Case for Annuities in Retirement

In a basic sense, information theory measures the level of surprise in a message. A highly informative message will come as a complete surprise and tell you something about which you had no previous knowledge. Sounds pretty good, right—of what use is it to be told what you already know?  Well,…

Tom CochraneMay 21, 2026

Listen to Zvi Bodie When it Comes to Retirement Planning

Zvi Bodie is absolutely one of the most honest and refreshing voices in finance and economics.

Tom CochraneMay 21, 2026