Hedge

Canadian insurer Manulife Financial is under investigation by the Ontario Securities Commission for failing to disclose certain obligations related to its variable annuity products. Manulife's stock price has been under pressure and the company had to draw down a $3 billon loan. Manulife, the parent of John Hancock , has reported billion dollar earnings losses in its two most recent quarters. The company is suffering from the decision not to hedge effectively within its variable annuity...

Investors seem to be aware of the fact that they need to hedge longevity risk . In other words, people are concerned about the risk of outliving their assets. Sales of deferred fixed annuities increased 60% in 2008. While many different types of annuity products may be used to hedge longevity risk, the longevity annuity may be optimal if the sole concern is in fact avoiding a scenario in which one outlives their money: "A 60-year-old with a $1 million portfolio but no pension might allocate...