New Allianz Life Animated Video Series Demystifies Today’s Annuities
October 25, 2011 by N/A
The “ABCs of Annuities” Dispels Misperceptions and Educates Consumers
MINNEAPOLIS, Oct 24, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Allianz Life Insurance Company
of North America (Allianz Life) today launched The ABCs of Annuities, a new
animated three-video series that demystifies today’s annuities. Each three- to
five-minute segment explores a separate topic: Retirement Realities, Annuity
Basics, and Annuity Myths and Truths. The animated videos address why it’s
important to take an active role in planning for retirement, how annuities can
fit into a well-rounded retirement plan and how today’s annuities have evolved
from those in the past.
“The economic downturn of 2008 caused a major shift in many people’s
attitudes and finances,” said Katie Libbe, Vice President of Consumer Insights
at Allianz Life. “As we discovered in the Allianz Life Reclaiming the Future
study, many baby boomers lost money and are aware–and scared–of the risk of
outliving their money. They now desire safety, security, and predictability over
growth. In other words, they want what annuities can offer.
“This desire was again confirmed in our recent refresh of Reclaiming the
Future* where for the second year in a row, boomers by nearly a 4 to 1 margin
remain more attracted to guarantees for their retirement savings versus
potential high returns with market risk.”
Shrouded in Misperceptions Unfortunately, according to Libbe, annuities face
a number of misperceptions. More than half of the respondents in the Allianz
Life study expressed distaste for the word “annuity”–even after describing an
annuity-like product as their ideal financial vehicle. Moreover, annuities
continue to be seen as very confusing, and many people admitted their opinions
were formed 10 to 20 years ago, and that they hadn’t researched annuities since.
Said Libbe, “As a direct result of what we learned from Reclaiming the
Future, we invested in the The ABCs of Annuities series to help us educate
consumers on the benefits of today’s annuities while debunking outdated, and
often incorrect, perceptions. Other available educational vehicles are often
complicated, boring or too product-specific. We want to prevent people from
tuning out when they hear the word ‘annuity’–and we feel that this series can
help change that. We deliberately designed the videos to be educational and
entertaining.”
To access The ABCs of Annuities, visit
www.allianzlife.com/GetInformed/ABC_Annuities.aspx .
About Allianz Life Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America has been
keeping its promises since 1896. Today, it carries on that tradition, helping
Americans achieve their retirement income goals with a variety of annuities and
life insurance products. As a leading provider of fixed index annuities, Allianz
Life is part of Allianz SE, a global leader in the financial services industry
with nearly 155,000 employees worldwide. Based on its revenue, Allianz SE is the
20th largest company in the world (Fortune Global 500, August 2010).
*Reclaiming the Future: “One Year Later” Pulse Survey, April 2011
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America offers insurance and
annuities in all states except New York. In New York, products are issued by
Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York, New York, NY.
SOURCE: Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America Jeff Faust, 763-765-6614 jeff.faust@allianzlife.com