The Many Indices Available on Indexed Annuities
March 18, 2019 by Sheryl J. Moore
Hi everyone. I have to make this short, as we are preparing 4Q2018 sales.
I recently participated in a call for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), regarding the matter of indexed annuities and the illustrations that accompany them.
For those who are interested, the following indices are available on indexed annuities today:
- (PM) London Gold Fixing Price
- 10-Year U.S. Treasury Bond
- Annuity Linked TVI Index
- Bank of America Merrill Lynch GPA Index
- Barclays All Caps Trailblazer 5 Index
- Barclays ARMOUR II Volatility Control Index
- Barclays Low Vol 5%
- Barclays Trailblazer Sectors 5
- BlackRock Diversa™ Volatility Control Index
- BlackRock Endura™
- BlackRock iBLD Ascenda
- BlackRock iBLD Claria Index
- BlackRock iBLD Claria® ER Index
- Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Agg Bond Index
- Bloomberg Commodity Index
- Bloomberg US Dynamic Balance II ER Index
- Bloomberg US Dynamic Balance Index II
- BNP Paribas High Dividend Plus
- BNP Paribas Momentum Multi Asset 5 Index
- BNP Paribas Multi-Asset Diversified 5 Index
- Citi Flexible Allocation 6 Excess Return
- CROCI Sectors II USD Index
- CROCI Sectors III USD 5.5% VCI
- CS Tactical Multi Asset
- Dow Jones Industrial Average
- Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate
- Euro Stoxx 50®
- Franklin US Index
- FT Balanced Capital Strength 6
- Gold Commodity
- GS Dynamo Strategy Index
- GS Momentum Builder® Multi-Asset Class Index
- GS Motif Aging of America Dynamic Balance
- Guggenheim RBP®
- Hang Seng
- iShares U.S. Real Estate
- iShares® U.S. Real Estate ETF
- Janus SG Market Consensus Index II
- Janus SG MC Index
- Janus Societe Generale Guidance
- JP Morgan ETF Efficiente® 5
- JP Morgan Mozaic II Index
- JP Morgan Strategic Balanced Index
- JP Morgan U.S. Sector Rotator 5 Index
- Merrill Lynch RPM Index™
- ML Strategic Balanced Index®
- Momentum Asset Allocator 5.5% VCI
- Morgan Stanley 3D Index
- Morgan Stanley Diversified Select Index
- Morgan Stanley Dynamic Allocation
- Morgan Stanley Dynamic Balance Index
- Morgan Stanley Global Opportunities Index
- Morningstar® Dividend Yield Focus Target
- MS Target Equity Balanced
- MSCI EAFE
- Multi-Strategy
- NASDAQ- 100®
- Nikkei 225
- NYSE® Expanded Opportunities™ Index
- NYSE® Zebra Edge®
- PIMCO Balanced Index
- PIMCO Global Optima Index™
- PIMCO Tactical Balanced ER Index
- PIMCO Tactical Balanced Index
- Russell 2000®
- S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 2 8%™ Index
- S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 5%™ Index
- S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 5%™ Total Return
- S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 7.5% (USD) ER
- S&P 500 Global BMI™
- S&P 500 Low Volatility DRC 5% ER
- S&P 500 Risk Control™
- S&P 500 Sector Rotator Daily Risk Control 2 5%
- S&P 500®
- S&P 500® Aristocrats Daily Risk Control 5% ER
- S&P 500® Aristocrats® Daily Risk Control 5%
- S&P 500® Average Daily Risk Control 10%
- S&P 500® Avg Daily Risk Control 10% Excess Return
- S&P 500® Dividend Aristocrats DRC 5% ER
- S&P 500® Low Volatility Daily Risk Control 5%
- S&P 500® Low Volatility Daily Risk Control 8%
- S&P MidCap 400®
- S&P U.S. Retiree Spending
- S&P® MARC 5% ER Index
- S&P® MARC 5% Index
- Shiller Barclays Cape US Sector Risk Controlled
- SPDR Gold Shares
- Strategic4 Index
- UBS Market Pioneers
While we anticipate releasing 4Q2018 indexed annuity sales tomorrow, I am able to preliminarily share that 2018 sales were just shy of $68.5 billion. For fourth quarter sales alone (a nearly $20 billion quarter), experienced record sales to hybrid indices- $6.43 billion in sales.
Hybrid indices are indexes that are formed by one or more other indices, as well as a cash or bond component. They are frequently volatility-controlled and often proprietary.
I wish that I were able to research which, of these 90 indices, had 10 years of history, much less 20 years of history. I apologize that I am not in a position to provide this research, as not only am I trying to get sales out-the-door, but my father-in-law passed away a couple of days ago. I am busy making final arrangements for him at this time. While family is most important, this is an important matter and I have no doubt that one of the product manufacturers who has “a dog in the fight” on the matter of hybrid index illustrations will be able to lend the human resources to perform this research.
I welcome any credible information on this matter. Thank you! sjm