Welcome Jameson Alan!
{March 3rd, 2021} by Jamie Johnson
Congratulations to our Chief Everything Officer, Victoria (Tori) along with her husband, Zach Grossman on the birth of their handsome baby boy, Jameson Alan! We are so incredibly thrilled for this addition to their family and to our extended Wink-family. Victoria and baby Jameson are doing great. All of our hearts are bursting with joy! […]
Midland National Adds BlackRock ESG US 5% Index ER to IndexMax ADV℠ Advisory Annuity
{March 3rd, 2021} by Midland National Life Insurance Company
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Midland National Life Insurance Company (Midland National) announced the addition of the BlackRock ESG US 5% Index ER (ticker: BESGUVCX) to help customers take advantage of the burgeoning growth in sustainable financial products. IndexMax ADV, exclusively available on the RetireOne® platform, offers three index options in the dual crediting strategy for accumulation growth potential. “Designing […]
TIAA Appoints Thasunda Brown Duckett President and CEO
{March 3rd, 2021} by TIAA
NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — TIAA, a leading provider of secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people and thousands of institutions, named Thasunda Brown Duckett to succeed Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., as President and CEO. Ms. Duckett will join TIAA on May 1 from JPMorgan Chase, where she was CEO of Chase Consumer Banking. Mr. […]
Annuities And Unmarried Couples: The Right Planning Can Avoid Headaches
{March 3rd, 2021} by John Williams
Annuities provide many advantages to clients, but those advantages are especially geared toward the individual. Annuities are often tailored to clients of retirement age, and those most often are seeking a predictable income stream or a guarantee of investment return. Choosing the right annuity, based on goals and risk tolerance, is a personal decision. Click […]
‘Bermuda Triangle’ Deal for Principal Financial?
{March 3rd, 2021} by Kerry Pechter
Principal Financial Group, Elliott Investment Management, and Prosperity Life (majority owned by Elliott) may be headed for the same type of ‘capital liberating’ reinsurance deal that so many other life/annuity companies have struck with big asset managers in recent years. There was just the right combination of vagueness and specifics in the “settlement agreement” between […]
What’s New In Life And Annuity eApp, Illustrations, Mobile And Self-Service
{March 3rd, 2021} by Ken Leibow
Life and annuity technology solutions are growing in both innovation and in the number of platforms that are available in the marketplace. Today I want to give you a taste of the latest stats on eApp and eDelivery for BGAs; a new simple method of presenting complex illustrations; a mobile modular option for carriers for […]
The Failed Robo-Teacher Experiment
{March 3rd, 2021} by Charlie Gipple
I recently posted the below as a blogpost on www.retirement-academy.com and received a significant amount of feedback on this. So, I will also share these thoughts with BrokerWorld’s readership. Just like how we are all cavemen and women that have evolved, we are also still kids that have grown. Internally, we all have some caveman instincts, and […]
An Interview With Eugene Cohen—March 2021
{March 3rd, 2021} by Eugene Cohen and Michael Cohen
2009 Honoree International DI Society’s W. Harold Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award. 2015 Honoree of NAILBA’s Douglas Mooers Award for Excellence. From time to time we will feature an interview with Eugene Cohen, who has dedicated more than 57 years of his life to learning, teaching, and supporting brokers in the agency’s quest to help consumers […]
Equitable Commits to New York City; Looks to the Future With Strength and Confidence
{March 3rd, 2021} by Equitable
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Equitable, a leading financial services organization and principal franchise of Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH), reaffirmed its commitment to New York City by signing a 15-year lease establishing 1345 Avenue of the Americas as its new corporate headquarters in 2024. Today’s announcement represents a significant step for the company as an independent, U.S.-based […]
EIS Partners With esure Group to Expedite Its Digital Transformation
{March 3rd, 2021} by EIS
MANCHESTER, England & SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–EIS, a core and digital platform provider for insurers, today announced its newest customer as esure Group (“esure”), a market-leading provider of motor and home insurance. esure recognised EIS could help with its ambition to become a world-class digital insurer by transforming its core IT infrastructure and applications. The new […]
Best’s Review Looks at How the Pandemic Is Transforming the Insurance Industry
{March 3rd, 2021} by Best's Review
OLDWICK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The March issue of Best’s Review reports on the ways the insurance industry has had to adapt to COVID-19 and the new directions insurers have begun to explore. In “The Pandemic Has Accelerated the Pace of Digital Transformation and Product Innovation in Insurance,” Best’s Review looks at how the pandemic has forced the industry to rethink products and […]
Lincoln Financial Group to Participate in the RBC Capital Markets Virtual Global Financials Conferenc
{March 3rd, 2021} by Lincoln Financial Group
RADNOR, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE:LNC) announced today that Randy J. Freitag, executive vice president and chief financial officer and head of individual life of Lincoln Financial Group, will present at the RBC Capital Markets Virtual Global Financials Conference on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at approximately 9:20 a.m. Eastern Time. Mr. Freitag will participate in […]
Principal Financial Group Announces 2021 Outlook
{March 3rd, 2021} by Principal Financial Group
DES MOINES, Iowa–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Principal Financial Group® (Nasdaq: PFG) announced 2021 outlook metrics and capital deployment plans. These metrics provide greater clarity around the key drivers of earnings growth for each of the business units. Company senior leaders will provide additional detail on guidance and take questions during a conference call at 10:00 a.m. EST today, Feb. […]
MassMutual Reports Excellent 2020 Results, Including Strong Financial Performance and Strategic Progress
{March 3rd, 2021} by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) today reported strong financial results1 for 2020 – including sales, earnings and capital growth – while making excellent progress on its strategy and providing support to its stakeholders in a year marked by extraordinary environmental challenges. For the year ended December 31, 2020, MassMutual reported total sales through […]
Zurich extends Apprenticeship Program to Atlanta and RCIS business
{March 3rd, 2021} by Zurich North America
SCHAUMBURG, Ill., March 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Zurich North America Apprenticeship Program is now hiring, with positions available for the first time in Atlanta and in select agricultural states supported by Zurich’s crop insurance business, RCIS. The insurance provider also is hiring apprentices who will be based at its North American headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois, and at its New York City office, which […]
Ameritas and NAIFA to grow leaders through financial services advocacy
{March 3rd, 2021} by Ameritas
LINCOLN, Neb., March 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Ameritas and NAIFA are teaming to advance the careers of rising stars in the financial services industry. This initiative will engage Ameritas qualifying financial professionals in financial services advocacy by helping to build broader networks and leverage new pathways to grow their careers. “NAIFA is the nation’s leading governmental advocacy group for the financial services industry. This program engages the next generation of industry leaders and […]
Should Your Life Insurance Be In An Irrevocable Trust?
{March 3rd, 2021} by Christine Fletcher
If you are contemplating purchasing a new life insurance policy, be sure to discuss the use of an irrevocable life insurance trust (known as an ILIT) with your advisors before you purchase the policy. An ILIT is an irrevocable trust that you create to hold a life insurance policy on your life. It is typically used […]
How To Stand Out And Grow
{March 3rd, 2021} by Paul Feldman
Kristin Andree thought what her dad did for a living was boring. She remembers thumbing through the CLU and the CFP exam prep books and thinking, “Why would you do this?” It wasn’t until decades later that she recognized the good life her father had and had given his family. Click HERE to read the […]
F&G annuity sales top $1.3 billion in fourth quarter, up 23% year over year
{March 3rd, 2021} by Business Record
F&G, a leading provider of annuities and life insurance based in Des Moines, reported operating results for the fourth quarter of 2020 as part of the quarterly earnings report of its parent company, Fidelity National Financial Inc. (FNF). Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Co. reported total retail annuity sales of $1.31 billion in the fourth […]
How Technology Can Simplify Annuities To Help Fight A Retirement Crisis
{March 2nd, 2021} by Jay Charles
The United States continues to face a well-documented retirement crisis. Social Security benefits are decreasing, traditional pension plans are disappearing and more responsibility is being placed on individuals than ever before. Meanwhile, Americans are living longer and struggling to meet their savings targets amid rising market volatility and a low interest rate environment. Click HERE […]
Transamerica Survey Finds Higher Education Institutions Turn to Their Retirement Plan Service Provider to Help Address Unprecedented Challenges
{March 2nd, 2021} by Transamerica
BALTIMORE, March 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Transamerica today revealed the latest report of retirement plan trends for institutions of higher education. Survey results provide an inside look into the challenges institutions face in helping faculty and staff prepare for retirement. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted retirement plans beyond the availability and usage of loans and COVID-19 related distributions. Nearly three out of five institutions […]
Sammons Financial Group Announces Changes to the Corporate Actuarial Team
{March 2nd, 2021} by Sammons Financial Group
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, March 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Sammons Financial Group has named Marcy Baker as vice president of corporate actuarial. In this new role, Baker is responsible for experience studies, financial analysis, corporate actuarial project management with a specific focus on enforcing controls and governance of the actuarial function. Marcy Baker, vice president of corporate actuarial at […]
Advisor Authority Study Reveals Pandemic Impacts even the Most Successful Advisors and Financial Professionals
{March 2nd, 2021} by Nationwide
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, the impact has been felt by advisors and financial professionals, even the most successful. In 2020, only 57% of successful advisors and financial professionals expected the profitability of their practice to increase in the next 12 months, compared to 81% in 2019—a profound decline of 24 […]
Transamerica Celebrates Women’s History Month With Campaign To Help Financial Professionals Better Serve Women Clients
{March 2nd, 2021} by Transamerica
BALTIMORE, March 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Transamerica is shining a spotlight on the challenges facing women as they prepare for a secure financial future. In honor of Women’s History Month, Transamerica is launching its Women and Investing campaign that runs through March. The campaign kicks off with a livestream webinar, “Women and Investing: Being There for Her,” today at 1 p.m. ET. […]
Sammons Financial Group Shares 2020 Community-Giving Results
{March 2nd, 2021} by Sammons Financial Group
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — In 2020, Sammons® Financial Group, Inc. continued its ongoing support in its corporate site locations by donating $3.5 million to local, charitable organizations. Sammons Financial Group maintains four corporate site offices – Chicago, Fargo, Sioux Falls, and the greater Des Moines area – and has employee-led committees in each city to direct all local service and financial outreach. The company […]
Guardian Life Expands Portfolio with Guaranteed Universal Life
{March 2nd, 2021} by Guardian
NEW YORK, March 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Today, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian Life) announced an alliance with Protective Life Insurance Company to make Protective Lifetime Assurance Universal Life available through Guardian’s financial representatives. The product allows clients to lock-in competitively priced premiums for the life of their policy and offers level pricing with the […]
Report Reveals What Agents Want In 2021: Flexibility, Client Time
{March 2nd, 2021} by PR Newswire
A new report by Vertafore on the state of the independent insurance channel workforce brings into sharp relief how the pandemic changed the nature of work in the industry, what insurance professionals value about their work and what independent agencies can do to support their people now and attract new talent in the future. The Insurance Agency […]
Remaining Bullish in a Shrinking Variable Annuity Market New Features, Lower-Fee Options Enhance Variable Annuity Products
{March 2nd, 2021} by Sammons Retirement Solutions
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At a time when many insurers have written off variable annuities due to increased cost, dwindling benefits, and declining sales, Sammons Retirement Solutions®, a division of Sammons Institutional Group, Inc., remains bullish. So much so, the company recently reconfigured their LiveWell Variable Annuity (VA) with more legacy planning […]
NAIC Releases 2020 Market Share Data
{March 2nd, 2021} by NAIC
WASHINGTON (March 1, 2021) — The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) released data today on life/fraternal and property/casualty insurers. The reports provide market share information and identify leading insurance writers in several key lines of business. The numbers in the reports will increase throughout the week and month as the report runs. The 2020 market share […]
Ameriprise targets young independent advisors with new training program
{March 2nd, 2021} by Tobias Salinger
With more than 4 out of 10 financial advisors aged 55 or older, a large wealth manager rolled out a new training program aimed at the next generation of independent advisors. Ameriprise’s Associate Financial Advisor Business Development Program is its first formalized training for the hundreds of licensed associate advisors the Minneapolis-based wealth manager’s independent […]
Insurance Coalition Targets Life Coverage Gap
{March 2nd, 2021} by Steve Morelli
Too few American families have been adequately covered by life insurance for too long, and a coalition of trade associations plans to do something about it this year. The group launched Help Protect Our Families on Feb. 1 with an outreach campaign to close the gap in under- and uninsured households. About 60 million households […]
New Life Policy Fits Consumer Loans Like Spandex: Life Moves
{March 2nd, 2021} by Allison Bell
Covr Financial Technologies is working with a life insurer and a reinsurer to sell decreasing benefit term life policies that provide just enough coverage to fit consumers’ loans. The Hartford, Connecticut-based company, together with Americo Financial Life and Annuity Insurance Company and Scor S.E., is bringing the LoanMatch Protector life insurance policy to market. Americo […]
Do Your Clients Have Enough Liquidity?
{March 2nd, 2021} by Del Fujinaka
Liquid assets are a major component of a healthy financial plan. Are you making sure your clients have the cash they need to hedge against disasters? Income shocks produced as a result of the pandemic have had a somewhat purifying effect on financial planning. Before COVID-19, many consumers were dismissive of the idea that strong […]
Theodore D. “Ted” Lussem
{March 2nd, 2021} by Legacy
Des Moines – Theodore D. “Ted” Lussem, age 83, passed away Saturday, February 27, 2021. Services will be 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Pkwy, West Des Moines with visitation from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9th. Masks are required. Interment will be at Rising Sun […]
Sen. Warren’s Wealth Tax Plan Is ‘Nuts’: Jane Bryant Quinn
{March 2nd, 2021} by Jane Wollman Rusoff
Jane Bryant Quinn, long-trusted personal finance journalist and commentator, never pulls punches in appraising financial advisors. She doesn’t do so when it comes to politicians, either. Indeed, she calls Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax proposal “nuts” and “hopeless.” “It will never get anywhere,” she argued in an interview with ThinkAdvisor in February. Warren, D-Mass., introduced […]
Labor Bill Could Turn Many Insurance Producers Into Employees: NAIFA
{March 2nd, 2021} by Allison Bell
The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors is working to change a U.S. House bill that could classify many insurance agents, insurance brokers and financial advisors as employees, rather than as independent contractors. The association is asking members to help it lobby to add an exemption for financial professionals to the “Protecting the Right […]
‘Too Good to Be True’ Annuity Illustrations Spur Criticisms
{March 2nd, 2021} by Warren S. Hersch
“There are more than 120 different indices available on indexed annuities today,” says Wink CEO Sheryl Moore. Fewer than a third of the indexes “have been in existence for at least a decade,” she adds, citing Wink’s Index Intelligence Report. Click HERE to read the full story via Life Annuity Specialist Wink’s Note: Misinformed, […]
Equitable Rides Record Sales of Buffered Annuity in Fourth Quarter
{March 2nd, 2021} by Warren S. Hersch
Equitable accounted for 29% of index-linked variable annuity volume in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to Wink’s Sales & Market Report. But the New York-based insurer, which once dominated the segment, is now in a fierce fight for the top spot with others, including Allianz Life, Brighthouse Financial and Lincoln Financial. Click HERE to read the full story via […]
Agents and Advisors, Life Settlements and Compensation
{March 2nd, 2021} by Lucas Siegel
Although life settlements are increasingly popular as a liquidity solution for cash-strapped seniors, they’re still a subject of confusion for many financial professionals. To clear up the big question straight away, life settlements are completely legal. They’re regulated in most U.S. states to protect policyholders, investors, life settlement brokers, and insurers from fraud. As well, it’s also […]
Ripsaw® Wealth Tools Announces its Optimizer and Assist Tools
{March 2nd, 2021} by Ripsaw
EDWARDS, Colo., March 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Ripsaw LLC recently launched version 1.5 of Ripsaw® Wealth Tools featuring its innovative Ripsaw Optimizer™ and Assist™ tools. The Optimizer solves for the allocation of wealth among the available investments in all accounts simultaneously with one click! The Assist tool analyzes that solution and suggests additional investments from its proprietary screener […]
Best Places to Work for Financial Advisers
{March 2nd, 2021} by InvestmentNews
The 75 firms presented here go beyond offering financial advisers attractive benefits and perks, they create workplaces that empower employees with the skills and confidence necessary to deliver the best possible investment and financial planning guidance to clients. Click HERE to view via InvestmentNews
Finseca and women-led initiatives
{March 2nd, 2021} by Jamie Johnson
March is #WomensHistoryMonth—a time to study and celebrate the vital role of women in American history.
AmeriLife Acquires DFS Marketing
{March 2nd, 2021} by AmeriLife Group, LLC
CLEARWATER, Fla., March 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), a national leader in developing, marketing, and distributing annuity, life, and health insurance solutions, has acquired DFS Marketing, an FMO distributing annuity and life insurance through independent agents. “DFS Marketing brings a lot of value to the table between their experienced management team and their strong presence in the […]
Who are the women trailblazers in insurance?
{March 2nd, 2021} by Insurance Business America
The call for entries for Insurance Business America’s Elite Women 2021 is underway. The annual list brings together top-performing female leaders who have achieved remarkable success in the business. “I believe that it is critical to use our individual and collective voices and our positions of leadership to drive meaningful change for a more inclusive industry and society,” […]
‘COVID-19 is not a retirement story’: CRR
{March 2nd, 2021} by Editorial Staff
‘A hot topic these days is how COVID-19 and the ensuing recession have affected retirement. The surprising answer may be: Not very much,’ write Alicia Munnell and Anqi Chen of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t changed Americans’ overall retirement funding picture—mainly because the people who lost the most […]
AIG Retirement Services Study Finds Strong Awareness but Minimal Understanding of Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
{March 2nd, 2021} by AIG
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AIG Retirement Services, a leading retirement plan provider for tax-exempt and public sector employers, today announced the results of a new study looking at how nonprofit and public service employees think about student loan debt, student loan forgiveness and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Millions of public sector and nonprofit workers including […]
The Case for Replacing Some Bonds With Annuities
{March 1st, 2021} by Neal Templin
If you want to maximize how much you can safely spend in retirement, some economists say, sell some of your bonds and buy lifetime income annuities. While you’re still working, a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds is an efficient way to save for retirement. But once you’ve retired and are drawing down that nest […]
ALLIANCE SPONSORS KEN DYCHTWALD’S ‘LIFE’S THIRD AGE’ PROGRAM
{March 1st, 2021} by Alliance for Lifetime Income
In his groundbreaking special for American Public Television, exclusively sponsored by the Alliance, renowned psychologist, gerontologist and best-selling author Ken Dychtwald presents life-changing insights and innovative ways Americans can discover, navigate and enjoy previously unimagined opportunities and challenges in this new life stage Dr. Dychtwald calls the Third Age, including learning how to match our […]
How to Use Fixed Annuities
{March 1st, 2021} by dkorth@finsum.com (FINSUM)
If there were ever a product built for steady retirement income, it is fixed annuities. With the big decline in fixed pensions, fixed annuities have become a must-have option for many retirees who need guaranteed income. They are the simplest annuity—principal and income are guaranteed, but rates are fixed. In other words, the insurance company […]
Meet Laurence Black, Interpreter of Indexes
{March 1st, 2021} by Editorial Staff
There’s a confusing profusion of new indexes behind ETFs and annuities. Laurence Black of The Index Standard says he can make sense of them. Watch as Tamiko Toland of CANNEX interviews Black about his solutions. (There’s a short video and a longer one.) In these videos, Tamiko Toland, director of annuity research at CANNEX, the […]
What Is MIB Group And How Does It Affect Life Insurance Applications?
{March 1st, 2021} by Ashley Chorpenning and Amy Danise
For most kinds of life insurance applications, the life insurance company will collect and evaluate a ton of information about you. Although insurance companies have a lot of information from the application and, often, a life insurance medical exam, they also often tap resources for extra data, such as the MIB Group. Who is the […]
