Index Annuities Archives - Page 12 of 14 - Annuity 123 : Annuity 123

The Looming Fiscal Cliff

The Looming Fiscal Cliff | November 29, 2012 | Cathy DeWitt Dunn, Index Annuities, Member Posts, Retirement Planning, The United States Economy

Written By: Cathy DeWitt Dunn | President of Annuity Watch USA The Looming Fiscal Cliff – What can you do to protect your retirement nest egg? The financial world is buzzing about the looming “fiscal cliff.” The term, in-and-of-itself, strikes fear into the hearts of many Americans. What is the “fiscal cliff” and what can you do to protect your retirement nest egg? The “fiscal cliff” describes the precarious situation that the United States government will find itself in after December 31, 2012 – the...

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Annuity Sales Decline in Quarter 3 of 2012 Due to Low Interest Rates

Annuity Sales Decline in Quarter 3 of 2012 Due to Low Interest Rates | November 19, 2012 | Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities, Variable Annuities

Sales of annuities tumbled in the 3rd quarter of 2012 compared to that of 2011 according to LIMRA. Annuity sales dropped to $54.3 billion from $60.1 billion which is a 10 percent drop. The historically low interest rates are a primary cause for these declined sales. Almost all product types had decreased sales. Only fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) increased as they continue to move towards a record year. FIA sales actually increased by 6% to reach a quarterly total of $25.4 billion. LIMRA noted that...

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Annuities: The Best Retirement Product No One Really Wants

Annuities: The Best Retirement Product No One Really Wants | October 4, 2012 | Income For Life, Index Annuities, Jeremy Smith, Member Posts, Your Retirement

Written By: Jeremy Smith | Amerishield According to Fred Vettese, chief actuary of Morneau Shepell, “Annuities are not sexy. You hand over your money to an insurance company who then puts you into a seemingly stingy allowance for the rest of your life.” The simple fact is that an annuity may be a great idea, but not as many people that can benefit from it buy one; even though statistics indicate that the majority of indexed annuity owners are happy with their purchase. If you’re...

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Indexed Annuities Expected to Help Annuity Industry Grow to $368B

Indexed Annuities Expected to Help Annuity Industry Grow to $368B | September 27, 2012 | Index Annuities

The United States’ annuity market has been drastically affected by the economic downturn. Consumers have been less inclined to purchase fixed annuities given their lower rates and insurers have backed away from guaranteed variable annuities given their associated risks. Fortunately, fixed indexed annuities have taken up the slack given that they have guarantees similar to straight fixed products while also having upside potential dependent upon an index of some kind similar to variable annuities. In a new report, North American Annuities, 2012: Market Trends and...

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Guggenheim Partners and The New York Yankees

Guggenheim Partners and The New York Yankees | September 25, 2012 | Index Annuities

Written By: Joe Simonds | Annuity Think Tank Any baseball fan knows that the New York Yankees are one of the most respected, while simultaneously one of the most hated teams in the Major Leagues. Much of the hatred comes from competing teams’ fans that will complain about everything from their incredibly high payroll, to the fact they just hate the men in pinstripes. Regardless of the reason, as long as the New York Yankees continue to be a dominant franchise, they will most likely...

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Indexed Annuity Sales Reach a Near Record in Q2 of 2012

Indexed Annuity Sales Reach a Near Record in Q2 of 2012 | September 13, 2012 | Index Annuities

Sales of indexed annuities in Q2 rose to $8.8 billion which ranks as the second-best quarter to date. Its Q2 rise from the prior quarter was 8.3% and its increased growth relative to the overall fixed annuity market propelled it to now have 50% of the overall fixed annuity space. Although overall interest rates are low, the ability of indexed annuities to have increased returns if the market goes up while being protected from downside market risk is a key explanation for the increase is...

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Why Fixed Indexed Annuity Owners Are Happy

Why Fixed Indexed Annuity Owners Are Happy | September 11, 2012 | Income For Life, Index Annuities, Jeremy Smith, Member Posts, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement

Written By: Jeremy Smith | Amerishield A happy fixed indexed annuity owner has been properly educated and appreciates its value. If you look at statistics and numbers written on a piece of paper, some annuities aren’t as attractive as other investments might appear to be. Appreciation of the value of a fixed indexed annuity is based upon the individual’s personal retirement goals. Low Risk vs. High Growth potential Many people looking at products for investment purposes seem to be very optimistic about how they want...

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Have You Fallen Victim to Retirement Osmosis?

Have You Fallen Victim to Retirement Osmosis? | September 11, 2012 | Cal Burgess, Income For Life, Index Annuities, Member Posts, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement

Written By: Cal Burgess | Retirement Servicing Group Today the market just announced that manufacturing activity has contracted to a 3 year high. This means that US manufacturing activity has dropped to its lowest level in 3 years. However, investors remain optimistic. They realize that the worse the economy looks the more likely the Fed is to pump another round of Quantitative Easement. This in turn will cause the market to rally which will allow investors to temporarily offset short term losses. That is, until...

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Do Fixed Annuities Clash with Rising Interest Rates?

Do Fixed Annuities Clash with Rising Interest Rates? | August 23, 2012 | Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities, Retirement Planning, Your Retirement

As interest rates hover at all-time lows, demand for safe money options has been taking a hit. Proof of this can be seen in the recent LIMRA report which showed that fixed annuity sales dropped 14% in the second quarter of 2012 on a year-over-year analysis. This drop in demand is simply due to the belief that rates are much more likely increase than to decrease going forward. At the current level, it is hard not to have this belief. So what safe money options...

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Q2 of 2012 Results: Indexed Annuity Sales Continue to Rise

Q2 of 2012 Results: Indexed Annuity Sales Continue to Rise | August 20, 2012 | Index Annuities

According to LIMRA’s second quarter 2012 survey, the indexed annuity market has continued its impressive growth with its now fourth consecutive quarter of outpacing traditional fixed annuity sales. Indexed annuity sales in quarter 2 totaled $8.6 billion, which is a 6% increase compared to the same quarter in 2011. LIMRA theorized that this continued increase is driven by the popular guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit (GLWB) riders, which were elected 71% of the time for products which offered them. Allianz Life continues to hold the top...

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