Independent Advisors Industry

News

SEC Still Rattling Sabers at EIAs

If a proposed rule is adopted, only those with securities licenses could sell EIAs, which would be regulated the same way securities are regulated.

Sun Life Offers Value-Added Retirement Income Program

The “Retirement Blueprint” kit contains materials to assess client needs, customize income plans and cultivate client relationships.

RIIA Committee Seeks Research For Projected Curriculum

The committee will solicit the best academic research in several areas deemed essential for advisors who want to meet the retirement income challenge.

Great American Advisors and FundQuest Launch New Business

The Great American Portfolio Strategies Program will offer investment advisors and clients an expanded choice of investment products.

Cerulli Predicts Growth And Obstacles for VAs

Individual annuity assets could reach $2.9 trillion in 2012, up from $2.1 trillion today, says Cerulli Associates.

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Articles

Hybrid Income Products Breed Concern Among State Regulators

Applications for a flurry of new investment products, in which guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits (GLWBs) are attached to managed accounts, lie pending before the Securities and Exchange Commission. But state insurance and securities regulators in some states, including New York, Florida and Alabama, have concerns about the products, which straddle the line between investments and insurance.

Structured Products' Blend Safety with Upside Potential

These principal-guaranteed investments often combine a fixed income investment with equity or commodity futures. Popular among retail investors in Europe and Asia, they haven't caught on so far with U.S. advisers. But that's expected to change.

Simplicity Makes for Better Decisions

Author Malcolm Gladwell's presentation at the 2008 NAVA Marketing Conference sparked thoughts about how to apply his principles to the sale of VAs and other financial products.

Tax Forecast for GRIS: Partly Cloudy

The IRS has not yet ruled on the taxability of the new hybrid investment/insurance products, such as the Phoenix-Lockwood managed account with a lifetime income guarantee.

A Wrap Around a Wrap Account:

The Phoenix Companies of Hartford, Conn., and Lockwood Capital Management (LCM) of Malvern, Pa., have de-coupled the 5% lifetime withdrawal rider from deferred annuities and applied it to a separate account.

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