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Our experts frequently write blog posts about the findings of the research we are conducting.

Displaying 31-40 out of 42 results for "Variable Annuities".

Problems Surrounding the Complexity of Annuity Products

(Mar 2012)

On Sunday, The Wall Street Journal reported the felony-theft conviction of Glenn Neasham who had sold a complex annuity to an elderly woman. The conviction -- which comes with a 90-day sentence -- was handed down by a state-court jury in Lake County, CA. From the article:

The case underlines authorities' continuing discomfort with "indexed" annuities, savings products that pay interest tied to the performance of stock- and bond-market indexes. Insurers guarantee that buyers won't lose any of...

SEC Litigation Releases: Week in Review (Part II) - March 16th, 2012

(Mar 2012)

Due to the high volume of litigation releases from the Securities and Exchange Commission over the past week, we're spreading this week's review over two posts. This is the second of the two posts.

SEC Charges Five with Insider Trading on Confidential Merger Negotiations Between Philadelphia Company and Japanese Firm
March 14, 2012 (Litigation Release No. 22288)
The SEC charged Timothy J. McGee, Michael W. Zirinsky, Robert Zirinsky, and Hong Kong residents Paulo Lam and Marianna sze wan Ho with...

Should You Cash Out Your Home Equity to Find Your Missed Fortune? Careful! A Scam Might Be On the Way

(Feb 2012)

As a result of a lifetime of thrift, many homeowners find themselves in their 50s and 60s with considerable equity in their homes. Some investment advisors and insurance salesmen have been recommending that these homeowners refinance their mortgages to take the equity out of their homes - sometime called "equity harvesting" - to purchase high cost insurance contracts or investments. Whether insurance contracts or high cost investments are being pitched, the advisors and brokers get a big pay...

In the News: Structured CDs

(Feb 2012)

Bloomberg News reported this week that FINRA is investigating a relatively new type of product that ties the returns of certificates of deposit (CDs) to derivatives. These products are known generally as 'Structured CDs' (SCDs) but also go by 'Index-Linked CDs', 'Equity-Linked CDs' or 'Market-Linked CDs'. There have also been news stories concerning Market-Linked CDs issued by Wells-Fargo and Equity-Linked CDs issued by Goldman Sachs in recent years.

SCDs have existed since the late 1980s,...

FINRA Investor Alert: Equity-Indexed Annuities

(Sep 2010)

Equity-Indexed Annuities - A Complex Choice

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published an Investor Alert on the rewards and risks of equity-indexed annuities. An annuity makes periodic payments to the holder of the annuity. There are fixed annuities that make fixed payments and variable annuities that make variable payments. Equity-indexed annuities (EIA) are similar to both fixed and variable annuities. They pay an interest rate linked to an equity index and guarantee...

In the News: Equity-Indexed Annuities

(Aug 2010)

An annuity makes periodic payments to the holder of the annuity. Fixed annuities make fixed payments and variable annuities make variable payments. Equity-indexed annuities (EIAs) are similar to both fixed and variable annuities in that they pay an interest rate linked to an equity index and guarantee a minimum interest rate. EIAs are especially marketed to retirees by the insurance industry.

Forbes published an article on EIAs. The article evaluates the claims made by typical marketers...

In the News: Equity Indexed Annuities

(May 2010)

Forbes published an article on equity-indexed annuities (EIAs). It describes the history of and market for EIAs, compares EIAs with other fixed and variable annuities, and briefly weighs the advantages and disadvantages of EIAs.

An annuity makes periodic payments to the holder of the annuity. There are fixed annuities that make fixed payments and variable annuities that make variable payments. EIAs are similar to both fixed and variable annuities in that they pay an interest rate linked...

FINRA Regulatory Notice: Variable Annuities

(Feb 2010)

FINRA Reminds Firms of Their Responsibilities Under FINRA Rule 2330 for Recommended Purchases or Exchanges of Deferred Variable Annuities

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published Regulatory Notice 10-05 reminding firms of their responsibilities concerning deferred variable annuities. Annuities can carry costs and risks that many investors may not be aware of because brokers who are incentivized by commission-generation do not make them clear to investors. Costs...

FINRA Investor Alert: Variable Annuities [Update]

(Sep 2009)

Variable Annuities: Beyond the Hard Sell

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published an Investor Alert to help investors decide on how to invest for retirement. An annuity makes periodic payments to the holder of the annuity. There are fixed annuities that make fixed payments and variable annuities that make variable payments.

Annuities can carry costs and risks that many investors may not be aware of because brokers who are incentivized by commission-generation do...

FINRA Investor Alert: Life Settlements

(Jul 2009)

Seniors Beware: What You Should Know About Life Settlements

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published an Investor Alert on life settlement. Life settlement is the transaction that involves selling one's life insurance policy to a third party that did not issue the policy for a lump sum payment whose value is higher than the policy's cash surrender value but less than the net death benefit.

Because life settlement is targeted at senior people, the industry can be...

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