variable-annuity

Its variable-annuity book is a standalone business unit where reserve inadequacies show up quickly.

Guaranteed Pain for Insurers from Annuities Hester Plumridge 2011

Assumptions for the U.S. closed block variable-annuity business have been updated to take into account a number of changing factors, such as mortality rates, but ING said its most significant revision was for the number of expected lapses.

ING Takes U.S. Annuities Hit Archibald Preuschat 2011

Slumping stock markets caused by the sovereign-debt crisis and persistently-low interest rates have made ING's variable-annuity policies a more attractive investment, the company said.

ING Takes U.S. Annuities Hit Archibald Preuschat 2011

Concerns over sovereign-debt exposures, low interest rates and weak growth already mean that U.S. and European variable-annuity writers trade at discounts of 30% to 50% of their book value.

Guaranteed Pain for Insurers from Annuities Hester Plumridge 2011

Insurers including MetLife , Prudential Financial and Prudential PLC all have large variable-annuity books that could be affected by changing behavior among policyholders.

Guaranteed Pain for Insurers from Annuities Hester Plumridge 2011

Genworth's move is the latest sign that "there will be fewer variable-annuity companies out there," but with more than a dozen insurers continuing to sell versions, there remains "plenty of consumer choice" for the time being, said Scott Stolz , president of Raymond James Insurance Group.

Genworth Ends Sales of Retail, Group Variable Annuities Leslie Scism 2011

"Through several innovative product features, we believe we are meeting our goal of providing significant consumer value while balancing an appropriate risk level to the company," David Levenson , a senior executive at Hartford, said of the new options it launched Monday as part of its "Personal Retirement Manager" variable-annuity suite.

New Hartford Annuity Joins Hunt for Risk-Reward Balance Leslie Scism 2011

As many as nine variable-annuity issuers have either launched or filed new products for approval with the Securities and Exchange Commission that use elements of Prudential's approach, according to a May report by insurance analysts at Credit Suisse.

New Hartford Annuity Joins Hunt for Risk-Reward Balance Leslie Scism 2011

Two big variable-annuity sellers, Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. and Lincoln National Corp., accepted money, since repaid, from the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program as they dealt with the fallout from the financial crisis, including the damage to their variable-annuity business.

Genworth Ends Sales of Retail, Group Variable Annuities Leslie Scism 2011

More Heard on the Street: Guaranteed Pain for Insurers from Annuities ING sold 500,000 of its U.S. variable-annuity products from 2003 to 2009 before calling a halt to new investment, giving it total funds of $45 billion.

ING Takes U.S. Annuities Hit Archibald Preuschat 2011