Insured Swap Life Insurance Policies, Hold Onto Annuities 

By Alan Lavine

Life insurance holders are opting to trade in their old policies for new, better designed or more conservative policies issued by companies in solid financial health these days. But they’re holding on to their variable annuity contracts, as buying new ones in the midst of a big equity market decline might result in a decline in principal. Plus issuers are raising fees and cutting back on benefits....

New Rules Could Affect Your Insurance Business 

By Alan Lavine

Do you sell insurance to clients? Then listen up. A new rule governing who can sell indexed annuities, and increased scrutiny of senior designations, could have an important impact on how you do business with clients. ...

Do IRA rollovers Mix With Tax-Deferred Variable Annuities? 

By Alan Lavine

It sounds redundant: Put a tax-deferred investment, like a variable annuity, inside an already tax-deferred IRA or retirement account? But the wisdom of such a move is actually subject to much debate. In fact, fifty five percent of all variable annuity assets are in IRA rollovers and qualified retirement accounts...

Specialty Insurance: Getting Creative With P&C 

By Alan Lavine

If you cater to high-net-worth clients, they have probably already made significant investments in property and casualty (P&C) insurance to protect tangible assets like property, art, yachts and antique collections. ...