A.M. Best Special Report: Life Insurers Hunker Down as Market Turmoil Continues

2008 was among the worst in memory for life insurers’ operating performance—the key drivers being substantial realized and unrealized losses on investment portfolios, higher costs of capital and a declining revenue base. These trends clearly are continuing and could deepen well into 2009 and beyond. A.M. Best Co.’s recently issued special report, “Life/Annuity Review & Preview 2009: U.S. Life Insurers Hunker Down As Market Turmoil Continues,” expresses the rating agency’s current perspective on the industry.
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Pennsylvania's Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected in 14th Annual ... - PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)

Pennsylvania's Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected in 14th Annual ... PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - Feb 10, 2009 Prudential's businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities , retirement-related services, mutual funds, ...
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While losses related to variable annuity products continue to take their toll on life insurance companies, they also were largely responsible for the poor fourth quarter performance by Philadelphia-based health insurer Cigna Corp., which has major
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Arizona residents claim fraud on EquiTrust annuity

Two Arizona residents have filed a class action lawsuit against an Iowa insurance agency, claiming the company engaged in fraudulent business and marketing practices regarding its sales of indexed annuities. The complaint, filed Jan. 12, claims EquiTrust Life Insurance Co. sold an annuities package that matured after the policyholder’s 105th birthday, thereby protecting the firm from risk, while damaging the financial security of the policyholder... Phoenix Business: Arizona residents claim fraud on EquiTrust annuity
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PhillyDeals: PhillyDeals: As economy tips, a change in tippling - Philadelphia Inquirer

PhillyDeals: PhillyDeals: As economy tips, a change in tippling Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - 8 hours ago The firm, which buys legal settlements and annuities at a discount from people who don't feel they can wait, on Monday sold $74.6 million in notes, ...
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Lotus Philadelphia Auto Insurance Group Unveils Online Auto ... Newswire Today (press release), UK - 19 hours ago Lotus also offers homeowners, term
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Job cuts at Lincoln National division (BizJournals)

Financial services firm Lincoln National Corp. confirmed that it has laid off 12 percent of employees at Lincoln Financial Distributors, the company’s wholesale division that markets and sells variable and fixed annuities, life insurance and investment management products. (LNC)
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Pacific Life and The Hartford have joined the ranks of insurers who are raising prices and fees on some of their most popular investment products: variable annuities
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Led by New York Life Products, Fixed Annuity Sales Rise 54% in Third Quarter

Buttressed by favorable interest rates and sought by investors looking for shelter from falling equity prices, U.S. fixed annuity sales set a new quarterly record. Led by New York Life Products, Fixed Annuity Sales Rise 54% in Third Quarter Source: Financial-Planning
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Despite the continual upswing of fixed annuity products, a LIMRA International study of consumers between 50 and 75 years old with household incomes of at least 50,000 dollars in
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SEC Reviewing 4,000 Comments on Indexed Annuity Rule, Official Says

The regulation of indexed annuities and 'synthetic' annuities were among the topics addressed by SEC Director of Investment Management Andrew J. Donohue in a keynote speech at the American Law Institute-American Bar Association Conference on Life Insurance Products in Washington, D.C., November 13 and 14. SEC Reviewing 4,000 Comments on Indexed Annuity Rule, Official Says Source: Financial Planning
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The regulation of indexed annuities and 'synthetic' annuities
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Life Planning as Part of Retirement Planning

Helping employees build a nest egg is essential, but it's only part of the total retirement planning equation. Longer life spans mean that having a successful retirement takes not just financial planning, but "life planning." However, despite the fact that today's retirees have two or even three decades of active years ahead of them, few really think about how they're going to spend that time and what their retirement will mean for their family. Life
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Lincoln Financial Group Comments on Standard & Poor's Ratings Action (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)

Lincoln Financial Group today announced that Standard & Poor's affirmed its AA counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company and Lincoln Life & Annuity Company of New York, and revised its outlook for the insurance subsidiaries from positive to stable.
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Pennsylvania Insurance Department Hits Allegheny County Insurance ... MarketWatch - 21 hours ago Lorena Mierau - Philadelphia - $8000 penalty and
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New NAVA Message Testing Service to Ensure Compliance with Annuity Sales Automation Standards

NAVA, Inc., the Association for Insured Retirement Solutions, today announced a new service to help insurers, annuity distributors and technology solutions providers ensure that their electronic data messages are compliant with NAVA’s Straight-through Processing (STP) Standards Initiative. STP is an industry-backed initiative establishing an automated standardized process that streamlines the sale of annuities. New NAVA Message Testing Service to Ensure Compliance with Annuity Sales Automation Standards Source: Business Wire
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