Category: Annuities

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Full and Partial Surrenders or Cancellations of Athene Annuity and Life Company Annuities Athene Annuity and Life Company, formerly Aviva Annuity and Life Company,[1] issues fixed indexed annuities in California.  These contracts, like all deferred annuities, include penalties for early withdrawals, known as surrenders.  Surrenders may be full […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Greater Disclosures Still May Not Tell The Full Story Variable annuities and variable life insurance contracts are expensive, complex securities sold by prospectuses and subject to regulation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).   This week, the SEC announced proposed rule changes intended to improve disclosures for […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Understanding Riders in Annuities The Death Benefit Rider Sales Pitch Riders are endorsements added to annuity contracts sold to enhance the benefits payable under those contracts. There are several types of riders, two of the most common being income riders and death benefit riders.  We have written on […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Annuity Scams Targeted At Seniors Annuity Fraud On average, a senior victimized by financial elder abuse loses over $140,000. That level of monetary loss is devastating.  Unscrupulous insurance agents are among the financial predators on seniors, selling them unsuitable annuities and life insurance that line agents’ pockets with […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Beware Fixed Index Annuities Phantom Bonuses With over $200 billion in annual sales the annuity industry is big business. Annuities come in a variety of forms, all of which are complex.  Indexed annuities (sometimes branded “fixed indexed annuities”) are particularly complex.  Agents push them in volatile markets, claiming […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Plan Retirement Investments With Care Avoid Deferred Annuities With Steep Surrender Charges and Certain Types of Life Insurance The closer you get to retiring the more you try and save for the future. While saving as much as you can is important, where you put those savings is […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Securities Fraud on Seniors Securities Law and Elder Law Violations All California consumers are potential victims of securities fraud but seniors are at greatest risk. Unscrupulous brokers and promoters target seniors because they have more money to invest for one thing.  But seniors may also be easier targets […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Understanding Immediate Annuities An immediate annuity is an insurance contract where the policyholder makes a single lump-sum payment and begins receiving back almost immediately regular income payments. Imagine, for example, you’re over 60 and sell your home and decide to put some or all of the proceeds into […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Understanding Riders in Annuities The Death Benefit Rider Sales Pitch Riders are endorsements added to annuity contracts sold to enhance the benefits payable under those contracts. There are several types of riders, two of the most common being income riders and death benefit riders.  We have written on […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Beware Fixed Index Annuities Americans pump billions into complex fixed indexed annuities every year. Insurance agents push the annuities as a safe bet in volatile markets – they’ll tell you the policy offers the upside of market increases (the “indexed” part) with downside protection (the “fixed” part).  Advertised […]