ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Prudential, Jackson National, and the future of the annuity As the Department of Labor requires more insurance brokers to act as fiduciaries, and as FINRA continues its investigation into variable annuities, it’s clear that the increased scrutiny is having a bit of a shriveling effect on the market […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Understanding the details of Variable Annuities Variable annuities, considered by some financial advisors to be among the most complicated and least understood product of its kinds, have come under increased scrutiny in 2016, as FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, has declared its intention to investigate them more […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Reviewing the Variable Annuity Annuities are financial products that are often fraught with complications, miscommunications, and disappointment for policyholders. When seniors or retirees initially buy the product, they are generally expecting that the annuity will be both a sound investment and a means of providing stress-free guaranteed income […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Deferred Income Annuity: good deal or bad investment? A Deferred Income Annuity can be thought of as an apple tree; the longer you wait to receive your apples, the bigger they are. We call that the crux of delayed gratification. However, if you die before the income starts, […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER A Consumer’s Guide to Understanding Financial Products It can be hard for anyone to navigate the complex market for financial products: life insurance, annuities, indices, stocks, bonds, hedge funds, Roths, IRAs, and many other esoteric options may seem like a good choice for investment when sold to you […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Legal Issues Surrounding an Aging Population Many of the major shifts in American society in the last half century can be attributed, directly or indirectly, to the baby boomer generation. It’s been known for years that as that generation ages, it will lead to major changes in employment, […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER The Potentially Pitfalls of the Annuity There’s a lot of contention surrounding the annuity, an increasingly common financial product as the population ages. Opinions range from embracing the product to utterly disavowing it. There’s one thing that both sides of the argument can agree on: the wrong annuity […]

ING, Voya, Transamerica, and Others Expected to Raise Rates A new year is an opportunity to make changes. Some of us resolve to eat better, lose bad habits, or improve as a person. In contrast, it seems that some major life insurance companies have resolved to increase their revenue by […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Annuities: a Mysterious Maze Lots of questions come up when we talk about annuities. What is an annuity? How does it work? It is a smart investment? An annuity is a contract between a buyer and an insurance company. Sometimes, a broker/dealer intervenes in the transaction and tries […]

Why We Aren’t Fond of Annuities Annuities are something of an open discussion among financial planners and California fraud attorneys. While many believe that annuities have become a major vehicle for potential elder abuse and scam artists, others argue that they have redeeming qualities that can make them useful for […]