Insurance

MetLife is making acquisitions so that the company is able to provide products and services that range beyond life insurance and annuities. In 2008, MetLife acquired two companies that provide mortgage-related services. One of these companies--Everbank Reverse Mortgage --is involved in the reverse mortgage business. MetLife, which technically is a bank holding company, seeks to create multiple product relationships with customers that either complement or augment their core life and annuity...

Bernard Winograd is an executive vice president at the Prudential Insurance Company . Speaking at a recent industry conference, Winograd expressed his views on the existing methods of explaining retirement issues and solutions in the United States: "The retail system in this country of explaining this (retirement) to people is deeply flawed. There are way too many people in the system without adequate training, and there are way too many people with the wrong motives." The "retail" system...

Moody's Investor Services indicated that it will maintain its highest (AAA) rating for the Teacher's Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and its subsidiary TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company. "TIAA has substantial capitalization and flexibility to maintain its financial strength in what is a very difficult economic environment," Moody’s Senior Credit Officer Arthur Fliegelman said in a statement. "However, the company has not been immune to environmental stresses, having...

Rating agency Moody's released a brief that expresses a bit of optimism regarding life and annuity insurance companies: "Even if markets turn sour again, life insurers and reinsurers are considered to be fit enough to weather the financial and economic crisis because of their solid balance sheets..." While Moody's indicated that additional ratings downgrades may result if market conditions worsen, their own stress tests indicate that companies should be able to maintain their investment...

One of the nation's top financial planners is bearish on the recent upsurge in immediate annuity sales. An advocate of maintaining options and flexibility with retirement planning , this financial advisor sees immediate annuities as too restrictive for many financial plans. In contrast to the views on immediate annuities, longevity insurance or longevity annuities are discussed in light of the income and asset allocation options they create for retirees: "Of all the products that are out there...