Entries by Neal LaPierre

AM Best Revises Outlooks to Positive for Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company

May 2, 2019 by A.M. Best Oldwick – AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb-” of Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company (IHLIC) (Frankfort, KY), which is subsidiary of Aquarian Investors Heritage Holdings LLC (Aquarian). […]

Investors Heritage MYGA Rates are Dropping January 26th

IMPORTANT INFORMATION       Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company – HERITAGE BUILDER ANNUITY On January 26th the Heritage Builder 3, 5 and 7-year annuity rates will be reduced as follows: 3 Year 2.90% 5 Year 3.50% 7 Year 3.60% The current rate will be honored on all applications dated on or before January 25th […]

Bankers Life will suspend all new sales of BLIC products effective October 1, 2018

Bankers Life will suspend all new sales of BLIC products effective October 1, 2018       Important Field Announcement Click here for the original Field Announcement Originally received via email on Thu 9/27/2018 10:46 PM Dear Valued Agents, As you know, just over 18 months ago Bankers Life Insurance Company became part of Global Bankers Insurance […]

A-CAP and Saybrus Partners Launch New Thematic Indexed Annuity Based on the Goldman Sachs Motif Aging of America Dynamic Balance Index

A-CAP and Saybrus Partners Launch New Thematic Indexed Annuity Based on the Goldman Sachs Motif Aging of America Dynamic Balance Index September 7, 2018 by A-CAP and Saybrus Partners NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A-CAP and Saybrus Partners today announced the launch of Retirement Plus Multiplier Annuity, a single premium fixed indexed annuity. The annuity is the latest […]

It’s official: DOL fiduciary rule is dead

        The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a mandate Thursday making its March 15 decision to strike down the regulation effective By Mark Schoeff – InvestmentNews – June 21, 2018 After a long delay, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed Thursday a March decision to strike down the Labor […]

Consumers Comfortable, Yet Terrified Of Risk

Consumers Comfortable, Yet Terrified Of Risk Could an annuity help soothe those anxious consumers? By Cyril Tuohy – InsuranceNewsNet – June 12, 2018 Americans seem more comfortable with market volatility, but recoil at the thought of a downturn that could devastate their retirement savings, a new survey has found. Can these contradictory strands really exist […]

SEC fiduciary rule … is not a fiduciary rule

SEC fiduciary rule … is not a fiduciary rule By Kenneth Corbin – FinancialPlanning – April 20, 2018 For years, the common shorthand in describing any SEC move to set new regulations for brokers was a “uniform fiduciary standard” that would “harmonize” the rules for broker-dealers and investment advisors. Nearly a decade after the debate […]

What’s Next for the DOL Fiduciary Rule?

What’s Next for the DOL Fiduciary Rule? March 16, 2018 by John Hilton The Department of Labor fiduciary rule does not exist anymore after a late-Thursday court ruling. That court decision opens the door for the Securities and Exchange Commission and state insurance departments to take over rulemaking. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ 2-1 […]

DOL Fiduciary Rule Struck Down by Appeals Court

DOL Fiduciary Rule Struck Down by Appeals Court March 16, 2018 by Melanie Waddell The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit voted 2-1 Thursday to vacate the Labor Department’s fiduciary rule. The nine plaintiffs in the 5th Circuit case included the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association and […]

A.M. Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of Guaranty Income Life Insurance Company

November 1, 2017 by Best’s News Service FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OLDWICK – NOVEMBER 01, 2017 A.M. Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) to B++ (Good) from B+ (Good) and has upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “bbb+” from “bbb-” for Guaranty Income Life Insurance Company (Guaranty) (Baton Rouge, LA). The outlook of these […]

A.M. Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of Atlantic Coast Life Ins. Co.; Affirms Credit Ratings of Sentinel Security Life Ins. Co.

October 31, 2017 by Best’s News Service FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OLDWICK – OCTOBER 03, 2017 A.M. Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) to B++ (Good) from B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “bbb” from “bbb-“ of Atlantic Coast Life Insurance Company (ACLI) (Charleston, SC). Additionally, A.M. Best has […]

OMB Approves 18-Month Fiduciary Rule Delay, With ‘Change’

AUGUST 29, 2017 Originally published by ThinkAdvisor. The delay must now be finalized by Labor Department The Office of Management and Budget approved on Monday the 18-month delay for the more onerous provisions of the Labor Department’s fiduciary rule. The OMB approval, which usually takes 90 days, took less than a month. The office listed its action as […]

DOL Seeks 18-Month Delay of Fiduciary Rule

DOL Seeks 18-Month Delay of Fiduciary Rule               By John Hilton – InsuranceNewsNet – August 9, 2017 The Department of Labor moved today to delay phase two of the controversial Obama-era fiduciary rule by 18 months. Documents (ß Notice of Administrative Action)were filed today with the Office of Management and […]

Who Is Winning With the Fiduciary Rule? Wall Street

Who Is Winning With the Fiduciary Rule? Wall Street               For now, the rule is setting money in motion By Lisa Beilfuss – The Wall Street Journal – August 11, 2017 The brokerage business fiercely fought the new retirement advice rule. But so far for Wall Street, it has […]

Introducing Our Newest Annuity – Personal Choice Plus+

Personal Choice Plus+ Annuity We are excited to announce the addition of our most customizable annuity to our Sentinel Security Life product family! Introducing the Personal Choice Plus+ Annuity – a balanced hybrid of a traditional MYGA and FIA. This product offers both flexible riders and four indexing options directly tied to the S&P 500. Strong fixed index rate […]

Introducing Our Newest Annuity – Safe Anchor Market Guarantee

Safe Anchor Market Guarantee We are excited to announce the addition of our most customizable annuity to our Atlantic Coast Life product family! Introducing the Safe Anchor Market Guarantee Annuity – a balanced hybrid of a traditional MYGA and FIA. This product offers both flexible riders and four indexing options directly tied to the S&P 500. Strong […]

Best interest is in the eye of the beholder…

Best interest is in the eye of the beholder in debate over DOL fiduciary rule July 18, 2017 by Mark Schoeff Jr. The term “best interest” is subjective it seems in the debate over the Labor Department’s fiduciary rule. The phrase is used by both critics and supporters of the measure to describe what they’re […]

The Ultimate DOL Fiduciary Technology System

AmeriLyzer_LAS (3) You can count on The Life and Annuity Shop to provide one-stop shopping for making Department of Labor (DOL) Fiduciary Rule compliant sales. Regardless of the DOL’s actions, we are committed to helping Agents uncover more assets, offer more client services and make recommendations in the client’s best interest. We are your strategic partner. […]

Sentinel Security Life Annuity Rate decrease Effective 7/01/2017

Personal Choice – MYGA Rate Adjustment Effective 07/01/2017 Based on current market conditions we are lowering the crediting rates on the Sentinel Personal Choice Annuity. Effective July 1, 2017, the 5-year, 7-year and 10-year rates will be reduced by 10 bps. Summit Bonus Index – Indexing Strategy Caps Adjustment  Effective 07/01/2017 Based on current market […]

The 3.10%* MYGA Interest Rate Special is Back!

The 3.10%* MYGA Interest Rate Special is Back! Back by Popular Demand – 3.10% MYGA Interest Rate Fidelity & Guaranty Life’s FG Guarantee-Platinum single premium fixed deferred annuity with a five-year guarantee period will increase to 3.10%. The 3.10% enhanced rate offers the following to your clients, all at no cost! Full accumulation value at […]

Census Bureau Starts Annuity Stream

Census Bureau Starts Annuity Stream By Allison Bell – ThinkAdvisor – June 2, 2017 Only 4.6% of U.S. households have annuities or trusts, but they had an average of $180,271 in annuity and trust assets each, and the median value of trust and annuity assets was $60,000 nationwide. The Census Bureau published those figures Thursday in the first […]

Acosta Declines to Extend Delay of DOL Fiduciary Rule

Acosta Declines to Extend Delay of DOL Fiduciary Rule Labor Secretary finds no legal basis to delay implementation; rule to become applicable June 9 By Mark Schoeff – InvestmentNews – May 23, 2017  Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta confirmed Monday night that the agency’s fiduciary rule will become applicable on June 9.  “We have carefully considered […]

House committee approves Dodd-Frank replacement bill that includes repeal of DOL fiduciary rule

The Financial CHOICE Act also makes substantial changes affecting many regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission By Hazel Bradford – InvestmentNews – May 5, 2017 A replacement for much of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was passed by the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday. The vote was 34-26 along party […]

Industry groups tell Acosta to make extension of DOL fiduciary rule delay his first order of business

Senate approves Trump’s nominee as DOL secretary, 60-38 By Mark Schoeff – InvestmentNews – Paril28, 2017 Financial industry groups wasted no time telling Alexander Acosta what his first priority should be upon winning confirmation from the Senate as secretary of Labor Thursday night: Extend the delay of the DOL fiduciary rule. Mr. Acosta takes the […]

Fiduciary rule delayed by 60 days

Fiduciary rule delayed by 60 days Fiduciary rule delayed by 60 days By Andrew Welsch – FinancialPlanning – April 5, 2016 The Department of Labor has delayed the implementation of the fiduciary rule by 60 days, according to filing in the Federal Register. The move comes after Labor Department in February proposed a delay after President […]

DOL fiduciary delay final rule expected to be released Wednesday

DOL fiduciary delay final rule expected to be released Wednesday Agency pushes back implementation date just before April 10 deadline By Mark Schoeff – InvestmentNews – April 4, 2017 It looks as if the implementation delay for the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule will be approved just under the wire. In a letter filed with […]

DOL: We Won’t Enforce Fiduciary Rule While Delay is Undecided

DOL: We Won’t Enforce Fiduciary Rule While Delay is Undecided By John Hilton – InsuranceNewsNet – March 13, 2017 The Department of Labor issued a bulletin Friday alerting the financial services industry that it will not pursue strong enforcement of its fiduciary rule in the short term.  The bulletin was issued to clear up confusing over […]