WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, CHIP HILTON?
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Investment Management Roundtable Discussion – Personal Estate Planning
At the NAIC Spring National Meeting, the Illustration Subgroup and the Suitability Working Group reported that they are building out the following additions...more
Contingent deferred annuities (CDAs) represent an interesting approach to securing lifetime income but have struggled for recognition in the marketplace since their introduction more than a decade ago. Recent developments,...more
On April 21, New Jersey became the 50th and final state to adopt the Best Interest standard for annuity transactions. The new New Jersey standard is based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)...more
In a section titled “Annuities Securities Products,” FINRA’s 2025 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report, issued on January 28, 2025, addresses regulatory obligations related to the sales of variable annuities (VAs) and...more
The recent rule and form amendments adopted by the SEC to facilitate the registration of registered index-linked annuities (RILAs) and market-value adjustment annuities (MVAs) on Form N-4 have been broadly welcomed by the...more
Regulators Hit Jackpot: Off-Channel Communications - Several years before announcing the first “off-channel” communications enforcement action, the SEC and FINRA cautioned broker-dealers and investment advisers about...more
The NAIC Virtual Summer National Meeting marked that it is time to get back to school for a number of annuity and life disclosure and illustration initiatives. Both regulators and insurers will need to sharpen their pencils...more
Arizona jumped out front of the pack with the introduction of Senate Bill No. 1557, titled "Annuity Transactions; Requirements," which would amend Arizona's suitability requirements for annuity transactions. Senate Bill No....more
Like a game of whack-a-mole, new or existing NAIC groups are being tasked to consider the various regulatory issues that are popping up from insurance innovation....more
The NAIC and states are reviewing whether to flush those provisions of state anti-rebating laws that inhibit innovation in the insurance industry. The NAIC Unfair Trade Practices Act (#880) prohibits offering any premium...more
The High Court has blocked a Part VII transfer of annuity policies by Prudential Assurance Company Limited (PAC) to Rothesay. The IE’s view (undisputed by the regulators) that the transfer would not have a material adverse...more
The NAIC Annuity Suitability Working Group (Suitability WG) spent the summer at the July 23, July 29, and August 3 Suitability WG meetings trying to get out of the parking lot and discussed several issues to frame up the...more
Ohio Department of Insurance Director Jillian Froment, the new chair of the Annuity Suitability Working Group (Working Group), invited regulators and interested parties to build the required standard of care foundation for...more
The NAIC’s Annuity Disclosure Working Group and IUL Illustration Subgroup continue to chalk out changes to the Annuity Disclosure Model Regulation (Model) and Actuarial Guideline 49 (AG 49) to address index product...more
At the NAIC Fall 2018 National Meeting, state regulators continued plowing through the Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation (Model 275) (Suitability Model)....more
At the 2018 NAIC Summer National Meeting, regulators continued their efforts to define the standard of care that applies to recommendations. This subject was discussed at both the Annuity Suitability (A) Working Group...more
In June, we circulated our fifth article on the continuing saga regarding the standard of conduct for sales of securities and annuities — and the efforts of federal and state regulators to impose new conditions on the...more
On July 18, New York's Department of Financial Services (the "NY DFS") issued the final version of its Suitability and Best Interests in Life Insurance and Annuity Transactions Regulation (the "Suitability and Best Interest...more
New York Pushes Mutual Fund Active Share Disclosure - New York’s Attorney General issued a report on its recent investigation of fees charged by actively managed equity mutual funds and a metric known as “Active Share.”...more
The NAIC and the State of New York continue racing as each is revising its suitability regulation to incorporate enhanced standards of care. Only time will tell which version will gallop to victory....more
On May 31 and June 1, several teams competed over proposed revisions to the Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation (#275) (Suitability Model) at the in-person meeting of the National Association of Insurance...more