The Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company of Springfield, MA has announced its dividend payout for 2013. Massmutual plans to pay a company record setting $1.39 billion in policy holder dividends.
Invest in Real Estate? Why not Modified Endowment Contracts?
Sometimes I just feel like being edgy, and throwing the words invest and Modified Endowment Contract about seems like a good way to be edgy. Of course this so called “edginess” is more a testament of my dork-dom–analogous to my saying, “I know my AGI is >$33,750 but screw form 6251.”
If you got that joke, I think I love you.
But in all seriousness a few recent events played out that gave way to this post. You see, It's been a long time since I thought real estate was a good place to invest. When I was in college I had a professor point out that the 30 year CAGR on real-estate in the United States was under 4%. Yikes! That was before the bubble popped, and let's not forget that real-estate can be super volatile.
009 Why Are 7702 Plans So Private?
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In This Special Edition of the Financial Procast:
We explore 7702 Private Plans and why are they so “private” anyway?
As you may have noticed from the two other posts we've had on this topic here and here, Brandon and I are a little passionate about 7702 plans. And according to the statistical information regarding our traffic to this site, it's a topic that is wildly popular among consumers and agents.
What is Value Investing and How Does it Work?
First, I guess I should define value investing. The best thing I can really do is to let you know from the beginning that I believe that being a value investor is much more of an investment style than it is an adherence to any one set of strict criteria.
That being said, there are some basics tenets that are universally agreed to in regards to value investing.
008 I’m Not Feeling So Lucky
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In this broadcast:
-Pandit is out at Citi. Did he quit or get fired?
-Google made a booboo
-A 90% market correction on its way?
-Wal-Mart wants to sell you life insurance.
Long Term Care Insurance Cost–It’s Complicated
There's little doubt you’ve read a great deal of swirling about in the media regarding Long Term Care Insurance (LTCi).
And, you may be asking yourself—should I buy the coverage or not?
As usual, my answer will be…that depends.
Special Announcement: Reliastar/ING Suspends Guaranteed Universal Life Products
Reliastar/ING has announced its plans to suspend all universal life products it issues that have secondary guarantees. In an announcement dated today October 17, 2012 ING cited difficult economic times and Actuarial Guideline 38 as a key reasons for its decision to suspend these products.
007 The Bondex?
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In this broadcast:
-Did Jackson National just pull a Prudential?
-Is going to Harvard worth $2 million?
-Are Bonds where it's at?
-The Emergency Fund Plan to end all others
Breaking News: Jackson National Annuities Life Pulls back on Variable Annuities
Jackson National Annuities Life joined the ranks of Prudential and Metlife this week when it delivered news that is would pull back on benefits from its variable annuity products. Jackson will continue to accept premiums for features that are going away, but they did employ the same tight time line Prudential rolled out a little more than a month ago.
Investment Grade Life Insurance?
Perhaps I should start a section on the Insurance Pro Blog called “Dumb Agent Tricks,” and it could be a new home for information on 7702 Private Plans and Investment Grade Life Insurance.
I realize the life insurance business is a tough one. What with all the talking about death and dying I realize just how popular an agent/broker can be at a family get together, cocktail party, etc. So, in a desperate move to spice things up, the industry has been concocting snazzy sounding marketing names for the sale of life insurance for a long time. And maybe…just maybe…the means are justifiable insofar as they accomplish an end that places a client in a better place by making the pill easier to swallow (clients are people, too–dumb just like the rest of us from time to time). But I'd sooner suggest that the financial services/insurance industry needs a good dousing of bleach in its gene pool before it goes out embracing this sort of thing.