Posted by William Byrnes on August 17, 2015
“Fixed index annuities are the current flavor and will remain so while consumers perceive the market indexes potentially rising,” says William Byrnes, an associate dean at Texas A&M University School of Law in Fort Worth.
Sales of FIAs rose 14% to $38.7 billion in 2013 and another 24% to $48 billion in 2014, or about 21% of all annuity sales …
read the USA Today analysis of Fixed Index Annuities at USA Today and whether these are a good fit for a retirement plan.
Posted in Retirement Planning | Tagged: annuities, fixed index annuity | 3 Comments »
Posted by William Byrnes on July 23, 2014
While finding the most suitable products to meet a client’s retirement income goals is fundamental to developing an appropriate retirement planning strategy, discovering the most desirable mixture of product features can prove equally critical.
In this vein, advisors should take note that indexed annuity sales have gained steam in recent months. New studies suggest that while the base product itself may be attractive to many, in the vast majority of cases it is the optional features that are actually propelling sales.
Understanding how the guarantee features that can accompany indexed annuities have made these products competitive against more traditional bank-sponsored products has, therefore, become crucial to determining how these options can help an indexed annuity rise to the occasion.
Read the intelligence about guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits (GLWBs) and annuities of Professor William Byrnes and Robert Bloink at ThinkAdvisor
“Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M., and William H. Byrnes, Esq., LL.M., CWM®—are delivering real-life guidance based on decades of experience. The authors’ knowledge and experience in tax law and practice provides the expert guidance for National Underwriter to once again deliver a valuable resource for the financial advising community,” added Rick Kravitz.
Anyone interested can try Tax Facts on Individuals & Small Business, risk-free for 30 days, with a 100% guarantee of complete satisfaction. For more information, please go to www.nationalunderwriter.com/TaxFactsIndividuals or call 1-800-543-0874.
If you are interested in discussing the Master or Doctoral degree in the areas of financial services or international taxation, please contact me: profbyrnes@gmail.com
Posted in Retirement Planning, Wealth Management | Tagged: annuities, Annuity, GLWBs, Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit Riders | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on July 14, 2014
Indexed variable annuities (IVAs) and structured annuities are two relatively new types of hybrid annuity products that are causing rampant confusion in today’s annuity marketplace. Used properly, these products can perform a significant role in a client’s portfolio, making it more important than ever to understand the nuances of these two annuity types.
The investment options offered by IVAs and structured annuities are extremely varied — in terms of opportunities for both market participation and downside protection — making the issue of client suitability particularly important. Today’s clients are looking for a customized product.
So it is time to begin asking: When it comes to IVAs and structured annuities, which product is the right fit? Read the answer of Professor William Byrnes and Robert Bloink at LifeHealthPro
Because of the constant changes to the tax law, taxpayers are currently facing many questions connected to important issues such as healthcare, home office use, capital gains, investments, and whether an individual is considered an employee or a contractor. Financial advisors are continually looking for updated tax information that can help them provide the right answers to the right people at the right time. For over 110 years, National Underwriter has provided fast, clear, and authoritative answers to financial advisors pressing questions, and it does so in the convenient, timesaving, Q&A format.
“Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M., and William H. Byrnes, Esq., LL.M., CWM®—are delivering real-life guidance based on decades of experience. The authors’ knowledge and experience in tax law and practice provides the expert guidance for National Underwriter to once again deliver a valuable resource for the financial advising community,” added Rick Kravitz.
Anyone interested can try Tax Facts on Individuals & Small Business, risk-free for 30 days, with a 100% guarantee of complete satisfaction. For more information, please go to www.nationalunderwriter.com/TaxFactsIndividuals or call 1-800-543-0874.
If you are interested in discussing the Master or Doctoral degree in the areas of financial services or international taxation, please contact me: profbyrnes@gmail.com to Google Hangout or Skype that I may take you on an “online tour”
Posted in Retirement Planning, Wealth Management | Tagged: annuities, Annuity, Annuity (US financial products), Retirement | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on May 29, 2014
Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit Riders (GLWBs) and Lifetime Income Benefit Riders (LIBRs) are two of the more easily confused rider options in a market where understanding the nuances can make or break a client’s financial plan. Even the most astute financial professional may have difficulty navigating the maze of features that can attach to an annuity.
Read the analysis of > GLWBs versus LIBRs <
If you are interested in discussing the Master or Doctoral degree in the areas of financial services or international taxation, please contact me: profbyrnes@gmail.com to Google Hangout or Skype that I may take you on an “online tour”
For an indepth analysis of deductions for donations to U.S. charities, download my article at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2304044
Posted in Insurance, Retirement Planning, Wealth Management | Tagged: annuities, Annuity, GLWBs, Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit Riders, LIBRs, Lifetime Income Benefit Riders | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on February 26, 2014
Staying ahead of client demands in the annuity product game is no simple feat for even the most informed of financial advisors, and the latest trend may prove even more crucial to successful advising—it involves not a new product or rider, but an entire market for annuities.
Newly developed uniform transfer standards and increased availability have caused so-called “secondary market annuities” to surge in popularity amongst clients in their quest to find financial products with above-average interest rates to supplement retirement income. What once was a niche market is gaining traction with the ordinary investor, and it is time for all advisors to get up to speed.
Read the full analysis of Professor William Byrnes and Robert Bloink at Think Advisor !
Authoritative and easy-to-use, 2014 Tax Facts on Insurance & Employee Benefits shows you how the tax law and regulations are relevant to your insurance, employee benefits, and financial planning practices. Often complex tax law and regulations are explained in clear, understandable language. Pertinent planning points are provided throughout.
Organized in a convenient Q&A format to speed you to the information you need, 2014 Tax Facts on Insurance & Employee Benefits delivers the latest guidance on:
Key updates for 2014:
Plus, you’re kept up-to-date with online supplements for critical developments. Written and reviewed by practicing professionals who are subject matter experts in their respective topics, Tax Facts is the practical resource you can rely on.
Posted in Insurance, Retirement Planning | Tagged: annuities, Annuity, Secondary Market Annuities, William Byrnes | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on November 13, 2013
The most recent shift in the audience for deferred annuity products may come as a surprise to many advisors who are accustomed to selling these vehicles to older clients in pursuit of secure income late in life. Insurance carriers have taken steps to break free of this typical market, in many cases by changing product cost structures to appeal to an expanded (and much younger) client base.
As a result, advisors need to recognize that this new generation of deferred annuity products can be marketed even to clients who are in their 30s, 40s and 50s, erasing the common perception that most annuity purchasers are those stereo typically risk-adverse clients who have already retired. Younger generations have joined the market for secure income, which should have every advisor asking this question: How young is my next annuity prospect?
Read William Byrnes and Robert Bloink’s analysis of indexed variable annuities and how these product offerings may be attractive for certain of your clients at > http://www.thinkadvisor.com/2013/10/21/using-deferred-annuities-to-build-pension-plans-fo <
Posted in Wealth Management | Tagged: annuities, Annuity, Business, financial planning, Financial services, insurance, Life annuity, life insurance, Pension, Retirement, Wealth Management | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on November 11, 2013
Persistently low interest rates may have created a challenging environment for annuity carriers in recent years, but many clients remain deeply skeptical about the prospect of returning to the more volatile equity markets. Indexed variable annuities (IVAs), while developed to help insurance carriers manage risk more accurately, can represent the perfect solution for these market-shy clients.
IVAs—known to some as structured annuities—offer clients an investment alternative that can provide the stability and many of the product offerings associated with annuity products but also the potential for participation in any equity market gains. However, they also offer substantial downside protection to cushion against potential investment losses.
Read William Byrnes and Robert Bloink’s analysis of indexed variable annuities and how these product offerings may be attractive for certain of your clients at > http://www.thinkadvisor.com/2013/10/14/indexed-variable-annuitiesa-va-product-curveball <
Posted in Wealth Management | Tagged: annuities, Financial services, Indexed annuity, insurance, Investing, Life annuity, Retirement | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on September 24, 2013
When it comes to lifetime income planning, clients are always looking for the latest and greatest strategy to ensure that their income needs will be met during retirement.
Deferred income annuities are finally experiencing a dramatic growth spurt in the market, which has motivated insurance carriers to design products with features that allow each product to be tailored to meet the individual client’s needs. As the number of carriers offering deferred income annuities expands, a corresponding boost in client demand is expected — especially when clients discover that they can find the income features they have come to expect from an annuity product, but with a level of flexibility in required contributions and income options unique to the deferred income annuity market.
Read William Byrnes and Robert Bloink’s full analysis of this boom in the sales of deferred income annuities at LifeHealthPro: http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2013/09/11/the-benefits-to-clients-from-the-deferred-income-a
Posted in Pensions, Retirement Planning, Uncategorized, Wealth Management | Tagged: annuities, Annuity, Business, Deferred income, Financial services, insurance, Life annuity, Retirement | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on August 16, 2013
Today’s media coverage of the variable annuity market has focused on company buybacks and modifications to existing clients’ product guarantees—a prospect that has many clients feeling more wary than ever about annuity purchases.
Despite this, insurance companies have used the negative experiences of recent months as motivation to effect positive change in their annuity product offerings by offering clients real flexibility and risk management options.
read William Byrnes and Robert Bloink’s full analysis regarding annuities at > ThinkAdvisor <
Posted in Retirement Planning | Tagged: annuities, Business, Financial services, insurance, Investment, Life annuity, Mutual fund, risk management | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on August 14, 2013
Provides an overview of private annuities in relation to financial planning. Examines a new concept wealth managers are employing for their clients with regards to private annuities and trusts.
The traditional private annuity is a transaction used by some wealth managers for clients whose circumstances permit. Generally a private annuity transaction occurs where the grantor transfers assets to a third party who pays the grantor an annuity, usually for the life of the grantor.[1]
When a trust is involved with a traditional private annuity, the common transaction may look like this: “The owner of highly appreciated commercial real estate transfers the property to an irrevocable trust in exchange for the trust’s promise to pay an annuity for life. The present value of the annuity equals the fair market value (‘FMV‘) of the property. The trust then sells the property to a third party for a sale price equal to its FMV.” [2] For additional discussion on private annuity contracts see National Underwriter Advanced Markets’ Private Annuity. [3]
The idea behind wealth managers suggesting similar transactions “is that the original transferor can spread his large capital gain over life expectancy by using the irrevocable trust as an intermediary rather than selling directly to the third party (who is presumably unwilling to do a private annuity).” [4]
There are considerations wealth managers must take into account when discussing private annuities with their clients. These may include valuation methods, arms-length transaction consideration, and incidents of ownership. For a detailed discussion of the tax implications of private annuities, please see Tax Facts Q 41. How are payments received under a private annuity Taxed? [5]
It is often the case that a trustee, although not necessarily, will use “the sale proceeds to insure its annuity obligation by purchasing a commercial immediate annuity.” [6]
Planning Concept: Some wealth managers have recently begun to structure private annuities for their clients slightly differently than the traditional method discussed above. Here the idea is a private annuity contract issued from the trust to the grantor who pays valuable consideration for the annuity which carries with it a condition precedent or “contingency”. The condition on the annuity could be the death of the grantor’s spouse. The trustee may “reinsure” the risk with the purchase of life insurance from payment of the annuity in the event the condition takes place.[7] Similar considerations with regards to private annuities should also be considered with private annuities that carry a condition.
In the event the grantor’s spouse does not die in the near future, the premiums paid for the private annuity could generally be considered income to the trust, which may be owned by a second generation. If the spouse does die in the near future, payment of the annuity would create general gain taxation with a tax-free redemption up to basis. [8]
[1] Manning on Estate Planning. PLIREF-ESTPLN s 5:9, 5-30. “§ 5:9 The Private Annuity”.
[2] New York Estate Planning. 33 ESTPLN 13. “Maximizing The Planning Opportunities Of Private Annuities”. 2006.
[3] AUS Main Libraries, Section 2. The Federal Estate Tax, D—Annuities In The Gross Estate.
[4] Id.
[5] Tax Facts Q 41. How are payments received under a private annuity taxed?
[6] Id.
[7] 33 ESTPLN 13
[8] PLIREF-ESTPLN s 5:9, 5-30; 26 U.S.C.A. § 1001.
Posted in Insurance, Taxation, Wealth Management | Tagged: annuities, Business, Financial services, insurance, Life annuity, Pension, Retirement, Swiss Annuity | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on November 19, 2012
…insurance companies have begun building annuity products in a variety of shapes and sizes, and the latest crop of deferred income annuity products could pave the way for clients seeking to maximize retirement income security in the years leading up to retirement. Read the full article on AdvisorOne – http://www.advisorone.com/2012/11/08/how-new-deferred-annuities-provide-income-early-in
Posted in Estate Tax, Pensions, Retirement Planning, Taxation, Wealth Management | Tagged: annuities, Financial services, insurance, Life annuity, Pension, Retirement, tax | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on November 17, 2011
We are all aware that annuities have a bad reputation in the media: High fees, high-pressure sales, and unsuitability are the predominating themes.
A recent Securities Litigation & Consulting Group white paper summarizes the sentiments of the anti-annuity press, commenting that, “[a]nnuities stand out as the investment are most likely to be unsuitable since in virtually every instance, the investor would have been better served by mutual fund or a portfolio of individual stocks.”
Annuities are neither inherently “good” nor “bad.” It follows that rational evaluation of annuities can’t be conducted in a bubble—it must focus on their application. Herein lays their value and the coup de grâce the industry and individual producers have been awaiting.
Read this complete analysis of the impact at AdvisorFX (sign up for a free trial subscription with full access to all of the planning libraries and client presentations if you are not already a subscriber).
For previous coverage of annuities in Advisor’s Journal, see How Much to Allocate to Annuities: A Critical Analysis (CC 11-109).
For in-depth analysis of the income taxation of annuities, see Advisor’s Main Library: Section 19.2 Income Taxation of Annuities.
Posted in Wealth Management | Tagged: annuities, Business, Financial services, insurance, Investing, Life annuity, Mutual fund, White paper | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on July 27, 2011
A recent Businessweek article highlighting what it calls the “drawbacks” of annuities is the latest in a long line of articles panning the financial products. But do annuities—especially variable annuities—endure justified scrutiny, or are annuities just an easy target of the mainstream media? And, where annuities are the right choice for your clients, how can you counter the negative press to help them make the right investing decision? Read this complete analysis of the impact at AdvisorFX (sign up for a free trial subscription with full access to all of the planning libraries and client presentations if you are not already a subscriber).
Posted in Wealth Management | Tagged: annuities, Business, Cash flow, Financial services, insurance, Life annuity, Pension, Retirement | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on September 23, 2010
The traditional private annuity is a transaction used by some wealth managers for clients whose circumstances permit. Generally a private annuity transaction occurs where the grantor transfers assets to a third party who pays the grantor an annuity, usually for the life of the grantor.
When a trust is involved with a traditional private annuity, the common transaction may look like this: “The owner of highly appreciated commercial real estate transfers the property to an irrevocable trust in exchange for the trust’s promise to pay an annuity for life. The present value of the annuity equals the fair market value (‘FMV‘) of the property. The trust then sells the property to a third party for a sale price equal to its FMV.” For additional introductory discussion on private annuity contracts see AUS Main Private Annuity.
Planning Concept: Some wealth managers have recently begun to structure private annuities for their clients slightly differently than the traditional methods. For a discussion and analysis, please see AdvisorFYI
Posted in Estate Tax, Insurance, Trusts | Tagged: annuities, Business, Contract, Financial services, insurance, Life annuity, Pension, Real estate | Leave a Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on August 23, 2010
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act conclusively excludes indexed annuities from regulation as securities by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Today’s analysis by our Experts Robert Bloink and William Byrnes is located at AdvisorFX Journal Indexed Annuities: Still Insurance
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: annuities | 1 Comment »
Posted by William Byrnes on August 22, 2010
As STOLI (stranger originated life insurance) transactions have receded due to nearly unanimous condemnation of the practice, a wave of Stranger Originated Annuities (STOAs) is growing.
Today’s analysis by our Experts Robert Bloink and William Byrnes is located at AdvisorFX Journal STOLI to STOA: First Drops in a Gathering Storm
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: annuities, life insurance, STOA, STOLI | Leave a Comment »
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