William Byrnes' Tax, Wealth, and Risk Intelligence

William Byrnes (Texas A&M) tax & compliance articles

Posts Tagged ‘Life expectancy’

The Psychology of Saving: If We’re Living Longer, Why Are We Saving Less?

Posted by William Byrnes on November 29, 2011


In addition to confirming earlier beliefs, a new academic study about the effects of increase life-spans on savings rates has inspired new intrigue.

The conclusions reached by Optimal Retirement and Saving with Increasing Longevity, by David E. Bloom, David Canning, and Michael Moore are simple enough but need some further discussion: “[A] higher level of wages leads to earlier retirement and increasing savings rates. On the other hand an increase in life expectancy leads to an increase [in] the retirement age, but less than proportionately, while reducing savings rates.”

Consequently, the importance of planning for middle-income families increases. Without a solid plan, many are left working many more years than they hoped or planned.

Read this complete analysis of the impact at AdvisorFX (sign up for a free trial subscription with full access to all the planning libraries and client presentations if you are not already a subscriber).

For previous coverage of retirement values in Advisor’s Journal, see Appealing to Your Affluent Clients’ Retirement Planning Values (CC-11-42).

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Pensions Turn to Death Bonds

Posted by William Byrnes on September 8, 2011


It’s a given that most of us want to continue living as long as possible.  Exercising, eating healthy, and taking every precaution available to extend the gift of life to its limits. Nevertheless, even living a longer life is not exempt from the foreseeable strains it creates financially. Increasing life spans can create problems for pension funds and others that depend on us dying to keep their books balanced.

Pension funds are exposed to severe longevity risk. If pensioners live longer than expected, payouts from the funds could exceed the estimated cost of keeping the funds solvent. Worldwide, $17 trillion of pension funds – $23 trillion in assets – is exposed to longevity risk.

But the big banks—including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Deustsche Bank—are coming to the rescue by packaging that longevity risk and selling it to investors; and they’re counting on investors being interested in wagering on your death.

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 life insurance contracts in Advisor’s Journal, see IRS Guidance Provides Safe Harbor for Policies Maturing After Age 100 (CC 10-51).

For in-depth analysis of pension plans and other qualified employee plans, see Advisor’s Main Library: O – ERISA – FAQs.

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Life Partners Holdings Hit with Class-Action Lawsuit

Posted by William Byrnes on April 2, 2011


Life Partners Holdings, Inc. investors have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Waco Texas based life settlement provider, alleging that its directors and officers violated securities laws. The lawsuit comes a month after an announcement was made that the publically-traded company is the subject of an SEC investigation into the life expectancies the company uses to value the life insurance policies it sells to its customers.  Life Partners is accused of misleading its customers—investors in life insurance policy—about the life expectancies of insureds on the policies it sells, with insureds outliving the life settlement company’s life expectancy estimates 90% of the time.  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 life settlements in Advisor’s Journal, see Life Settlement Provider Accused of Falsifying Life Span Reports (CC 11-23), Life Settlements Funds Performance Fees under Scrutiny (CC 10-116) & Should the Basis of a Life Contract be Adjusted by Mortality Charges? Rev. Rul. 2009-13 Says Yes in Context of Life Settlements; Certain Amounts over Adjusted Basis Treated as Capital Gains (CC 09-19).

For in-depth analysis of life settlements, see Advisor’s Main Library: A—Life Settlements—Introduction.

 

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Life Settlement Provider Accused of Falsifying Life Span Reports

Posted by William Byrnes on March 10, 2011


One of the U.S.’s oldest life settlement companies, publically traded Life Partners Holdings, Inc., is being investigated by the SEC for falsifying life span reports used to sell the company’s life settlement products.  Falsified life spans can leave investors on the hook for additional premiums over the insureds’ remaining years when insureds outlive the firm’s life-span estimates.

The question for Life Partners Holdings shareholders and customers is whether the Life Partners investigation will go the way of Mutual Benefits Corp, a life settlement company that sold fractional interests in life insurance policies. Mutual Benefits was the subject of a similar SEC investigation concerning falsified life expectancies that ultimately led to the company’s collapse.  Could Life Partners be next?

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).

 

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