More than likely, you’ve heard the term “hybrid annuity” float around in conversations, or you’ve even discussed it yourself. The term “hybrid” is used indiscriminately to describe a variety of products, VAs or fixed products, and suggests consumers are “getting more for their money.” So, when people refer to hybrid annuities, what do they actually mean?

People invest billions of dollars in variable annuities with Guaranteed Living Income Benefit riders. After owning these variable annuity policies for several years, many clients begin to reevaluate their purchase and realize they should discuss alternative options with their financial professional.

Plenty of these customers need guidance on what they should do...

Selling annuities in today’s financial environment requires an advisor fill out reams of paperwork, which can certainly be time-consuming. However, time-consuming becomes problematic when fact-finding at the first meeting isn't thorough and misses key information.

When I sell any annuity, a thorough fact-finding mission is critical. Using a fact-finder to gather...

In his 2011 annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Warren Buffet wrote, “High interest rates, of course, can compensate purchasers for the inflation risk they face with currency-based investments – and indeed, rates in the early 1980s did that job nicely. Current rates, however, do not come close to offsetting the purchasing-power risk that investors...

My focus as an annuity sales consultant is working with Registered Reps and RIA’s. Many of these advisors used to sell or are still selling variable annuities (VA’s) and have built up large numbers of clients and many millions of dollars in assets within them. Many of these VA’s are 7 or more years old and are now out of surrender or just about to be out of...