Retirement Security

China Trade Deal Supports Innovation and Growth

Life insurers’ most critical mission is helping people take care of the things that matter most, whether they are in North America, Africa, Europe, Latin America or Asia. We do this by providing risk protection and financial security products that empower individuals to protect themselves and their families. Numerous American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) member … Continue reading

Massachusetts Small Business Owner Opposes Fiduciary-Only Proposal

At a recent hearing in Boston, a long line of local citizens voiced opposition to the Massachusetts Commonwealth Secretary’s proposed elitist fiduciary-only standard for financial advice. This week in the Boston Globe, local business owner Joan Jaeger Gustaff outlined why she opposes the rule, which could become effective within weeks. The people of Massachusetts would be best served … Continue reading

Putting $400 in Every Savings Account

(This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.) Asking people to create an emergency savings fund is like asking them to exercise or lose weight. It’s about motivating short-term pain for long-term gain. It’s really hard to do. So much so that a Federal Reserve Board survey revealed that 46 percent of Americans would have trouble coming … Continue reading

Senate Passage of USMCA a Win for Insurance Consumers

Today’s U.S. Senate passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) sets the table for President Trump to sign the bill into law. Insurance consumers in the three countries stand to benefit as a result. No other industry is there for people through every stage of life like the life insurance industry. Life insurers serve 90 … Continue reading

Elitist Proposal Denies Choices to Bay State Retirement Savers

Massachusetts is about to impose an elitist, fiduciary-only standard for those seeking financial services. Sadly, as the industry that helps small- and moderate-savers to plan their financial futures, we know this would hurt the very people it claims to protect. I offered testimony at a related hearing today, as did Paul Quaranto of Boston Mutual … Continue reading

Retirement Savers Win Thanks to SECURE Act Becoming Law

Earlier today President Trump signed the 2020 spending package, which wisely included the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019. This is a huge win for millions of retirement savers, groups like Gold Star families, and bipartisanship. With the SECURE Act now the law of the land, our nation has taken … Continue reading

Buyers’ Remorse for Student Loans?

The media routinely report that student loans are a major burden on families and young people. Several presidential candidates have even turned education-related debt into a campaign issue, pushing for across-the-board debt forgiveness. Is education-related debt really that much of a challenge? How exactly does it impact borrowers? Consider some facts: 44.7 million Americans have … Continue reading