Center for Retirement Research at Boston College Among the growing body of academic research focusing on retirement vulnerability, a Special Project of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College provides additional insights into one of the challenges facing all of us who worry about living comfortably during retirement. Running out of money. This project,…
Life/Health Industry Admitted Assets Increased 7.1% in 2010 Admitted assets for the top 200 writers of life/health insurance increased approximately $404 billion during 2010 according the most recent edition of Best’s Review. Structured Settlement Markets Shine Eight of the twelve life markets active in the structured settlement industry saw their admitted assets increase an average of 10%,…
The Annuity Puzzle Why does human nature permit an individual to choose Option A over Option B even when overwhelming evidence assures even the most casual observer that Option B is the superior choice? Ever chosen unwisely when dating? Marrying? Buying a car, a house or a stock? Ever fail to follow a doctor’s advice? Ever skip taking vitamins…
Recalled DePuy Hip Problem Growing in Ireland Two recent articles further illustrate the far-reaching nature of the DePuy Hip Recall. The Irish Independent recently featured an article which claims 113 Irish patients have already endured two hip surgeries due to the faulty hips while as many as 3,500 might be next in line to suffer. Further north,…
GAO Report Emphasizes Annuities as a Smart Choice for Retirement Security Last month, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), in its Report to the Chairman, Special Committee on Aging, U. S. Senate, made an extremely strong case for annuities in retirement planning. Entitled Retirement Income: Ensuring Income throughout Retirement Requires Difficult Choices, this report was prepared…
July 2, 2011 – While the legal system in the United States and many other countries permit patients to sue for damages caused by alleged defective medical devices, those in New Zealand are limited due to that country’s “no fault” system. Today’s New Zealand Herald carries a story about the dilemma this presents for patients who received the…
June 25, 2011 – In the Health section of today’s edition of the New York Times, columnist Barry Meier points out that Americans’ “impulse to covet the new and improved” may be at the root of the DePuy Hip Recall. (“In Medicine, New Isn’t Always Improved”) While stopping far short of blaming the patients themselves for…
Just a brief alert to make sure everyone sets their DVRs to HBO this coming Monday, June 27 for the premiere of: Hot Coffee is the award winning, critically acclaimed documentary that tells the inside story of Stella Liebeck, the woman who unfairly became a national symbol of legal system frivolity when she was awarded $2.9 million stemming from a…
A Career of Endorsing Structured Settlements “For the almost 40 years I’ve been practicing, structured settlements have played an integral role in the positive outcome of many cases I have settled.” – William T. “Bill” Robinson III, Esq. – Last month, members of the National Structured Settlements Trade Association were treated to a keynote address…
Seems people have a penchant for going “Back to the Future.” “Old” ideas get a fresh coat of paint and are recycled for the next generation who embrace them as their own. Just think of all the successful TV shows that focus on a particular historical period in time but are produced a decade or…