WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, CHIP HILTON?
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Investment Management Roundtable Discussion – Personal Estate Planning
On May 19, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed sweeping and impactful amendments to its registration and communications rules and forms. The proposed amendments, discussed in our prior alert, would result in the...more
After the Life Insurance and Annuities Illustrations (A) Working Group dissected annuity illustrations, it reported its findings to the A Committee. The working group discovered that the use of high illustrated rates and the...more
For insurance companies and agents, the distinction between selling annuities and providing investment advice can blur unexpectedly. When annuity sales involve discussions about a client's securities portfolio or...more
On March 31, Ben Slutsker, chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Life Insurance and Annuities Illustration Working Group, made clear that “it is a go” to “address annuity illustrations, and...more
In 2026, the NAIC Life Insurance and Annuities (A) Committee, chaired by Iowa and vice chaired by Michigan, is largely focusing on annuity sales practices, including annuity buyers guides, suitability, and annuity...more
Last week, two different federal courts came to two different conclusions regarding whether the use of allegedly “outdated” mortality tables violates ERISA’s provisions that certain lifetime annuities be “actuarially...more
On February 24, 2026, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Life Insurance and Annuities Illustrations Working Group made its debut appearance. As a prelude, Ben Slutsker, director of life actuarial valuation...more
Skadden’s Insurance practice was prominently represented among attendees of ReFocus 2026. Drawing from conversations at ReFocus 2026 and our observations of current market trends, we have the following five key takeaways for...more
When was the last time you checked your beneficiary designations? Imagine spending years building your savings and crafting an estate plan, only to have your assets pass to the wrong person. Often, individuals think that once...more
On 15 January 2026, the Prudential Regulation Authority ("PRA") published its annual letter setting out supervisory priorities for the UK insurance sector for the year ahead. What is the purpose of the PRA's 2025...more
Notwithstanding the SEC’s recently publicized shift away from “regulation by enforcement,” the practice appears alive and well when it comes to fixed indexed annuities (FIAs). In particular, the SEC’s continuing litigation in...more
At the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Fall National Meeting, new updates and activities from various NAIC groups stepped up to the main stage. Here are the headliners for life insurance and...more
Traditional pensions, known as defined benefit plans, have been on the decline since their heyday in the 1960s. Guaranteed lifetime income was a key feature of traditional pension plans. Benefits under a plan would be paid...more
Les administrateurs de régimes de retraite sont plus que jamais à la recherche de stratégies de réduction des risques pour gérer les différents risques liés aux régimes de retraite à prestations déterminées. Dans un contexte...more
Pension plan administrators are increasingly exploring de-risking strategies to manage various risks associated with defined benefit pension plans. As de-risking becomes more common, administrators need to understand the...more
I’m encouraged by the DOL’s issuance of Advisory Opinion 2025-04A, which affirms that a managed-account strategy incorporating a lifetime income component can qualify as a Qualified Default Investment Alternative (QDIA). This...more
When total U.S. retirement assets hit a record $45.8 trillion in Q2 2025, it was headline news—and for good reason. not just a number; it’s a massive concentration of faith, expectations, and fiduciary risk. As one of the...more
Large pension plans have been facing a wave of lawsuits from participants since 2018 relating to whether the qualified joint and survivor annuities (QJSA) and other forms of annuities provided by the plans are the "actuarial...more
The US Department of Labor recently issued an advisory opinion clarifying whether a managed account–based lifetime income offering could qualify as a qualified default investment alternative....more
In its priorities for 2025, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) signalled that it would remain focused on the bulk purchase annuity (BPA) market.1 In a speech on 18 September 2025, the PRA has duly delivered a further...more
Pensions Regulator: revised enforcement strategy - The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is consulting on a revised enforcement strategy, aimed at making its enforcement “smarter, more strategic and more impactful”. TPR explains...more
The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) is once again carrying water for the annuity industry, this time urging the Department of Labor to retain a regulatory safe harbor that’s already obsolete. The safe harbor in question,...more
On August 7, 2025, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Annuity Suitability (A) Working Group released draft safe harbor regulatory guidance that paints a clearer picture of how insurers should oversee third...more
When a plan administrator selects an insurer to provide annuities for a retirement plan subject to ERISA, it is engaging in a fiduciary act that must be conducted prudently. Mistakes in this process can expose the plan...more
In a world where retirement plan innovation often comes with more flash than substance, it’s refreshing to see a strategic alliance that actually addresses a fundamental challenge in defined contribution plans: providing real...more