Senator Elizabeth Warren Investigate Insurance Company Sales Incentives For Annuity Products

STOCKBROKER LAW - Posted on May 12, 2015

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter on Tuesday, April 26, 2015, to a number of large
insurance companies, including MetLife, Inc., American International Group, Inc., Pacific Life Insurance
Company, Allianz SE, U.S. Life division, TIAA-CREF New York Life Insurance, Prudential PIC, Nationwide
Mutual Insurance Company, Jackson National Life, Riversource Life Insurance Co., Security Benefit Life
Insurance Co., Prudential Financial, Aegeon’s Transamerica, AXA S.A.’s U.S. Unit, and Lincoln National
Corp. seeking the particulars of monetary incentives, gifts, and other things of value paid to third
party brokers, brokerage firms, and agents involved with the sales of annuity products.

In a statement issued by her offices, Senator Warren said that these favors have included cruises, cash,
ipads, jewelry, and other things of value termed to constitute “kickbacks.” Referring to this, Senator
Warren noted that, “Annuity agents that are more interested in earning perks than in acting in their
client’s best interests can place American’s savings and retirement security at risk.”

These large insurance companies sell a number of annuity products, including variable annuities, equity
indexed annuities, fixed annuities, immediate annuities and universal annuity life insurance, the sales
of which have come under criticism for their high sales-related commissions, surrender fees, early
withdrawal charges, mortality costs, management fees, and other ongoing fees charged on an annual basis.

Senator Warren also noted that given more than $235 billion per year in annuity sales, disclosure of all
sales incentives is in the interest of the American investor.

The Law Offices of Timothy J. O’Connor offers a free initial consultation to investors who feel that
they may have been victimized by way of an improper sale of an annuity product.