The Gamut

Oh, waiter? Reality check, please

bcoffin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:54:48 +0000

There is an interesting article on Investment News this morning regarding how the insurance industry has largely dodged a regulatory bullet in all of the financial services regulatory overhaul. Now, I say “interesting” kind of how most English folks will nod and politely say that whatever your hitting them with is “interesting” when what they [...]

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

bcoffin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:05:47 +0000

If you have been following the retained asset account situation – and I can’t imagine many readers of this blog who have not – then you’ll know that Prudential is at the heart of it. Not that Prudential is necessarily doing anything wrong, but the Bloomberg article that touched this whole issue off did so [...]

Private Fatbody, Reporting for Duty!

bcoffin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:52:31 +0000

I came across two bits of interest on the Web yesterday that tied together our obesity epidemic with national security. The first was this bit of grotesque food reporting that highlighted five of the most ridiculous platters being served in our nation’s restaurants. For those of you without the courage to hit the link – and [...]

Slogging Through

bcoffin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:46:05 +0000

“We’ll slog our way through,” Thomas Hoenig, head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City noted of the world economy at this weekend’s annual retreat for the Federal Reserve in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The retreat gathered bank officials and economists from across the world to discuss global financial prospects, especially in light of uncertain [...]

Endings…and Beginnings

bcoffin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:59:26 +0000

Today’s post is not based on a news item, but on a personal experience I had over the weekend. I hope you’ll bear with me. Last week, my dad’s wife’s father got up in the middle of the night, either to go to the bathroom or to get some food or something, and he slipped and [...]

Spreading the Disease

bcoffin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:56:08 +0000

Making their point with a five-foot-tall of adult DVDs, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation yesterday held a joint press release and protest as it declared intentions to file complaints with the California office of occupational safety and health (CalOSHA) over the adult film industry’s blacklist over the use of condoms in its productions. The AIDS Healthcare [...]

Annuity sales are back! Or are they?

bcoffin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:53:22 +0000

Second quarter annuity sales in the U.S. have hit record highs, according to a report issued earlier this week by the Insured Retirement Institute, the annuity industry’s main trade group. The report, which blends data from both Morningstar and Beacon Research, notes that 2Q 2010 annuity sales increased 13.5% from last quarter, from $47.4 billion to [...]

At Humana, a Changing of the Guard

bcoffin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:29:46 +0000

As Humana nears its 50th anniversary next year, a major change in its leadership is underway. David A. Jones Jr., son of the health care giant’s founder, has voluntarily resigned from his post as chairman of the board. Taking his place immediately is Humana CEO Michael B. McCallister, who was voted unanimously to the position [...]

Better Hospitals for a Sick City

bcoffin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:45:58 +0000

Some years ago, I worked as a freelance writer for a publisher in Detroit, Michigan, and every year, I’d be invited out to the home office for a few days to have a little face time and to hang with my virtual colleagues. This was the first time I ever got to witness firsthand the [...]

The Slow Burn on RAAs

bcoffin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:19:13 +0000

Some feel the RAA issue has legs. Others feel it hasn't got a leg to stand on.