Products October 3, 2005

ING Releases New Annuity Product

October 3, 2005 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - ING has unveiled a new variable annuity, which the company said is designed to meet consumer demand.
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An ING news release said it is introducing ING Simplicity through its retail annuities business group.

According to the announcement, the new product offers:

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  • integrated living and death benefit
  • simplified investment options: four asset allocation fund-of-funds with built-in diversification and upside potential that are tailored to risk tolerance
  • streamlined benefits means a streamlined prospectus and single-page application.

“ING Simplicity was designed to appeal to investors who are interested in risk protection and savings growth in a convenient, straight-forward package,” said Ann Cutts, senior vice president and head of business development for ING Retail Annuities Business Group, in the news release.

Financial professionals interested in more information should call: 888-4ING123

Annuity Survey

Meanwhile, a new ING study of American investing habits and goals shows that nearly half of Baby Boomers earning at least $50,000 a year like the benefits offered by annuities, but 42% of respondents say they are intimidated by the products.

The study, conducted along with research firm Roper Public Affairs, found that Baby Boomer women are particularly interested in the benefits of annuities. Nearly six in 10 Boomer women surveyed agree with the statement “protecting my retirement savings from loss is important, but I also want to be able to grow my savings.” Four in 10 men agreed.

The study also showed that nearly 70% of respondents believe annuities can provide a reliable savings source for income in retirement, though 46% say they do not know enough about the products to decide whether or not they are a good investment.

The results highlighted in this report are based on telephone interviews conducted from September 16 to 20, among a nationally representative sample of 500 Baby Boomers (adults age 40-59) with an annual household income of $50,000 or more in the contiguous United States.

Administration October 2, 2005

Finance Workers Sport More Frowns

February 10, 2005 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Job migration among finance professionals during 2005 could be brisk, according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder.com.
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In fact, according to a SmartPros report, four in 10 finance workers want to be working somewhere else by the time 2006 dawns, a recent survey by jobs Web site CareerBuilder.com found.

Dissatisfied with pay, workload and management, 10% of finance workers said they are looking for a new job on a weekly basis. Nearly half (48%) said their beefs were about pay. Two-third of the respondents said they did not receive a bonus in 2004 and more than one-third did not receive a raise. Of those who did receive a bump in salary, 36% report an increase of 3% or less.

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In light of new corporate governance standards, 62% of finance workers indicated that their workloads had increased in the last six months with one-half describing their current workloads as too heavy. Nearly half said they worked extra hours and that they no longer look forward to coming to work. Some finance workers feel the leaders of their organization are falling short in providing an overall positive work experience. Twenty-nine percent say they are unhappy with the performance of their corporate leaders and 27% are dissatisfied with their boss or supervisor.

A third of finance workers report being overlooked for promotion. Thirty-three percent say they are dissatisfied with the opportunities for career advancement at their current employers and 28% feel there are ways for them to acquire new skills.

The survey was conducted from November 22, 2004 to December 2, 2004 of 100 finance workers.

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