For decades, variable annuities have had a bad rap, dissed as fee-laden, overly expensive and "not bought but sold" to unsophisticated investors by commission-hungry brokers.

According to a recent survey by Eastbridge, "product competition" was named most frequently as an obstacle voluntary and worksite executives' businesses will face over the next few years. Forty percent of the executives deemed this a top issue.

Here’s a recent roundup of promotions and staff changes in the industry.

TIAA-CREF is currently selecting advisers for its own network, which will launch over the next six months and go nationwide early next year. For participants in TIAA-CREF retirement plans, the network will be a pre-screened group of planners who can provide advice on specific plans that meet fiduciary standards.

WellPoint plans to buy privately held Medicare specialist CareMore to expand its presence in the U.S. government program for the elderly. The deal will advance WellPoint's plans to become a bigger competitor in Medicare.

Two out of three workers would purchase additional health insurance benefits to make sure they are protected, according to a report from Aflac. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they would acquire voluntary insurance.

Lawyers for President Barack Obama sought on Wednesday to stave off the biggest legal challenge yet to health care reform, his signature domestic policy achievement.

At least 30% of employers are likely to stop offering health insurance once provisions of the U.S. health care reform law kick in in 2014, according to a study by the global management consulting firm.

Lawyers for President Obama will on Wednesday seek to stave off the biggest legal challenge yet to health care reform, his signature domestic policy achievement.

BenefitMall has revamped the company's website, adding resources and information to assist brokers. Changes include an improved home page that provides quicker access to tools that can help brokers more effectively manage their businesses.

Hundreds of facts and statistics have been compiled from numerous industry reports to produce the first Long-Term Care Insurance Almanac and Book of Facts. The guide, produced by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, will help financial and insurance professionals address the increasing number of questions raised by prospective clients.

Group medical premiums continue to increase nationwide, according to the May Employee Benefits Market Survey conducted by The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers. Since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was enacted last year, many carriers and brokers blame the legislation for the increase rates, states a CIAB news release.

Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., has introduced bipartisan legislation that aims to bring parity and equal treatment under the tax code for health plan beneficiaries who are domestic partners and non-spouse dependents.

Plan sponsors say that they “find comfort” in their advisers and the services they deliver, according to preliminary results from a comprehensive study to research the benefits that plan sponsors gain from working with professional retirement plan advisers.

The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration has extended the deadline for 401(k) plans to disclose fees and expenses to participants to 120 days after the Jan. 1, 2012 deadline. Originally, the deadline was 60 days after the effective date. As a result, plans now have until April 30, 2012 to provide the information.

Americans' use of medical services has not yet rebounded during the weak economy, health insurers say, in a trend that keeps the companies' costs down and could bolster their profits further this year.

Here’s a recent roundup of promotions and staff changes in the industry.

One of the more contentious issues of last year’s health care reform debate, whether health insurance companies should be allowed to sell policies across state lines, was subject to a congressional hearing last week.

Chief financial officers at some of the nation's largest banks and financial services firms are downright bullish on the U.S. economy's overall outlook but nagging concerns about health care reform and the uncertainty of those costs are tempering their optimism.

The mid-size market is a bright spot for voluntary sales in an otherwise stagnant economy, according to LIMRA research.