Investment Product Launches for the Week

Capital Institutional Services, known as CAPIS, has formed a strategic partnership with Invest ‘n Retire LLC, through which the firms will offer institutional clients access to CAPIS’ 24-hour global agency trading desk and custody services.

Invest ‘n Retire provides investment managers with recordkeeping solutions, trading services and custody arrangements through their software as a service model, with the goal being to achieve lower costs than traditional service providers.

CAPIS is “a women-owned independent agency broker that specializes in global agency trading, independent research and commission management programs for institutional investors,” according to the company.

“CAPIS is one of the few remaining independent agency brokers in the industry, which is appealing to us,” explains Darwin Abrahamson, chief executive officer at Invest ‘n Retire. “Because of CAPIS’ reputation and experience in global trading along with their ability to help our clients reduce their costs, we are pleased to partner with them to offer our clients an industry-leading platform along with industry-leading trading services.”

NEXT: Low-Cost Variable Annuity from Nationwide

Nationwide introduced several new and enhanced annuity and life insurance products with the launch of Nationwide Destination Freedom+, known as the Freedom+ program for short.

The Freedom+ program brings investment-focused variable annuities built for clients looking for “a low-cost solution with the flexibility to choose from more than 130 funds.”

Eric Henderson, senior vice president of life insurance and annuities at Nationwide, explains that Freedom+ builds upon the firm’s internal expertise to provide advisers and clients with an investment-focused solution in a low-cost structure that minimizes fee impact on portfolio performance.

According to Nationwide, Freedom+ offers a “1% base cost,” helping to reduce the overall fee-drag on a portfolio’s performance. Freedom+ also provides clients with tax-deferred investment opportunities for their portfolio, potentially helping to create more retirement income.

Clients using Freedom+ can choose between the Standard Return of Contract Value Death Benefit or two optional death benefits, the Return of Premium Enhanced Death Benefit or the Highest Anniversary Enhanced Death Benefit, “to provide a financial foundation for their family’s future.” The Nationwide spousal protection feature, available at no additional cost when an enhanced death benefit is elected, provides a death benefit for both spouses, regardless of who passes away first. The surviving spouse can receive the death benefit or continue the contract at the higher of the death benefit or contract value.

The Enhanced Surrender Value for Terminal Illness (ESVTI) feature is also available on Freedom+. ESVTI offers terminally ill owner-annuitants access to their full death benefit value prior to passing away. The patent-pending feature is included in new contracts at no additional cost. Nationwide says it is the only provider to offer this type of feature on a variable annuity.

NEXT: A Multi-Asset Income Fund by Fidelity 

Fidelity Investments announced the launch of the firm’s first multi-asset income fund, “designed to meet the growing demand among American investors for income.”

Fidelity Advisor Multi-Asset Income Fund is available only through financial advisers, in share classes A, C, T and I. The fund is described as “an income-oriented strategy that seeks to provide a combination of income and capital appreciation.” A flexible mandate allows the managers to invest across the entire spectrum of income-producing securities, Fidelity says, including investment-grade bonds, non-investment-grade bonds, and dividend-paying equities.

The fund’s benchmark index is the Barclays Aggregate Bond Index. It also has a secondary composite benchmark, equal to 50% S&P 500 Index and 50% Barclays Aggregate Bond Index.

“In today’s low-yield environment, many advisers are looking beyond traditional bond categories to find income. However, stretching for yield can increase risk,” explains Scott Couto, president of Fidelity Financial Advisor Solutions. “Our new fund can help advisers and their clients balance income potential and risk, because it has the flexibility to invest where the best income opportunities exist—regardless of asset class, sector, or geography.”

The firm says the Fidelity Advisor Multi-Asset Income Fund brings Fidelity’s experts in income investing together in a single fund. Adam Kramer, who has 15 years of investment experience and manages high-yield, convertible, and preferred securities asset, is the lead manager. He will work closely with two co-managers, Ford O’Neil and Jim Morrow.

According to lead manager Kramer, in seeking to achieve the fund’s investment objective, there are four primary goals in managing the fund: i) provide a high level of current income; ii) provide capital preservation in declining markets; iii) provide capital appreciation in rising markets; and iv) add alpha through both asset class and security selection.

NEXT: New York Life Adds to QLAC Capabilities 

New York Life has launched a new income annuity, Mutual Income, designed to offer clients the opportunity to directly participate in the company’s mutual structure. Separately, New York Life has expanded its income annuity options available on tax-qualified savings.

Both innovations, according to the firm, are meant to address the growing demands of retirees and pre-retirees.

With the launch of New York Life Mutual Income Annuities and the availability of deferred income annuities as Qualifying Longevity Annuity Contracts (QLACs), New York Life wants to “give pre-retirees and retirees the guarantees they want and the ability to customize retirement income to meet their needs,” says Dylan Huang, managing director at New York Life.

Mutual Income works much like a traditional income annuity, the firm says, through which income can begin immediately or be deferred until a future start date of the client’s choosing.

“As with other income annuities, a client invests a lump sum with an insurer, and receives an income stream that’s guaranteed for life. But unlike traditional income annuities, the total income amount is not capped at the guarantee,” New York Life explains. “As policy owners, New York Life’s Mutual Income clients will also be eligible for annual dividends that can be used to increase their retirement income beyond the guaranteed amount.”

Huang adds, “We believe the purchase pattern that we see in our non-qualified sales indicates that there will be even more interest in deferred income annuities now that the income start-date is permitted beyond the age of 70½. When pre-retirees have no restrictions around the income start date, they are using the flexibility that deferred income annuities afford to create retirement income tailored to their specific needs.”