Corporate pension plan buyouts reached $1.084 billion in the first quarter of 2016 according to a LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute sales survey. This is interpreted as a clear sign that companies are eager to limit the amount of risk in their pension plans. The US Group Annuity Risk Transfer Survey, released in May of this year, notes that this is the first time sales have topped $1 billion in

Forget the United States; Taiwan, Malta and Ecuador head the list of countries where expats most want to live this year, a new survey reports. More than 14,000 expats ranked their preferred countries in the InterNations Expat Insider 2016 survey, released in August. In addition to the best overall rating, Taiwan also won first place for personal finance and quality of life, and second place for its working conditions. More than

MAXIS Global Benefits Network in August 2016 launched the MAXIS Global Risk Solution, a global program management solution offering centralized multinational companies with large global footprints a single-employer, non-profit-sharing arrangement. Key advantages include better terms and conditions; economies of scale; greater predictability of premiums; a global financial view; and a single point of contact for underwriting. Eligible coverages include group death; survivor income; group disability benefits; as well as

In September 2016, Zurich appointed Jack Howell as regional chief executive officer for Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong and reporting directly to Mario Greco, group chief executive officer. In April 2015, Generali, then still led by Greco, had appointed Howell as regional chief executive officer for Asia. Jack Howell, 46, a U.S. citizen, holds a B.S. in Quantitative Economics from Tufts University and an MBA from the University