Many clients are concerned about exhausting their assets in retirement, helping shape the market for life insurance and annuities, writes Louis Slagle, senior vice president of strategic growth and business integration at TruChoice Financial. Record sales are being driven by economic volatility, higher interest rates, and increased consumer demand for products that offer both protection and growth, writes Slagle. In particular, he points to the popularity of registered index-linked annuities and indexed universal life insurance, with the latter now accounting for 25% of all new life insurance premiums in the US.

Retirees are finding that out-of-pocket medical expenses are significantly diminishing their income, according to an analysis by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. At the median, retirees aged 65 and older have only 71% of their Social Security benefits left after medical costs, with those in lower income brackets seeing even more of their income depleted.

The retirement planning landscape in 2026 is shaped by economic uncertainty, market volatility and demographic shifts, American Life's Thomas Bumbolow writes. As 10,000 baby boomers retire daily, annuity professionals must move beyond static product design to offer solutions that balance growth, income, protection and adaptability, Bumbolow writes.

Prediction markets, which allow investors to trade on real-world events such as elections and policy decisions, are becoming increasingly popular among younger investors, writes John O'Connell of The Oasis Group. O'Connell discusses how firms can adapt by observing, updating discovery processes, and ensuring robust governance to maintain credibility and safeguard client outcomes.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority plans to seek the Securities and Exchange Commission's approval to make electronic delivery the default for investor disclosures and communications. Investors would still be able to request paper delivery at no cost under the update, which is part of the FINRA Forward initiative.

Financial advisors see potential for artificial intelligence to enhance client communication, with 63% believing AI will have the greatest impact in this area, according to a Morningstar report. Advisors currently use generative AI for internal productivity, client communications and idea generation, the report found.

Referrals from clients, friends and family account for more than half of advisors' new clients, but networking with professionals such as attorneys and CPAs is the second most common source, according to research from Cerulli Associates. Joint meetings with clients or prospects, connecting over personal interests and referring clients to other professionals can help advisors build strategic alliances.