Annuity sales platforms can help financial professionals engage with customers more effectively, but all have their strengths and weaknesses, writes technology expert Thiru Sivasubramanian. "The appropriate option -- or options -- comes down to the advisor's business model and requirements," he writes.

The large-scale risk transfer of defined-benefit plan liabilities can cause a painful balance sheet hit for the plan sponsor. However, a company may be able to avoid this by transferring only part of its pension liabilities to an annuity, says Brian Donohue of October Three Consulting.

A survey from TIAA found that 27% of adults are concerned about the financial security of their parents, and that those who are were more likely to worry about their own retirement security. The survey showed millennials have the most confidence in their parents' financial outlooks and baby boomers have the least.

More than three-quarters of adults over 50 would like to stay in their current homes as they age, but many believe that won't be possible as their infirmities add up. However, technology may be able to help with the advent of things such as smart appliances and speakers equipped with artificial intelligence.

The stock market needs to rebound toward a high to maintain a rally that has lasted a decade, technical analyst Andrew Adams says. Momentum is flagging, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq composite and the Russell 2000 index are under pressure, and the S&P 500 has potential to dip below an uptrend in place since 2009, Andrews says.

Federal Reserve officials are in agreement a patient approach to interest rates is the right course to take "for some time," according to meeting minutes. Many members support Chairman Jerome Powell's opinion that recent weakening of inflation is "likely to be transitory."

The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued guidelines that make it harder for exchanges to increase fees for data and high-speed connections. The guidance requires that exchanges submit detailed analysis to the SEC to explain why higher fees are justified.

Global market volatility and the 24/7 news cycle make investors more likely to base decisions on emotion, write Colby Payne and Molly Weiss. They offer three strategies advisors can use to help prevent emotional investing, beginning with a focus on financial planning and investor education.

Companies can benefit from reverse mentorship programs in which older employees listen to younger ones to gain insights about subjects such as technology and societal changes, writes consultant Jarrod Upton. Benefits of reverse mentoring can include removing intergenerational barriers, empowering younger employees, avoiding group think and limiting turnover, he writes.

Retirement anxiety is growing among baby boomers, many of whom have little to no retirement savings, forcing more boomers to postpone retirement. IRI's annual survey of boomers found that 45% have zero savings for their golden years, and even those with savings are lacking in a number of retirement preparedness factors. Read the report.

Leading off this edition of IRI Insight is an article examining how to best assist women with their unique retirement-planning challenges, such as earnings lag, time pressures and a fundamentally different approach to decision-making. Also in this issue: helping clients understand options to preserve their savings; casting a new light on the value of annuities through the lens of retirement realities; and examining the effect of sequence-of-returns risk on retirement savings. The issue also includes a snapshot of government retirement plan contribution and benefit limits and Medicare income-based premiums for 2019. Get your copy here.