Tag: Think Advisor

MassMutual Under Investigation Over ‘Roaring Kitty’

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2021/02/04/state-regulator-probing-roaring-kitty-massmutual/

Excerpt:

Massachusetts’ top securities regulator, William Galvin, is looking into the actions of Keith Patrick Gill, the former MassMutual broker who played a key role in the trading frenzy surrounding video game retailer GameStop and other stock last week.

Gill is the person behind the Roaring Kitty YouTube streams that, combined with a string of posts by Reddit user DeepF***ingValue, drove a sudden increase in GameStop stock trading, slamming hedge funds that had bet against the struggling retailer.

“I can confirm our Securities Division sent an inquiry to MassMutual last Friday asking about Mr. Gill’s status,” a spokesperson for Galvin told ThinkAdvisor on Thursday.

Author(s): Jeff Berman

Publication Date: 4 February 2021

Publication Site: Think Advisor

COVID-19 Numbers Continue to Look Better

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2021/02/04/covid-19-numbers-continue-to-look-better/

Graphic:

Excerpt:

The top federal COVID-19 tracking team says key pandemic intensity indicators improved last week.

The U.S. death rate increased slightly, but the number of new cases fell, and the percentage of people tested who actually had the virus that causes COVID-19 also fell, according to the White House COVID-19 Team Data Strategy and Execution Workgroup.

Author(s): Allison Bell

Publication Date: 4 February 2021

Publication Site: Think Advisor

National COVID-19 Numbers Improve

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2021/01/28/national-covid-19-numbers-improve/

Excerpt:

President Joe Biden’s administration is reorganizing federal pandemic management efforts. The tracking team has left out its usual list of observations and recommendations.

In place of the weekly notes, the team has included a statement indicating that, “The weekly State Profile Reports are currently under review. The format and content may change in coming reports.”

The weekly reports have distilled current knowledge about COVID-19 trends that could shape benefits costs for every life and health product, including annuities, and efforts to ease pandemic-related social distancing rules.

One question is whether the new COVID-19 vaccination program will have any early effect on the pandemic intensity level.

Graph:

Author(s): Allison Bell

Publication Date: 28 January 2021

Publication Site: Think Advisor

COVID-19 and Long-Term Care: LTCI Insider

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2021/01/30/covid-19-and-long-term-care-ltci-insider/

Excerpt:

The impact on the nursing home industry has been catastrophic!

With occupancy rates plummeting, this industry is in deep financial trouble.

The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) conducted a survey of 953 nursing home providers across the U.S. on their financial and staffing challenges.

Two-thirds of nursing homes operators say they won’t make it another year given current operating pace due to increased COVID-19 costs.

90% of nursing homes are currently operating at a loss or less than 3% profit margin.

65% are currently operating at a loss.

Author: Margie Barrie

Publication Date: 30 January 2021

Publication Site: Think Advisor

Social Security COLA: What’s Working, What’s Not

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2021/01/12/social-security-cola-whats-working-whats-not/

Excerpt:

The only remaining provider of inflation-protected annuities in the United States is the federal government through Social Security. Retirees today can buy more of this income by waiting until age 70 to claim Social Security, thereby boosting their inflation-protected income by 30% over their full retirement age.


For healthy, higher-income retirees who have seen the largest improvements in longevity in recent decades, this increase in lifetime inflation-protected income appears to be a bargain.

Authors: Jason Fichtner and Michael Finke

Publication Date: 12 January 2021

Publication Site: Think Advisor