Wealth management

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. said Wednesday that it had updated its directors, officers, and company liability policy for members of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts Inc. in view of increased shareholder expectations and heightened scrutiny by regulators.

MetLife Inc. has introduced a living benefit rider for its variable annuities that guarantees the contract will be valued at 110% to 130% of the customer's initial purchase payments, less withdrawals, by the annuity's 10th anniversary.

Great-West Healthcare, the employee benefits division of Denver-based Great-West Life and Annuity Insurance Co., said it had introduced two consultative tools for brokers to use in helping employers decide whether consumer-driven health plans are right for their employees.

Finetre Corp., a Herndon, Va., software developer, has introduced a version of its annuity platform that includes enhancements it says were requested by customers or required by evolving industry regulation.

TD Banknorth Inc. announced Tuesday that it has a deal to expand its insurance presence in central Maine by buying Boothby & Bartlett Co., an agency in Waterville.

Tompkins Trustco Inc. said that it had agreed to buy AM&M Financial Services Inc., a financial planning firm that sells insurance and other products to clients in western New York.

Perceiving inherent conflicts of interest in big brokerages' revenue models, a former Minneapolis broker started his own investment advisory firm this year and has gathered $100 million of assets while promising to take no compensation from fund companies.

Ameritrade Holding Corp. of Omaha has promoted Michael D. Chochon, its assistant treasurer since 2003, to treasurer.

MetLife Investors Distribution Co., which sells through banks and other intermediaries, said Monday that it had reorganized its insurance sales team to boost annuity, long-term-care, and life insurance sales.

Willis Group Holdings Ltd., a global insurance broker based in New York, said Monday that it is buying a Peruvian brokerage and a Brazilian employee benefits firm.

Symetra Life Insurance Co. of Bellevue, Wash., is expanding the sales and compliance training it offers banks and other sellers of its products.

A new Bank of America Corp. unit that serves ultra-wealthy families has formed a team in Miami.

Alliance Bankshares Corp. in Chantilly, Va., has announced the closing of its purchase of the Danaher Insurance Agency of Annandale, Va.

Banks have found it difficult to create scale in life insurance, says Wade Reece, the president of BB&T Insurance Services in Raleigh, N.C., and a possible explanation lies in a recent survey indicating customers are only vaguely aware that banks sell the product.

Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays PLC, said Friday that it had promoted Gerard LaRocca to chief executive officer of Barclays Capital Inc., which is the banking company's U.S. broker-dealer.

Fitch Ratings assigned an A-plus rating Friday to Sun Life Financial Inc.'s issuance of about $506 million of senior unsecured debentures.

Commerce Capital Markets Inc., the full-service brokerage subsidiary of Commerce Bancorp Inc., announced Friday that Marc A. Sieben had joined it as the head of brokerage and wealth management.

St. Paul Travelers Cos.' debt rating outlook was revised to positive, from stable, by Standard & Poor's, the New York rating agency which pointed Thursday to the insurer's improved operating performance.

Symetra Life Insurance Co. introduced an annuity Thursday for a retirement planning model intended to reduce the danger of outliving one's savings.