Jerry Golden is a nationally recognized advocate for retirees (and for those planning their retirement) whose retirement can last two or three decades or more. He is responsible for many of the landmark innovations that have helped consumers achieve financial security during their entire lifetime. As an innovator, Jerry has often had to challenge the accepted wisdom of both product providers and distributors, and drive regulatory change where necessary.
Jerry’s interest in annuities and their unique ability to produce guaranteed lifetime income for consumers (just like Social Security or a pension) began years ago with his first assignment out of college. As an actuarial trainee at The Equitable just graduated from the University of Michigan, his job was to review the pricing methodology for immediate annuities. Jerry was impressed with their ability to address the basic question so many retirees have: Will I have enough money to enjoy retirement and not outlive my savings? He saw this product as win-win for consumer and company, shifting the longevity and investment risk from the individual to the insurer. This risk-shifting plus a competitive marketplace made these income annuities an attractive deal for the consumer.
Jerry carried this viewpoint into his pioneering work on variable life insurance and variable annuities, where he innovated numerous times, building these product lines into billion-dollar businesses. In this work Jerry has always looked for tax- efficient designs, and encouraged market-based investing by expanding investment choices and combining them with various forms of downside protection.
With the intersection of investments and income annuities Jerry brought together: the first variable annuity with a living benefit guarantee (AXA Equitable Accumulator); the first Rollover IRA account investing in income annuities (MassMutual Retirement Management Account); and the first online integration of income annuities into retirement portfolios (Golden Retirement Savings2Income).
Jerry is a sought-after speaker and industry panelist, and has appeared on Bloomberg Radio, Fox News, and CNNfn. His research has been featured in leading financial publications including Bloomberg Online, Huffington Post and Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, along with numerous trade publications and daily newspapers.
His executive experience includes:
- President, Income Management Strategies Division of MassMutual
- Executive Vice President, AXA Equitable
- Founder and President, Golden American Life
- President, Monarch Resources, Inc.
Today Jerry is founder and CEO of Golden Retirement, LLC, where he is delivering his unique expertise to consumers by helping them create retirement plans that provide income that cannot be outlived. His innovation continues with Go2Income, where you can explore all types of income annuity options, anonymously and free of charge. The result is a personal approach that allows consumers to create dependable, spendable retirement income that will last a lifetime.