About the Insured Retirement Institute

The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) has been called the “primary trade association for annuities” by U.S. News and World Report and has quickly become the go-to source for the media and a trusted supplier of high-quality research, education and much more. We are the only association that represents the entire supply chain of insured retirement strategies: our members are the major insurers, broker-dealers, banks, asset managers, financial advisors and industry solution providers.

IRI is a not-for-profit organization that brings together the interests of the industry, financial advisors and consumers under one umbrella. Our official mission is to: encourage industry adherence to highest ethical principles; promote better understanding of the insured retirement value proposition; develop and promote best practice standards to improve value delivery; and to advocate before public policy makers on critical issues affecting insured retirement strategies.

Thinking about membership?

Under the leadership of former Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner and National Association of Insurance Commissioners CEO, IRI President Cathy Weatherford focuses on research, education and advocacy in the best interest of the consumer and investor to help them secure their retirement with lifetime income. As an IRI member, you can be involved in projects such as some of our more recent and ongoing endeavors:

Helping educate 77 million Baby Boomers on the need for quality retirement planning during National Retirement Planning Week, partnerships with organizations such as the AARP through the national media;
Launching our members only website where members can access breaking news, government affairs updates and more [financial advisors are now free IRI members through their parent companies and can take full advantage of this site and all IRI member benefits as well!];
Delivering robust education to financial advisors through our Virtual University at a 25% discount;
Working with the SEC to develop a summary prospectus for variable annuity products and eliminating the annual updating requirement;
Filing a response to the Request for Information (RFI) and Senate requested Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to identify ways to break down the barriers of inclusion of lifetime income options in 401(k) plans and to educate members of Congress about insured retirement strategies;
Working with the Interstate Insurance Product Compact Commission to identify and remove barriers to new product standards and to speed new product approvals;
Fighting to ensure federal regulatory reform legislation does not impose more requirements that adversely impact consumers and our members;
Producing more than 20 research/thought leadership projects this year;
Continuing to expand the scope and implementation of IRI’s Straight-Through Processing Standards and Specifications; and
Further growing our megaphone in the media and moving a positive message for our industry.

To become a member, please call IRI member services at (202) 469-3000 or email memberservices@irionline.org