risk button While the trend of corporations' overall interest in de-risking pension obligations is indisputable, relatively few plans have been fully terminated. (Photo: Bigstock)

Sponsors of defined benefit pension plans purchased $8.2 billion of single premium pension buy-out annuities in the second quarter of 2018, the most active second quarter for the pension risk transfer products over the past 15 years, according to the LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute's quarterly U.S. Group Annuity Risk Transfer Survey.

It was also the second most active quarter since 2012. In December of 2017, sponsors purchased $11.1 billion in risk transfer annuities.

Year-to-date, total sales are $9.6 billion. LIMRA expects sales to eclipse $23 billion for 2018.

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Nick Thornton

Nick Thornton is a financial writer covering retirement and health care issues for BenefitsPRO and ALM Media. He greatly enjoys learning from the vast minds in the legal, academic, advisory and money management communities when covering the retirement space. He's also written on international marketing trends, financial institution risk management, defense and energy issues, the restaurant industry in New York City, surfing, cigars, rum, travel, and fishing. When not writing, he's pushing into some land or water.