EVANSTON, Ill., May 25, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- In the release issued yesterday, May 24, information in the first paragraph has been revised. The corrected first paragraph follows:
U.S. sales of fixed annuities reached $16.8 billion in first quarter, 2006, a 0.4% decrease from the previous quarter. Improvement was steady throughout first quarter, with March showing the highest monthly sales. Results were 7.4% below the same period last year, according to new estimates from the "Beacon Research Fixed Annuity Premium Study" based on sales of 51 insurance companies. First quarter indexed annuity sales were $6.6 billion, up 1.6% from the prior quarter and 6.5% above first quarter, 2005.