Advisor Trust Index, Q4 Update

Advisor Trust Index - Annuities, Launched to Bring Long-Term Clarity to Carrier Partnerships

The Advisor Trust Index has been introduced as a new, advisor-centric framework designed to evaluate annuity carrier partnerships based on long-term trust, consistency, and real-world advisor experience—not short-term pricing or static rankings.

Unlike traditional scorecards, the Advisor Trust Index operates as a quarter-over-quarter governance model, tracking how carriers perform over time across product quality, transparency, service execution, financial strength, and consumer outcomes.

“The objective is not to rank carriers in isolation, but to create a shared framework that reflects how advisors actually experience carrier relationships,” said Ken Cochrane, Managing Director at Pulse Logic, led the development of the Index. “Advisors need stability and clarity across market cycles, and carriers benefit from earlier, more actionable feedback.”

Key Features of the Advisor Trust Index Include:

• Product use-case alignment, distinguishing accumulation-focused, income-focused, or dual-use carriers

• Quarter-over-quarter tier tracking, highlighting stability and early signs of drift

• Contextual tier-change severity, separating minor movement from material trust breakdowns

• Advisor watch-list monitoring, enabling proactive engagement before issues impact distribution

• Integration of actual market yields, evaluating competitiveness alongside reliability and execution

The framework is designed to support durable shelf placement, improve business quality, and strengthen advisor confidence through a documented, repeatable process. For carriers and wholesaler leadership, it provides greater transparency into the factors that influence long-term advisor trust and distribution outcomes.

“The Advisor Trust Index creates a common language,” Cochrane added. “It helps advisors, wholesalers, and carriers stay aligned around long-term partnership rather than short-term market noise.”

The Advisor Trust Index is positioned as an independent third party, advisor-driven framework intended to support better decision-making, stronger carrier relationships, and more sustainable growth across the distribution ecosystem.

For more information or to request an overview of the framework, contact:Ken Cochrane, kcochrane@pulse-logic.com