The going is getting tougher for insurance agents who use high pressure or misleading tactics to sell annuities or life insurance to seniors. Starting January 1, 2004, agents in California face new restrictions in the ways they may market these products to older individuals -- restrictions prompted by legislators' concerns that annuities and life insurance are sometimes sold to seniors using deceptive or arm-twisting methods. For most provisions of the law, a "senior" is a person age 65 or older.

See our Consumer Protection section for our report on these new protections.