A new LIMRA study finds that 7 in 10 employers offer voluntary benefits to improve the morale of their existing employees and attract and retain new talent.

The stock market might have rebounded since the financial crisis, but according to the latest COUNTRY Financial Security Index survey, many Americans are still wary of investing or simply are unable to get started. Just over half of Americans (51 percent) say they do not invest in the stock or bond markets in any way.

Total U.S. annuity sales reached $61.4 billion in the second quarter of this year, improving eight percent from prior year, according to LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute. In the first six months of 2014, total U.S. annuity sales increased 10 percent, compared with sales in 2013.

A recent LIMRA study has found that 57 percent of middle-market American households are not saving regularly. This number jumps to 69 percent for households with children who are under 18 years old.

Projected cost increases for all types of medical plans are anticipated to be down by between 0.1 and 0.5 percent in 2014, according to a survey by Buck Consultants. The survey notes that this continues the favorable trend of slow, steady declines generally experienced since 2010.

Skills Gap Plays Key Role in Hiring Difficulties

Nearly half of financial- services companies are struggling to fill certain positions, but the reasons behind their recruiting challenges are nuanced, according to a new survey by MoneyJobs.com, CareerBuilder’s job site for finance and accounting professionals.

A recent blog entry in LIMRA’s Industry Trends: “If I Could Only Get Around to It” might help you motivate your prospects into making the critical decision to buy from you. The blog post appears below.

May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month, the month-long campaign spearheaded by Life Happens to promote the benefits of disability income insurance among consumers. The DIAM campaign is the perfect platform you need to talk to your clients and prospects about this important coverage.

The life insurance industry’s highest honor will be presented at the NAIFA Career Conference and Annual Meeting in September as a tribute to his more than 40 years of service and contributions to the industry.

It’s not just beards, butchers and bicycles that Millennials are bringing back. The youngest adults in America, aged 18-29, are also showing signs that they’re old souls in the way they manage their money.