October is Financial Planning Month

Total individual life insurance new annualized premium improved four percent in the third quarter of 2014, according to LIMRA’s Retail Individual Life Insurance Survey.

How do we win the hearts and minds of today’s consumers?

A new LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute study found that the more knowledge someone has about annuities, the more likely he or she is to have a positive attitude about them and eventually own one.

At the 98th LIMRA Annual Conference in New York, Robert A. Kerzner, CLU, ChFC, president and CEO of LIMRA, LOMA and LL Global, examined the changes in consumers’ demographics and expectations and explored the impact of their changes on the financial-services industry.

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.

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 LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute survey reveals that among consumers aged 50 -75 with $100,000 or more in household income, women are more likely than men to be concerned about running out of money in retirement (46 percent vs. 35 percent).

A new LIMRA survey finds that 93 percent of life insurance companies had social media programs in place in 2013, up 55 percent from 2010 (when only 60 percent of companies used social media).

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.

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.