Message From the CEO

Life Happens, NAIFA’s consumer-education arm, has collaborated for the 14th year with LIMRA to conduct the 2024 Insurance Barometer Study. The findings reveal a great opportunity for financial professionals to educate Americans about the importance of life insurance and dispel some of the myths and misunderstandings that contribute to a life insurance need-gap in the United States. As we wrap up April, National Financial Literacy Month, it’s a great time to remember that an important part of being a financial professional involves improving the financial literacy of clients and consumers.

A new survey by NAIFA’s industry partner LIMRA and EY found that about 75% of employers believe they will need to modify their employee benefits packages within the next five years to attract and retain top talent. Among the top benefits employers believe workers will be most interested in are: life insurance, paid family and medical leave, short-term disability, long-term disability, and physical wellness programs. The survey also found that a significant portion of workers place a greater value on workplace insurance benefits – particularly health insurance, life insurance, and disability insurance – than they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Total U.S. life insurance new annualized premium increased 17% in the first quarter of 2022, representing the fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit premium growth, according to LIMRA’s First Quarter 2022 U.S. Retail Life Insurance Sales Survey.

“Nearly half of life insurers reported premium gains in the first quarter but the majority of the growth came from the top 10 carriers. Nine of the top 10 reported double-digit growth. Combined, their sales increased 32% from last year,” said John Carroll, senior vice president, head of insurance and annuities, LIMRA and LOMA. “While the overall number of policies sold was lower than the record sales set in first quarter 2021, policy sales matched pre-pandemic levels.”

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).