Description: Discusses bancassurance in the United States, after providing a brief background about it in Europe.

Description: In the face of declining response rates from direct mail campaigns, the author suggests use of the internet to generate leads will be much more efficient and successful.

Description: Among the most outspoken of the life insurance industry’s authorities is Ronald Butkiewicz, president and CEO, Irish Life of North America ILONA. In speeches to industry groups, including a 1995 presentation to the Actuarial Society of Greater New York, Butkiewicz makes the challenging statement, 'American society doesn’t need the life insurance industry. I am also quick to add that I don’t think American society needs banks, either.' However, said Butkiewicz in an interview for this article, 'It does need our products.' The article goes on to explain how Butkiewicz sees life insurance becoming part of one, big financial services industry.

Description: This article offers ideas on how to simplify the sale of life insurance over the internet.

Description: Discussion of the findings of a survey conducted by Deloitte Consulting on the experience insurers were having with automated underwriting. This survey was solicited by the Society of Actuaries' Marketing and Distribution Section Council, the Product Development Section Council and the Committee on Life Insurance Research.

Description: This is an article that has excerpts from each of the four winning papers of a contest sponsored by the Society of Actuaries on the subject of visions of the life insurance industry in 2020.

Description: Editor's column discussing the contents of the January 2011 issue of NewsDirect.

Description: A list of activities involving the Marketing and Distribution Section of the SOA.

Description: This article discusses three litigation issues: 1. Shelter Framing Corp. v. PBGC: This is a case recently placed on the Appellate Docket of the U.S. Supreme Court being appealed from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. That Circuit Court held that the Multiemployer Pension Plan amendments Act, which imposes liability on employers who withdrew from multiemployer plans, is unconstitutional as applied to employers who withdraw before the Act’s enactment but after its retroactively effective date. 2. Federal Trade Commission: The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has held that an investigation by the FTC into whether finance companies and auto dealerships were engaging in unfair and deceptive practices by representing that purchase of credit life insurance was required as a condition to obtain financing, was not outside the FTC’s power. 3. Baldwin-United Case: Under the rehabilitation plan for Baldwin-United, the Company would refund $3.7 billion to the annuity holders. Several groups are challenging this decision.

Description: This article discusses problems with life insurance sales illustrations. Potential abuses include use of unrealistic interest rates, projection of mortality improvements, elimination of loads after the 15th year and bonus crediting after the 15th year.