Description: This article discusses agent-driven direct mail marketing, the economics of this approach, and how to obtain agent buy-in.

Description: Discussion of distributing life insurance through banks.

Description: This article provides a contemporary perspective of direct-to-consumer, defines what it is, and offers several considerations for D2C strategies.

Description: The NAIC's 'Life Insurance Illustrations Model Regulation,' which goes into effect on January 1, 1997, is largely a response to the perceived misrepresentations in life insurance illustrations, of which vanishing premiums is a notorious example. From an actuarial perspective, this state of affairs presents an interesting challenge. Rather than disallowing illustrations of risky contracts, why not develop an illustration for potential policyholders which adequately conveys the essence of these contracts and their probabilistic nature. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some preliminary observations related to the development of such illustrations.

Description: This is a digest of of informal discussions recorded in the Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1958, Vol. 10, No. 27. Topics addressed: 1. Need for a new life valuation table. 2. Special policies such as Family Plans and Bank Loan and Split Dollar Plans. 3. Trends in agent compensation.

Description: What are insurance companies promoting in the market? How are they framing their products and services? What is their value proposition to producers? Members of the SOA Marketing and Distribution section receive an exclusive benefit that addresses these questions.

Description: At least 60 percent of households are now on the Do Not Call list, the level of telemarketing is down, but it still remains an effective marketing channel for insurance companies.

Description: The article summarizes results of a Milliman survey per the title. These products comprise about 40% of the total individual life market, and the survey covers a range of topics on these plans, which should be of interest to a large portion of the life industry.