Description: This paper applies the research in Prospect Theory of Kahneman and Tversky to explain why sales of annuities lag sales of life insurance products. The author theorizes that life insurance is easier to sell because customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of losses, while potential annuity customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of gains. Kahneman and Tversky showed us that people are mostly risk averse in the domain of gains and risk seeking in the domain of losses. Purchase of an annuity or life product is a risky investment. Customers will find it easier to take the risk in the life insurance domain of losses than the annuity domain of gains. The author then proposes a hybrid life annuity product that might address both mortality and longevity risk in one product that would allow both products to be more competitive than stand-alone products.

Description: Oliver Wyman surveyed the life insurance industry in 2Q 2018 on emerging life PBR practices. Key takeaways and a deeper dive on select practices are provided.

Description: How do you develop an accelerated underwriting program? The Accelerated Underwriting Program Development Seminar held in Tampa, Florida on May 22, 2019 answers this question through a series of sessions across various disciplines, including underwriting, actuarial, project management, marketing and data science. This article outlines the key takeaways from each of the industry experts.

Description: This article discusses how small insurance companies can get into the complex equity indexed market by using alliances wherein there is one primary company and one or more secondary companies. The primary company would perform all of the functions for itself and some of the functions for the secondary companies. The companies pool assets to reach critical mass.

Description: Recently the interest rates have been slowly trending up from the lowest point in August 2020. The focus of this article is on current market trends for long-duration products —including life insurance, annuities, and long-term care insurance —following an extended period of low interest rates, and lessons carriers can learn from similar historical periods of rising interest rates. Innovative and flexible product features will continue to be essential, as the current interest trend may not substantially increase insurers’ portfolio rates. When designing or modifying product features, insurers should consider profitability in a wide breadth of interest rate scenarios and be particularly mindful of the impact that crediting rates and asset durations will have on earnings.

Description: To understand the relationship between lifestyle behaviors and mortality, RGA investigated a national, health-related, mortality-linked data set provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). RGA Strategic Research Actuary Julianne Callaway discusses the company's findings.

Description: A look back over 20 years to see how product topics of the day have changed and remained the same.

Description: Q&A with Neil Sprackling, President, US Life & Health, Swiss Re, on next-generation underwriting.

Description: Discussion of the ways carriers can deliver a direct to consumer offering in a way that benefits, rather than alienates, the advisor channel.

Description: Written in reaction to the AG49-A "quick-fix" passed, this article covers the history of IULillustration regulation. It begins by covering major product development and regulationmilestones to date, with numerical examples to show their impacts on illustrations. It thenexplains how the "quick-fix" works and what its impact on illustrations is. Lastly, the articlelooks forward to what could be in store in the future for IUL illustrations.