Description: Presented at May 2002 Spring Meeting. Discusses industry trends in agent compensation with the intent of retaining and attracting the better performing agents and aligning incentives with desired behaviors, while placing the insurer in an acceptable financial position.

Description: This article is a discussion of a measure of life insurance policy cost which the author refers to as “aggregate administrative cost ratio,” based on figures from the life insurance companies’ annual statements filed with state insurance commissioners. The article provides the formulas for calculation and demonstrates how the cost ratios can be a useful tool for an individual considering the purchase of life insurance.