Description: There are two key trends in the preneed and final expense insurance market, the first being small independently held preneed insurance companies presenting attractive acquisitional benefits and secondly, changing consumer attitudes may drive increased final expense activity in the future.

Description: In this article, we discuss the future of wearable technology in life insurance. Evidence from recent research shows that low levels of physical activity, as measured by steps per day indicate much higher mortality risk while higher levels of activity correspond with lower risk. The article shares insights of how insurers can use wearables to innovate by improving the customer journey, expanding insurability, engaging customers, promoting healthy lifestyles and improving risk assessment. Lastly, we discuss the challenges and considerations when using new data and technology to ensure success.

Description: Interview on opportunities for InsurTechs in Life and Health reinsurance. Themes covered include digital distribution and digital health data. The article also shares insights into the role of the reinsurer when working with InsurTechs.

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: Feature article discussing how the insurance industry can better serve the middle income sector. The author cites LIMRA's latest study on personal ownership of life insurance which reveals an under-served and poorly served market. Improvements in marketing, distribution, and the issue process are the keys, in the author's opinion to improvement.

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: 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: Whole life insurance nonforfeiture options may be actuarially equivalent at the time premium payments end. When the entire remaining lifetime of the policy is fully considered; however, significant differences emerge in expenses between paying the cash surrender value, converting to reduced paid-up, or converting to extended term insurance. This article explores how a company might manage its existing nonforfeiture options and consider what to continue to offer after a product refiling with that entire lifetime in mind.

Description: Discusses the CCA 201939003 and the conclusions that were made and the impacts it has on a taxpayer's ability to make an election for determining the interest rate used to compute tax-deductible life insurance reserves.

Description: In collaboration with the Society of Actuaries Research Institute, RGA’s Behavioral Science team designed two experiments with U.S.-based participants to explore how behavioral science techniques can improve comprehension in life insurance purchasing journeys. The first experiment aimed to increase understanding of term life insurance via simulated online digital journeys. Building on the findings of the first, the second experiment investigated the effects of using both human and AI-generated videos. While the research focused on digital delivery of term life insurance, the relevance of tested techniques extends further, providing insights for improving information presentation for other insurance products and in non-digital formats.