Bank Insurance Fee Income Rose Substantially In First Half Of 2002
Bank insurance fee income increased substantially in the first half of 2002, while the growth in banks investment fee income climbed only slightly.
This information is based on data compiled by my firm from all banks year-to-date financial filings as of June 30, 2002.
Bank insurance fee income increased 26.9% in the first half of 2002 as banks reported $1.79 billion in insurance fee income, up from $1.41 billion in the first half of 2001.
Of 8,469 commercial and federally insured savings banks, 4,073, or 47.6%, participated in insurance activities in the first six months of 2002. Compared to the same period in 2001, there were 229 fewer banks in existence but 237 more that recorded insurance income by mid-year 2002.
Income by Asset Class. The largest banks–those with over $10 billion in assets–had the highest participation rate (75.9%) in insurance and produced $1.16 billion in insurance fee income. This was 37.4% more than the $845.5 million they recorded in the first half of 2001.
These banks accounted for 64.9% of all bank insurance income earned YTD at June 30, a 540 basis-point increase over their YTD 2001 bank-market share.
Banks with assets between $1 billion and $10 billion generated insurance income of $460.8 million, up 10.8% from $415.9 million in the first half of 2001.
Banks with under $1 billion in assets accounted for $168.6 million in insurance income, up 12.4% over the nearly $150 million they earned during the same period in 2001. Of these, banks with assets between $500 million and $1 billion saw their insurance fee income increase the most–20.6%.
The smallest community banks–those with under $100 million in assets–were the only asset class showing a decline (1.9%) in insurance income.
By Region. Banks in the eastern and central regions of the country dominated insurance income in the first half. The Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions collectively accounted for $1.26 billion of insurance income, 70.3% of the industrys YTD total. Insurance income in the Northeast increased 28.2%, while it climbed 17.7% in the Mid-Atlantic and 38.4% in the Southeast compared to the same period last year.
The Midwest region produced the most insurance income, with $438.6 million, or a 24.5% bank market share. Midwestern banks increased their insurance income over the same period last year by 19.9%.
