2/3 of insurance execs predict flat life insurance sales in 2011

January 31, 2011 at 07:00 PM
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According to a December LIMRA survey of industry leaders, 59 percent of insurance executives believe individual life insurance sales will stay flat, and 68 percent believe group life sales will halt this year.

LIMRA senior vice president Robert Baranoff says, though sales may not grow by much in 2011, they do predict certain products to "stand out in the low-interest environment."

A third of executives believe indexed insurance products had the most growth potential in 2011. With the resolution of 151A and lower interest rates, indexed life insurance has become more attractive to producers and has more carriers entering the market. Twenty-seven percent of executives believe whole life insurance will grow the most in 2011. Universal life and term products each garnered about a fifth of the votes.

The majority of executives believe there will be sales growth in middle market, which will result in an increase in policy count. Companies are targeting this market because of the high number of U.S. households that are uninsured or underinsured.

More than 75 percent of executives surveyed also say the sales force will shrink in 2011. After increased recruiting in 2007 and 2008, recruiting was down in 2009 and the first half of 2010. According to LIMRA's research, only 73 companies recruit at all and five companies account for about 65 percent of the new hires.

However, almost 70 percent believe bancassurance, which U.S. insurers have not capitalized on thus far, will continue to grow in 2011. Bancassurance has been strong for the past five quarters, increasing by 30 percent in the third quarter of 2010.

Source: LIMRA

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