Top-line growth for the life insurance industry will vary between three and four percent in 2014 and 2015, new research shows.
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reveal this forecast in a report detailing the outlook for life insurers in 2014. Underpinning the growth forecast, the study indicates, are "solid investment flows" and fees derived from "strong equity markets." The industry can also look forward to an increase in sales of fixed annuities and life insurance products.
"Better new money yields should create less of a draft on investment compared to recent years," the report states. "For most companies, international growth remains good on a local currency basis, but the stronger U.S. dollar does provide an earnings translation headwind for 2014.
"Given industry discipline around VAs and riskier life products, we view the quality of growth as generally high," the report adds.
