Northwestern Mutual boasts increases in revenue, surplus

Contributing to the insurer's strong performance, he added, is growth in the size and productivity of its field force nationwide. The company had 6,662 full-time financial representatives at year-end 2013, a record for the company.

Following are highlights of the company's 2013 financial results:

• Premium revenue totaled $16.6 billion for 2013, an increase of 8 percent from the prior year;
• Net investment income of $8.7 billion was 1 percent higher than 2012;
• Total insurance benefits increased 7 percent to $17.5 billion for 2013, including a $9.6 billion increase in reserves for future policy benefits and a 9 percent increase in benefits paid to policy owners and their beneficiaries;
• Commissions and insurance operating expenses increased 3 percent compared to the prior year;
• Operating gain before dividends and taxes exceeded $5.7 billion for the first time during 2013;
• Net realized capital gains added $276 million to 2013 net income, as net gains on the sale of common stocks far exceeded a modest level of investment impairments. Including realized capital gains, net income was $802 million for 2013, an increase from $783 million for 2012; and
• The estimated $5.2 billion dividend payout for 2014 includes $300 million in dividends on individual disability insurance policies and $145 million in dividends on term life insurance.