In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers — especially those under 45 — are in a heightened state of awareness with regard to their own mortality.
According to a survey conducted in May 2020 and June 2020 by Life Happens, 67% of Americans say that the pandemic has been a wake-up call for them to reevaluate their finances, and 30% say that life insurance has been one of the top topics that have dominated dinner-table discussions.
That's good news for life insurers.
Against that backdrop, the proportion of younger buyers of life insurance has increased over the past two years, according to a recent Aite-Novarica study, which analyzed the life insurance buying experience of 506 consumers ages 18 and older.
That same study reveals that 76% of those surveyed used an agent-assisted online or direct online process to buy their policies.
As younger, tech-savvy consumers have increasingly completed their purchasing online, many life insurers have seized this opportunity to update and redesign their application and underwriting processes.
With the automation of insurance workflows here to stay, can carriers properly assess risk without adding too much friction to the customer experience for the consumer and their agent? A key part of the answer is data.
So where do motor vehicle records (MVRs), and the data they contain, fit into the equation?
MVRs Help Create Clarity in Automated Life Insurance Workflows
Life Insurers must understand all factors that impact mortality and how much their client will pay for a policy.
Beyond height, weight and general health, insurers also consider behavioral attributes or data that have demonstratable impacts on mortality.
We know in evaluating mortality risk that if an individual smokes or has diabetes, they are at a higher risk of premature death than non-smokers and those without chronic health conditions.
But what might be some less obvious signs of increased risk for mortality?
One important yet sometimes overlooked characteristic is driving behavior.
If an agent knows a client has been cited for driving under the influence (DUI), multiple speeding tickets or other significant violations, these risky behaviors correlate to a much higher premium.
What's more, the applicant might even be declined altogether because of the link between the risky driving behavior and mortality.
Underwriters use this information to help decide how to classify risk, and it should help agents set clear expectations for consumers during the application process, because one of the most reliable sources for determining risk is MVRs.
MVRs were developed to track driving history, to ensure that roads are safe from those who exhibit bad decisions behind the wheel.
Multiple violations can lead to suspension of driving privileges or revocation of an individual's driver's license.
Auto insurance companies originally began using this information during underwriting to set premium rates, providing a snapshot of behavior that can directly impact risk.
In the auto insurance world, it is straightforward; more violations and accidents mean an individual is exhibiting risky behavior that is likely to cause an auto claim.
When you apply this logic to life insurance, there is often a deeper meaning to the information that provides insight into how much risk an individual is willing to take with their life decisions.
Michael Mabee is director, life insurance, at 
