Built on founding belief in affordable, accessible coverage, refreshed brand reflects SBLI’s continued purpose of offering “Simply Better Life Insurance.”
WOBURN, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
SBLI (The Savings Bank Mutual Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts), a mutual life insurance company trusted by generations of families since 1907, today launched a refreshed evolution of its brand identity. The identity marks a renewed expression of SBLI’s mission to offer “Simply Better Life Insurance” – dependable, affordable life insurance coverage.
Updates have been made to SBLI’s visual identity, such as its logo and brand colors, as well as its voice and tone used across communications. From marketing materials to customer engagement points, the company’s external face reflects an identity that is more modern and digitally evolved, designed to make life insurance feel approachable and easy to access for customers and distribution partners alike.
“Since 1907, families have trusted SBLI to make life insurance simple, reliable, and personal. Our refreshed brand carries that promise forward with even greater clarity,” said Jim Morgan, president and chief executive officer of SBLI. “We want customers and partners to see in our brand what they experience with us every day: protection that’s easy to understand and built on trust that lasts for generations.”
Honoring Our Roots, Embracing What’s Next
SBLI was founded in 1907 by eventual United States Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, who believed that working families deserved access to honest, affordable life insurance. More than a century later, that legacy continues today through SBLI’s multi-channel, multi-product approach to insurance distribution that serves a wide variety of consumers via many term life, permanent life, and annuity products. Since 2017, SBLI has operated as a mutual company, owned by its policyholders.
“With this brand refresh, we’ve aligned SBLI’s visual and tonal identity into one clear system — from a modernized wordmark and bolder use of color to a warmer, more consistent voice,” said Paul Pennelli, vice president of marketing at SBLI. “It gives us a flexible, digital-forward platform to connect with today’s customers and partners, while remaining closely tied to our past. We believe it’s Simply Better Life Insurance.”
About SBLI
For more than 115 years, SBLI (The Savings Bank Mutual Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts) has offered simple, dependable life insurance solutions to families across the United States. With a focus on clarity, personal support and long-term trust, SBLI provides term and whole life products that help people protect what matters most. For more information, visit www.sbli.com.
Concerns about market volatility and inflation putting long-term financial security at risk for Gen X
KEY FINDINGS AMONG GENERATION X:
Only 19% think it is a good time to invest in the market right now
54% worry that another market crash is on the horizon
70% say they have not been able to contribute as much to their savings due to ongoing inflation
MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Generation Xers are worried about inflation and market volatility as they approach retirement, according to the 2025 Q3 Quarterly Market Perceptions Study* from Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life).
Just 19% of Gen Xers think it is a good time to invest in the market right now. This is down from 30% last quarter. It is also the lowest among generations, compared to 39% of Gen Z, 36% of millennials, and 29% of boomers thinking it is a good time to invest right now. Overall, 30% of Americans say it is a good time to invest in the market right now.
At the same time, Gen Xers (54%) and millennials (54%) are more likely than Gen Z (47%) or boomers (48%) to say they worry that another market crash is on the horizon.
“As Gen X approaches retirement, it is time for them to get serious about what they would like their life to look like after leaving the workforce and how they can achieve it,” says Kelly LaVigne, VP of consumer insights, Allianz Life. “With Gen X worried about the market, it could hinder their ability to secure their ideal retirement. What’s key is that in that fragile decade it’s more important to help mitigate against the risk of loss than to have the potential to realize large gains. Risk management strategies like annuities can help by adding a level of protection into an overall portfolio.”
Gen Xers, who are mostly in their late 40s and 50s, are entering a critical time before retiring when savings rates often increase and market volatility can pose the greatest risk.
Inflation limiting Gen X retirement savings
Gen Xers are most worried about the effect of inflation on their retirement strategies. The vast majority of Gen X (81%) say they worry they might not be able to afford their desired retirement lifestyle due to the increased cost of living. Fewer Gen Z (75%), millennials (77%), and boomers (63%) said the same. Across all Americans, 74% have this worry. Gen Xers are also more likely to worry that tariffs will or have increased their cost of living expenses (81%), compared to Gen Z (74%), millennials (73%), and boomers (74%).
Adding to this worry, Gen Xers say inflation has limited their savings. Seven in 10 (70%) of Gen X say they have not been able to contribute as much to their savings due to ongoing inflation.
“Now is the time for Gen X to really put pen to paper and create a long-term financial strategy for retirement,” LaVigne says. “A financial professional can help develop a strategy that can address concerns about risks like inflation and limited savings. By outlining where you are going in your financial journey, this can help boost your confidence in your ability to get there.”
*Allianz Life conducted an online survey, the 2025 Q3 Quarterly Market Perceptions Study in August 2025 with a nationally representative sample of 1,005 Respondents age 18+.
Guarantees are backed solely by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Registered index-linked annuity guarantees do not apply to the performance of the variable subaccount(s), which will fluctuate with market conditions.
Products are issued by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz). Registered index-linked annuities are distributed by its affiliate, Allianz Life Financial Services, LLC, member FINRA, 5701 Golden Hills Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55416-1297. 800.542.5427 www.allianzlife.com
This content does not apply in the state of New York.
About Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life), one of the Ethisphere World’s Most Ethical Companies®, has been trusted since 1896 to help millions of Americans prepare for financial uncertainties and retirement with a variety of innovative risk management solutions. In 2024, Allianz Life provided additional value to its policyholders via distributions of more than $18.6 billion. Allianz Life is a leading provider of fixed index annuities, registered index-linked annuities, and indexed universal life insurance. Additionally, Allianz Investment Management LLC (AllianzIM), a registered investment adviser and wholly owned subsidiary of Allianz Life, offers a suite of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Allianz Life and AllianzIM are part of Allianz SE, a global leader in the financial services industry with more than 157,000 employees in nearly 70 countries. Allianz Life is a proud sponsor of Allianz Field® in St. Paul, Minnesota, home of Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United.
In a world where consumers spend hundreds of dollars monthly on subscription services — from streaming platforms to meal kits — they understand recurring payments for ongoing value. Yet many consumers learn about life insurance from outdated frameworks that emphasize distant mortality instead of immediate, tangible benefits.
Derek DeSanto
As we reflect – and with September being Life Insurance Awareness Month – there is an opportunity: By reframing life insurance as “the ultimate financial subscription,” financial advisors like me can tap into familiar consumer behavior patterns and modern spending psychology. This approach transforms the conversation to being value-focused, making life insurance feel as essential and accessible as Netflix.
Speaking the subscription language
The subscription economy has trained consumers to evaluate ongoing services based on consistent value delivery, predictable costs, and flexible benefits. Smart advisors can leverage this mindset to position life insurance more effectively.
Talk about “premium payments” in terms of “subscription to financial security.” Instead of discussing monthly premiums as a cost, frame them as a subscription fee for a comprehensive financial solution that delivers multiple benefits over time. This immediately shifts the conversation from expense to value over time.
Emphasize predictability over complexity. Just as consumers appreciate knowing their Netflix bill won’t change unexpectedly, highlight how whole life premiums remain level while benefits grow. Use language like “locked-in rates” (level premiums) and “guaranteed performance” to mirror the subscription stability clients already value.
Focus on “living benefits” as immediate value delivery. The most successful subscription services provide immediate gratification alongside long-term value. Position cash value accumulation and policy loans as the “streaming library” of life insurance—benefits clients can access and enjoy during their lifetime, not just at death.
Overcoming modern objections with familiar frameworks
Today’s consumers are subscription-savvy and quick to cancel services that don’t deliver ongoing value. This creates both a challenge and an opportunity for positioning life insurance.
Address the “I can invest the difference” objection by comparing permanent life to premium subscription tiers. Just as Disney+ offers basic and premium packages with different benefits, whole life provides enhanced features — guaranteed growth, tax advantages, and death benefit protection — that term insurance cannot match.
Combat premium sensitivity using subscription comparison tactics. Help clients recognize they’re already comfortable paying $15 monthly (or more) for entertainment but hesitate at similar amounts for financial protection. Frame the conversation this way: “You’re already subscribed to services for today’s enjoyment — this is a subscription to protect tomorrow’s security.”
Transform complexity concerns by emphasizing the “set it and forget it” nature that makes subscriptions attractive. Position permanent life insurance as the financial equivalent of auto-renewing services — once established, it continues building value without constant management or market timing decisions.
Positioning for different life stages
The subscription metaphor adapts effectively across client demographics and life circumstances.
For young professionals: Position life insurance as their first “adult subscription”—more important than premium streaming services because it locks in insurability and begins building a financial foundation immediately. Emphasize how starting early provides better “subscription rates” through lower premiums and longer accumulation periods.
For established families: Frame it as “family plan” thinking — just as families bundle services for better value, life insurance provides bundled protection, savings, and tax benefits that separate products cannot match efficiently.
For preretirees: Present life insurance as “a premium subscription” to retirement security. Describe how life insurance offers tax-free income options and guaranteed benefits that don’t depend on market performance or government policy changes.
The legacy advantage of life insurance
The subscription analogy becomes most powerful when highlighting life insurance’s unique characteristic: It’s the only subscription that will still deliver value when the subscriber can no longer pay – that is, the death benefit.
Position this as the ultimate service differentiation. While streaming services and meal kits stop delivering value when payments cease, life insurance provides its greatest benefit after premium payments end. This “legacy subscription” concept can resonate particularly well with clients focused on family protection and wealth transfer.
Making the modern life insurance sale
Today’s successful advisors recognize that effective positioning requires speaking clients’ language, not industry jargon. The subscription framework provides a bridge between familiar consumer behavior and sophisticated financial planning.
By positioning life insurance as a subscription service — one that delivers predictable benefits, builds ongoing value, and provides unmatched long-term utility — advisors can make life insurance feel as essential and accessible as the digital services clients already prioritize. In an economy built on recurring revenue and ongoing value delivery, life insurance positioned correctly becomes the subscription clients can’t afford to cancel.
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Shin Research Program, underwritten by Kyobo Life Insurance Company, has released its 2025 study examining employment trends, skills development, and workforce projections across the global insurance industry. Supported by more than three decades of partnership with the International Insurance Society (IIS), the program provides insights into the evolving skill sets needed to meet the industry’s changing demands.
The 2025 research focuses on measuring insurance employment trends across major roles and forecasting growth over the next decade for both property/casualty (P/C) and life insurance sectors. Using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data as a benchmark for employment trends, combined with global survey responses on professional skills, the report highlights both regional and functional workforce priorities.
Insurance Industry Growth and Emerging Roles
The U.S. insurance sector currently employs nearly 3 million professionals, with steady growth expected over the next decade. While traditional roles such as customer service, claims, and underwriting are projected to decline, insurance sales agents remain the top occupation, with employment expected to grow 6% by 2033. Actuaries are projected to grow 22%, adding 6,600 jobs, while data scientists are the fastest-growing segment, reflecting the industry’s shift toward analytics-driven decision-making.
Skills for the Future
Critical thinking and problem-solving emerge as the most important skills across all insurance roles, with 89% of professionals rating them as highly important and more than half willing to invest in development over the next decade. Adaptability, lifelong learning, and technical skills such as data analysis and risk assessment are increasingly essential across roles.
The study highlights divergent skill priorities by job function and geography. Customer service professionals emphasize communication and policy fluency, claims focus on investigative skills, underwriters prioritize risk assessment and certifications, actuaries emphasize analytical capabilities, and data scientists highlight modeling and visualization. Regional differences also appear: U.K. professionals prioritize critical thinking and lifelong learning, while Indian professionals emphasize team leadership, mentorship, and experiential learning.
Management vs. Non-Management Skills
Soft skills, including communication, empathy, and team leadership, are rated as critical for management-level employees, while non-management staff focus more on technical and operational competencies. These findings underscore the importance of tailored upskilling and professional development programs across career stages and regions.
Strategic Workforce Planning
The report recommends that insurers balance growth in emerging roles with support for declining yet essential functions, investing strategically in professional development programs that emphasize critical thinking, customer service, data literacy, and leadership. These initiatives are vital to sustaining growth, competitiveness, and resilience in a dynamic industry.
The report will further inform discussions at the IIS Global Insurance Forum 2025, including a dedicated Talent for Tomorrow session, hosted Oct. 26–27 at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue in Rüschlikon, Switzerland.
The International Insurance Society (IIS) is a diverse and inclusive platform for all stakeholders of the global insurance and risk management community, providing knowledge, research, thought leadership, and connectivity to support the betterment of society. Founded in 1965, IIS is a global not-for-profit organization and an affiliate of The Institutes.
About The Institutes
The Institutes® are a not-for-profit comprised of diverse affiliates that educate, elevate, and connect people in the essential disciplines of risk management and insurance. Through products and services offered by The Institutes nearly 20 affiliated business units, people and organizations are empowered to help those in need with a focus on understanding, predicting, and preventing losses to create a more resilient world. Learn more at Global.TheInstitutes.org.
The Institutes is a registered trademark of The Institutes. All rights reserved.
BRAINTREE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– BCG Pension Risk Consultants | BCG Penbridge (“BCG”), a leader in defined benefit risk mitigation services, today announced the addition of two experienced industry professionals, Tom Sablak and Sam Mossing, to BCG’s highly regarded team of consultants to help drive and deliver cost management and de-risking consulting services for defined benefit pension plans.
Sablak, with over 30 years of pension actuarial consulting expertise, joined BCG in early September after holding previous positions at several actuarial firms, including most recently at a large consulting organization, where he served as the annuity placement team leader. He holds the FSA (Fellow in the Society of Actuaries), EA (Enrolled Actuary) and MAAA (Member of the American Academy of Actuaries) designations. Over the past 15+ years, he has focused primarily on group annuity placements, pension plan de-risking activities, and plan terminations, and has successfully completed more than $6 billion worth of group annuity transactions involving tens of thousands of pension plan participants.
Mossing joined BCG in August with six years of experience in the life insurance and annuities business. Prior to BCG, he was most recently at Pacific Life Insurance Company where he was involved in pension risk transfer pricing with experience pricing transactions containing a wide variety of plan features and sizes ranging from small market to jumbo deals. His experience also included underwriting and modeling individual transactions. He holds the ASA (Associate of the Society of Actuaries) designation. Prior to Pacific Life, he held a similar pension risk transfer pricing role at Western & Southern Life Insurance Company.
“Tom and Sam are two fantastic additions to our industry leading team, reinforcing our commitment to continue as a leading provider of pension risk consulting and PRT implementation services for defined benefit pension plans,” said Mike Devlin, Founder and Principal of BCG. “When it comes to pension de-risking in the current market, plan sponsors need an independent, specialized PRT consultant with deep expertise to help identify and capitalize on attractive annuity placement opportunities. BCG brings a strategic, consultative, nimble approach to successfully navigate market volatility, optimally reduce risk, achieve desired pricing and timing outcomes and save significant dollars.”
Reporting to Dan Atkinson, Consulting Actuary at BCG, Sablak and Mossing are both based out of the firm’s headquarters in Braintree, MA.
About BCG Pension Risk Consultants | BCG Penbridge
BCG specializes in assisting defined benefit plan sponsors with managing the costs and risks associated with their pension plans. Since 1983, BCG has successfully helped over 3,000 organizations achieve their pension de-risking goals. Our clients range from publicly-traded companies, to privately held firms, and include manufacturing, healthcare, banks and not-for-profit organizations. BCG helps clients with the full range of pension de-risking strategies from liability driven investing approaches to partial or full pension risk transfer, including navigating the complex and lengthy process of plan termination. BCG frequently works in collaboration with financial advisors, consulting actuaries, institutional investment consultants, asset managers and law firms. BCG is headquartered in Braintree, MA with satellite offices across the US. Please visit our website at: www.bcgpension.com.
Flow reinsurance, or the reinsurance of new policy sales, has become an increasingly popular tool in the life and annuity reinsurance market. These transactions are attractive to ceding insurance companies because they offer a steady source of capital to support product growth and profitability while reinsurers gain access to attractive products in markets where they may not be as competitive along with a steady stream of incoming cash flows to invest.
Megan Arrogante
In addition to the usual items to consider when negotiating a reinsurance transaction (such as recapture, credit for reinsurance and collateral), flow reinsurance transactions carry their own unique set of issues to address when structuring a deal.
Building a long-term partnership
Flow reinsurance deals take different forms, with some operating as a fronting arrangement in which the reinsurer takes all (or nearly all) of the economics. Many operate more like partnerships with the parties more evenly splitting the economics, whether 50-50, 70-30 or somewhere in between. The relative split of these economics will be a large driver of how the deal is structured and the relative rights of the reinsurer over key decisions affecting the reinsured block, whether it be front-end pricing or future block management changes.
Flow transactions will often be built around a “new business period” during which new sales are automatically reinsured to the reinsurer. After the end of the new business period, new sales are no longer reinsured, and the transaction becomes like any other block transaction and is effectively in run-off.
In approaching the new business period, the parties must consider whether the cession of new business is subject to an aggregate limit or cutoff date. A reinsurer may not have unlimited appetite or capacity for the risk and a ceding company may only wish to reinsure a certain amount of the risk during a given period. The parties may also wish to consider whether the relationship will be exclusive during the new business period with limited termination rights, or if either party may end the “flow” of new sales at its option.
Developing a co-pricing process for flow reinsurance
Unlike “block” transactions involving the reinsurance of a defined block of existing policies, flow reinsurance puts the reinsurer in the front lines of product pricing and the parties must navigate how the reinsurer will price a business that does not yet exist. Many life and annuity products are priced on a periodic basis based on market indicators at the time of the sale; diligence information will be limited to the historical experience of the product (or a similar product set) during different market environments. This makes it difficult for a reinsurer to gain a sufficient level of confidence to provide an attractive fixed price to the ceding company over any prolonged period.
Therefore, most flow partnerships look for ways to plug the reinsurer into the ceding company’s existing pricing process so that the reinsurance and product pricing happen in tandem. The parties may develop and agree upon a bespoke process to permit the reinsurer to price “side by side” to the ceding company during each pricing cycle for the reinsured product. For example, if the ceding company sets rates for new sales every other Friday, the parties must design a bi-weekly process that results in the parties being fully agreed on the reinsurance pricing terms by the Friday deadline.
As part of this process, other considerations include:
Which reinsurance terms will be reset at each pricing cycle (e.g., ceding allowance, quota share), and which will be fixed (e.g., expense allowances)?
Will the reinsurance pricing have to satisfy certain minimum thresholds or fall within agreed ranges?
Will either party be able to opt out of the reinsurance flow for a given pricing cycle if certain parameters are not met?
How will the parties resolve disputes in a timely manner?
Will the parties engage in “off cycle” pricing due to certain triggering events?
The optimal structure should reflect the relative economic interest of the parties and be able to facilitate a pricing process that fits seamlessly within the ceding company’s overall rate setting process.
Flow reinsurance transactions permit significant flexibility. Parties should work collaboratively to design a structure that is designed to achieve the economic goals of the parties, and that can adapt over time to reflect the relative appetite of the parties for the reinsured risk.
Overall’s Life Concierge® provides an industry-leading benefit helping insureds with life’s complexities
ALEXANDRIA, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Overalls announced today a new partnership with 5Star Life Insurance Company (5Star Life) to provide an exclusive, one-of-a-kind service, LifeConcierge®, an AI-enabled support system. This industry-leading benefit is associated with 5Star Life’s CoreAssist, a new supplemental medical expense coverage (GAP insurance) linked to the Healthcare Indemnity product which protects insureds from rising medical costs and coverage gaps.
Overalls partners with 5Star Life Insurance Company
“With CoreAssist, we’re reimagining what supplemental insurance can be, adding advocacy and other member resources powered by Overalls,” said Sal Campanile, Vice President, Worksite Voluntary Benefit and Group Sales for 5Star Life. “It’s not just about paying claims — it’s about making sure insureds feel supported through every challenge. By partnering with Overalls, we’re delivering an experience that combines financial protection with a transformative solution ready to help with the complexities of health, caregiving, and daily life.”
CoreAssist insureds can gain access to Overalls’ LifeConcierge® service — delivering human-led, AI-powered assistance to reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing by helping to navigate health, family, and life’s daily challenges.
Medical Navigation — Providing support for understanding insurance benefits, coordinating medical appointments, and resolving billing issues for any type of health coverage or service.
Caregiving Support — Helping find and manage care for loved ones, including elders and children, to ensure insureds have an extra support system during busy times.
Family and Child Services — Assisting with school enrollment, after-school care, extracurricular activities, and other important family tasks to provide peace of mind.
Daily Stressor Assistance — Helping manage household tasks, schedule appointments, and coordinate everyday logistics so life’s demands feel less overwhelming.
And much more — Offering a single trusted partner for a wide variety of life’s needs, from travel planning to navigating legal paperwork, making everyday living simpler and more manageable.
“We believe insurance should do more than protect — it should empower,” said Jon Cooper, CEO, Overalls. “CoreAssist puts a LifeConcierge® in every insured’s corner, ready to help them navigate health, family, and life with less stress and more confidence. By blending human care with AI intelligence, we’re creating a faster, smarter, and radically better member experience with 5Star Life.”
About 5Star Life Insurance Company
5Star Life Insurance Company is the life insurance underwriter for the Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) member benefits and a growing provider of group and worksite voluntary insurance products. Its business model enables 5Star Life to serve the needs of a diverse clientele as an insurance provider to individuals and organizations and as a trusted partner to brokers. Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, 5Star Life is currently licensed in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. 5Star Life was awarded on the Forbes World’s Best Insurance Companies 2023, 2024, and 2025 list.
About Overalls
The Overalls platform is a tech-enabled benefits company that combines life concierge services to help people save time, money, and stress. Overalls aims to establish itself as a pioneering force by introducing the LIFE (Life’s Issues, Frustrations, and Events) employee benefit category. Overalls provides a platform that offers a unique, high-touch service that addresses the complex personal needs of modern workers, ultimately improving workplace productivity and employee well-being. Overalls created The Overalls LifeConcierge, which is designed to save employees time by tackling life’s complicated and time-consuming tasks that tax emotional energy and take a serious toll on productivity. Employees are distracted and overwhelmed by life’s hassles, costing companies millions of dollars in lost productivity. Overalls makes life easier for everyone.
This year has already proven just how quickly things can shift in the realm of indexed universal life. We’re seeing steady consumer interest paired with aggressive product moves by carriers, all while regulators tighten their focus. This means more opportunities for professionals who monitor where the market is heading, not just where it has been, and who approach every recommendation based on what’s best for the client.
Dean Knieps
Interest rates and equity markets have each pulled on the strings of cap and participation rates in different ways. New policy features continue to hit the shelves. Meanwhile, regulators are laying the groundwork that will shape illustrations and compliance well into 2026. Helping clients make smart, well-timed decisions means getting ahead of these trends, not waiting until the dust settles. This ensures every solution aligns with that individual’s broader financial and life goals.
A quick look at where 2025 has taken IUL
This year started on the back of a big run-up. IUL premiums grew 11% in Q1 to nearly $1 billion, according to LIMRA. About three-quarters of carriers reported growth, with half posting double-digit increases. That’s despite consumers expressing more caution in the face of economic uncertainty.
Why the surge? Part of it is ongoing fallout from a multiyear environment where clients wanted downside protection paired with upside potential. Fixed rates began to soften slightly, pushing many to revisit IUL for long-term accumulation. New index strategies and dynamic hedging platforms helped boost illustrations. Carriers leaned into features like lockable indexes and volatility-controlled options to give clients more levers to pull.
But the real undercurrent is behavioral. Our clients remember market swings, and they want some insulation. IUL can offer that middle ground, with flexible premiums and tax-advantaged growth. As a result, IUL accounted for nearly a quarter of all new life insurance premiums in Q1. That momentum is carrying forward into the second half of the year.
What we’re watching for the rest of 2025
Historical standards still influence interest rates, although moderating inflation may lead to minor adjustments in credit assumptions before the end of the year. Carriers continue to refine index lineups. Many are adding second-generation designer indexes that combine equity exposure with dynamic volatility controls. Expect more announcements regarding these products as we head into Q4.
We are also seeing greater scrutiny of illustrations. The updated NAIC AG 49-B guidance caps projected IUL returns around 6-7%. That’s healthy in today’s environment, but it places even more responsibility on us to set realistic client expectations.
The days of showing double-digit returns in glossy printouts are a thing of the past. Clients are still motivated by the value proposition — tax-advantaged accumulation and flexibility — but they’re asking more complex questions. That’s a good thing for professionals willing to go deeper and have honest, needs-based conversations.
I’ve sat in meetings where someone was dead set on a market-driven solution but balked once we reviewed how caps and participation rates adjusted under different economic scenarios. Walking through real-world examples helped them appreciate the consistency an IUL could still deliver, even if it didn’t promise runaway growth. That sort of honest discussion builds trust, reinforces your role as a trusted guide, and drives repeat business.
Looking toward 2026: Technology, regulation and a new buyer profile
Next year may be a proving ground for many of these trends. Digital platforms are rapidly becoming the norm for policy delivery and management. Consumers expect self-service features, instant illustrations and dashboards that track their cash value in real time. Carriers are rolling out tools that put more of this control in clients’ hands, often backed by AI-driven recommendations.
On the regulatory side, compliance costs are expected to climb. New rules could tighten the disclosure of fees and interest crediting assumptions. If you’re only lightly touching on these topics now, be prepared. By 2026, this will be a table-stakes requirement in client discussions.
Meanwhile, consumer priorities keep shifting. Younger buyers want policies that fit into digital wealth platforms. They’re drawn to flexibility with investment choices linked to environmental, social and governance issues. And, of course, they want lower cost structures. Older buyers, especially those looking at estate planning ahead of the 2026 sunset on current gift and estate tax exclusions, still value IUL for its ability to pair protection with tax-advantaged growth.
The common thread? A customer-first approach that integrates IUL into the client’s larger wealth, retirement and protection strategy, not just as a stand-alone sale.
How top advisors are positioning for these shifts
The most effective financial professionals aren’t just chasing new product features. They’re simplifying the story for clients, connecting it back to their goals and making recommendations that fit the individual, even if it means steering them to a different solution.
They employ diversified index strategies to strike a balance between performance and stability. They’re clear about how much cash value will realistically be available in years three, four and beyond. They tie the IUL solution back to concrete objectives, such as paying off a mortgage, supplementing tax-free retirement income or funding a legacy.
One of my peers always starts their IUL presentation by revisiting the client’s broader portfolio, showing exactly how an IUL fits alongside other taxable and qualified accounts. They’ve found this helps move the conversation from hypothetical returns to real, strategic planning.
I’ve also walked through similar conversations with business owners who are eyeing key-person coverage but want future flexibility. We mapped out how an IUL’s cash value could transition from executive retention to eventual buyout funding, providing them with options instead of locking them in.
The IUL opportunity is bigger than it looks
IUL isn’t growing only because of interest rate quirks or market volatility. It’s riding a wave of consumer demand for products that do more; products that adapt as life changes. Clients want life insurance that responds to their needs over the course of decades, not just at the following annual review.
The global IUL market is expected to reach nearly $60 billion by 2030. But beyond the statistics, it’s personal stories that prove the concept. Clients aren’t asking for complexity. They’re seeking strategies that help them feel secure and maintain control. The best way to deliver that is by staying educated, being transparent and always putting their best interest ahead of the sale.
Where we go from here?
Over the next 18 months, we will see continued regulatory change, increased use of technology to illustrate policies and higher client expectations of us. This isn’t the time to rely on yesterday’s playbook. The professionals who continue to learn, ask sharper questions and communicate with honesty will be trusted to build IUL strategies that stand the test of time.
There’s plenty of room ahead for IUL. Our job is to help people take advantage of it with the confidence that the solutions we recommend today are chosen for their needs, integrated with their broader health and wealth strategy and built to make sense years down the line.
The continued use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs could cut mortality rates by up to 6.4% by 2045, according to new research spearheaded by Swiss Re.
Titled “The future of metabolic health and weight loss drugs,” and released on Wednesday, the study considers the long-term ramifications of the explosive growth of GLP-1s. Among U.S. adults, usage of GLP-1 drugs for weight control and type-2 diabetes treatment rose to more than 4% in 2024, a fivefold increase in five years, according to FAIR Health data.
The market size for GLP-1s is expected to grow at about 26% annually through 2033, Grand View Research estimated. It is large enough to change the mortality projections that are crucial to life insurance and annuity pricing.
Under optimistic scenarios, Swiss Re projects that GLP-1 medications could reduce all-cause mortality in the United States by as much as 6.4% by 2045. In the United Kingdom, the research suggests a reduction of over 5% is possible.
This chart from Swiss Re shows expected mortality gains from the use of GLP-1s in the United States.
“GLP-1 drugs hold significant promise to help us beat the obesity epidemic. Our research underscores that the full benefit will come from going beyond medication,” said Paul Murray, Swiss Re’s CEO, Life & Health Reinsurance, in a news release. “As insurers, we are in a position to build partnerships, support policy and encourage people to make meaningful lifestyle changes with a focus on prevention. If we get this right, we can strengthen the insurance safety net and contribute to people living longer, healthier lives.”
A coordinated effort
The U.S. has the developed world’s highest obesity rate, at over 40% of the adult population. While in the U.K., around 30% of adults are obese.
Neil Sprackling, CEO of Swiss Re’s U.S. life and health division, sat for an interview with InsuranceNewsNet during the LIMRA 2025 Annual Conference last week. He called the take up of GLP-1s “a good thing for the industry and a good thing for society.”
Mortality was a topic of a conference session as the industry grapples with continued elevated numbers in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve got a really worrying set of trends, not just in the United States, but in a lot of developed countries,” Sprackling explained. “But here [in the U.S.] you’ve got somewhere in the range of 40-plus percent of the people that are obese.”
Rising obesity is one factor that has stalled progress in life expectancy across developed markets. In high-income countries, obesity is now linked to seven of the 10 leading causes of death, including ischemic heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and many cancers. By improving baseline risk factors, GLP-1 drugs may contribute to mortality improvements over time, saving millions from premature death.
‘Doesn’t solve the obesity issues’
Despite the potential of GLP-1s to help millions of people better control their weight, Sprackling warns that “it’s not a panacea.”
The report’s optimistic scenario depends on a broad uptake of GLP-1 therapies and people adhering to treatment. Most importantly, it will require people to implement lifestyle changes that support long-term health improvements, the report concluded.
Without these changes, studies have shown that weight regain and rebound effects are common, with full weight regain possible within a year after patients discontinue these drugs.
“This doesn’t solve the obesity issues around the world,” Sprackling said. “It provides a solution as part of a wider set of changes that we need to see. And that change I’m talking about is behavioral change, and that’s probably the hardest thing for human society to embrace.”
Cautious outcomes presented
Swiss Re’s modelling also presents more cautious outcomes. In a pessimistic scenario, there is limited uptake in the population, high discontinuation rates, especially due to side effects, and widespread weight regain after treatment finishes.
Under these conditions, Swiss Re sees much more limited improvements, with US cumulative mortality reductions of just 2.3%, and 1.8% for the UK by 2045.
“GLP-1drugs could be the medical innovation we’ve been waiting for to reshape mortality trends,” added Natalie Kelly, head of life and health global underwriting, claims and R&D at Swiss Re, in the release. “The flow-on effect for underwriting assumptions and claims patterns could therefore be significant. It is essential that insurers keep ahead of the GLP-1 evolution, and maintain a robust, evidence-based approach to assessing the risks.”
The following information was released by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI):
Over $87.67 Million in Life Insurance Benefits Located for Tennesseans in 2024
Thursday, August 28, 2025 | 08:34am
NASHVILLE Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has proclaimed September as Life Insurance Awareness Month in Tennessee.
To support the proclamation, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) highlights the importance of life insurance coverage, which can help families protect their futures and ease financial burdens after a loved one’s death.
“Life insurance is a critical insurance product, and our entire team fully supports Governor Lee’s proclamation, which should remind all Tennesseans to assess their families’ financial needs,” said TDCI Commissioner Carter Lawrence. “During Life Insurance Awareness Month, I encourage consumers to evaluate their current benefits, seek advice from qualified insurance professionals, and take the actions necessary to achieve a financially secure future for their loved ones.”
Consumers who need help locating a loved one’s life insurance policy can use the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator Service, a free tool, to determine if an individual is a beneficiary of a life insurance policy.
In 2024, the service helped locate over $87.67 million in benefits for Tennesseans.
“Life insurance policies are intended to help cover financial burdens, such as medical bills, funeral costs, and other financial obligations that can occur after losing a loved one,” said TDCI Assistant Commissioner for Insurance Scott McAnally. “I encourage consumers who have questions about whether they are beneficiaries of a policy to file a search request or contact our team today.”
For more details about the locator service, visit the NAIC’s website or contact our team at 1-800-342-4029 or (615) 741-2218.
Things All Life Insurance Policyholders Should Know
Life insurance policies can be taken out by anyone who can prove they have an insurable interest in the person that is, financial or emotional interest in the insured person’s life. If you have a life insurance policy, your responsibility does not stop with the paperwork. As a policyholder, there are important steps you should take now, and in the future, to help your loved ones:
Have you had a life-changing event, such as the birth of a child or a divorce? It is important to update your policies after a major life event to make sure that you have the appropriate beneficiaries listed.
Check your policies once a year to make sure that all beneficiaries are included and that the contact information for those listed beneficiaries is correct.
Let your beneficiaries know about the policies. Good communication can save everyone time and reduce confusion in the long run.
Provide beneficiaries or trusted advisors (such as accountants and attorneys) with the name of the life insurance company holding the policy.
Place a current copy of the policy with your will or other estate paperwork in a safe place where family and beneficiaries will be able to easily find it.
In Tennessee, there is a “free-look” period of 10 days after the purchase of a life insurance policy. You can return the policy with a full refund without fees or penalties within those 10 days.
An insurance company has 60 days to pay a death claim to beneficiaries. If a claim is not paid within 15 days of the date of death, the company must also pay interest.
There is a grace period of 30 days for missed payments in Tennessee. If you miss a payment, you will be covered for 30 days even if the missed payment is not made up.
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