Uncategorized

Caregiving is shaping families in a powerful way. As more households take on this responsibility, financial professionals are an important resource in helping guide families with their holistic planning around health, wealth, and connection.

According to the 2025 Caregiving in the U.S. report, released by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, 63 million Americans in the U.S. now identify as caregivers, a 50% increase from the last time the survey was conducted in 2015. This rapidly growing population is stepping up in remarkable ways. For example, more than 40% of caregivers now provide high-intensity care, which includes complex medical tasks such as administering injections. Although only 22% report receiving formal training, many caregivers are independently learning new skills to better support their loved ones. These activities can create pressure, as families work to manage time and resources effectively across caregiving and other major life priorities.

The growing reality: Balancing caregiving roles and personal goals

Caregiving is a complicated balancing act. Increasingly, a group of caregivers known as “the sandwich generation” supports both children and parents, as they offer care to older and younger generations at the same time. Representing 29% of all caregivers, these individuals are faced with a range of pressures as they care for their children, tend to older relatives and work to maintain their own lives.

This convergence places pressure on time and resources, often leading financial well-being to take a back seat. In fact, nearly half of caregivers report experiencing a negative financial impact due to caregiving, and one in four have taken on debt due to caregiving responsibilities. These realities highlight why proactive planning is essential for long-term stability.

How financial professionals can help

Financial professionals are a key resource in helping families maintain long-term financial security while meeting caregiving responsibilities. As caregivers plan for the next 5, 10, or 15 years, agents and advisors can help them slow down, ask the right questions, and implement strategies that protect their own financial goals.

For example, sandwich caregivers often aim to grow both their own retirement savings and preserve assets for future generations. To meet these goals, financial professionals can help assess and recommend financial products such as life insurance, which helps protect families from a range of unexpected events, and long-term care insurance, which helps preserve assets and reduce out-of-pocket costs in the event care is needed.

Financial professionals are especially important for sandwich caregivers, who are less likely to have the time to explore these options on their own. Together, financial professionals and sandwich caregivers can outline strategies that meet the demands of caregiving and create a financial cushion for the future. Integrated strategies that combine a range of solutions, such as long-term care and life insurance, better position caregivers for longer-term financial stability and with it, peace of mind.

In fact, just working with a financial professional can help alleviate mental stress. Recent New York Life research shows that 85% of Americans working with a financial professional are confident in their ability to meet their financial goals, compared with only 58% of those not working with a financial professional. These findings reveal how financial guidance can extend beyond numbers, providing families with clarity around their overall financial picture, and the confidence to achieve their goals.

Leading clients toward stability and strength

Beyond investment advice and retirement planning, financial professionals can help clients address caregiving and long-term care needs. This support includes:

• Helping clients navigate sensitive discussions about aging, caregiving and long-term care preferences
• Helping coordinate with health care professionals and eldercare specialists, or recommending trusted resources
• Integrating estate planning and other strategies to protect income and assets while preparing for potential health-related expenses

Financial professionals have the power to lead conversations with their clients about caregiving and the long-term planning journey, especially as people live longer and the number of caregivers continues to increase. By initiating conversations about caregiving and long-term planning, agents and advisors can help families build the future with clarity and confidence.

© Entire contents copyright 2025 by InsuranceNewsNet.com Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted without the expressed written consent from InsuranceNewsNet.com.

The post A new era of advisor support for caregiving appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

2025 DEC 19 (NewsRx) — By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News — According to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx journalists, a trademark application has been made for “HUMPBACK” by SESHIN PATENT & LAW FIRM, representing Hanwha Life Insurance Co., Ltd. This application was made available to the public on December 06, 2025.

The serial number for this application is 79381005.

The international trademark goods and services class codes for this trademark application are 009, 035, 038, 042 and 045.

As submitted by the applicant, this trademark application relates to the following goods and services:

• Providing private and secure real-time electronic communication over a computer network; provision of wireless application protocol services including those utilising a secure communications channel; secure e-mail services; transmission of information by means of secure messaging systems; secured data, sound and image transmission services; secure transmission of data, sound or images; providing electronic telecommunication connections among financial institutions and financial markets worldwide; transmission of emergency signals; transmission of downloadable electronic publications; providing user access to a global computer network and on-line sites containing information on a wide range of topics; electronic exchange of messages via chat lines, chatrooms and internet forums; providing access to mobile internet platforms; encrypted electronic transmission and delivery of recovered data; providing access to a blog, chatroom, bulletin board or discussion service; providing access to online community sites via smartphone applications; providing long distance telecommunications services; telecommunications services provided via platforms and portals on the internet and other media; telecommunications services provided via the internet, intranet and extranet; computer transmission of information accessed via a code or a terminal; communications services;

• Security services for the protection of individuals; security monitoring services; security and protection services; fraud detection services in the field of insurance; provision of security information; rental of security surveillance equipment; security inspection services for others; providing information relating to security guard services; monitoring of computer systems for security purposes; monitoring of security systems; electronic monitoring services for security purposes; security marking of documents; security marking of goods; security clearance for preparation of identification cards; providing information in the field of security from a web site; provision of information, advice and consultancy in relation to security services for the protection of property and individuals; online social networking services; legal services relating to claims management for insurance companies, insurance brokers and industrial enterprises; registration of domain names for identification of users on a global computer network [legal services]; consultancy services relating to private investigations;

• Administrative services relating to insurance; promotion of financial and insurance services, on behalf of third parties; sales agency services relating to security software; retail services relating to security software; sales agency services relating to security systems for telecommunication apparatus; retail services relating to security systems for telecommunication apparatus; provision and rental of advertising space on the internet; advertising and marketing; publication of printed matter for advertising purposes; business intermediary services for the sale and purchase of goods and services; providing consumer product information relating to software; business management services relating to franchising; promoting the goods and services of others by means of operating an on-line comprehensive shopping mall; sales agency services relating to clothing; sales agency services relating to footwear; sales agency services relating to stationery; sales agency services relating to bags; sales agency services relating to cosmetics; sales agency services relating to golf equipment; sales agency services relating computer application software for mobile phones;

• Development of IT security software; data security services; computer security threat analysis for protecting data; data security consultancy; development of computer software for security management; development of security training framework; development of software for secure network operations; design and development of internet security programs; internet security consultancy; design and development of electronic data security systems; maintenance of computer software relating to computer security and prevention of computer risks; updating of computer software relating to computer security and prevention of computer risks; computer security consultancy; telecommunication network security consultancy; provision of security services for computer networks, computer access and computerised transactions; professional consultancy relating to computer security; scientific research conducted using databases; server administration; platform as a Service [PaaS]; computer software consultancy and development;

• Downloadable computer security software; computer software for providing security to networks; data security apparatus; security apparatus for mobile phones; secure microprocessors; security software; security systems for telecommunication apparatus; security surveillance apparatus; security warning apparatus; wireless security device for electric communication; automatic security barriers; downloadable database management software applications; software for network firewalls; computer software for biometric systems for the identification and authentication of persons; electronic publications, downloadable; recorded electronic documents; computer servers; electronic encryption units; electronic control systems; computers.

The registrar information for this application is: SESHIN PATENT & LAW FIRM, (Gasan-dong) # 208,, World Meridian Venture Center 2,, Seoul,, KOREA, REPUBLIC OF.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)

The post An Application for the Trademark “HUMPBACK” Has Been Filed by Hanwha Life Insurance Co., Ltd.: Hanwha Life Insurance Co. Ltd. appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

The following information was released by South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds:

U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) introduced legislation to increase transparency and accountability within the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC). The FSOC Improvement Act would enhance transparency and procedural fairness of the systemically important financial institutions (SIFI) designation process.

Specifically, this legislation would codify 2019 guidance that requires FSOC to determine whether systemic risks could be better addressed through means other than designating a financial institution as a SIFI. It would also require them to consult with the primary regulator and the company on other means to address potential threats to financial stability.

“I believe the FSOC Improvement Act is a crucial step towards enhancing the effectiveness and transparency of our financial regulatory system,” said Rounds. “SIFI designation is a blunt tool that comes with a significant increase in regulatory burden for individual companies. By allowing an affected institution to modify its business, structure or operations prior to the SIFI designation, we are creating a more resilient financial environment for the American people, fostering economic growth and stability.”

“I fought tooth-and-nail to pass Dodd Frank to hold financial institutions accountable and prevent another economic catastrophe that devastated countless Michiganders,” said Peters. “This commonsense bill would build on that landmark law nearly two decades later by granting the Financial Stability Oversight Council the authority to better tailor regulatory oversight of certain financial institutions without compromising its core mission of maintaining the stability of the U.S. financial system. Doing so will ensure that our nation’s financial institutions can continue to meet the needs of all communities.”

Rounds first introduced the FSOC Improvement Act in 2018 during the 115th Congress. Representatives Bill Foster (D-Ill.) and Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) lead the House companion, which passed out of the Financial Services Committee on September 16, 2025 by a vote of 47-4.

The FSOC Improvement Act is supported by the American Council of Life Insurers, APCIA, the Investment Company Institute, Managed Funds Association (MFA), Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), Reinsurance Association of America, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“The Chamber commends Senator Mike Rounds and Senator Gary Peters for sponsoring the FSOC Improvement Act, which will bring much needed stability and predictability to the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s authority regarding nonbank financial companies. This legislation ensures that the designation of a nonbank financial company as a Systemically Important Financial Institution by FSOC would be a tool of last resort, instilling a commonsense reform that will protect American financial stability and support a competitive system that benefits the entire economy,” said Mike Flood, Senior Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness.

“The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies commends Senator Rounds for his continued leadership to protect the state-based system of insurance regulation. This legislation makes a needed change to the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s (FSOC) guidance by incorporating state insurance regulators as part of the process. By making this change, it affirms the primacy of state insurance regulation, which is a tried-and-true system that focuses on what is best for consumers. State regulators know their states, communities, laws, and markets best,” said Jimi Grande, Senior Vice President Federal and Political Affairs, NAMIC

“The Mortgage Bankers Association and its members support this important bill because it brings needed stability to FSOC’s approach to systemic risk and would ensure predictability and transparency governing the designation of nonbanks without the risk of reducing consumers’ access to mortgage credit.,” said Bill Killmer, Senior Vice President, Legislative and Political Affairs, MBA.

“MFA supports the Senate’s introduction of commonsense, bipartisan legislation to bring transparency and accountability to the FSOC designation process. The bill will require FSOC to first consider targeted regulatory alternatives to address activities creating potential stability risk before turning to misguided and potentially damaging designations. This much-needed clarity will strengthen market stability and reduce uncertainty for investors, including pensions, foundations, and endowments.” said Bryan Corbett, MFA President and CEO

“The FSOC Improvement Act brings meaningful changes for consumers by strengthening financial stability with transparency and predictability, while also preserving healthy competition,” said American Council of Life Insurers President and CEO David Chavern. “It does this with clear guardrails around the designation processestablishing an activities-based approach, requiring real consultation with primary regulators, and making SIFI designation a tool of last resort.”

“ICI applauds Senators Rounds and Peters for introducing this significant legislation to bring more accountability and transparency to FSOC. The Financial Stability Oversight Council Improvement Act will allow American businesses to operate free from the fear of draconian governmental overreach. As ICI has previously demonstrated, SIFI designation for fund managers would entail sweeping negative consequences and should only ever be used where proven necessary by robust data and cost-benefit analysis. ICI encourages the Senate to pass this legislation and bring more transparency to government, as well as greater certainty to investment funds and the millions of investors they serve,” said Tom Quaadman, ICI Chief Government Affairs and Public Policy Officer.

Click HERE for full bill text.

###

The post ROUNDS LEADS LEGISLATION TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR FINANCIAL REGULATORS appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

The insurance regulatory and risk landscape was demanding in 2025 — and all signs point to 2026 being even more complex. Across all lines of insurance, insurers are being pulled in two directions at once:

• Innovate faster, and
• Tighten controls and costs under intensifying regulatory, geopolitical and economic pressure.

Risk and compliance functions are expected to be jointly strategic — supporting profitable growth, enabling technological innovation and satisfying increasingly aggressive regulation.

1. Technological innovation

By mid‑2025, artificial intelligence moved from pilot projects to core insurance operations. Insurers accelerated the shift from annual pricing cycles to dynamic, data-driven pricing and risk selection, with AI agents making or supporting decisions at scale. That created real opportunities, as well as real exposures:

• Model risk: Underwriting and pricing models must be robust, explainable and monitored for drift.
• Fairness and anti-discrimination: Insurance regulators, plaintiff’s counsel and consumer advocates increasingly scrutinize AI-driven decisions.
• Governance: As more authority is delegated to AI agents, boards and senior management are expected to demonstrate active oversight of models, data sources, and outcomes.

In 2025, insurance regulators view cyber resilience, incident reporting and data protection as central to insurers’ safety and soundness. Insurers are encouraged to embed cyber risk into enterprise risk management and capital planning. It is key to align IT/security priorities with business growth, especially when deploying third-party integrations. The tension is clear: Digital transformation demands speed; cyber and AI governance demand discipline. Insurers that can balance both will have a competitive advantage.

2. Third-party vendor regulation

Insurance regulators consider third-party vendors as extensions of an insurer’s own risk profile. In 2025, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners increased its focus on pharmacy benefit managers, data/model vendors and third-party administrators — and 2026 will build on this foundation.

The NAIC moved from simply studying PBMs to actively building a regulatory and enforcement framework, splitting responsibilities across two working groups: (1) the Prescription Drug Coverage (B) Working Group focusing on licensure and registration guidelines and monitoring the pharmaceutical supply chain; and (2) the 2025 formed Pharmacy Benefit Management (D) Working Group, developing a new chapter in the NAIC Market Regulation Handbook for PBM examinations and designing data collection protocols. For health and life insurers partnering with PBMs, this means greater scrutiny of contracts, rebate arrangements, and oversight.

Beyond PBMs, the NAIC is scrutinizing third parties that touch core insurance operations.

• Third-Party Data and Models (H) Working Group
  • Developing a framework to oversee insurer use of third-party data, analytics and predictive models.
  • Ensuring compliance with consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws.
• Annuity suitability oversight
  • In August, the Annuity Suitability (A) Working Group issued guidance requiring insurers to actively monitor third-party supervising entities (e.g., broker-dealers) for suitability compliance.
  • Insurance regulators are no longer accepting the defense that “We outsourced it.”
• Third-party administrators
  • NAIC continues to refine standardized licensing terms.
  • States are updating oversight for contractors supporting analysis and examination functions.

In practical terms, insurers need to treat vendor governance like capital management: structured, evidence-based and continuously updated.

3. Interest rates, markets and geopolitics

Interest rate and spread volatility did not ease in 2025, and insurers had to confront its impact on:

• Solvency, capital and hedging strategies.
• Policyholder behavior, including lapses, surrenders and product migration.
• Reinsurance and risk transfer, use of offshore and alternative reinsurance for capital relief and earnings smoothing is under closer regulatory scrutiny, including transparency, counterparty risk and whether risk transfer is substantive.

Insurers are expected to consider and mitigate “geopolitical, economic and societal uncertainty,” not just traditional insurance risk. For example, in 2025, catastrophic losses stayed elevated, with total insured natural catastrophe losses around $107 billion. This was driven in part by events such as the California Palisades Fire. As a result, property/casualty insurers continue to face pressure on catastrophic aggregates, reinsurance costs and pricing adequacy.

Medicare Advantage insurers grappled with premium deficiency, as premiums often fell short of rising medical costs. This forced health insurers to revisit product design, benefit richness, network strategies and risk adjustment while navigating heightened federal scrutiny.

Finally, attractive spreads on long-duration assets are improving life insurer profitability and solvency metrics. However, legacy guarantees (e.g., old variable annuities, long-term guarantees) can still be problematic depending on when they were priced.

4. Talent gap

In 2025, insurers experienced an active talent and expertise shortfall. Multiple sources project hundreds of thousands of positions vacated by retirements with too few qualified replacements coming in, particularly in technical and judgment-heavy roles. Under-attraction of younger talent also poses a challenge, given the perception of insurance as boring or low innovation. This makes insurance than other financial services to younger talent.

What this means for insurers in 2026

Across all these themes, a few imperatives stand out.

• Elevate risk and compliance into strategy. Risk functions must be embedded up front in product design, distribution strategy, capital planning and AI deployment—not consulted after the fact.
• Industrialize vendor and model governance. From PBMs to AI vendors, regulators expect structured oversight, data-driven monitoring and clear documentation.
• Invest in talent and tools. Insurers need professionals who understand both risk and technology.
• Design for volatility. Interest rates, cat losses, policy shifts and political change are now baseline conditions, not exceptions. The winners will build flexibility into pricing, capital and product architecture.

For insurers and reinsurers alike, 2025 was a stress test. In 2026, the real question is: Can your risk and compliance capabilities keep pace with your growth and innovation?

© Entire contents copyright 2025 by InsuranceNewsNet.com Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted without the expressed written consent from InsuranceNewsNet.com.

The post The 2025-2026 risk agenda for insurers appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

LANSING, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Jackson Financial Inc.¹ (NYSE: JXN) (Jackson®) today announced that Alison Reed has been appointed Head of Distribution of Jackson National Life Distributors LLC (JNLD), the marketing and distribution business of Jackson National Life Insurance Company. In this role, Reed has responsibility to drive organizational performance, develop new product and distribution opportunities and direct initiatives for continued business growth at JNLD and Jackson. Reed will serve as a member of Jackson’s Executive Committee.

“Alison is a proven leader with a track record of successful execution to support Jackson’s strategic growth,” commented Chris Raub, President, Jackson National Life Insurance Company. “Her understanding of the retirement services industry, combined with her tenured experience in driving the development of Jackson’s product and distribution strategy, will serve her well as she leads JNLD through Jackson’s next phase of growth. I am confident she will continue to foster a collaborative, experience-focused environment that will help our teams thrive as we continue to meet the evolving needs of our partners.”

“I’m incredibly proud to lead such a dedicated and talented team at Jackson,” added Reed. “Our commitment to delivering value, building trust and driving meaningful outcomes for Jackson and our stakeholders is what makes this organization truly exceptional. I look forward to the innovative ways we will continue to empower financial professionals with the tools and support they need to help clients achieve financial security in retirement.”

Reed joined Jackson in 2002 and has served in a variety of leadership roles during her tenure at JNLD, including Chief Product Development and Strategy Execution Officer, JNLD Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Vice President of Product Solutions. Previously, Reed also served as Vice President of Variable Annuity Product Management and was Vice President of Due Diligence for National Planning Holdings®, Inc. (NPH). Reed earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and a master’s in business administration from the University of Denver. She holds FINRA Series 7 and 24 registrations.

ABOUT JACKSON

Jackson® (NYSE: JXN) is committed to helping clarify the complexity of retirement planning—for financial professionals and their clients. Through our range of annuity products, financial know-how, history of award-winning service* and streamlined experiences, we strive to reduce the confusion that complicates retirement planning. We take a balanced, long-term approach to responsibly serving all our stakeholders, including customers, shareholders, distribution partners, employees, regulators and community partners. We believe by providing clarity for all today, we can help drive better outcomes for tomorrow. For more information, visit www.jackson.com.

*SQM (Service Quality Measurement Group) Call Center Awards Program for 2004 and 2006-2024. (Criteria used for Call Center World Class FCR Certification is 80% or higher of customers getting their contact resolved on the first call to the call center (FCR) for 3 consecutive months or more.)

Jackson® is the marketing name for Jackson Financial Inc., Jackson National Life Insurance Company® (Home Office: Lansing, Michigan) and Jackson National Life Insurance Company of New York® (Home Office: Purchase, New York).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251218218038/en/

Media Contact:
Patrick Rich

mediarelations@jackson.com

Source: Jackson Financial Inc.

The post Jackson Names Alison Reed Head of Distribution appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

The Life Insurance Consumer Advocacy Center (LICAC) is asking life insurance companies and agents to improve communication and transparency practices regarding flexible premium policies.

Flexible premium policies are part of universal life policies. Regulations require that whatever a consumer pays into a policy be referred to as a ‘premium,’ regardless of how the amount was determined or whether it will be enough to maintain the policy for the long term. Many consumers who hold these flexible premium policies are led to believe the premiums they pay will be sufficient to sustain the policy until the death of the insured. They are unaware of how flexible premiums work and are often surprised when, after paying premiums faithfully for many years, they are told by the insurance company that their policy will lapse if premiums are not increased, sometimes by large amounts.

Unlike many policies, universal life insurance policies do not have a guaranteed, carrier-specified premium, and policy owners pay the amount listed on the policy illustration at the time of purchase. The amount is based on a snapshot taken at the time of purchase, based on the policy owner’s age, health, policy credit value, or other factors. But the amount needed to sustain the policy can change, often without consumer knowledge.

“Consumers may not be aware or remember that they need to ask their carrier or agent if their premium increased. If not, they might get a notification 30 years down the road that they need to pay a large amount or lose coverage,” says Dick Weber, president and chief consultant for The Ethical Edge, and the LICAC’s Treasurer.

Premium increase notification

Weber notes that with a universal life policy, you may pay less initially but that amount may need to change over time based on the crediting rates and market fluctuations. Today, most carriers do not automatically let consumers know they need to increase the amount in order the fund the policy.

Weber, who has been in the business for 59 years, says one of the issues is that consumers and agents may not be in as close contact as they have been in the past, — either because the agents leave the business or the consumers have a ‘set it and forget it’ attitude toward life insurance.

The LICAC says there is a need to improve consumer understanding of flexible premiums through better communication, transparency, and annual disclosures. Consumers should be repeatedly informed, in various contexts, that paying a flexible premium does not guarantee the policy will remain in force. From the initial purchase point to annual disclosures, consumers need to be reminded of the reality of their flexible premium policy, which is that just because you pay the insurer’s premium billing when due does not mean that the policy will stay in force.

“Consumers don’t see their life insurance policy as an asset to be managed. They typically put it in a drawer and forget about it. Similar to a retirement savings account, where you need to monitor it to make sure you have enough money saved for your retirement, those with a flexible premium policy need to make sure they have enough money to last until their death,” Weber says.

Insurers implement strategies to aid consumers

Some insurers are already implementing strategies to help consumers. For example, John Hancock offers a Life Track option for its flexible premium policies. The Life Track disclosure outlines the policyholder’s original goals and the assumptions underlying them. Each year, it gives the policyholder the option to instruct the insurer to automatically increase the premium if needed to meet the policyholder’s initial objectives

“A flexible premium life insurance policy, like most universal life policies, can offer significant benefits to consumers. However, it can also lead to false expectations among those who do not understand what a flexible premium means,” Brian Brosnahan, executive director of LICAC, said in a statement. “LICAC is calling for changes to improve transparency and communication, so consumers are aware of what they are getting into with these policies. We need to end the all-too-common scenario where an older policyholder is shocked to find that after faithfully paying their premium for many years, the policy is about to lapse and cannot be continued without large premium increases.”

To help consumers and financial professionals understand the risk, the LICAC put together a white paper on flexible premium policies.

About the Life Insurance Consumer Advocacy Center: The Life Insurance Consumer Advocacy Center is a nonprofit social service organization that advocates for consumers of life insurance and works for the passage of laws and regulations that protect life insurance consumers.

© Entire contents copyright 2025 by InsuranceNewsNet.com Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted without the expressed written consent from InsuranceNewsNet.com.

The post Consumer group calls on life insurers to improve flexible premium policy practices appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

HONG KONG–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Hong Kong’s non-life insurance industry has shown an ability to sustain profitable underwriting during a recent five-year period, which was supported by the performance in the general liability and property damage lines of business, according to a new AM Best report.

Accident & health (A&H) coverage remained the largest contributor to gross written premiums (GWP) during the five-year period between 2020 and 2024, followed by general liability (comprising employees’ compensation) and property damage. When combined with motor, these four lines of business generated close to 89% of Hong Kong’s non-life segment GWP of HKD 100.5 billion (USD 12.9 billion) in 2024.

According to the report, the industry’s overall operating profit reached HKD 8.1 billion in 2024, including HKD 3.3 billion in undiscounted underwriting profits. The 10 largest direct non-life insurers generated a combined underwriting profit of HKD 552.8 million during that same time, equivalent to a 17% share of the overall market underwriting profit.

“The overall performance of Hong Kong’s non-life market is driven by factors such as increased consumer awareness, ongoing regulatory initiatives, and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) project,” said Stephanie Mi, senior financial analyst, AM Best. “The stable economic environment should also be noted as a factor.”

AM Best’s analysis of this segment is based on data generated by the Hong Kong Insurance Authority. The direct non-life segment is very competitive and no single insurer holds a market share exceeding 10%. The non-life segment also has maintained a generally stable momentum, with GWP growth at around 3%-8% from 2020 to 2023.

A&H remains a significant area of growth over the last few years, driven by a surge in demand for travel insurance and group medical business, especially in the post-pandemic period. Some major non-life insurers have a high business concentration in A&H insurance, which has suffered a marginal underwriting performance in recent years.

Following a slowdown in business caused by the pandemic, the A&H segment has witnessed a rebound in premiums written since 2022, recording year-over-year growth of 12% in 2023, and the momentum continued into 2024.

Compared with underwriting profit, investment income is the larger component of the bottom-line results for Hong Kong’s non-life industry. In terms of investment strategy, the majority of assets owned by the top 30 Hong Kong non-life insurers are invested in cash and fixed income, which comprises 60% on an aggregate basis. The remaining portion consists mainly of equity investments and other unquoted investments.

The moderate economic expansion, combined with external headwinds such as geopolitical conflicts and rising protectionist trade policies, may cause volatility in capital markets by increasing investor uncertainty, disrupting supply chains, constraining trade and investment flows, and impacting asset prices and financial stability. “This combination is a particularly challenging environment for investing, but the shift to the Hong Kong risk-based capital framework is expected to help insurers manage equity investment exposure by aligning capital requirements with actual risk profiles,” Mi said.

To access the full copy of this Best’s Market Segment Report, titled, “Hong Kong’s Non-Life Insurance Segment Shows Growth and Resilience Amid Market Challenges,” please visit http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?record_code=361183.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217774278/en/

Stephanie Mi

Senior Financial Analyst

+852 2827 3402

stephanie.mi@ambest.com

James Chan

Director, Analytics

+852 2827 3418

james.chan@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey

Associate Director, Public Relations

+1 908 882 2310

christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Cynthia Ang

Senior Industry Research Analyst

+65 6303 5026

cynthia.ang@ambest.com

Source: AM Best

The post Best’s Market Segment Report: Hong Kong’s Non-Life Insurance Segment Shows Growth and Resilience Amid Market Challenges appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

As product sales continue to be sold through independent channels, carriers are increasingly reliant on distributors to push a broader portfolio of product offerings. Increased reliance on third-party distributors is nothing new, but the implications go beyond product design and commissions.

The increased reliance on independent channels suggests that distributors have a greater role to play in educating the customer. That education is twofold:

1. Education on product capability (e.g., how can long-term care hybrid products address caretaker challenges later in life)
2. Education between products (e.g., how does a fixed indexed annuity product compare to a multiyear guaranteed annuity product and when might one be superior to the other)

Goal-based and needs-based planning is designed to tackle the first part of the education, while illustration tools are supposed to assist with the second component of that education goal. But there is a significant challenge in this space.

How do products get sold if distributors and customers are unaware or unable to articulate the value of those products in helping them achieve their goals?

Annuities are a great example. Annuities are complex products that both advisors and customers have a hard time defining, and that’s before riders and surrender charges are added into the conversation. If most customers and advisors do not know guaranteed lifetime income products exist, then how can there be any education or comparison against other products? This goes beyond a simple marketing campaign – this is a concerted effort to educate advisors and customers on addressing needs they do not know they need yet.

Carriers should see this as an opportunity to invest in distribution relationships and their customers. This education strategy has three legs:

1. Identify customer needs
2. Product education
3. Product selection

Identify customer needs

Anticipating customer needs is not only a slogan for restaurants, and it goes beyond initial customer segmentation. Consider that approximately 61% of nonretired Generation Xers did not consider retirement as an urgent priority until they reached age 50 or later. That means any product focused on addressing retirement needs would likely not have been considered for any of the customers until they became 50 or older. Distributors can challenge this by thinking ahead, but advisors can only plan for what they know.

Carriers must begin the process by imagining what is coming next. One example of this is in addressing the so-called “sandwich generation” – those who are caring for aging parents as well as children. Anticipating what this generation will likely need (e.g., long-term care for themselves and parents, the ability to care for children, guaranteed lifetime income, etc.) positions the carrier to have the right products to address these needs.

Product education

Carriers must partner with distributors to develop plain speak products – a clear set of benefits that can be applied to these increasingly common life scenarios. The simplest way to do this is to expand the definition of goal-based planning. For example, does a customer want to live at home in the event they need to receive care? If so, there should be a product that directly addresses that need.

Put a different way, survey data shows that people respond better to “guaranteed lifetime income” than to the word “annuity,” even those words describe the same thing. Carriers should also leverage artificial intelligence to evolve their sales training to identify optimum product combinations and bundles to address increasingly complex sales scenarios to support distributors. Developing customer segments and personas is the beginning of this, but leveraging additional data points may reveal previously unrelated data points.

Product selection

This is the simplest leg of the education stool for carriers, because it requires advisors to have the ability to differentiate between products in the market and understand why one product is superior to another.

Even so, carriers must innovate their illustration tools and sales software to support advisors beyond simple product comparisons and instead focus on outcome comparisons. This will become increasingly important as the advisor field force continues to age out and younger, less experienced agents are forced into complex sales situations. Innovation in the sales tool space will be a useful tool for this transition.

While carriers should focus on distributor education, the education efforts should broadly target consumers as well. The most effective method to improve advisor knowledge is through repeated questions from consumers asking about a particular product. Additionally, consumer education efforts may result in developing relationships with customers outside of the sale, improving customer retention efforts. Carriers that invest in distributor relationships and consumer education will position themselves for greater retention in both arenas.

© Entire contents copyright 2025 by InsuranceNewsNet.com Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted without the expressed written consent from InsuranceNewsNet.com.

The post Product understanding will drive the future of insurance appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

Many Americans anticipate making New Year’s resolutions to improve finances.

KEY FINDINGS:

• 48% are more stressed heading into 2026 than they were at the beginning of 2025
• 27% have decreased confidence in their ability to meet their retirement goals compared to last year
• 46% are likely to make and keep a resolution to manage money better or save more

MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Nearly half of Americans say they are more stressed heading into 2026 than they were at the beginning of 2025, according to the 2026 New Year’s Resolutions Study* from the Allianz Center for the Future of Retirement, part of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life).

At the end of 2025, 48% say they are more stressed than they were at the start of the year. This is up from 43% last year.

Among Americans who say they are more stressed financially compared to last year, the top reasons include: costs of day-to-day expenses (54%), income is too low (46%), not saving enough for an emergency fund (39%), too much debt (35%), high health care costs (34%), and lack of job security (33%). Health care costs and lack of job security in particular rose significantly from last year.

With that sense of job insecurity, more Americans say they will start or continue looking for a new job in 2026 (56%, up from 47% last year). Still, many are planning to stay put and take part in “job hugging.” Seven in 10 (71%) who are not likely to look for a job say it’s because it seems safer to stay where they are in the current economic environment.

Financial stress hits retirement confidence

With that, 27% say they have decreased confidence in their ability to meet their retirement goals compared to last year. In particular, Gen X (38%) and Gen Z (32%) are more likely than millennials (24%) or boomers (20%) to say they have decreased confidence compared to last year. What’s more, many Americans don’t feel like they are making progress toward retirement. About one in five (21%) say they are further from reaching their retirement goals than they were a year ago.

“When feeling financially stressed, long-term goals like retirement can be the easiest to sideline because you don’t feel it in your day-to-day life,” says Kelly LaVigne, VP of consumer insights, Allianz Life. “But achieving long-term financial security takes time and you may be better off consistently working toward retirement incrementally than trying to wait until you can devote a larger part of your budget to the goal.”

Americans struggle with financial discipline

The majority of Gen Z (56%) and millennials (63%) say they are likely to make and keep a resolution in 2026 to manage money better or save more. Less than half of Gen X (43%) and boomers (23%) said the same. Overall, 46% of Americans say they were likely to make and keep a resolution to manage money better or save more. This was the second most popular resolution after exercise and diet.

Many Americans say they established good financial habits in 2025. More than one in three (34%) say they reduced their spending.

Still, Americans say their worst financial habits are spending too much money on things they don’t need (32%), not saving as much as they could (25%), not saving any money (23%), and not paying down debt fast enough (22%). Gen Z was more likely than other generations to say they spend too much on things they don’t need (50%) and don’t save any money (32%).

“At every stage of life, it can be important to consider a written financial strategy so that you document your financial goals,” LaVigne says. “Without a documented strategy for your finances, it can be tempting to spend now instead of saving for later. If you know why you are saving and what goals you are working toward, making those decisions can be simpler.”

* Allianz Center for the Future of Retirement conducted an online survey, the 2026 New Year’s Resolutions Study in November 2025 with a nationally representative sample of 1,038 respondents age 18+ in the contiguous U.S.

The Allianz Center for the Future for Retirement produces insights and research as a part of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America.

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America does not provide financial planning services.

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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216901015/en/

For more information:
Sarah Hauer

(763) 765-7341

sarah.hauer@allianzlife.com

@AllianzLife

Source: Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America

The post Nearly Half of Americans More Stressed Heading into 2026, Allianz Life Study Finds appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

Fund is designed to provide exposure to longer duration investment grade municipal bonds with a strategic allocation to high-yield munis

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
New York Life Investments today announced the launch of the NYLI MacKay Muni Allocation ETF (NYSE: MMMA), an actively-managed municipal bond ETF designed to deliver attractive, tax-exempt income through a combination of predominately long-duration investment grade municipal securities with a strategic allocation to high yield municipals.

The Fund is managed by MacKay Shields’ MacKay Municipal Managers team, led by Michael Denlinger, Matthew Hage, and Michael Perilli, with decades of combined experience investing across the full range of municipal bond exposures. Leveraging deep credit expertise and robust market insights, the team employs a disciplined, research-driven process to identify attractive opportunities and capture market inefficiencies while seeking to deliver consistent, tax-exempt income. This disciplined approach focuses on strong credit underwriting and research, supported by long-standing dealer relationships that help uncover value and drive strong performance.

Michael Denlinger, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, noted:

“With yields at some of the most attractive levels in over a decade, we believe now is an opportune time to offer investors a dedicated, active long duration municipal solution. This approach allows investors to capture higher tax-exempt income and the potential for increased returns as interest rates begin to moderate. In an environment where duration and security selection matter more than ever, MMMA is designed to provide both.”

The Fund expands the New York Life Investments suite of active muni-focused ETFs, which includes the NYLI MacKay Muni Short Duration ETF (MMSD), the NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF (MMIN), the NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF (MMIT), and the NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF (MMCA).

For more information on the fund and on New York Life Investments’ full suite of ETF offerings, as well as insights and commentary on inflation and the current market environment, please visit our website here. To read our most recent MacKay Municipal Managers Outlook, visit our insights here.

About New York Life Investments

With over $799.4 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2025, New York Life Investments, a Pensions & Investments’ Top 30 Largest Money Manager*, is comprised of the affiliated global asset management businesses of its parent company, New York Life Insurance Company, and offers clients access to specialized, independent investment teams through its family of affiliated boutiques. New York Life Investments remains committed to clients through a combination of the diverse perspectives of its boutiques and a long-lasting focus on sustainable relationships.

*New York Life Investment Management was ranked the 26^th largest institutional investment manager in Pensions & Investments‘ Largest Money Managers 2024 published June 2024, based on worldwide institutional AUM as of 12/31/23. No direct or indirect compensation was paid for the creation and distribution of this ranking.

About MacKay Municipal Managers

MacKay Municipal Managers is a recognized leader in active municipal bond investing and is entrusted with $81.6 billion in assets under management, as of September 30, 2025. The team manages a suite of highly rated municipal bond solutions available in multiple vehicles. MacKay Municipal Managers is a fundamental relative-value bond manager that combines a top-down approach with bottom-up, credit research. Our investment philosophy is centered on the belief that strong long-term performance can be achieved with a relative value, research driven approach in a highly fragmented, inefficient municipal bond market.

About MacKay Shields LLC

MacKay Shields LLC (together with its subsidiaries, “MacKay”)*, a New York Life Investments company, is a global asset management firm with $158.3 billion in assets under management** as of September 30, 2025. MacKay manages fixed income strategies for high-net worth individuals and institutional clients through separately managed accounts and collective investment vehicles including private funds, collective investment trusts, UCITS, ETFs, closed end funds and mutual funds. MacKay provides investors with specialty fixed income expertise across global fixed income markets including municipal bonds, high yield bonds, investment grade bonds, structured credit, and emerging markets debt. The MacKay Shields client experience provides investors direct access to senior investment professionals. For more information, please visit www.mackayshields.com or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

* MacKay Shields is a wholly owned subsidiary of New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC, which is wholly owned by New York Life Insurance Company. “New York Life Investments” is both a service mark, and the common trade name of certain investment advisers affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company.

** Assets under management (AUM) as of September 30, 2025 represents assets managed by MacKay Shields LLC and its subsidiaries but excludes certain accounts and other assets over which MacKay Shields continues to exercise discretionary authority to liquidate but which are no longer actively managed.

For more insights from MacKay Municipal Managers and our New York Life Investments affiliates click here.

DISCLOSURES

About Risk: The Fund is a new fund. As a new fund, there can be no assurance that it will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case it could ultimately liquidate. Municipal bond risks include the ability of the issuer to repay the obligation, the relative lack of information about certain issuers, and the possibility of future tax and legislative changes, which could affect the market for and value of municipal securities. Investing in below investment grade securities may carry a greater risk of nonpayment of interest or principal than higher-rated securities. The Fund is not a money market fund and does not attempt to maintain a stable NAV. The Fund’s net asset value per share will fluctuate. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve or maintain any particular level of yield. Bonds are subject to interest-rate risk and can lose principal value when interest rates rise. Bonds are also subject to credit risk, in which the bond issuer may fail to pay interest and principal in a timely manner.

Consider the Funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus and the statement of additional information include this and other relevant information about the Funds and are available by visiting newyorklifeinvestments.com or calling (888) 474-7725. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Securities distributed by NYLIFE Distributors LLC, 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302, Member FINRA/SIPC.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216602007/en/

Sara Guenoun

New York Life Investments

sara_j_guenoun@newyorklife.com

Rob Jesselson

Craft & Capital

rob@craftandcapital.com

Source: New York Life Investments

The post New York Life Investments Expands Active ETF Lineup With Launch of NYLI MacKay Muni Allocation ETF (MMMA) appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.