2018: Individual Life-Annuity Growth and Profit Leaders
Conning’s study of successful life companies provides a high-level analysis of the three basic competitor segments making up the industry: large national competitors, mid-market companies, and small insurers. The study provides detail on the successful competitors within each of the size segments, analyzing performance metrics of the companies making up each group (size, growth, leverage, and profitability). The study concludes with a review of the characteristics of the successful insurers.
1. Introduction
2. Executive Summary
3. Leading Companies
- Identifying the Study Universe and Leading Companies
- Leading Companies—Setting the Standards
- Key Findings
4. Comparing Leading Small Companies to their Peers
- Leading Companies—Setting the Standards
- Key Findings Regarding Leading Small Companies
- Summary of the Study Universe and Leading Companies
- Company Sizes, Markets, and Social Media Presence
- Premium Growth and Product Focus
- Policy Face Amounts
- Assets and Investment Performance
- Commissions and Expenses
- Key Performance Ratios
5. Comparing Leading Midsized Companies to their Peers
- Leading Companies—Setting the Standards
- Key Findings Regarding Leading Midsized Companies
- Summary of the Study Universe and Leading Companies
- Company Sizes, Markets, and Social Media Presence
- Premium Growth and Product Focus
- Policy Face Amounts
- Assets and Investment Performance
- Benefits, Commissions, and Expenses
- Key Performance Ratios
6. Comparing Leading Large Companies to their Peers
- Leading Companies—Setting the Standards
- Key Findings Regarding Leading Large Companies
- Summary of the Study Universe and Leading Companies
- Company Sizes, Markets, and Social Media Presence
- Premium Growth and Product Focus
- Policy Face Amounts
- Assets and Investment Performance
- Benefits, Commissions, and Expenses
- Key Performance Ratios
Appendices
A. Identifying the Study Universe and Leading Companies
B. Small Company Appendix
C. Midsized Company Appendix
D. Large Company Appendix
E. Methods
Introduction
Individual life and annuity products are sold by a broad range of insurance companies, ranging from large, multiline companies that are household names, to small fraternal companies that are practically unknown outside the communities they serve.
Small life companies (generally defined as companies with less than $2 billion in assets), although quite numerous, account for a very small portion of the life insurance written and in force. Despite their size, however, they are often regional players that serve an important role in their communities or serve niche markets that are commonly overlooked by larger companies.
Midsized life companies also have their own role to play, sometimes taking on the larger companies in specialty products, and other times acting like the local hometown company.
Large life companies account for much of the total insurance in force, but often offer such a broad range of individual and group insurance products that individual life and annuity products may not be their primary focus.
The ability of Small and Midsized companies to survive, and even thrive, can point to strategies that may be appropriate for companies of any size operating in the individual life and annuity market. The differences in strategies by size illustrate how the insurance market reacts differently depending on the region and company size.
In this Strategic Study, Conning identifies companies that have excelled compared to their peers and looks for common characteristics that may have led to their superior performance.