Life insurance apps hit all-time high in January, double-digit growth for 40+

Life insurance application activity grew 9.5% in January, the highest year-over-year growth rate for any January on record, according to the MIB Life Index.

Compared to previous Januarys, activity was up 11.1% over 2024 and up 15.9% compared to 2023. On a month-over-month basis, January 2026 was up 11.7% compared to December 2025, the fourth year in a row of double-digit monthly growth in January.

In addition, applications for those ages 40 and older saw double-digit YOY growth, while ages 30-39 saw flat activity, and ages 0-29 declined 7.5%. This increase in applications included double-digit YOY growth across all product types. Year-over-year term life was up 26.4%, whole life increased 15.6%, and universal life was up at 34.7%.

Looking at YOY activity for January 2026 by face amounts, MIB saw double-digit growth for face amounts from $100,000 up to but not including $2.5 million, triple-digit growth for amounts from $2.5 million up to but not including $5 million, and flat activity for amounts from $1 up to but not including $100,000, and from $5 million and over.

Life insurance application activity finished 2025 with record-breaking growth of 6.8% compared with 2024, representing the highest annual growth rate on record, MIB has reported.

Michelle Robbins, a licensed insurance agent with USInsuranceAgents.com, said that while not every application results in a sale, when more people apply, more people buy. Following COVID-19, people became more interested in insurance products across many types, including life insurance, she said.

“Right now, people are doing okay financially, but they're also feeling nervous. That puts them in a position to consider life insurance more,” she said. “There's a lot of education available about life insurance and its benefits, especially for individuals with dependents who rely on their income. A combination of these factors has spurred increased interest and increased sales.”

Big growth across age groups

Looking at the ages of applicants in January, ages 0-29 saw double-digit growth for face amounts from $1 million up to but not including $2.5 million and amounts $5 million and over, triple-digit growth for amounts from $2.5 million up to but not including $5 million, flat activity for amounts from $250,000 up to but not including $500,000 and declines for all other face amounts, in the double digits for amounts over $1 up to but not including $100,000.

Term life saw YOY growth for all age bands, in the double digits for ages 30-69 and in the triple digits for ages 70+. Whole life saw YOY growth for those ages 30 and older, in the double digits for ages 40-49 and those 60 and older, and flat activity for ages 0-29. Universal life saw YOY growth for all age bands, in the double digits for ages 40-69, and in the triple digits for ages 70+.

Financial professionals see continued growth

Ian Skjervem, CEO of Smart Investors Daily, has seen the same pattern MIB highlighted, especially among people in their 40s and 50s who are carrying a mortgage and supporting kids or aging parents.

“Life insurance became a ‘this month’ task instead of a ‘someday’ topic for many of them,” Skjervem said. The question he hears now most often is a simple one: "How long does my family float on if my paycheck goes away next month?"

That attitude coincides with the increased term life activity and increased face amounts, he said. Skjervem does not believe this is a one-month spike.

“In my opinion, the durable trend is with mid-career households who finally begin to realize that employer coverage and savings is not enough to protect their dependents for long enough," he said. "As long as the memories of inflation, health concerns and layoff headlines remain fresh, I expect a strong interest in simple term coverage, particularly for people aligning policies with the remaining mortgage years and children's time at home."

Rami Sneineh, an owner and a licensed insurance producer at the Insurance Navy Brokers, agreed. The MIB numbers mirror what Sneineh and his team saw in January. He said they received approximately 30% more calls than in the previous January.

“Consider the scenario that you wake up and realize that all the future of your family was based on a GoFundMe page that was not getting any traffic,” he said. He has seen a big surge of new customers inquiring about life insurance as they are now starting to appreciate that the risk is real.

When people are feeling insecure, they purchase protection, Sneineh said. Buying life insurance is now as simple as ordering pizza online, he noted, as opposed to waiting weeks for a quote due to the need to visit a doctor for a physical examination. Today, his company offers technologies that allow people to register during a lunch break on their phones.

Brooke E. Lacey has more than 20 years of experience writing about the financial services industry. Contact her at [email protected]