Breeze Partners With Principal Financial Group® to Expand Its Online Disability Insurance Platform

OMAHA, Neb., June 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Breeze, the Omaha-based insurtech company that's simplifying how disability and critical illness insurance are distributed, announced today the addition of the individual disability insurance product from Principal Financial Group^® to their portfolio.

This new integration, built onto Breeze's proprietary API, enables insurance distributors to easily embed the product into their own native, digital platforms and reduce quoting and application time to under 15 minutes.

"We're thrilled for this partnership with Principal as it's in lockstep with our mission to be a full-stack provider of digital disability insurance products across a wide spectrum of occupations and income levels," Colin Nabity, CEO and co-founder at Breeze, said. "This move allows us to better serve Breeze's current and future distribution partners who want to grow their income protection sales through a seamless online experience."

From quote to enrollment, Principal^® individual disability insurance is fully integrated into Breeze's streamlined platform; insurance distributors and independent agents partnered with Breeze can offer Principal disability insurance to their clients directly through Breeze's agent portal or through Breeze's proprietary API. The product is also available on Breeze's direct-to-consumer platform.

Breeze's proprietary technology makes it possible to get quoted for disability insurance in seconds and apply online in minutes without having to cut through the red tape associated with traditional disability insurance sales.

"Principal focuses on providing the best experience for our customers, and this partnership enables us to create a seamless, fully digital journey," said Sean McCartney, vice president of specialty benefit sales and account management at Principal. "Principal is dedicated to providing unique, tech-driven solutions that simplify the benefits experience. Building our individual disability insurance product into Breeze's proprietary API improves the overall access and experience for both customers and distributors."

Principal has an A.M. Best Company rating of A+, the second highest of 13 rating levels as of March 2022. Principal offers numerous benefit designs, with a variety of percentages, maximums, benefit durations, own occupation and elimination periods.

According to LIMRA, just 14% of Americans owned disability insurance in 2021 despite the U.S. Social Security Administration reporting 25% of Americans will experience a disability in their careers before retiring. A confusing application and underwriting process for both buyers and sellers has contributed to this income protection gap.

Since launching in 2019, Breeze has been on a mission to close the income protection gap by simplifying and digitizing the disability insurance application process for consumers and insurance distributors alike. The addition of the Principal individual disability insurance product to the Breeze platform is a milestone step toward fulfilling the Omaha-based insurtech's mission.

About Breeze:

Breeze is an online insurance broker simplifying how disability and critical illness insurance are bought and sold. Leveraging industry expertise and innovative technology, our team is building a better way to distribute income protection insurance for life's most financially vulnerable moments — like cancer, heart attacks, and bad accidents. Policies offered through Breeze replace a portion of a policyholder's regular income and can be used to help with large medical bills, mortgage payments, groceries, and more.

About Principal:

Principal Financial Group^® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with 18,500 employees¹ passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for more than 140 years, we're helping more than 54 million customers¹ plan, protect, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal^®is proud to be recognized as one of America's 100 Most Sustainable Companies², a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and a Top 10 "Best Places to Work in Money Management.³" Learn more about Principal and our commitment to building a better future at principal.com.

¹ As of March 31, 2022
² Barron's, 2022
³ Pensions & Investments, 2021

A.M. Best's ratings for insurance companies range from "A++" to "S". A.M. Best indicates that "A++" and "A+" ratings are assigned to those companies that in A.M. Best's opinion have a superior ability to meet ongoing obligations to policyholders.

Third-party ratings relate to Principal Life Insurance Company and Principal National Life Insurance Company only, and do not reflect any ratings actions or notices relating to the US life insurance sector generally. Source: A.M. Best Company—'A+' Superior - second highest of 13 rating levels. Ratings are current as of March 2022.

Ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. Ratings are subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the assigning agency, and each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating.

Information is current as of the creation of this piece. Keep in mind that portfolio holdings are subject to risk.

Disability insurance has limitations and exclusions.

Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Company®. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., member SIPC and/or independent broker/dealers. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392.

2221015-052022

For more information:

Mike Brown

Director of Communications, Breeze

[email protected]

908-456-1729

Ashley Miller

Sr. Communication Specialist, Principal

[email protected]

515-878-6295