U.S. Life Insurance Activity Leveled In April

Braintree, MA. (May 10, 2017) — U.S. individually underwritten life insurance activity showed positive trends this April after three consecutive months of earlier decline. April's composite MIB Life Index was off slightly, down -0.3% from the same month last year. With a third of the calendar year completed, the MIB Life Index is off -3.4% YTD — showing significant improvement over last month's Q1 -4.5% YTD close. In relative terms, the April 2016 comparative MIB Life Index value was the strongest April Index value in the last five years. April 2017’s slight year-over-year decline shows that application activity is keeping pace. April's application activity was -1.3% lower than that of March in the month-over-month comparison.

U.S. life insurance application activity in the age groups was mixed. Activity ages 0-44 was up slightly at 0.5%, ages 45-59 was off -2.8%, and ages 60+ was up 1.1%. After the first four months, application activity ages 0-44 is off –3.1% YTD, ages 45-59 is off -5.5% YTD, and ages 60+ is off -1.3% YTD. Since Q2 2016 ages 0-44 have led all others in an expanding market; April results show ages 60+ doing better than all others in a recovering market; ages 45-59 continue to lag all others consistent with historical trends.