AM BEST'S MONTHLY INSURANCE MAGAZINE
Life Insurance
Life: Mortality Trends
Swiss Re’s Sprackling: Medical Advances Reshape Mortality Trends, Risk Strategies
In an interview with AM Best TV, Neil Sprackling, CEO of Life & Health Re US at Swiss Re, explains how breakthroughs in personalized medicine, metabolic health and early disease detection are transforming longevity expectations and underwriting in the insurance industry.
Date: May 2025
Life Insurance
AM Best: Innovative Changes Ahead For US Life/Annuity While Absorbing Prior Industry Shifts
AM Best cited strong liquidity and capital positions and robust annuity sales as reasons for maintaining a Stable outlook on the U.S. life/annuity segment.
Date: May 2025
Life Mutuals
New York Life, Other Mutual Life Insurers See Value in Boosting 2025 Dividends
New York Life declared a record-high dividend of $2.5 billion payable to participating policy owners in 2025 and has paid out more than $1 billion in annual dividends every year since 1990.
Date: April 2025
Life Impairments
2023 US Life/Health Impairments Update
Ten U.S. life/health companies became impaired in 2023, according to an AM Best Special Report. Impairments rose following annual declines since 2019.
Date: April 2025
Annuities
Market Watchers: Annuity Surrenders May Continue Their Momentum in 2025
Surrender benefits increased 19% year-over-year through the second quarter of 2024, according to a Best’s Special Report.
Date: March 2025
Life Insurance
Weekly Lunches and No Silos: A Life Insurance Chief Executive’s Hands-On Philosophy
John Barrett, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Western & Southern Financial Group, looks back at his 37-year tenure during which a regional insurance company transformed into a diversified financial services enterprise.
Date: February 2025
Life & Annuity
Top 25 US Life/Health Writers — 2025 Edition
Ranked by 2023 capital and surplus.
Date: January 2025
Life & Annuity
Top 25 US Life/Health Writers — 2025 Edition
Ranked by 2023 net premiums written.
Date: January 2025
Life & Annuity
Top 25 US Life/Health Writers — 2025 Edition
Ranked by 2023 direct premiums written.
Date: January 2025
Life & Annuity
Top 25 US Life/Health Insurers — 2025 Edition
Ranked by 2023 total admitted assets.
Date: January 2025
Life & Annuity
Life & Annuity
The main purpose of life insurance is to provide families with protection against the risk of death or, in the case of annuities, the risks that may come with living longer than expected.
Date: January 2025
Auditors & Actuaries
Top Audit and Actuarial Firms
The firms were ranked by insurance companies’ loss reserves.
Date: December 2024
Auditors & Actuaries: Top Issues
Gauging New Risks, Auditors and Actuaries Examine Technology, Judgments, COVID-19’s Aftermath
Climate change, nuclear verdicts and life after the pandemic have actuaries and auditors assessing what it all means for insurers.
Date: December 2024
Life Insurance
Canadian Life/Annuity Segment: Insurers Navigate Industry Challenges and an Uncertain Economy
Edward Kohlberg, director, AM Best, reports that Canada’s life/annuity insurers performed relatively well in 2023, owing to economic growth and favorable interest rates.
Date: December 2024
Best’s Rankings
US Life/Health – Pre-Tax Investment Total Returns – 2024 Edition
Investment returns from 2014 to 2023.
Date: November 2024
Life Insurance
Swiss Re: Pandemic-Related Excess Mortality in US, UK May Linger Until 2033
A reinsurer’s report finds that the United States and United Kingdom could see post-pandemic excess mortality at an elevated level for a decade.
Date: November 2024
Cayman Islands
CIRCA Chair: Wealth Transfer Fueling Cayman Life, Annuity Lines
David Self, chair of the Cayman International Reinsurance Companies Association, and André Ebanks, Cayman Islands deputy premier, minister for financial services & commerce, view insurance as a key part of driving the nation’s role as a financial services hub.
Date: November 2024
Best’s Rankings: L/H Asset Distribution
US Life/Health Asset Distribution – 2024 Edition
Ranked by 2023 total admitted assets.
Date: October 2024
Life Insurance
Life Insurance Death Benefits Paid to Beneficiaries Stabilized in 2023
The industry, however, says the number of benefits is still much higher than a decade ago, citing diet, lack of exercise or even long COVID as possible reasons.
Date: October 2024
Best’s Rankings: L/H Insurers
US Life/Health Individual Life Average Policy Size and Lapse Ratio – 2024 Edition
Date: September 2024
Best’s Rankings: L/H Insurers
US Life/Health Group Life Issued – 2024 Edition
Date: September 2024
Best’s Rankings: L/H Insurers
US Life/Health Group Life In Force – 2024 Edition
Date: September 2024
Best’s Rankings: L/H Insurers
US Life/Health -Term Life In force – 2024 Edition
Date: September 2024
Best’s Rankings: L/H Insurers
US Life/Health - Total Life In Force – 2024 Edition
Date: September 2024
Best’s Rankings: L/H Insurers
US Life/Health - Term Life Issued – 2024 Edition
Date: September 2024
Best’s Rankings: L/H Insurers
US Life/Health - Ordinary Life In force – 2024 Edition
Date: September 2024
Best’s Rankings: L/H Insurers
US Life Health-Total Life Issued – 2024 Edition
Date: September 2024
Best’s Rankings: L/H Insurers
US Life Health - Ordinary Life Issued – 2024 Edition
Date: September 2024
Best’s Rankings: Mutual Insurers
Top 25 US Life/Health Mutual companies – 2024 Edition
Date: September 2024
Life Insurance
Minding the Gaps
With many people lacking coverage, industry executives need to work on the balance between selling life insurance and helping with long-term retirement savings, says Neil Sprackling, chief executive officer of U.S. life and health at reinsurer Swiss Re Ltd.
Date: September 2024
Best's Rankings
US Life/Health – 2023 Individual Life Premiums for Contracts – 2024 Edition
Date: August 2024
Best's Rankings
US Life/Health – 2023 Individual Annuities Premiums for Life Contracts – 2024 Edition
Date: August 2024
Best's Rankings
US Life/Health – 2023 Group Life Insurance Premiums for Life Contracts – 2024 Edition
Date: August 2024
Best's Rankings
US Life/Health – 2023 Group Annuities Premiums for Life Contracts – 2024 Edition
Date: August 2024
Best's Rankings
US Life/Health – 2023 Accident & Health Insurance Contracts – 2024 Edition
Date: August 2024
Life Insurance
Tokenized Life Insurance Policy Debuts Through Blockchain, Digital Firm Infineo Says
The tokenization of life policies fits within a shift to apply technology to real-world assets and will enhance efforts to make the $3 trillion life insurance market more accessible and affordable globally, according to the company.
Date: August 2024
Top 200 US L/H Insurers
Top 200 US Life/Health Insurers - 2024 Edition
Industry’s 2023 admitted assets increased 5.6%.
Date: July 2024
Life Insurance
Athene CEO: Solutions Needed To Help People Live Well in Retirement
Fighting the “retirement savings crisis” is a priority for Athene Holding Ltd., whose strong growth over the past 15 years has helped it become the largest U.S. issuer of total annuities in 2023, said Jim Belardi, the company’s co-founder and chief executive officer.
Date: July 2024
AM Best Webinars
Panelists Discuss the Latest Market Dynamics for Delegated Underwriting Authority Enterprises
Professionals also examine recent auto insurance trends, talk about marketing and rebranding strategies and explore the state of the U.S. medical professional liability insurance sector.
Date: June 2024
Life Insurance
MassMutual Expands Use of Genetic Testing by Policy Owners To Abate Risk
The expansion comes after a research study found 70% of policy owners who chose to use the risk assessment service report intended to take preventive steps—such as seeing doctors or seeking further screening—based on their scores.
Date: June 2024