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A New Boom For Life Insurance
Shifting away from the 250 year old policy transaction
by Denise Garth
When executives are looking at future business scenarios, they are often called upon to “connect the dots.” If we draw a line from A to B to C to D, what kind of future scenario emerges? In which direction are the dots pointing? Sometimes the lines are fuzzy. The dots don’t quite line up. The…
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Market Growth Opportunity for Life Insurers
To be a market leader in the future, insurers need to transition their thinking from executing policy transactions to providing a life, health, wealth and wellness experience
Majesco (NASDAQ: MJCO), a global leader of cloud insurance software, today announced the release of their 4th annual primary consumer research, Rethinking Life Insurance: From a Transaction to a Life, Health, Wealth and Wellness Customer Experience, highlighting a shift from a focus on policy transactions to creating a broader life, health, wealth and wellness experience.
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State of Savings
The pandemic caused notable shifts, but now with re-openings data suggests positive signs of savings recovery
Our proprietary data reveals how individuals in the U.S. have changed their savings behaviors over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic as business and travel restrictions disrupted our economy. Not surprisingly, we saw notable shifts in savings plan contributions and withdrawals in the first few months of the outbreak, as individuals experienced changes in employment…
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The Impact of the CARES Act on 401(k) Plans
Expands how workers can tap into DC Plan savings - up to $100,000
Some of the Act’s provisions have the potential to deeply impact defined contribution (DC) retirement programs by expanding how workers can tap in to their retirement savings when affected by the virus and/or crisis. For eligible workers, CARES doubles the amount that can be taken as a loan, from $50,000 to $100,000. It also creates…
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Earnings Season Winds Down
Overlooking stalled efforts by Congress to pass a new fiscal stimulus bill, stocks marched higher last week with the Dow Jones Industrials leading the way and the NASDAQ Composite setting multiple fresh record highs.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 3.80%, while the Standard & Poor's 500 rose by 2.45%. The Nasdaq Composite index climbed 2.47% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, advanced 2.31%
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Measuring The Struggle In Personal Finance
Why many clients are taking action to manage a diminished financial wellness
According to a survey of more than 1,100 U.S.-based respondents interested in flexible work, more than half (53%) of people are currently earning half or less of their pre-pandemic income. Approximately one-third (31%) of respondents have lost their entire income since the pandemic started. This survey was conducted by FlexJobs, fielded in partnership with Prudential…
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Reshaping The Cybersecurity Landscape
How digitization and the COVID-19 pandemic are accelerating cybersecurity needs at many large financial institutions
Cybersecurity for financial institutions was critical before COVID-19 hit—and likely even more so now. This year’s Deloitte and FS-ISAC survey reveals why firms may need to prioritize and reinvest in cyber protection programs
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Customer Acquisition: A Paradigm Shift For Life and Health Insurers
The current public health emergency has proven that for all businesses, agility is essential, and fast change should be anticipated and expected
A Google Trends analysis shows a steady rise in searches for life insurance over the last five years. This trend peaked between January and early March 2020, coinciding with the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Since March, search activity has returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, the data illustrates that today’s policyholders are increasingly capable of…
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Savings Goals and Stress Levels on the Rise
Many now believe they need to save $1.9 million for retirement
Anxiety about long-term retirement savings is up according to a new survey from Schwab Retirement Plan Services, and so is participant engagement. The nationwide survey of 1,000 currently employed 401(k) plan participants finds that saving enough for a comfortable retirement continues to be their leading source of significant financial stress.
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FINRA Publishes 2020 Industry Snapshot
Providing a statistical overview of brokerage firms, registered representatives and trading activity
FINRA today published the 2020 FINRA Industry Snapshot, its annual statistical report on the brokerage firms, registered representatives and market activity that FINRA regulates. The latest edition includes data ranging from the size and geographic distribution of the firms FINRA regulates to the number of individuals in the industry, and from trading activity to how…
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For U.S. Insurers, Decade of Low Interest Rates Marked by Different Impact Severity, Strategies
De-Risking as a strategy against earnings-volatility
An AM Best analysis of U.S. life/annuity companies’ investment strategies amid the past decade of low interest rates found that the number of companies considered non-interest-sensitive more than doubled those deemed interest-sensitive. However, those companies exposed significantly to interest rates have managed an average 76% of the industry’s invested assets in the last 10 years,…
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‘Super Savers’ Remain Confident, Investing Despite COVID-19
Market volatility and economic uncertainty haven’t deterred biggest retirement savers
Despite a global pandemic and recent market volatility, “super savers” are continuing to save big for their retirement, according to a recent survey by Principal Financial Group®. The research indicates that super savers, defined as Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z retirement plan participants saving 90% or more of the IRS maximum or 15%…
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Peak Home Buying Season Shifts from May to August This Year
What does the real estate market say about the economy’s overall health?
Home buying season's usual May peak has shifted to August as buyers and sellers rebound from spring's COVID disruption, according to realtor.com®'s Weekly Recovery Report. This week's data shows growth in pace of sales, demand and prices have surpassed last year levels, while inventory continues to lag seasonal normals.
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