Life Insurance Carriers Industry Profile

The US life insurance carriers industry includes about 900 companies with annual revenue of around $535 billion. Major companies include MetLife, New York Life, and Northwestern Mutual Life, as well as the life insurance operations of Aetna and The Hartford.

Insurance carriers and providers of title insurance and health insurance are covered in separate industry profiles. Insurance agents and brokers are also covered in a separate profile, as is the managed health care industry.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by demographics and the economy. The profitability of individual companies depends on effective marketing and investment strategies and on the ability to accurately estimate future payments. Large companies take advantage of economies of scale in administration and in access to capital, as well as advertising and marketing. Small companies can compete successfully by providing specialized services to communities and organizations, such as current and former military personnel, church affiliations, and fraternal organizations. The industry is capital-intensive: average annual revenue per worker is more than $1 million.

Many life insurance companies are mutual companies rather than publicly traded companies. A mutual company does not issue stock and is owned by its customers. In some states, savings banks can also sell life insurance policies, which may be less expensive than products offered through insurance agents or brokers.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Life insurance is organized into three categories: individual, group, and credit life insurance, which guarantees payment of long-term debt such ...