Industry Commentary

close up photo of sorry we re closed sign on glass window

#409 | Who Killed Columbian?

About 3 weeks ago, the New York Department of Financial Services moved to place Columbian Mutual Life Insurance Company into rehabilitation. Crucially, the petition to rehabilitate Columbian Mutual did not include a moratorium that blocks the ability for policyholders to…

#405 | Lincoln VULone and the End of an Era

In the pre-dawn hours of October 31st, 2018, you would have found me sitting in my chair with my computer in my lap writing an article about Voya formally ceasing to write new life insurance business at the end of…

red moon during night time

#404 | Who Killed PHL Variable?

Introduction I have to start this article with an admission. When I first saw the news about PHL Variable Insurance Company (PHLVIC) being put under administration and then rehabilitation by the State of Connecticut, I didn’t think much of it.…

investigation board with photos maps and cutouts showing connections

#403 | The Double Edged Sword – Assets

Writing insurance is a double-edged sword. One side of the blade are the risks covered by the insurance policies themselves – the liability structure. The other side of the blade are the assets that support those liabilities. Successfully managing an…

closeup photo of black hilt and brown sword

#401 | Assurance IQ and the End of an Era

Prudential’s first quarter earnings release held a simultaneously shocking and yet completely predictable announcement – Assurance IQ is being formally shut down. It’s completely predictable because Prudential had already booked hundreds of millions in operating losses on Assurance IQ, pivoted…

person writing on graph paper

#393 | The Other IUL Market

Back in June of last year, I published #365 | The Other Whole Life Marketabout the stunning rise of Final Expense Whole Life, a non-participating policy sold with small face amounts and big commissions on a simplified underwriting platform to…

#392 | The Crown Jewel

2/13/24 Update – An astute reader shot me a note with a couple of additional comments with considering. First, he pointed out that many of the large independent BDs have insurance legacies. LPL was owned by Crown Life, Cetera was…

close up shot of a crown

#384 | Global Atlantic Axes In-Force Rates

Ask anyone who is fundamentally skeptical about Indexed UL why they feel that way and, invariably, they’ll bring up the issue of non-guaranteed elements. It’s a valid point. Indexed UL product performance ultimately hinges on non-guaranteed elements. But that’s also…

person smashing pick axe on ground

# 383 | Mid-Year Insurer Financials Observations

To say that 2023 has been a turbulent year in the financial markets would be an understatement – but that turbulence seems to have left life insurers largely unphased. Life insurance looks very much like a safe harbor in a…

round mirror

#381 | End Game: Brookfield and American National

Quick Take In quick succession, Brookfield has executed four key elements of what appears to be the end game strategy for American National. First, reinsuring the entire fixed and indexed annuity block to an affiliated offshore reinsurer. Second, stripping out…

architectural design architecture bangkok blue
See More Articles