MIB Life Index Reports U.S. Life Insurance Activity Up 4.2% Q1 2012

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Apr 09, 2012, 10:39 ET

BRAINTREE, Mass., April 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. application activity for individually underwritten life insurance leveled off in March at -0.3% year-over-year, all ages combined according to the MIB Life Index. Despite this month's waning application activity, first quarter results were strong, up +4.2% year-over-year, the U.S. industry's best start since 2007. March's application activity was off -4.5% from that of February. The March 2012 Index results reflect one less business day than its March 2011 comparative period.

U.S. life insurance application activity by age group reflects the Life Index composite results for both month and quarter. March results showed ages 0-44, off -2.1%; ages 45-59, flat 0.0%; and ages 60+, up +5.2%, year-over-year. First quarter growth spanned all ages: 0-44 up +2.4% (largest quarterly increase since Q1 2002); 45-59 was up +3.5% (largest quarterly increase since Q4 2009); and ages 60+ up +11.5% year-over-year (largest quarterly increase since Q1 2010). As a relative measure, the MIB Life Index (composite) remains some 20% below its par value of 100, established January 2001.

Visit www.mib.com/lifeindex to view video from A.M. Best on the 2011 year-in-review. MIB Life Index additional analytics and Annual Reports available: www.mibsolutions.com/regLI.

U.S. Monthly Percent Change (year-over-year)
March 2012	-0.3%
February 2012	+5.5%
Q1 2012	+4.2%

U.S. Monthly Percent Change by Age

(year-over-year)

Mar. '12

Feb. '12

Jan. '12

0 - 44

-2.1%

+4.0%

+6.6%

45- 59

0.0%

+3.9%

+6.9%

60 +

+5.2%

+13.4%

+17.2%

U.S. Monthly Percent Change vs. Prior Month
March 2012	-4.5%

About the MIB Life Index

The MIB Life Index is the life insurance industry's timeliest measure of application activity in the United States. Released to the media each month, the Index is based on the number of searches MIB life member company underwriters perform on the MIB Checking Service database. Since the vast majority of individually underwritten life premium dollars in North America include an MIB search as a routine underwriting requirement, the MIB Life Index provides a reasonable means to estimate new business activity. For past releases, methodology or to subscribe visit www.mib.com/lifeindex.

About MIB

MIB is the life and health insurance industry's most trusted resource for risk information and analytical services. Owned by the industry it has served for more than a century, MIB is uniquely positioned to aggregate industry insights in order to develop products and services for our members that improve their risk assessment. MIB, Inc. and MIB Solutions, Inc. are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the MIB Group, Inc. (www.mib.com and www.mibsolutions.com).

Contact:
David O. Aronson
MIB Group, Inc.
781-751-6330
[email protected]

SOURCE MIB Group, Inc.