Short takes: Life Insurance Executives: Banks Hindering Business

Banks' entry into life insurance marketing is drastically altering the competitive landscape of this traditional financial product, a recent survey of life insurance company executives concluded.

According to the biannual Tillinghast-Towers Perrin survey, almost 90% of the 101 participants said the primary change in the life insurance business is caused by banks and securities firms impinging on the turf of life insurance agents. The finding was up from 68% of respondents in 1993.

Also, 96% of the executives said they expect legislative restrictions on banks in insurance to be relaxed over the next three to five years.

The respondents were from insurers with life and annuity reserves ranging from $200 million to over $10 billion.

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