Fleet and Bank Boston Selling Hancock's Insurance Products

John Hancock Funds has signed up two banks in its own backyard to sell its insurance products. Fleet Bank and BankBoston began selling fixed annuity and long-term-care products last month, said Bill Nichols, senior vice president and director of financial institutions distribution at John Hancock.

Fleet will sell long-term-care insurance as well as standard term insurance in the Northeast through a telemarketing program, while BankBoston will sell John Hancock's fixed annuity and long-term-care insurance products through its branch offices in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Fleet already sells John Hancock's fixed-annuity product, while both banks already sell the insurer's mutual funds.

The insurer has provided "intensive training" for the bank employees on how to sell the various products, Mr. Nichols said. Training focuses on the characteristics of the product. For example, "In long-term-care insurance the typical purchaser is over 50 years old, while term-insurance purchasers are typically younger than that-in the 35 to 45 age-range," he said.

John Hancock has relationships with over 250 banks nationwide, which sell one or more of its products, said Mr. Nichols. "Some are funds, some are annuities, some are long-term care and some are a mix," he added.

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