Market volatility causes brokers to shift to whole life (continue)
Currently, the product makes up only one to two percent of its life insurance premiums sales.
Ms. Edwards explains that Great West has been tracking the product every year, and it felt it could not make an acceptable profit. However, she says the insurer recently had a look at the product and found that now is better timing. “Over the last few years there has been a gradual increase in the level cost of insurance rates so we are more comfortable now that we can make an acceptable profit on that product.”
She stresses that the companies committed to both products but that there has been a trend of UL sales declining in the last few years, while par sales have increased. “I would say what is driving that is the volatility in the equity market...Since 2001, people have taken a step back and said, ‘This insurance product is my family’s or business’ financial security and do I really want it in a product that has equity investments in it?’” She explains.
She also sees that clients are not depositing as much money in UL as they once were. She adds that if they are, there are making deposits in GICs sees and fixed-income investments and not in equity investments.
Marie-Elaine Gaudreault, Coordinator Marketing Individual Insurance for Industrial Alliance, agrees that clients are not investing as much as they were in UL and are avoiding the equity market.
The insurer is the current market leader in UL sales, and the product makes up the majority of its Sales. Nevertheless, it too saw a decrease of 20% in its latest results for the product. Rather, its whole life business is growing substantially. During the first six months of 2003, Industrial Alliance experienced a sales growth of 65% in whole life compared to the same period in 2002.
Still, Ms. Gaudreault reveals that the company has not been focusing on its whole life but rather the increase is a reflection of the current markets. “The growth was due to brokers and clients asking for better guarantees, therefore, traditional products” She says.
