Growth in the U.S. life insurance market has essentially leveled off as investors look to annuities and other wealth accumulation vehicles rather than insurance against premature death. To address diverging preferences, the industry is now providing new products, such as those including long-term care, or various guarantees to appeal to risk-averse customers. This report reviews issues in the industry and also looks to answer the following questions: Which consumers are most likely to want group or individual life products? Which ones are most willing to combine life insurance with financial planning? Which consumers are likely to want life insurance and financial investments bundled together?

Traditionally, life insurance has been sold through one-on-one transactions, but the agency distribution channel is decreasing in size. The agency force is also aging, and companies are restructuring their sales organizations to trim expenditures for agent recruitment and development. At the same time, a sizable number of agents are adapting their practices to offer financial planning and a broader range of investment products. An exclusive Mintel survey in this report looks at how agents see the industry and the issues they see as impacting their business, as well as what they see as most important in industry recruitment and retention efforts.