2020 Foresight: Trends in Life Insurance Underwriting

Transcription

1 2020 Foresight: Trends in Life Insurance Underwriting Product Code: IS0340MR Published Date: August

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Executive Summary Global Snapshot: Assessment of Life Underwriting Market Dynamics Underwriting Profits and Loss Trends Developed economies Emerging economies Analysis of Key Ratios Impacting Underwriting Developed economies Emerging economies The Effect of Regulation on Life Insurance Underwriting Impact on Life Insurance Product Offering Impact on Key Functional and Operational Elements Impact on Investment Strategy by Asset Class Equities Property Bonds Alternative assets Derivatives EU Ruling on Gender-Neutral Insurance to Impact Underwriting Market Dynamics Related to Economic and Market Risk Economic Risk on Life Insurance Underwriting Developed economies Emerging economies Market Risk on Life Insurance Underwriting Developed economies Emerging economies Technological Trends in Underwriting Creating a Customer Profile Automation Case Study: Bharti Axa s use of CRM software for efficient claims handling Social Media Social media and underwriting Case Study: Manulife used social media which resulted in improving underwriting risks Case Study: Rigi Capital Partners used social media to reduce underwriting risk Big Data Underwriting and premium determination decision Case Study: Health Care Service Corp. s use of predictive modeling techniques Case Study: Westpac Life s use of big data Case Study: Lincoln Financial Group s use of predictive modeling Appendix Methodology Foresight: Trends in Life Insurance Underwriting Page 2

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 6.2 Contact Timetric About Timetric Timetric s Services Disclaimer Foresight: Trends in Life Insurance Underwriting Page 3

4 LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Life Insurance in Developed Economies Loss, Expense and Combined Ratios (%), Figure 2: Life Insurance in Developed Economies Incurred Loss (US$ Billion), Figure 3: Life Insurance in Developed Economies Commission and Expenses (US$ Billion), Figure 4: Life Insurance in Emerging Economies Loss, Expense and Combined Ratios (%), Figure 5: Life Insurance in Emerging Economies Incurred Loss (US$ Billion), Figure 6: Life Insurance in Emerging Economies Commission and Expenses (US$ Billion), Figure 7: Regulatory Trends Affecting Life Insurance Underwriting Figure 8: Rural Populations as a Percentage of Overall Populations in BRIC Countries, Figure 9: Use of Big Data Technology in Life Insurance Foresight: Trends in Life Insurance Underwriting Page 4

5 LIST OF TABLES LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Life Insurance Developed Economies Underwriting Profitability (US$ Billion), Table 2: Life Insurance Emerging Economies Underwriting Profitability (US$ Billion), Table 3: Impact of Tightening Regulations on Asset Classes Table 4: Capital Charges for Equity Investment Table 5: Impact of Gender-Neutral Pricing on Life Insurance Products Table 6: Gender-Neutral Pricing of Life Insurance Products Key Action Areas for Insurers Table 7: Life Insurance Fraud and Crime in Emerging Economies (US$ Billion), Table 8: Life Insurance Commissions and Expenses in Emerging Economies (US$ Billion), Foresight: Trends in Life Insurance Underwriting Page 5

6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 Executive Summary The life insurance segment is characterized by underwriting losses in some developed nations such as the US, the UK, Germany and France, and underwriting profits in important emerging economies such as India, Brazil and Russia. The losses in developed nations are due to growth in premiums not keeping pace with increases in claims, while the profits in emerging economies are due to higher growth in premiums relative to the growth in claims. The under-penetrated nature of life insurance segments in emerging nations and an increasing awareness of the benefits of life insurance products resulted in a double-digit review-period ( ) CAGR for life insurance premiums in many of these markets. New regulations to impact life insurance markets across the world Globally, the life segment is in a state of flux due to the tightening of regulations such as Solvency II in Europe, and the introduction of risk-based capital regimes in several countries in Asia-Pacific. With the introduction of Solvency II, the life underwriting risk should take into account the risk arising from life insurance obligations as well as the processes used in the conduct of business. The underwritten risk limit for a life insurer is determined by the solvency capital margin (SCR), which is in turn calculated by taking into account various sub-risks such as mortality, longevity, sickness, lapses and expense inflation risks. Such rigid regulations impact the extent to which companies can underwrite life insurance risk, and the impact is expected to be more profound and adverse on smaller life insurance companies, eventually resulting in market consolidation. Another regulation impacting the life segment in the EU is the prohibition of the use of gender to determine premiums. These regulations essentially link the amount of capital held by life insurers with the risks they underwrite and the investments they make. Life insurers will reduce their investments in equities due to the increased risks and capital involved. Potential hardening of life segments in developed nations Life insurance prices in developed nations are expected to increase as these markets mature, near saturation and life insurers focus on protecting underwriting margins. In the case of emerging economies, life insurance policy prices are expected to stabilize due to the underpenetrated nature of the markets providing scope for business expansion, the increasing consumer awareness of life insurance products, and rising disposable incomes. However, in some emerging economies such as India and China, life insurance policy prices are expected to decrease due to increasing competition among life insurers. Growing use of technology in life insurance underwriting processes to boost margins Increased focus on technology in life insurance underwriting is emerging as a key tool to reduce costs and increase profit margins. The three key technological areas assuming increased importance are automation, use of social media, and predictive modeling. Automation is being employed to underwrite risks where simple criteria templates will suffice, and to enable the quick processing of numerous applications. Automation is also being used to speed up claims processing and, as a result, retain customer loyalty. Social media is mainly being used to gauge the risk profiles of individuals based on information they give on their profiles. Scanning of social networks is also used to gauge discrepancies in claims made by individuals and the information they disclose online, to avoid losses due to incorrect risk assessment and false claims. Predictive modeling is another tool, incorporating several variables into a statistical model and using analytics to forecast mortality. This will reduce expenses incurred in underwriting and speed up application processes. Predictive modeling is also used in customer segmentation and targeting, customer behavioral analysis to aid in customer retention, as well as detecting fraudulent claims. Technology is expected to play a vital role in improving the underwriting margins of life insurance companies Foresight: Trends in Life Insurance Underwriting Page 6

7 APPENDIX 2 Appendix 2.1 Methodology Timetric s dedicated research and analysis teams consist of experienced professionals with an industry background in marketing, market research, consulting and advanced statistical expertise. Timetric adheres to the Codes of Practice of the Market Research Society ( and the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals ( All Timetric databases are continuously updated and revised. 2.2 Contact Timetric If you have any queries about this report, or would like any further information, please contact info@timetric.com. 2.3 About Timetric Timetric is a leading provider of online data, analysis and advisory services on key financial and industry sectors. It provides integrated information services covering risk assessments, forecasts, industry analysis, market intelligence, news and comment. Timetric helps over 1,500 financial services institutions and their partner companies around the world benefit from better, timelier decisions. Timetric provides: High-quality data including proprietary, specialized industry data, survey-based research, social media monitoring, macroeconomic data and forecasts Expert analysis from experienced economists and analysts, who use robust proprietary models, indices and forecasts Powerful proprietary visualization and workflow technologies developed over years of extensive investment Timetric has office locations in London, New York, San Francisco, Hyderabad, Seoul, Singapore and Sydney. It employs 500 people, including 150 analysts and economists, and 200 professional researchers Foresight: Trends in Life Insurance Underwriting Page 7

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