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The LIC Bullet
Straight to the point!
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October 2025
Exciting News
By Dean Lambert, Executive Director, LIC
One of the priorities identified when I came into the role of Executive Director of the Life Insurers Council was to find ways to amplify the voice of smaller life and annuity companies and fraternal insurance associations. A close second priority was to find ways to provide affordable access to relevant and demanded LIMRA products...
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Industry News
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Homesteaders CEO Steve Shaffer To Represent LIC on LL Global Board
On September 16, 2025 at the LIMRA Annual Conference, LL Global, the legal entity of LIMRA and LOMA, announced the incoming Board of Directors for 2026, headed by 2026 chair Chris Blunt, chief executive officer, F&G Annuities & Life. LIC is pleased to announce the addition of a seat to represent our membership, which includes nearly 100 small-to-midsize carriers. Steve Shaffer, CEO of Homesteaders Life Company was elected to this role on the 2026 Board. Fifty-plus leaders from LIC member companies joined in a celebratory VIP reception on the opening night of the conference, with a toast from LIC Chair Joan Cleveland of SWBC Life.
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Preneed Forum Keynoter Shankman: How Can Funeral Preplanning Be More Likeable?
LIC's 2025 Preneed Forum, November 5 – 6 in Pekin, IL, features noted author and speaker Peter Shankman, recognized worldwide for radically new ways of thinking about the customer experience, social media, PR, marketing, advertising, and the Neurodiverse Economy. Other highlights include preneed and funeral home market updates, untapped business intelligence resource Obitdata, preneed case study, preneed policyowner motivators, and highlights from the latest LIMRA/LIC Preneed Survey Report, just released in September.
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BetterLife Launches 'Critical Advantage' to Help Families Manage the Cost of Serious Illness
BetterLife announced a collaboration with Mutual of Omaha to introduce access to a new line of insurance products created to help individuals and families handle the financial stress that often comes with a serious health diagnosis.
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Frank Robertson joins NGL as SVP, CFO
National Guardian Life Insurance Company announced the addition of Frank Robertson as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining NGL, Robertson served in several financial functions and senior leadership roles at Global Atlantic Financial Group (formerly Goldman Sachs Reinsurance Group).
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SBLI Refreshes Brand Identity
SBLI (The Savings Bank Mutual Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts), launched a refreshed evolution of its brand identity in September 2025. The identity marks a renewed expression of SBLI's mission to offer "Simply Better Life Insurance" - dependable, affordable life insurance coverage.
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Overalls Partners With 5Star Life Insurance Company As It Launches CoreAssist
Overalls announced a new partnership with 5Star Life Insurance Company to provide an exclusive, one-of-a-kind service, LifeConcierge®, an AI-enabled support system associated with 5Star Life's CoreAssist, a new supplemental medical expense coverage (GAP insurance) linked to the Healthcare Indemnity product which protects insureds from rising medical costs and coverage gaps.
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Frankenmuth Insurance Names CEO-Elect
Frankenmuth Insurance announced that its Board of Directors has named Dawn Jaffray as CEO-Elect to succeed CEO Fred Edmond upon his retirement in late 2026. Jaffray currently serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer of Frankenmuth Mutual Holding Company and its subsidiary companies.
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Guaranteed Renewal Rates Highlight Launch of New Prosperity Life Group FIAs
Prosperity Life Group announced the launch of Prosperity PathPro(sm) Series, including two innovative FIAs that offer guaranteed renewal rates.
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Financial Confidence vs. Economic Concern: New TruStage Survey Identifies a Split Reality for Middle-Market Consumers
Three-quarters of middle-market consumers in the United States, defined as those with a household income between $55,000 and $160,000, rate their financial situation as good, and 73% still believe the "American Dream" is within reach. Yet beneath this individual confidence lies a more sobering reality; perceptions of economic strength are masking the strain inflation is placing on household spending, future savings and long-term consumer confidence. This is according to the 2025 Middle-Market Survey from TruStage.
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Emtech Group Launches QMT TruePDF: Breakthrough in Automated PDF Validation
Emtech Group Inc., the leading provider of enterprise QA software for insurance carriers and insurtechs, has announced the release of QMT TruePDF, a groundbreaking solution designed to automate the validation of static and dynamic content in generated PDF documents. QMT TruePDF automatically compares actual PDF content against expected results, validating alignment with business logic and regulatory standards.
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Webinar Explores How CX Technology Transforms Small and Mid-sized Life Insurance Carriers
On August 20, 2025, LIC and Equisoft presented a webinar featuring customer experience experts discussing the latest research into small and mid-size carrier challenges, solutions and priorities for enhancing CX delivery, plus actual experiences relevant to carriers with resource constraints. The recording is available from Equisoft.
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Upcoming LIC Events
LIC Annuity Committee Conference Call
Via Webex
Friday, October 17, 2025, 2 – 3:30 p.m. ET
Annuity trends, expected rate decreases, SPIA successes and lessons learned, Know-Your-Customer requirements, and inherited IRAs.
LIC Investment & Capital Management Committee Meeting
Hosted by Optimum Life Re, Dallas
October 22 – 23, 2025
Economic and investment market update, private credit market investment, aligning investment strategy and ERM, ICOLI case study, and middle-market carrier approaches to asset management.
LIC Preneed Forum
Hosted by Pekin Insurance, Pekin, IL
November 5 – 6, 2025
Preneed customer experience, future trends, business intelligence data, preneed case study, the latest sales data, networking and open discussion in a forum of preneed leaders.
LIC Laws & Legislation Committee Conference Call
Via Webex
Friday, November 7, 2025, 2 – 3:30 p.m. ET
Updates on laws, regulations and litigation affecting your business, plus customer data compliance issues and best practices.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
The 2026 LIC Annual Conference (February 4 – 6) and Winter CEO Forum (February 3 – 4), will be at the Omni Tucson National Resort & Spa, with the theme "Going To Market." See www.loma.org/LIC2026 for registration and hotel information.
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LIC 2025 Premier Sponsors
Thank you to our LIC Premier Sponsors, who support all of LIC's activities throughout the year.
Parkway Advisors is focused on being the best and most respected provider of service in the insurance industry. Parkway offers asset management, consulting, and statutory investment reporting services that are customized to the needs of each insurance client. Through Parkway's emphasis on personal service, custom solutions, and strong communication, our clients have enjoyed historically strong performance success, especially during the financial crisis and the low interest environment that has followed. www.parkwayadvisors.com
iPipeline is a leading provider of low code, cloud-based software solutions for the life insurance and financial services industry. Through our SSG Digital, end-to-end platform, we provide process automation and seamless integration between every participant in our ecosystem including carriers, agents, general agencies, advisors, broker-dealers, RIAs, banks, securities/mutual fund firms, and their consumers on a global basis. Our innovative solutions include pre-sales support, new business and underwriting, policy administration, point-of-sale execution of applications, post-sale support, data analysis, reporting, user-driven configuration, consumer delivery and self-service, and agency and firm management. www.ipipeline.com
Equisoft is a business-first technology company dedicated to helping insurance and wealth management organizations reach their goals. Specialized expertise: Over 25 years of experience helping small and mid-sized life insurers & fraternals solve their biggest challenges through digital transformation. www.equisoft.com
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About The LIC Bullet
The Bullet is the official e-newsletter of the Life Insurers Council, which has been providing networking and practical business solutions for life insurers since 1910. As a council of LIMRA and LOMA, LIC serves the unique needs of small to midsize member companies, offering a personal network of peers with practical solutions to shared challenges. The Bullet delivers immediate and relevant industry news and editorial.
LIC E-News Online Community: The LIC Bullet is posted in the LIC E-News online community at LICConnect, where we welcome dialogue and input from our readers. All Bullet subscribers have access to this forum, and others can request access by contacting lic@loma.org.
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Feature Editorial (Full Text)
Exciting News
By Dean Lambert, Executive Director, LIC
One of the priorities identified when I came into the role of Executive Director of the Life Insurers Council was to find ways to amplify the voice of smaller life and annuity companies and fraternal insurance associations. A close second priority was to find ways to provide affordable access to relevant and demanded LIMRA products and services, such as research useful to the LIC cohort.
A sure path to accomplishing this was to gain more influence within LIMRA; we needed a voice representing us at the very top of the organization. We are pleased to formally announce that the Life Insurers Council now has a LIMRA Board of Directors seat, with Steve Shaffer, president and CEO of Homesteaders Life Company elected to serve a three-year term.
Shaffer has long been involved with LIC and LOMA, supporting both organizations and making available the resources offered through these organizations to his Homesteaders associates. As 2023 LIC Advisory Board Chair, he ushered the recent transition between Jeff Shaw and me, working with LIMRA leadership and our Advisory Board to ensure seamlessness with an eye towards advancing and evolving the LIC mission. He continues to serve the LIC Board. An entrepreneurial executive, Shaffer drives organizational growth in diverse and innovative ways. He is a member of the ACLI Forum 500, the Mutual Presidents Association and was Chair of the Funeral Service Foundation.
I wish to express my gratitude to LL Global president-CEO Dave Levenson, immediate past LIMRA Board Chair Caroline Feeney, current LIMRA Board Chair Chris Blunt, John Carroll and Sean Grindall, and the entire LIC Advisory Board, for their support of this important advancement for LIC members and all small to medium sized life insurance companies.
I invite your thoughts and comments. Please email me at dlambert@limra.com or feel free to start a conversation here in LIC Connect.
Dean Lambert, Executive Director, LIC
PLEASE NOTE NEW PHONE NUMBER: (475) 372-5298 (mobile)
dlambert@limra.com
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