The Blank Page
By Dean Lambert, Executive Director, LIC
I have been trying my hand at poetry lately. Not to worry, I will not burden you with my brand of poesy in this first issue of the 2025 LIC Bullet.
One does not have to be a creative type to understand the sensations of a blank page staring at you from a piece of paper or on a screen. Whether it is pen-to-vellum or fingertips and keystrokes, writing that first word can be as daunting as stepping off a high dive, bungee bridge, or zipline. For some, it is exhilarating; for others, it is terrifying. But when you do take that first step, when it comes to you that it is "go time," when that first flash of inspiration...
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Industry News
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LIC Annual Conference Features Leading Research Experts
Research-Fueled Decision Making is the theme of the upcoming LIC Annual Conference February 5-7, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida. See who's already planning to be there on the Meeting Overview page, and download the agenda here.
Plan to be at this premier networking and educational event, where you can build connections and share ideas with leaders at small-to-midsize life insurance companies.
Insurance CEOs will be meeting prior to the conference at the LIC Winter CEO Forum February 4-5, 2025. The CEO program will feature artificial intelligence case studies and a special LIMRA report on key industry trends.
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LIC2025 Speaker Kartik Sakthivel Discusses AI on TedX
Kartik Sakthivel, Ph.D., VP & CIO of LIMRA and LOMA, was featured in TedX Hartford, speaking on "Winning the AI Battle." Sakthivel is a featured presenter at the 2025 LIC Annual Conference, where he will delve into AI and information systems.
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Equisoft Webinar Examines Insurance Priorities for 2025
In a January 22, 2025, webinar, Equisoft assembled the best of their 2024 experts' views on the critical challenges insurers are facing and how they are solving them.
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LIMRA Predicts What's Ahead for the U.S. Individual Life Insurance Market in 2025
LIMRA is forecasting life insurance premium to reach $15.9 billion in 2024 - a new record - and continue to grow in 2025.
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2025 Bills Could Boost Annuities
ThinkAdvisor published a January 06, 2025 article on annuity bills from the 2023-2024 session of Congress that may continue to gain traction in 2025.
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SBLI Partners with Swiss Re to Enhance Underwriting Innovation
SBLI (The Savings Bank Mutual Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts) announced it has partnered with Swiss Re to empower its life underwriters with Swiss Re's Underwriting Ease solution, a state-of-the-art digital tool that summarizes key aspects of risks to underwriters, accelerating decisioning beyond automation.
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Cotribute Partners with TruStage to Provide Payment Protection Products
Cotribute, an award-winning, next-generation digital account opening and onboarding platform helping financial institutions grow deposits, loans and memberships, announced its partnership with TruStage to offer Integrated Payment Protection features to its Consumer Account Opening and Consumer Loan Application Solutions.
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BetterLife and CSA Fraternal Life Announce Merger Plan
BetterLife and CSA Fraternal Life have announced plans to merge in 2025. The boards of directors from both organizations approved the merger agreement, and final approval is anticipated this summer.
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April InsurTech Conference Offers LIC Member Discount
The 6th annual InsurTech Spring Conference will be April 2 – 3, 2025 in New York City. InsurTech NY welcomes LIC members to attend the InsurTech NY Spring Conference in New York City, April 2-3, 2025. A limited number of complimentary VIP passes are available for CEOs of LIC member insurance companies (contact tony@insurtechny.com to request the LIC VIP code).
LIC member insurance companies receive 35% off registration using discount code LICMEMBER. LIC affiliate members can take 25% off with the code LICAFFILIATE.
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Gleaner Life Names New President & CEO
Gleaner Life Insurance Society has appointed Todd M. Warner as the 11th president and CEO in the Society's 130-year history.
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MIB Total Line Service Addresses Industry Challenge
MIB has released findings from a new study that underscores the protective value of the MIB Total Line Service for detecting and preventing fraud and adverse selection.
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Annuity Surrender Rates Surged: Milliman
A January 6, 2025, Life Annuity Specialist article cites research findings by Milliman showing surrender rates for fixed-indexed annuities have been rising due to interest rates.
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Upcoming LIC Events
LIC Winter CEO Forum (reserved for insurance company CEOs/Presidents)
Hyatt Regency, Clearwater Beach, Florida
February 4-5, 2025
LIC Annual Conference
Hyatt Regency, Clearwater Beach, Florida
February 5-7, 2025
LIC HR Committee Conference Call
March 14, 2025, 2-3:30 p.m. ET
LIC Technology Committee Meeting
Hosted by Equisoft, Philadelphia
April 29-30, 2025
LIC Laws & Legislations Committee Conference Call
May 16, 2025, 2-3:30 p.m. ET
Mark Your Calendars...
LIC Final Expense Workshop
Hosted by Optimum Life Re, Chicago venue TBA
June 17-18, 2025
LIC Summer CEO Forum (reserved for insurance company CEOs/Presidents)
Sonoma, CA
August 26-28, 2025
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LIC 2025 Premier Sponsors
Thank you to these LIC Premier Sponsors, who supported all of LIC's activities throughout the year.
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
QLAdmin Solutions is a leading technology partner for the small to mid-sized insurance company offering traditional life, health, annuity, preneed, final expense, and Medicare Supplement products. QLAdmin serves the entire policy lifecycle from new issue to termination with expert policy administration processing that is both comprehensive and easy to use. QLAdmin continues to evolve based on product and client needs ensuring extreme client longevity and satisfaction with QLAdmin products and support. QLAdmin is your proven partner in policy administration. www.qladmin.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: As a networking organization, we welcome dialogue and input from our readers - therefore we are transitioning The Bullet to its new home in the LIC E-News online community at LICConnect. 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)
The Blank Page
By Dean Lambert, Executive Director, LIC
I have been trying my hand at poetry lately. Not to worry, I will not burden you with my brand of poesy in this first issue of the 2025 LIC Bullet.
One does not have to be a creative type to understand the sensations of a blank page staring at you from a piece of paper or on a screen. Whether it is pen-to-vellum or fingertips and keystrokes, writing that first word can be as daunting as stepping off a high dive, bungee bridge, or zipline. For some, it is exhilarating; for others, it is terrifying. But when you do take that first step, when it comes to you that it is "go time," when that first flash of inspiration hits you and you step off the ledge, it's progress. Before we can celebrate goal achievement, there must be a first step.
Fear and excitement are the same to your brain. You feel stress that activates an area of the brain called the amygdala, which kicks in your "fight or flight" hormones. Heart rate increases, breathing is more rapid, you become more alert. That first stroke of the pen or keyboard is a point of no return. It's done. You must move forward whether it scares or excites you.
Hence, the feelings of returning to work in a new year.
Some of what you were doing in 2024 will carry over, but doesn't it seem a little different with the change of a digit? Perhaps it is the sensation of a fresh start to your old routine. As mentioned in my December 24, 2024, LIC Bullet article the new year starts at "zero" in terms of our pursuit of new insurance policies and revenue. Leave yourself time to celebrate the accomplishments of the recent past. Look at all the work that carries forward as part of an ongoing effort to a better start and a better finish in each coming year.
Progress begets progress, even when we falter. It's something to remember as time marches unmercifully by and we find ourselves once again faced with filling that blank page with a story of success.
We hope your affiliation with the Life Insurers Council aids in achieving your 2025 goals, and we wish you all the best in health, happiness and success in the new year.
And now, a poem (from a real poet):
What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That's not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know.
We rise up laughing with the light,
We lie down weeping with the night.
We hug the world until it stings,
We curse it then and sigh for wings.
We live, we love, we woo, we wed,
We wreathe our brides, we sheet our dead.
We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,
And that's the burden of the year.
-- Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Dean Lambert, Executive Director, LIC
(515) 414-6895 | dlambert@limra.com
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