This session will share key findings of the ongoing LIMRA-EY experienced advisor study. This survey of insurance, investment, and advisory practice models explores the profiles of today’s financial professionals and drivers of productivity.

How can life insurers address new and old challenges to identify emerging sources of competitive advantage? In this session, we will discuss the unbundling of the life insurance value chain already underway (across product origination, asset management, distribution, operations, and technology), how life insurers can maximize the value of their competitive advantages, and the ensuing impact on the competitive landscape.

As the pandemic began to subside over the last year, talent challenges facing our industry were on the rise. There are many buzz words describing the current talent environment — the great resignation, the great reshuffle, and now, quiet quitting. What is really happening and how can we remain competitive in attracting and retaining talent? How can we continue to develop leaders and provide them with the tools they need to manage effectively in this new hybrid world of work?  Join this panel of experts for a discussion on emerging practices: what’s working, what’s not and why.

(For LIMRA and LOMA members only)

As the pandemic subsides, many questions remain around the mortality implications and how long and to what extent the impacts will be felt. Our expert panelists will discuss the current medical research relating to COVID-19, the direct and indirect impacts to both long- and short-term mortality, and what it all means to the life insurance industry.

In this interactive session, we’ll explore the growing trend of insurtechs buying BGAs that is accelerating consolidation in the life insurance space. We’ll hear from leaders driving some of the decisions being made in the distribution landscape and gain their insights on what is motivating these transactions — getting a glimpse into the future through their lenses and what it means for our industry.

What a retiree can afford to spend in retirement today is closely tied to current economic and market conditions. Traditionally, retirement income planning has focused on minimizing failure by using Monte Carlo analysis. But are efforts to minimize failure really the key to success? This session will look at the latest LIMRA research for pre-retirees and retirees and their sentiments about retirement spending with today’s market challenges and how annuities affect their financial planning. Jackson National will share insights into the retirement mindset and how income planning has evolved from Monte Carlo analysis to the client’s perception of retirement plan success.

Flexible and innovative benefits are a key component of an employer’s value proposition in the war for talent. A customized program transcends simply offering a collection of benefits, and seeks to address employees’ overall financial, physical, and emotional well-being. Offering those benefits in an integrated and holistic package can increase both value and the confidence employees have that they’re making good decisions. Workplace benefits carriers can learn from behavioral economics and the power of defaults to improve benefits delivery and increase use and effectiveness while controlling costs. Join this panel of industry experts and innovators to learn from their insights and experience.

Between 1999 and 2021, around 2.5 million Americans have died from “diseases of despair” related to drugs and alcohol — and this rate has only increased with the pandemic. Elevated mortality and decreased life expectancy drive up life insurance costs and, subsequently, premiums. Employer group customers face both high costs and impacts of “deaths of despair;" and, the life insurance workforce is not immune to these deaths. Join us for this timely discussion around impact, potential solutions, and developing industry and community awareness.

Over 100 million people in the United States do not have life insurance or lack adequate coverage. The pandemic created a heightened awareness and desire for life insurance, driving increases in policy sales over the past two years. As the pandemic subsides, policy sales are declining, and the heightened consumer demand is diminishing — despite the continued need to protect families and loved ones.

How do we sustain awareness and interest in the importance of life insurance, without a pandemic to drive them? Beyond the motivation to buy, how do we make life insurance products available, accessible, and affordable for everyone who needs it? Join this session, including a panel discussion, to address these questions.

We now live in an environment in which digital immediacy and instant gratification have become the norm, especially for younger generations. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated these expectations and has changed the way insurance companies operate and look to provide omni-channel experiences balancing digital and human-led interactions. Join us as a panel of industry experts share their perspectives and experiences in the D2C space. What’s working? What’s not? And for those who got out of D2C altogether, what are the lessons they learned to inform their distribution strategies going forward?

Digital technology is rapidly evolving. To stay relevant insurance carriers must adapt to the way advisors want to do business. How are annuity platforms leveraging technology to marry digital and human interaction? How are they creating efficiencies that effectively reshape the advisor and consumer experience? Join this panel of industry experts for a discussion on these topics and more.

The landscape of individual annuity sales has shifted, with products focused on asset preservation and protection becoming the main drivers of growth. What is driving consumers to protection-based solutions? What strategies and innovations are being developed to support this growing need? And, how long will this trend last? Join this panel of industry experts including annuity manufacturers and annuity distributors to learn from their perspectives.

Our industry continues to go through a remarkable and accelerated shift in the adoption and use of technology. The next two to three years will necessitate answers to questions about upgrading core administration, leveraging cloud-at-scale, the impact of APIs and integrations, and optimizing operations through automation. We have to pragmatically and practically think about today’s realities — from the mountains of technical debt and legacy systems to the shortage of skilled technology talent. Join this panel of speakers for a compelling discussion on how firms can unleash technology’s full potential in transforming workplace benefits for the next digital decade.

The new hybrid world of work has made it more challenging to educate employees on the value of the coverage offered. Employers, carriers, brokers, and benefits administration providers all offer education and engagement capabilities. Join us for a discussion about how each entity can optimize its place in the benefits ecosystem while engaging and educating employees to enroll in the benefits that provide the protection they need.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformations across our industry that have evolved into a “Digital Reset.” Digital will define this decade across our industry. Those that harness its full potential will be able to capitalize on the new and unprecedented opportunities. But where does one start in this vast digital universe? Join this panel of experts for an engaging discussion on what carriers need to get right and where they need to focus during the “Roaring Digital Twenties.”

Recruiting and developing new advisors/financial professionals has long been both the lifeblood and the bain of our industry. While traditional approaches are well understood and can be applied, the emerging environment requires new paradigms. How can we re-think the traditional approaches? How can we take advantage of the social and digital opportunities? How do we become more relevant and what do we need to do to attract and retain the right people and talent in the emerging environment? This workshop will share recent and long term trends and provide you the opportunity to explore these and other questions with your peers.

Wholesaling in-person was once a critical component of annuity distribution. But when the pandemic temporarily forced advisors to interact virtually, it may have permanently changed advisor preferences and the profession as a whole. In this session, we'll explore how annuity sales teams are adapting to this new environment, what advisors are looking for, what the latest research tells us about best practices, and how models (external/hybrid/internal) vary by distribution channel. 

In-plan annuities are not new to defined contribution plans, but an emerging generation of products is creating buzz. This panel of industry experts will explore these innovative product designs, challenges the industry faces to gain acceptance, and what steps are being taken to include these solutions in a retirement plan.

The digital transformation of workplace benefits continues to accelerate, with many organizations looking to create customized employee experiences. Opportunities, however, often present challenges. How do companies strike the appropriate balance between accessing and leveraging data to better understand the employee, while at the same time having the appropriate safeguards in place to respect employees’ privacy and manage other analytics-related risks? Join this session to learn how carriers can "thread the needle" and leverage data in compelling ways that not only respects customer privacy, but delivers an engaging employee experience.

There’s no doubt that leave management is a growing yet complex arena. With increasing demands for flexible work arrangements, employer focus on comprehensive employee wellness, and a complex landscape of regulations, products, and technologies, it can be tough to stay up-to-speed on this ever-evolving space. Join us in this informative session as we explore the latest trends, advancements, and outlook on the paid family and medical leave landscape.