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FORECAST 2026: Customer Expectations

Author

Tammy M. Appel
Contributing Editor
LIMRA and LOMA

January 2026

Today’s customers expect simplicity, transparency and personalized experiences from companies they choose. We asked insurers how their organization is evolving to meet these shifting expectations. Our panelists agree that customer expectations are accelerating at an unprecedented pace, prompting insurers to rapidly modernize in response. To do just that, they are revisiting existing processes and products.

Business Priorities

“In today’s environment, process is a product,” says Matt Berman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Foresters Financial. He emphasizes that the experience of buying, owning and engaging with insurance must feel seamless and rewarding. The company is working to “reimagine” its processes in order to improve efficiency as well as to enhance the overall value proposition for members and advisors alike. “Customers expect simplicity, speed, transparency, and meaningful value beyond the policy itself,” says Berman.

The customer experience is a top priority at Allianz Life as well. “It is central to how we build trust, deliver value, and strengthen long-term relationships,” says Jasmine Jirele, President & Chief Executive Officer, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. “We are committed to creating experiences that are easy, transparent and empowering for financial professionals and policyholders alike.” Customer feedback and a culture of continuous improvement inform the company’s process decisions. “We’re focused on delivering moments that matter across the entire customer journey.” 

Rising customer expectations also are informing strategy at Aflac, according to Virgil R. Miller, President of Aflac Incorporated & Aflac U.S. Areas of focus include speed, personalization and empathy. To that end, Aflac offers omnichannel engagement, including chatbots and digital claims tracking. Specialized teams now handle emotionally sensitive interactions. Aflac also is engaging with third-party services like “Empathy” to offer value-added offerings in certain parts of the business.  

Simplifying journeys, personalizing engagement, and building trust are among Guardian’s strategies to address evolving customer expectations. According to Kevin Molloy, Chief Financial Officer, Guardian, the company has streamlined whole life insurance issuance, clarified dividend and loan information, and added smart reminders to help customers manage payments and policy options. “Our digital-first tools, omnichannel support, and ethical data practices ensure customers feel supported, understood, and empowered — every step of the way,” says Molloy.

Protective is taking a multifaceted approach to changing customer expectations. That approach is grounded in continuous improvement and customer-centric design. The company is enhancing its technology and service capabilities to deliver greater value to both customers and agents. “This includes expanding self-service options and leveraging automation and data analytics to improve efficiency across key processes such as application completion, underwriting, customer service, and beneficiary payouts,” says Wade Harrison, Vice Chairman & Chief Operating Officer, Protective Life Corporation.

Protective is embedding customer-centric design into every stage of its operational workflows, “ensuring that enhancements are driven by real customer feedback and measurable impact,” says Harrison. “By integrating voice-of-the-customer insights into our continuous improvement cycles, we ensure that operational changes align with evolving expectations and deliver tangible value. We are scaling automation and AI-driven tools to support omnichannel engagement, allowing a seamless transition between digital and human-assisted experiences.”

Good Ideas

To meet evolving customer preferences, Northwestern Mutual continues to introduce coverage options and enhanced flexibility tailored to clients’ unique circumstances and financial goals. Kamilah Williams-Kemp, EVP & Chief Product Officer, Northwestern Mutual, offers the company’s Survivorship Variable Universal Life Plus solution as an example. “This offering gives families and business owners the ability to plan for complex legacy needs — whether that’s reducing their estate tax burden, ensuring long-term care for a child with special needs, or enabling a smooth business transition.”

Similarly, other companies are enhancing their offerings to meet evolving customer needs.

WoodmenLife has added a member benefit that includes a financial literacy component that is available for all members. A companywide effort is also underway to examine and improve the customer experience.

“Additionally, our new product chassis is built on the concept of a much-improved customer buying experience that has the potential, depending on the product, to provide a response at the time of application,” says Denise M. McCauley, President & Chief Executive Officer, WoodmenLife. 

WoodmenLife also is investing in several tools to improve the customer experience for sales, home office, as well as customers as they interact with the organization.

Insurers also are leveraging data and digital tools to improve engagement and decision making.

One company is leveraging its website to stay abreast of changing customer expectations. “We have expanded the use of our member website (client portal) and recently took over hosting this website in-house,” says Jerald J. (Jerry) Lyphout, President & Chief Executive Officer, Modern Woodmen of America. The company drives the majority of transactions through the member website, and in 2026, contract delivery will occur through the website, driven and initiated through its career field force. To support sound and educated business decisions, Modern Woodmen also is fostering high-touch engagement through its fraternal programs; using data analytics more than ever before; deploying tools like Power BI to dissect its client base, product sales, geography, client characteristics and more to drive sound and educated business decisions.

Supporting All Stakeholders

Existing and prospective policyholders aren’t the only customers, according to several executives. Companies also must deliver excellent service to advisors, agents and carrier clients. And meeting changing customer expectations begins internally — with your employees.

Chris Blunt, Chief Executive Officer, F&G, stresses the critical role of employee expectations. “I think meeting employee expectations is a prerequisite to meeting customer expectations,” says Blunt. “Adopting productivity and workflow tools (both traditional as well as agentic AI) will be important to retaining those key employees that enable great customer experiences.” 

While employees play a critical role, advisors remain central to delivering on customer expectations. Aaron C. Ball, EVP, Head of the Foundational Business, New York Life emphasizes advisors’ importance. Customer expectations are shifting faster than ever, he notes, and meeting them “requires us to reimagine how we serve both clients and the 12,000 advisors who support them every day.”

Building on this perspective, Robert M. (Bob) Jurgensmeier, Chief Executive Officer, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., underscores the value of advisors and financial professionals as key stakeholders. “We’re focused on enhancing advisor enablement — equipping financial professionals with better tools, insights, and plan analytics to strengthen relationships and outcomes.”

Supporting advisors is critical, and technology must serve that goal by reinforcing human connection rather than diminishing it, says Ball. 

“Ultimately, our evolution is about staying true to our mission — serving with humanity — and using technology to strengthen, not replace, human connection,” says Ball.

Beyond advisors, some companies are focused on supporting carrier clients in navigating these changes. Marc Giguère, President & CEO, Munich Re Life US discussed how his organization is helping to support carriers meet evolving customer expectations. “Carriers are facing challenges everywhere they look,” Giguère says. “Our job as a reinsurance partner is to offer solutions for all of it — not only capacity, but real partnership in product development, in-force management, capital markets, and innovation in underwriting and distribution.”

Other reinsurers share this commitment, offering solutions that help insurers adapt to evolving consumer needs.

Reinsurer RGA also is committed to helping its insurer clients succeed. “Our client-focused approach requires that we provide innovative solutions that empower insurers to meet the changing needs of consumers across all aspects of life and health,” says Ron Herrmann, CFP, EVP, Head of Americas, Reinsurance Group of America (RGA).

To that end, RGA has invested in capabilities across the value chain. It also has leveraged its experience, third-party relationships and preferred ecosystem partners to create broad-based (physical, mental, financial) and holistic wellness solutions. Another area of interest is GLP-1 drugs and multi-cancer early detection tests, in which RGA is leading the way with research and work to integrate these medical advances into wellness initiatives. “We will continue to identify consumer needs, barriers to coverage, and market solutions designed to address emerging issues,” Herrmann says.

AI Investments

Insurers also are leveraging AI to enhance customer experience.

“Our ongoing investments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and process automation allow us to optimize operations and elevate the customer experience,” says Harrison. “These tools allow us to reduce friction, accelerate turnaround times, and deliver a more seamless journey.”

Even as AI transforms operations, executives emphasize that technology alone cannot replace the value of human guidance. Customers still rely on trusted advisors for personalized support and complex decision making.

“While customers increasingly expect self-service capabilities, even digitally savvy consumers place high value on having a dedicated professional to talk to for complex needs and choices,” says Sarah Mineau, SVP, Financial Services, State Farm. She says that meeting customer needs requires seamless switching between human and digital channels for financial protection and investing products, services, and advice. “While basic online features could provide a competitive advantage in the past,” she adds, “more tailored digital options are an expectation of most consumers.” 

Others echo this sentiment, emphasizing that AI should complement — not replace — the advisor’s role.

“As an industry, we have the enormous opportunity to meet customers where they are with the financial solutions they need to help them protect, accumulate and decumulate their assets,” says Paul LaPiana, CFP, Head of Brand, Product & Affiliated Distribution, MassMutual. “Without a doubt, AI is transforming the way many of us live and work; however, only 15% of people are hopeful about AI. They do not trust it to work in their best interest. This is where the crucial and nuanced role of financial advisors comes into play. AI can be a ‘spark’ to move consumers toward learning more and doing more to strengthen their financial foundation and future; however, it does not replace the crucial role of credentialed experts.”

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