Take Some Advice: Consumers Are Looking for It

The number of working people is declining in proportion to the overall population–a measure known as the old-age dependency ratio. According to the United Nations, the worldwide old-age dependency ratio will increase from 11% in 2000 to 25% in 2050, and could increase to 44% during that period in more developed regions–ranging from 33% in the U.S. to 71% in Japan. The rise in the general age-dependency ratio will result, Sullivan says, in a privatization of government-type pensions and programs, especially in Europe, providing insurers with a significant opportunity to start tapping into that market with a new stream of products. “I wouldn’t say that the [products] are fully developed, but they’re moving in that direction, and over the next three to five years, we’re going to see some significant shifts,” he says. “And the insurers that are able to make that adjustment and tap into that new market will really reap benefits from it.”

According to the report, some European insurers are using combination products that provide lifetime protection and moderate investment growth in response to the shifting landscape. Sullivan points out that although these products are challenging, in terms of trying to justify why a client should buy them, they have potential to be a cost-effective product in the long term. The report states that the main challenge in creating combination products is in the perceived cost versus return for the customers, who tend to dismiss the combination product as sub-optimal without understanding the full benefits of the product. For insurers to be successful in these combination products, the report suggests finding a way to offer them as an alternative to traditional debt and equity investments and, most importantly, to provide high-value advice around a particular product strategy for an individual.