New digital sales systems, big marketing campaigns ordemographic math may have increased the number of young U.S. residents shopping for individuallife insurance last month.

MIB Group Inc. says life insurance application activity for U.S.consumers under the age of 45 was 1.1% higher in September than itwas in September 2016.

The activity increase for September was the biggestyear-over-year increase MIB has reported for consumers in that agegroup all year.

MIB — a Braintree, Massachusetts-based insurance applicant datacollection group — reported a 0.2% year-over-year activity increasefor consumers under 45 for August.

The overall activity level for consumers of all ages was 0.6%lower in September than it was in September 2016. But the drop wassmaller than the 1.5% year-over-year decrease MIB reported forAugust.

For consumers ages 45 to 59, the September activity rate fell3.4%.

For consumers ages 60 and older, the activity rate fell1.3%.

Life insurers and other users use MIB databases to verify theinformation on consumers' life insurance applications. MIB basesits life application activity figures on the number of individuallife applications member insurers run through its verificationsystems.

The group estimates insurers use MIB systems to check about 90%of the life applications submitted in the United States andCanada.

Several insurers have been launching or expanding web-based lifesales systems in recent months, and the life insurance industry rana Life Insurance Awareness Month outreachcampaign in September. Campaign ads and public serviceannouncements may have converted some young consumers into lifeinsurance applicants.

The millennial generation is bigger than the baby bustgeneration, and it's possible that sales to young adult consumersare increasing because more young adults are getting steady jobs,having children, buying homes, and going through other life eventsthat have led to an increase in interest in buying lifeinsurance.

MIB has posted a copy of the latest application activity figureshere.