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Some executives at life insurance and annuity issuers have worried about the state of competition in the U.S. individual annuity market in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Some watched sales of some products fall between the fourth quarter of 2024 and the latest quarter, whether due to conscious decisions to let sales fall or because competitors ate their lunch.
Some have looked at the market for registered index-linked annuities and wondered why nice companies like theirs would get into a lion pit like that.
And the annuity issuer community as a whole said, "Sell sell sell!"
Total U.S. individual annuity sales increased 12%, year over year, to $102 billion, according to new issuer survey data from LIMRA.
Sales for the year increased 6%, to $461 billion.
What it means: Retirement savers' hunger for income buffers and guarantees is strong.
Bryan Hodgens, head of LIMRA research, talked about consumer sentiment data in the survey results announcement.
The number of Americans retiring is rising, and, for many, access to pension plans and other sources of protected lifetime income is shrinking, Hodgens said.
"Our research suggests the demand for solutions that offer security — and peace of mind — has never been greater," he said.
The survey: LIMRA is part of LL Global, a member-owned financial services industry research, data and support services organization.
The survey results are based on data from issuers that account for about 92% of the U.S. market.
The details: Here's what happened to sales for some types of products that LIMRA tracks:
— Traditional variable annuities: $17 billion. (Up 8%)
— Fixed indexed annuities: $32 billion. (Up 8%)
— Traditional fixed-rate annuities: $29 billion. (Up 12%)
— Deferred income annuities: $1.2 billion. (Up 20%)
— RILA contracts: $18 billion. (Up 24%)
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