Voluntary Benefits

Insurers doing business in New York are now required to regularly search a government list of recent deaths to identify policyholders, then find and pay beneficiaries even when no claims are made.

Despite medical problems accounting for roughly half of all personal bankruptcies and home foreclosures in the U.S., many full-time workers are not prepared for the risk of long-term disability, according to a study by U.S. business group of Sun Life Financial Inc.

Nationwide is now the underwriter for many of the prepaid group legal insurance contracts marketed and administered by LegalEASE throughout the U.S., the companies told Benefits Selling.

The U.S. voluntary insurance market may be starting to emerge from a slump.

Only about half of Gen Y workersthose ages 21-31have any income protected with disability insurance despite the fact most live paycheck to paycheck, according to MetLife research collected from the company's 10th annual study of employee benefits trends.

Here are five top voluntary products to keep your eye on.