Singapore Life Insurance Sales Slow Down

Posted on Nov 21, 2011 by Sergio Ulloa (G+)

Singapore's resurgent life insurance sector may finally be showing signs of slowing down, according to a new report. In their third quarter briefing released this month, the Life Insurance Association of Singapore (LIA) revealed that sales of new insurance products in Singapore slowed to a more 'moderate' 18 percent annual growth rate for the three months ending in September, down considerably from the 38 percent growth in sales reported during the first half of the year. The LIA is a non-profit trade body licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and represents the interests of 16 major life insurers and 3 life reinsurers who operate in the Southeast Asian country. According to the LIA, Singapore's life insurance industry accounted for a total of S$523 million (US$404 million) in 'weighted' new business premiums for the third quarter 2011 reporting period. The LIA calculates the weighted new business premium figure by adding 10 percent of the Single Premium Index (SPI) to 100 percent of the Annual Premium Index (API), with an adjustment for premium payment terms of less than 10 years. Overall sales growth has been tempered by cautious market sentiment as investors all over the world continue to worry about the pervasive debt contagion issues affecting the Eurozone and United States. The MAS expect the Singaporean economy to be sluggish in the first half of 2012, but could pick up later in the year if global markets stabilize. During the period under review, the LIA attributed the life sector's continued development largely to the performance of the bancassurance distribution channel, with savings-oriented products remaining particularly popular through the second half of the year. From August to September 2011, sales of weighted regular premium products in Singapore reached S$345.7 million (US$266.8 million) , marking a 19 percent quarterly increase over the same period last year. Single premium business meanwhile rose by 16 percent to S$177.3 million (US$136.8 million). Of this amount, the LIA noted that 16 percent of sales were accounted for by the Central Provident Fund (CPF), Singapore's mandatory pension savings and retirement fund mechanism. The Singaporean life insurance market is divided between players holding 'normal' licenses and those defined as market segment insurers (DMS). DMS insurance companies, currently comprised of the following multinational insurers Friends Provident International, Generali, Royal Skandia, Transamerica and Zurich International, are registered with the MAS to operate in only non CPF-related business and with certain minimum policy size restriction. In 2011, the LIA noted that normal license holders represented 95 percent of new sales, while DMS insurers accounted for the remaining 5 percent. Singapore's active life insurance companies have cumulatively paid out a total of S$3.69 billion (US$2.85 billion) to associated policyholders and beneficiaries so far this year. Of these payouts, the LIA detailed that only S$342 million (US$263.9 million) came as a result of death, critical illness or other disability claims, while the remaining S$3.34 billion (US$2.58 billion)came about from maturing policies. The association also noted that, as of second quarter 2011, Singapore life insurers were managing assets worth S$120.7 billion (US$93.15 billion), a 9 percent annual increase, with non-linked business accounting for S$96.4 billion (US$74.4 billion) and investment-linked policies making up the remaining $24.3 billion (US$18.75 billion) in assets. In terms of overall manpower, LIA member companies in the Singaporean life insurance industry now cumulatively employ a total of 5,108 office staff and 12,976 sales representatives. Explaining the results in the LIA statement, Mr. Tan Hak Leh, the Life Insurance Association President, acknowledged that while the performance of Singapore's insurance industry could be impacted going forward by ongoing global economic uncertainty, the emerging protection needs of Singaporean consumers should provide insurers active in the market with enough impetus to achieve sustainable premium growth. "Against the backdrop of intensified global economic uncertainties in the third quarter, the life insurance industry achieved a growth in new business of 18 per cent. It is critical that life insurance companies remain vigilant and proactively manage our business to safeguard the long term financial soundness of the industry," Mr Tan Hak Leh commented. In addition to gross life insurance sales figures, the LIA interim report also highlighted several other insurance industry trends occurring in Singapore this year. Through the first three quarters of 2011, sales of new health insurance policies in the small Asia Pacific island nation amounted to S$123 million (US$94.9 million), up 7 percent on the corresponding period last year. Of these new health insurance sales, the vast majority, 87 percent, went towards Integrated Shield Plans and associated riders, Singapore's quasi-equivalent of private Medicare insurance. The growth in new health insurance coverage is driven by a wide-spread recognition of increasing medical costs, which have driven consumers to obtain Singaporean health insurance in greater numbers recently. The LIA was pleased to report that as of 30 September 2011, over 2.45 million lives are covered by health insurance in Singapore, well over half the population, with paid up premiums now totalling over S$842 million (US$650 million). As for insurance distribution channel trends through to the third quarter, the LIA found that the 12,000-strong tied agency force had contributed almost half of all the new business written by Singaporean insurers for the year, bringing in 48 percent of all weighted new business sales in 2011 so far. This performance was accompanied by an uptrend in insurance products and services sold through banks, also termed bancassurance. Indeed, bancassurance now accounts for 35 percent of all new insurance sales in Singapore, up 8 percent from last year. Financial advisers meanwhile have contributed 13 percent of new insurance sales this year and other channels, including direct sales, have made up the remaining 4 percentage points. The LIA also noted that consumer preferences for different types of insurance products in Singapore have remained fairly consistent over the past few years. Participating (par) whole-life insurance products have remained the most popular, accounting for 54 percent of new sales, while non-participating annuities and investment-linked products split the remaining business between them. Singaporeans clearly favour the dividend options mutual life insurance companies can provide them with. In his concluding remarks, LIA president Tan Hak Leh reiterated that while Singapore's double-digit growth rate in life insurance product sales may not likely continue unabated into the future, robust long term planning and savings options would become more important than ever in this time of global financial market uncertainty. "While we may not face a financial meltdown similar to that in 2008, we can see consumers exercising more caution in taking on additional financial commitments," said Mr Tan, adding that "Nonetheless we strongly advise that consumers do not shelve plans for life insurance, as it becomes particularly essential in times of uncertainty."