North American Life Insurance Activity Declines 4.7% in November

North American Life Insurance Activity Declines 4.7% in November

WESTWOOD, Mass., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Applications for life insurance in North America declined -4.7% in November, year-over-year, marking the third consecutive month of decreasing activity. February through May's flat year- over-year activity has given way to declining trends in subsequent months with November's Index marking the steepest overall year-over-year decline in activity since last January. The change in year-to-date (YTD) activity over last year shows the U.S. off -1.8% and Canada flat at -0.2%; totaling -1.7% for North America. On the same basis, 2003 year-to-date figures for the U.S. and Canada were -4.0% and -3.5% respectively.

November's MIB Life Index(SM) for the U.S. showed a -5.5% decline in application activity compared to the same period last year. Activity for the month declined across all three age groups; 0-44 off -5.5%, 45-59 off -6.2%, and the 60+ age group off -3.5% year-over-year. Year-to-date, the 0-44 and 45-59 age groups declined -2.2% year-over-year and the 60+ group is running +1.1% ahead of 2003 YTD levels.

Canadian application activity showed a modest gain of +0.8% year-over- year; the first gain in three months and the fifth monthly increase seen this year. The 0-44 age group declined, slightly off -0.8%, while the age 45-59 and the 60+ age group gained 3.3% and 5.0% respectively. YTD, the 60+ age group is running +4.6% ahead of 2003 levels through eleven months.

Monthly Percent Change vs. 2003

US Canada Total
November 2004 -5.5% 0.8% -4.7%
October 2004 -2.1% -0.5% -1.9%
YTD 2004 -1.8% -0.2% -1.7%

Monthly Percent Change vs. Previous Month

US Canada Total
November 2004 0.0% +0.8% +0.1%

About MIB


MIB Group, Inc., headquartered in Westwood, Massachusetts, is the premier provider of Internet-based information and knowledge services to the risk management market space in North America and a leading facilitator of electronic insurance commerce. MIB customers underwrite over 95 percent of the premium dollars for individual life insurance issued in the United States and Canada. MIB Group, Inc. companies include MIB, Inc. and e-Services Corporation. For more information, visit http:/www.mib.com.

Contact:
David O. Aronson Delia Farrell
MIB Group, Inc. Michael Meyers & Associates
781-751-6130 312-661-0055 ext. 320
info@mib.comdfarrell@mmeyers.com


Source: MIB Group, Inc.,

CONTACT: David O. Aronson of MIB Group, Inc., +1-781-751-6130,
info@mib.com; or Delia Farrell of Michael Meyers & Associates, +1-312-661-0055
ext. 320, dfarrell@mmeyers.com

Web site: http://www.mib.com/


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