Life insurance is characterised by the conclusion of often long-term contracts and the incurrence of often significant sales costs in the year when the contract was made.
While the industry historically speaking has been dominated by guaranteed products, today, new sales are concentrated on market-rate products or unit-link, if a more international term should be used. While market-rate products are fairly conform across markets, the guaranteed products have a number of national characteristics, which to a great extent require that the reader of financial statements must have knowledge of the underlying business model and of which limitations are imposed on the profit formation in order to understand the financial statements. The balance sheet is still dominated by the guaranteed life-insurance product, and earnings are to an even greater extent dominated by the guaranteed product. But with the sizable growth from new premiums in market-rate products, it is to be expected that we will see market-rate products take the lead, not only measured on new sales, but also on savings and perhaps even on earnings.