The nation’s bank holding companies’ total insurance revenue remained steady for the first half of the year compared to the same period last year.

The bank holding companies reported $23.6 billion, compared to $23.7 billion in 2008, according to findings from Michael White Associates and the American Bankers Insurance Association. The findings are based on data reported to the Federal Reserve Board by the 932 top large bank holding companies.

The top bank holding companies in the analysis were GMAC, CitiGroup, Wells Fargo & Co. and BB&T Corp.

The top 50 bank holding companies in insurance revenue attained a mean concentration ratio of total insurance revenue to noninterest income of 13.6%, said Valerie Barton, executive director of ABIA. Among the top 50 in this Concentration Ratio, the mean was 45.9%, she said.

“Those levels of Insurance Concentration demonstrate considerable contribution to BHCs’ noninterest income,” Barton said in a statement. “Insurance consistently proves it is a valuable revenue-generating activity during good times and bad times.”

During the first six months of 2009, 581 large top-tier bank holding companies (62.3% of all top-level large BHCs reporting) earned some type of insurance-related revenue, compared to 568 in the first half of 2008.  In addition, 56 BHCs reported earning some insurance underwriting fee income from underwriting or reinsurance activities, up from 52 BHCs a year ago.

Insurance underwriting and reinsurance income increased 1.3% from $17.3 billion at June 30, 2008, to $17.5 billion in the first half of 2009, as 56 bank holding companies engaged in sales activities that produced insurance underwriting fee income.