New individual premium written for individual life insurance increased 2% in the fourth quarter of last year, driving a small increase for the year.

Most life insurance products saw year-over-year sales increases, except term life, in the first quarter, if for no other reason than the comparative period from a year ago was one of the worst on record.

Total individual life insurance sales fell 11% in the third quarter, despite a 12% surge in individual whole life policies sales, according to LIMRA.