Life insurance buyers who meet face-to-face and receive a recommendation on how much life insurance to buy are more apt to buy policies, according to new research.

Variable annuity (VA) sales rose 16% in the third quarter, totaling $40.2 billion, according to the LIMRA’s third quarter 2011 U.S. Individual Annuities Sales survey.

More than one-third of all retirees receive income from an annuity in retirement, according to a new LIMRA study.

Between 19 million and 45 million American workers could be paying more for their benefits in the next two years as their employers replace their employer-paid and contributory benefit programs.

Most life insurance policyholders want to use online services on their insurers’ websites, and insurers can benefit from website use to build a better relationship with their clients, a new study says.

New premium sales of individual life combination products rose 62% in 2010, reaching $1.2 billion, boosted by linked-benefit products, according to LIMRA. The increase marks the second straight year of double-digit growth.

The number of people shopping online is expected to double in the next decade, and life insurance could benefit from that increase.

Annuity sales increased 16% in the first quarter, reaching $60 billion, with variable annuity sales leading the way with a 24% increase in sales over the same period last year.

Possible changes to Medicare and Social Security, along with tax increases, have more than half those between the ages of 55 and 79 fearing whether they can afford their plans for retirement, according to LIMRA research.

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