Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. has reached what it called a milestone as it has now more than 5,000 financial professionals working for it in communities across the U.S.

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

The factors that seemed a decade ago to be weaknesses for mutual life insurers appear now to be strengths, according to a new report.