3.3.4Segment

Life & Annuity Insurance

Life insurance carriers and annuity providers offering individual life, group life, and long-term care coverage.

4
Verticals

Overview

Life & Annuity Insurance covers carriers offering individual and group life, annuities, and long-term-care coverage. It is a large, spread-and-investment-driven business where carriers earn on the difference between investment returns and policyholder obligations across long-duration liabilities.

Private equity and alternative-asset managers (Apollo/Athene, KKR/Global Atlantic, Blackstone/Corebridge, Sixth Street) have aggressively acquired and reinsured life and annuity blocks to gain permanent capital and investable float — one of the most significant structural shifts in the sector.

Market snapshot

Market size
~$601B
Growth
~3.7%CAGR (2017–22, nominal)
Companies
~910 firms
Firms by employee count

77.1% of firms have fewer than 20 employees: 702 micro-businesses, below most mandates.

The investable universe208 firms with 20+ employees
20–99
5727%
100–499
5526%
500+
9646%

A spread-and-investment business: carriers earn on the gap between investment returns and long-duration policyholder obligations, which makes the investable float the prize. Private equity and alternative-asset managers (Apollo/Athene, KKR/Global Atlantic, Blackstone/Corebridge) have aggressively acquired and reinsured life and annuity blocks for permanent capital — one of the sector's most significant structural shifts. Revenue is premiums and annuity considerations.

NAICS 524113, 525190. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 Statistics of U.S. Businesses; U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 Economic Census.

Business model & economics

Revenue model

Premiums and spread on investing long-duration liabilities

Key economics

Revenue per firm
$660,147,226
Revenue per employee
$1,995,105
Employees per firm
341.8
Recurring revenue
High

long-duration policy obligations

EBITDA margin
Spread- and investment-driven
Capex intensity
Low

Characteristics

  • Scale-driven — payroll is only 7% of revenue; the cost base is assets, not headcount
  • Moderate strategic-buyer pool — 96 firms exceed 500 employees; a scaled asset has buyers, but not many
  • Spread business on long-duration liabilities and float.
  • PE/alternative managers acquiring blocks for permanent capital.
  • Investable float is the strategic prize.

NAICS 524113, 525190. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 Statistics of U.S. Businesses; U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 Economic Census.

M&A deal context

Deal activityHigh

Who’s acquiring

  • PE & alternative-asset managers
  • Annuity/life consolidators
  • Reinsurance-backed platforms

What’s driving deals

  • PE acquisition and reinsurance of life/annuity blocks.
  • Permanent capital and investable-float strategy.
  • Consolidation of legacy blocks.

Verticals in this segment

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