09.30.20
Those Dying From Covid-19 Are Least Likely to Own Life Insurance
by: Leslie Scism
U.S. life insurers are paying out far fewer Covid-19 death claims than initially expected, largely because the virus is disproportionately killing people with little to no insurance. In the past few weeks, many life-insurance companies have sharply reduced estimates of their exposure, as measured by payouts per 100,000 U.S. Covid-19 fatalities. Estimates have come down by an average of 40 percent to 50 percent, according to Credit Suisse stock analyst Andrew Kligerman. Driving the rapid reduction in exposure are two groups: older Americans and minorities. Older people often have smaller policies than people who are still in the workforce. The latter typically buy policies to protect spouses and children against the loss of a breadwinner’s income, aiming to cover home mortgages and fund college tuition. There has also been a disproportionate impact on minorities, such as African-Americans. In a pattern dating back decades, Black Americans typically have bought modest policies aimed at paying burial and related costs, rather than bigger face-value policies, according to life-insurance agents and historians.
Read the full article on Wall Street Journal.