Life insurance changes more than most people think: new rules, company mergers, shifts in pricing and changes in what people are buying. This page breaks down life insurance news in plain English, from this year’s headlines to lessons of the past, and explains what each story means for families in Morgan Hill, San Jose, Fremont and across the Bay Area.
Record Whole Life Dividends: What 2027 Brings
October 27, 2026 · Source: Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual expects to pay a record $10.4 billion in policyowner dividends for 2027, and MassMutual announced a record $3.3 billion with a 6.85% dividend interest rate. This article explains who actually receives these dividends, why they are never guaranteed, and what South Bay policyowners can review now. Read more and comment
Who Gets the Life Insurance Premium Increase Notice?
October 22, 2026 · Source: InsuranceNewsNet
InsuranceNewsNet found that California and most large states do not require life insurers to copy the agent when a premium goes up on an existing policy, and NAIFA is now pushing states to change that. The post explains California’s 60 day grace period and lapse designee rules, plus steps South Bay families can take to keep older policies from lapsing. Read more and comment
Atlantic Coast Life Sales Halt: A Lesson in Insurer Strength
October 16, 2026 · Source: InsuranceNewsNet
Virginia regulators ordered Atlantic Coast Life to stop selling new policies starting November 1, making it the third state to act after South Carolina and Florida. This article explains what the AM Best downgrade and sales halt show about checking insurer financial strength before buying coverage. Read more and comment
Nearly $17 Billion in Lost Life Insurance Found: How to Search for a Loved One’s Policy
September 3, 2026 · Source: NAIC
A free tool from state insurance regulators has now matched families with nearly $17 billion in lost life insurance and annuity benefits. This article explains how the tool works. Read more and comment
Life Insurance Sales Keep Growing in 2026: What the Numbers Show
August 26, 2026 · Source: LIMRA
More Americans are buying life insurance policies this year. This article covers LIMRA’s latest sales data and what it means for anyone shopping for coverage. Read more and comment
Corebridge and Equitable Are Merging: What It Means for Policyholders
July 30, 2026 · Sources: Corebridge and Equitable, Reinsurance News
Two of the biggest names in life insurance and retirement are combining. This article explains what Corebridge and Equitable policyholders should (and shouldn’t) worry about. Read more and comment
New for 2026: The Federal Estate Tax Exemption Is Now $15 Million
January 1, 2026 · Source: Creative Planning
A new federal law raised the estate tax exemption to $15 million per person starting January 1, 2026. This article explains what the change means for life insurance and Bay Area families. Read more and comment
Why Long-Term Care Insurance Cost Insurers Billions
January 25, 2018 · Source: Bloomberg via IndustryWeek
GE took a $6.2 billion charge and set aside $15 billion for old long-term care policies, a year after long-term care insurer Penn Treaty was liquidated. This article explains what went wrong. Read more and comment
When California’s Biggest Life Insurer Failed: The Executive Life Collapse
April 11, 1991 · Sources: California State Auditor, Insurance Journal
California regulators seized Executive Life, once the state’s largest life insurer, after its junk-bond bets collapsed. Policyholders lost an estimated $4 billion. Read more and comment
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