Second Quarter Shows Growth Across All Life Insurance Sales
Wink, Inc. Releases Second Quarter, 2026 Life Sales Results
Des Moines, Iowa. September 8, 2026– Wink, Inc. released the second quarter, 2026 life sales results in its 116th edition of Wink’s Sales & Market Report. Wink’s Sales & Market Report is the insurance industry’s #1 resource for life insurance sales data since 1997.
All life insurance sales for the first quarter were over $3.1 billion; up 6.5% compared to the previous quarter and up 6.4% compared to the same period last year. All life sales include fixed universal life (UL), indexed UL, variable UL, indexed whole life, whole life, and term life product sales.
Noteworthy highlights for total life insurance sales of all products in the first quarter included Transamerica ranking as #1 in overall sales for all life insurance sales, with a market share of 7.0%. Transamerica Life’s Transamerica Financial Foundation IUL II, an indexed universal life (IUL) product, was the #1 selling product for all life insurance sales, for all channels combined, for the quarter.
All universal life sales for the first quarter were $1.2 billion; up 5.8% compared to the previous quarter and up 4.3% compared to the same period last year. All universal life (UL) sales include fixed UL, indexed UL, and variable UL product sales.
Noteworthy highlights for all universal life sales in the first quarter included Prudential ranking as #1 in overall sales for all universal life products, with a market share of 10.9%. Transamerica Life’s Transamerica Financial Foundation IUL II, an IUL product, was the #1 selling product for all universal life sales, for all channels combined, for the quarter.
Non-variable universal life sales for the first quarter were $872.7 million; up 2.4% when compared to the previous quarter and down 2.2% compared to the same period last year. Non-variable universal life (UL) sales include both fixed UL and indexed UL product sales.
Noteworthy highlights for total non-variable universal life sales in the first quarter included National Life Group retaining the #1 overall sales ranking for non-variable universal life sales, with a market share of 14.8%. Transamerica Life’s Transamerica Financial Foundation IUL II, an IUL product, was the #1 selling product for non-variable universal life sales, for all channels combined, for the quarter.
Fixed Universal Life sales for the first quarter were $65.2 million, up less than 1% compared to the previous quarter and down 6.0% compared to the same period last year.
Items of interest in the fixed UL market included Nationwide retaining its #1 ranking in fixed universal life sales, with a 22.5% market share; Pacific Life Companies, Protective Life Companies, John Hancock, and Massachusetts Mutual Life Companies completed the top five, respectively.
Nationwide’s Nationwide CareMatters II was the #1 selling fixed universal life insurance product, for all channels combined, for the second consecutive quarter. The top
primary product objective of No Lapse Guarantee captured 36.5% of sales. The average fixed UL target premium for the quarter was $7,207, an increase of nearly 6.0% from the prior quarter.
Indexed life sales for the first quarter were $811.0 million, up 2.7% compared with the previous quarter, and down 1.7% compared to the same period last year. Indexed life sales include both indexed UL and indexed whole life.
Items of interest in the indexed life market included National Life Group retaining its #1 ranking in indexed life sales, with a 15.7% market share; Transamerica, Pacific Life Companies, John Hancock, and Nationwide rounded out the top five, respectively.
Transamerica Life’s Transamerica Financial Foundation IUL II was the #1 selling indexed life insurance product, for all channels combined, for the quarter. The top primary product objective for sales in the quarter was Cash Accumulation, capturing 72.1% of sales. The average indexed life target premium for the quarter was $12,174, a decline of nearly 6.0% from the prior quarter.
Sheryl J. Moore, CEO of both Moore Market Intelligence and Wink, Inc. commented, “It appears that multi-level marketing (MLM) firms are advancing indexed life sales” She continued, “It will be interesting to see if the companies underwriting products for these firms improve the retention issues that are associated with this distribution method.”
Variable Universal Life sales for the first quarter were $363.9 million; up 15.1% compared with the previous quarter and up 24.5% compared to the same period last year.
Items of interest in the variable universal life market included Prudential retaining the #1 ranking in variable universal life sales, with a 31.8% market share; Pacific Life Companies, John Hancock, Nationwide, and RiverSource Life completed the top five, respectively.
Pruco Life’s PruLife Custom Premier II was the #1 selling variable universal life product, for all channels combined for the second consecutive quarter. The top primary product objective for sales this quarter was Cash Accumulation, capturing 68.2% of sales. The average variable universal life target premium for the quarter was $20,424, a decline of nearly 12.0%
Whole life first quarter sales were over $1.3 billion, up 7.4% compared with the previous quarter, and up 18.2% compared to the same period last year. Items of interest in the whole life market included the top primary product objective of Final Expense, capturing 69.5% of sales. The average premium per whole life policy for the quarter was $4,109, an increase of more than 6% from the prior quarter.
“The market share for whole life insurance is impressive; the next-nearest product line, indexed life, is trailing whole life’s share by a nearly 17% lead.”
Term life first quarter sales were $553.2 million; up 6.0% when compared with the previous quarter and down more than 11% compared to the same period last year.
Items of interest in the term life market include Prudential ranking #1 in term life sales, with a 6.8% market share. Pacific Life Companies, Protective Life Companies, Corebridge Financial, and National Life Group completed the top five, respectively.
Protective Life Classic Choice Term 20 was the #1 selling term life insurance product, for all channels combined, for the second consecutive quarter. The average annual term life premium per policy reported for the quarter was $2,008, an increase of more than 5% from the previous quarter.
Wink reports sales on all annuity lines of business, as well as all life insurance product lines.
For more information, go to www.WinkIntel.com
Wink, Inc. is the company behind the most comprehensive life insurance and annuity due-diligence tools, AnnuitySpecs and LifeSpecs at www.WinkIntel.com. Wink, Inc. is the distributor of the quarterly Wink’s Sales & Market Report. Serving as the insurance industry’s #1 resource of insurance product sales since 1997, this report provides sales by product, company, indexing method, index, distribution, surrender charge period, guarantee period, and more. The research firm is also responsible for the insight behind Wink’s Index Intelligence Report, providing sales on indexed insurance products at an individual index level.
The staff of Wink, Inc. have combined experience of 200 years working with insurance products, more than a century of which is specific to competitive intelligence. Based in Des Moines, Iowa, the firm offers competitive intelligence and market research in the life insurance and annuity industries, serving financial services professionals, distributors, manufacturers, reinsurers, regulators, and consultants on both a domestic and global basis.
Sheryl J. Moore, CEO, is the guiding force behind Wink, Inc. Ms. Moore previously worked as a market research analyst for top carriers in the life insurance and annuity industries. Her views on the direction of the market are frequently heard in seminars and quoted by industry trade journals.
September 8, 2026
Des Moines, IA
(855) ASK-WINK