NEWS RELEASE: VARIABLE UNIVERSAL LIFE SALES POISED FOR GROWTH
Wink, Inc. Releases First Quarter, 2026 Life Sales Results
Des Moines, Iowa. June 8, 2026– Wink, Inc. released the first quarter, 2026 life sales results in its 115th 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 $2.9 billion; down 9.7% compared to the previous quarter and up 8.1% 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 Prudential ranking as #1 in overall sales for all life insurance sales, with a market share of 5.6%. Americo’s Eagle Select, a whole life 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 $1.1 billion; down 16.0% 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 11.2%. Life Insurance Company of the Southwest’s FlexLife, an indexed universal life 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 $851.9 million; down 15.2% when compared to the previous quarter and up less than 1.0% 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 13.8%. Life Insurance Company of the Southwest’s FlexLife, an indexed universal life 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, down 25.9% compared to the previous quarter and down 18.0% 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 22.8% market share; Pacific Life Companies, John Hancock, Protective Life Companies, and Penn Mutual 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 quarter. The top primary pricing objective of No Lapse Guarantee captured 33.0% of sales. The average fixed UL target premium for the quarter was $6,826, a decline of more than 22.0% from the prior quarter.
Sheryl J. Moore, CEO of both Moore Market Intelligence and Wink, Inc. commented, “Universal life sales have never been this low.” She continued, “It is just getting more difficult to justify the sales of these products, when indexed life has a relatively-stronger value proposition.”
Indexed life sales for the first quarter were $789.5 million, down 14.0% compared with the previous quarter, and up 2.8% 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 14.7% market share; Pacific Life Companies, John Hancock, Nationwide, and Fidelity and Guaranty Life rounded out the top five, respectively.
Life Insurance Company of the Southwest’s FlexLife was the #1 selling indexed life insurance product, for all channels combined, for the quarter. The top primary pricing objective for sales in the quarter was Cash Accumulation, capturing 74.7% of sales. The average indexed life target premium for the quarter was $12,922, a decline of nearly 3% from the prior quarter.
Variable Universal Life sales for the first quarter were $316.1 million; down 19.1% compared with the previous quarter and up 15.1% 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 36.2% market share; Pacific Life Companies, Nationwide, RiverSource Life, and John Hancock 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 quarter. The top primary pricing objective for sales this quarter was Cash Accumulation, capturing 63.4% of sales. The average variable universal life target premium for the quarter was $23,161, a decline of nearly 10.0% from the prior quarter.
“The market has been on the uptick since the beginning of April,” explained Moore. ” This translates to improved sales of variable UL.”
Whole life first quarter sales were over $1.2 billion, down 3.6% compared with the previous quarter, and up 22.6% compared to the same period last year. Items of interest in the whole life market included the top primary pricing objective of Final Expense, capturing 72.4% of sales. The average premium per whole life policy for the quarter was $3,860, a decline of more than 19% from the prior quarter.
Term life first quarter sales were $521.8 million; down 7.6% when compared with the previous quarter and down 9.7% compared to the same period last year.
Items of interest in the term life market include Prudential ranking as #1 in term life sales, with a 6.5% 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 quarter. The average annual term life premium per policy reported for the quarter was $1,905, a decline of nearly 29% from the previous quarter.
Wink now 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. has 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.
June 8, 2026
Des Moines, IA
(855) ASK-WINK