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Life Index Methodology
The MIB Life Index is designed to measure application activity for individually underwritten life insurance, as approximated by MIB Checking Service inquiries from our nearly 500 U.S. and Canadian member companies. Current methodology is as follows: (1) all database inquiries from health, disability income, critical illness and long term care insurance are removed from the source data, (2) Direct (non-underwritten) insurance and/or guaranteed issue market segments are not reflected to the extent that issuance of these polices do not include an MIB search, and (3) all life reinsurance activity is included.
The MIB Life Index percent changes are calculated using the average number of MIB inquiries per business day for a given period. The number of business days in the U.S. and Canada are determined based on trading sessions for the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange, respectively.
The country assignment of life insurance application activity is based on the location of the insurance company from where the MIB inquiry originated.
Methodology changes are heavily scrutinized and have been made in the past to maintain the MIB Life Index as a pure and stable statistical measure.
Changes and Press Releases
Methodology changes impact historical numbers and, therefore, historical trend comparisons in subsequent press releases. Note that all published press releases reflect the Life Index as calculated for that moment in time; published numbers are not re-stated. All current and historical values used in calculating the monthly Life Index press release reflect the most current methodology at the time of release.
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