A Survey of Northwestern Mutual Policyholders - A Study of the Acquisition of Life Insurance within the Family Life Cycle

Abstract

The opportunity to study this relationship became possible when the Northwestern Mutual began asking questions about family status on their general application for life insurance in April of 1963. The number and ages of the children of the applicant and his total yearly expenditure for his own personal life insurance were among the questions added for markets research purposes. This pilot study utilized a sample of this data in an attempt to analyze the life insurance characteristics of Northwestern policyholders within the family life cycle. The 600 policyholders who make up the Survey were selected from male adult personal business written by Northwestern agents during January and February of 1964.