In 2008, operating revenues increased $1 billion over 2007, to $14 billion. Operating earnings totaled nearly $1.3 billion, surpassing 2007’s record-setting results. Given the state of the markets in 2008, this represents a very impressive follow-up to two prior years of strong double-digit earnings growth.

2008 was a disastrous year for much of the financial services industry. Life insurers were protected, to a degree, by the regulations that govern their business. These regulations spell out, for example, the amount of financial reserves insurers must hold and the types of investment risks that insurers can take. Even so, many life insurance companies faced enormous challenges.