German consumers buy their traditional life insurance policies through agents like Allianz's, but they tend to buy mutual funds and other equity products through their bank branches.

FORBES: Schulte-Noelle Scores

Its network of 14, 000 agents have made Allianz No. 1 in Germany's traditional life insurance market, with Euro4.2 billion in gross premiums written in Germany in the first half of 2000.

FORBES: Schulte-Noelle Scores

While it has a 15% market share in traditional fixed-annuity life insurance products, it has less than 2% of Germany's mutual fund market-and virtually nothing in equity-linked variable annuities.

FORBES: Schulte-Noelle Scores

New York Life is in the process of hiring 3, 000 agents, as stock-wary investors have turned back to traditional forms of savings such as life insurance.

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As it sees big money to be made in finance, the life-insurance industry is losing interest in its traditional role of controlling much of the South African economy.

ECONOMIST: South Africa��s insurers: Unbundled | The

Unlike traditional financial planning programs, ESPlanner calculates how much you should save each year and how much life insurance to purchase in order to maintain a consistent living standard throughout your life.

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