Legal & General Group has revealed that its retirement division experienced strong new business sales in the first half of 2016, with minimal disruption caused by uncertainties over the EU referendum.
New bulk annuity transactions totalling c.£250m were executed in June.
Following the £2.9bn Aegon back-book transaction in May, this brings bulk annuity business executed in H1 2016 to £3.6bn, over £1bn ahead of the full year bulk annuity sales figure of £2.4bn for 2015.
Lifetime mortgage sales have exceeded £200m in H1 2016 meaning these too have surpassed the full year comparator for 2015, as well as being greater than L&G’s individual annuity sales in H1 2016.
Legal & General Retirement sales across bulk annuities, individual annuities and lifetime mortgages of £4bn have been achieved in H1 2016.
Kerrigan Procter, managing director of Legal & General Retirement, said: “Political and market uncertainty around the EU Referendum did not get in the way of business, as companies or individuals will always need to manage their employees’ or own retirement.
“Bulk annuity transactions continue to be an important way for Legal & General to deploy capital to help our UK clients, and use the premiums to invest in real assets such as UK infrastructure and direct lending.”
Legal & General Retirement now provides more lifetime mortgages to its customers than individual annuities. It expects this trend to accelerate as more baby boomers retire and choose to access their housing wealth to help fund their retirement, instead of buying an individual annuity.
Bernie Hickman, CEO of Legal & General Home Finance, added: “Legal & General entered the lifetime mortgage market last year. Our lowest interest rate on lifetime mortgages is now below 5%, and we have recently been awarded Lifetime Mortgage Lender of the year.
“We have seen rapid growth, and within a year of entering the lifetime mortgage market, now provide more lifetime mortgages to our customers than individual annuities. Individual annuities still have their place, but customers want more choice in how they fund their retirement, with accessing housing wealth being an attractive option for asset rich, income poor retirees.”