In 2015, life insurers will continue to face pressure from low interest rates, but despite obstacles, there are a number of market opportunities,  according to the LOMA 2015 Life Insurance Industry Forecast.

LOMA interviewed a panel of top executives and industry analysts about their predictions on sales, distribution, service, technology and social media over the next 12 months.  These interviews were compiled for LOMA's annual industry forecast, which is published in the organization's award-winning, monthly publication, Resource Magazine.

"It appears that interest rates will remain low and will challenge insurers, particularly for annuity related products. However, improvements in the U.S. economy and employment as well as an orientation to conservative investment vehicles in younger generations will open up new or increased sales opportunities in 2015," said one panelist, Mark Breading, partner at analyst firm SMA-Strategy Meets Action.

Here are some additional survey highlights:

• Millions of Americans are uninsured or underinsured and this is an opportunity for the industry. Retiring Baby Boomers, who will shift their retirement accounts strategy from accumulation to decumulation, should spur demand for annuities, which provide a steady income stream. 
• Increasingly important target markets are the Millennials and Gen X, who want conservative savings vehicles, easy-to-understand propositions, and digital offerings. 
• On the technology side, predictive analytics and data mining tools have captured much attention. Life/annuity insurers are especially interested in using analytics for customer and market insights to enable more sophisticated segmentation approaches and innovative new products. 
• Online and mobile environments are playing a growing role in engaging and communicating with the consumer, especially social media.