EstatePass
L&HNationalmedium

Industrial (debit) life insurance, historically sold door-to-door with weekly premium collection by a route agent, has largely been replaced in the modern market by:

ASurvivorship universal life policies marketed through bank trust officers and estate-planning attorneys
Small-face final-expense and pre-need whole life policies sold direct or through funeral homes
CGroup variable annuity contracts offered through employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement plans
DIndexed universal life policies featuring no-lapse guarantee riders and accumulation accounts

Why this is the answer

Industrial life insurance — also called 'debit' insurance — dominated the early 20th century market for low-income workers. Policies carried small face amounts ($250-$2,000), used simplified or no medical underwriting, and were collected weekly or monthly in cash by a route ('debit') agent. As home collection became uneconomic and middle-class incomes rose, the segment migrated to simplified-issue final-expense whole life (small-face permanent insurance designed to cover funeral and burial costs, typically $5,000-$25,000) and pre-need policies sold by funeral homes to fund specific funeral arrangements in advance.

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