A third of life insurers that have so far declared their surplus participation for 2026 are offering higher rates than in 2025, according to an overview by VersicherungsJournal compiled as declarations continued to trickle in this month. Of the 24 declarations reviewed, Athora made the largest increase, raising its running yield by 0.5 percentage points to 3.50%, which , together with a 1.0% terminal bonus , produces the highest total declared participation at 4.50%. [1][2]
The market’s second‑largest provider by premium share, R+V Lebensversicherung AG, has left its key Safe+Smart product rates unchanged. According to the company's published materials, R+V will again offer up to 3.05% total interest for the AnsparKombi Safe+Smart product and 3.00% for the AnlageKombi Safe+Smart in 2026. Industry reporting notes this maintains R+V’s position among the larger, stable payers. [1][3][7]
Other established players have largely kept running rates steady. LV 1871 maintained a running interest of 2.70%, with total participation including terminal bonuses and a share of surplus reserves of up to 3.60%. LVM reported an unchanged running rate of 2.40% for 2026. DEVK’s two life entities also left rates stable at 3.00% (DEVK Verein) and 2.40% (DEVK AG), with total participations reported unchanged at up to 4.10% and 3.30% respectively. [1]
Several insurers did increase their declared running rates. ERGO Lebensversicherung AG raised its running rate from 2.7% to 3.0% for 2026, lifting total participation to 3.25%, a move the company framed as delivering more attractive returns to policyholders. Inter, Entis and parts of Alte Leipziger also recorded modest uplifts, while Proxalto and others made smaller increases. These shifts pushed a handful of mid‑market providers closer to Athora’s leading running yields. [1][4]
Many of the industry’s largest names opted for continuity. Allianz (classic), Swiss Life, Nürnberger and Axa all announced broadly stable running participations for 2026, reflecting a cautious stance among major incumbents even as some competitors capitalise on improved investment returns to lift declared rates. Industry reporting highlights that roughly two‑thirds of declarations available at the time remained unchanged. [1][5][6][7]
The declarations underscore the varying strategies insurers are pursuing as they balance guaranteed book yields, current market returns and the need to preserve solvency. According to the overview, guaranteed contract interest rates for older policies can still be as high as 4.0% for contractually guaranteed technical interest set in earlier years; where guarantees exceed current declarations, policyholders continue to receive the higher guaranteed crediting. [1]
Taken together, the 2026 surplus declarations present a market with pockets of upward movement but a broad preference for stability among the largest providers. Industry data shows that while a minority of insurers have used improved investment conditions to lift declared running yields, the prevailing approach among market leaders remains cautious, preserving consistency for existing policyholders while selectively increasing returns where balance‑sheet strength permits. [1][2][3][4]
##Reference Map:
- [1] (VersicherungsJournal) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 6, Paragraph 7
- [2] (Athora press release) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 7
- [3] (R+V product document) - Paragraph 2, Paragraph 7
- [4] (ERGO press release) - Paragraph 4
- [5] (VersicherungsJournal - Nürnberger) - Paragraph 5
- [6] (VersicherungsJournal - Axa) - Paragraph 5
- [7] (asscompact.de) - Paragraph 2, Paragraph 5
Source: Noah Wire Services