It's impossible to separate the products we market from the processes that support them. And the events of 2020 underscore how important our products and processes are to one another.

Consider life insurance. While life insurance is generally familiar to everyone, the market outside of voluntary benefits has been stagnant. Studies show that less than half of Americans own the life insurance they need. Why is this true, in light of the familiarity people have with the concept? LIMRA studies find that many people become "stuck shoppers." They simply don't know how to make a decision about life insurance; they don't understand the need, don't know how much they should buy, what type to buy or where to buy it.

Marty Traynor is an Omaha-based consultant in the benefits field.