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GLOBE LIFE INC. (GL)

CIK: 0000320335. SIC: 6311 Life Insurance. Latest 10-K as of: 2026-02-25.

SIC breadcrumb: Finance, Insurance, And Real Estate > Insurance Carriers > SIC 6311 Life Insurance

SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=320335. Latest filing source: 0000320335-26-000090.

Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.

Selected Fundamentals

MetricValueUnitFYFiled
Revenue5,994,318,000USD20252026-02-25
Net income1,161,238,000USD20252026-02-25
Assets30,813,692,000USD20252026-02-25

Financials

Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-25. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000320335.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.

Flow metrics use full-year FY periods from 10-K/10-K/A filings; balance-sheet metrics use FY-end instants. Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures. Missing metrics are omitted rather than fabricated.

Metric2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Revenue3,934,629,0004,155,573,0004,303,751,0004,527,532,0004,737,921,0005,112,038,0005,226,740,0005,447,533,0005,778,069,0005,994,318,000
Net income549,779,0001,454,494,000701,466,000760,790,000731,773,0001,031,114,000894,386,000970,755,0001,070,762,0001,161,238,000
Diluted EPS4.4912.226.096.836.829.999.0410.0711.9414.07
Operating cash flow1,398,708,0001,429,058,0001,277,647,0001,363,874,0001,476,434,0001,437,680,0001,422,194,0001,482,425,0001,402,440,0001,396,391,000
Capital expenditures25,162,00020,285,00045,092,00042,203,00041,756,00038,244,00027,929,00049,553,00071,045,000142,484,000
Dividends paid66,931,00068,831,00071,421,00074,188,00078,192,00080,043,00080,547,00084,116,00085,485,00086,067,000
Share buybacks404,784,000412,989,000421,749,000459,569,000443,866,000541,435,000454,638,000511,100,0001,002,109,000880,983,000
Assets21,436,087,00023,474,985,00023,095,722,00025,977,460,00029,046,731,00029,768,048,00025,986,797,00028,051,499,00029,076,181,00030,813,692,000
Liabilities16,869,226,00017,243,564,00017,680,545,00018,683,153,00020,275,639,00021,125,242,00022,037,220,00023,564,696,00023,770,661,00024,839,113,000
Stockholders' equity4,566,861,0006,231,421,0005,415,177,0007,294,307,0008,771,092,0002,003,808,0003,949,577,0004,486,803,0005,305,520,0005,974,579,000
Free cash flow1,373,546,0001,408,773,0001,232,555,0001,321,671,0001,434,678,0001,399,436,0001,394,265,0001,432,872,0001,331,395,0001,253,907,000

Ratios

ROE and ROA use period-end equity/assets. Liabilities / equity uses total liabilities divided by stockholders' equity. Current ratio uses current assets divided by current liabilities when both are reported.

Metric2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Net margin13.97%35.00%16.30%16.80%15.45%20.17%17.11%17.82%18.53%19.37%
Return on equity12.04%23.34%12.95%10.43%8.34%51.46%22.65%21.64%20.18%19.44%
Return on assets2.56%6.20%3.04%2.93%2.52%3.46%3.44%3.46%3.68%3.77%
Liabilities / equity3.692.773.262.562.3110.545.585.254.484.16

Financial Charts

Quarterly

Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-07. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000320335.json.

Flow metrics use discrete quarter-length periods from 10-Q/10-Q/A filings. Q4 revenue and net income are derived only when annual FY and nine-month YTD facts exist for the same fiscal year; derived Q4 values are labeled. EPS Q4 is not derived.

QuarterEnd DateRevenueNet IncomeDiluted EPSMethod
2022-Q22022-06-301.79reported discrete quarter
2022-Q32022-09-301.90reported discrete quarter
2023-Q12023-03-312.28reported discrete quarter
2023-Q22023-06-301,326,406,000215,260,0002.24reported discrete quarter
2023-Q32023-09-301,384,118,000257,083,0002.68reported discrete quarter
2023-Q42023-12-311,415,691,000274,802,000derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD
2024-Q12024-03-311,416,139,000254,217,0002.67reported discrete quarter
2024-Q22024-06-301,440,246,000258,355,0002.83reported discrete quarter
2024-Q32024-09-301,455,407,000302,994,0003.44reported discrete quarter
2024-Q42024-12-311,466,277,000255,196,000derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD
2025-Q12025-03-311,480,422,000254,563,0003.01reported discrete quarter
2025-Q22025-06-301,481,287,000252,749,0003.05reported discrete quarter
2025-Q32025-09-301,512,988,000387,843,0004.73reported discrete quarter
2025-Q42025-12-311,519,621,000266,083,000derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD
2026-Q12026-03-311,559,619,000270,526,0003.39reported discrete quarter

Quarterly Charts

Macro Cross-References

Latest quarter (10-Q)

Latest 10-Q source: 0000320335-26-000169.

Extracted structurally from real Item 2 body heading to real Item 3/4 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2026-05-07. Report date: 2026-03-31.

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Globe Life's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. The following management discussion will only include comparison to prior year.

"Globe Life" and the "Company" refer to Globe Life Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.

Results of Operations

How Globe Life Views Its Operations. Globe Life Inc. is the holding company for a group of insurance companies that market through exclusive, direct-to-consumer and independent distribution channels primarily individual life and supplemental health insurance to lower middle to middle-income households throughout the United States. We view our operations by segments, which are the insurance product lines of life and supplemental health, and the investment segment that supports the product lines.
Insurance Product Line Segments. The insurance product line segments involve the marketing, underwriting, and administration of policies. Each product line is further subdivided by the various distribution channels that market the insurance policies. Each distribution channel operates in a niche market offering insurance products designed for that particular market. Whether analyzing profitability of a segment as a whole, or the individual distribution channels within the segment, the measure of profitability used by management is the underwriting margin, as seen below:
Premium revenue (Policy obligations) (Policy acquisition costs and commissions) Underwriting margin
Investment Segment. The investment segment involves the management of our capital resources, including investments and the management of liquidity. Our measure of profitability for the investment segment is excess investment income, as seen below:
Net investment income(Required interest on policy liabilities) Excess investment income

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GL Q1 2026 FORM 10-Q

Table of Contents

GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Globe Life serves the lower-middle to middle-income market. We believe this market is underserved, has significant growth potential, and provides us with a distinct competitive advantage. This advantage is protected due not only to our ability to efficiently reach this market through both exclusive and direct to consumer distribution channels, but also due to the amount of data and experience we possess, as we have been in this same market for over 60 years with essentially the same products. The basic protection life and health insurance products we offer are specifically designed to help provide financial security to consumers in this market.

Current Highlights.

•Net income as a return on equity (ROE) for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was 17.9% and net operating income as an ROE, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income(1), was 14.0%.

•Total premium increased 6% over the same period in the prior year. Life premium increased 3% for the period from $830 million in 2025 to $853 million in 2026. Health premium increased 13% to $417 million from $370 million over the prior-year period.

•Total net sales increased 22% over the same period in the prior year from $216 million in 2025 to $264 million in 2026. The average producing agent count across all of the exclusive agencies remained flat over the prior year.

•Book value per share increased 19% over the same period in the prior year from $64.50 to $77.03. Book value per share, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income(1), increased 12% over the prior year from $87.92 in 2025 to $98.56 in 2026.

•For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company repurchased 1.4 million shares of Globe Life Inc. common stock at a total cost of $203 million for an average share price of $141.24.

The following graphs represent net income and net operating income(1) for the three month periods ended March 31, 2026 and 2025.

(1)As shown in the charts above, net operating income is primarily comprised of insurance underwriting margin plus excess investment income and annuity and other income, offset by operating expenses after tax and, as such, is considered a non-GAAP measure. It has been used consistently by Globe Life's management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company. It differs from net income primarily because it excludes certain non-operating items such as realized gains and losses and certain significant and unusual items included in net income. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Net operating income as an ROE, excluding AOCI, is considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the business without the effect of changes in AOCI, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates. The impact of the adjustment to exclude AOCI is $(1.7) billion and $(2.0) billion for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively.

Book value per share, excluding AOCI, is also considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the book value of the business without the effect of changes in AOCI, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates. The impact of the adjustment to exclude AOCI is $(21.53) and $(23.42) per share for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively.

Refer to Analysis of Profitability by Segment for non-GAAP reconciliation to GAAP.

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GL Q1 2026 FORM 10-Q

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Summary of Operations.

•Net income totaled $271 million during the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared with $255 million in the same period in 2025.

•On a diluted per common share basis, net income per common share for the three months ended March 31, 2026 increased 13% from $3.01 to $3.39.

•Net operating income was $274 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared with $259 million for the same period in 2025.

•On a diluted per common share basis, net operating income per common share for the three months ended March 31, 2026 increased from $3.07 to $3.43, a 12% increase.

Net operating income is primarily comprised of insurance underwriting margin plus excess investment income and annuity and other income, offset by operating expenses, after tax and, as such, is considered a non-GAAP measure. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. We do not consider realized gains and losses to be a component of our core insurance operations or operating segments. Additionally, net income is affected by certain non-operating items. We do not view these items as components of core operating results because they are not indicative of past performance or future prospects of the insurance operations. We remove items such as these that relate to prior periods or are non-operating items when evaluating the results of current operations, and therefore exclude such items from our segment analysis for current periods.

The Company continues to see positive signs in its core operations, including sales and premium growth, and continues to achieve an operating ROE (excluding accumulated other comprehensive income) generally in the mid-teens.

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GL Q1 2026 FORM 10-Q

Table of Contents

GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Globe Life's operations on a segment-by-segment basis are discussed in depth below. Net operating income has been used consistently by management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company and is a measure commonly used in the life insurance industry. It differs from GAAP net income primarily because it excludes certain non-operating items such as realized gains and losses and other significant and unusual items included in net income. Management believes an analysis of net operating income is important in understanding the profitability and operating trends of the Company’s business. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Analysis of Profitability by Segment

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025Change%
Life insurance underwriting margin$349,058$337,264$11,7943
Health insurance underwriting margin94,50484,7219,78312
Excess investment income36,65435,8707842
Segment profit or (loss)480,216457,85522,3615
Annuity and other income3,1291,8791,25067
Administrative expense(94,286)(87,549)(6,737)8
Other corporate expense(51,136)(50,061)(1,075)2
Pre-tax total337,923322,12415,7995
Applicable taxes(64,403)(62,787)(1,616)3
Net operating income273,520259,33714,1835
Reconciling items, net of tax:
Realized gains (losses)(1,167)67(1,234)
Other expenses(72)(72)
Legal proceedings(1,755)(4,841)3,086
Net income$270,526$254,563$15,9636

The life insurance segment is our primary segment and is the largest contributor to earnings in each period presented. The life insurance segment underwriting margin increased $12 million compared with the prior period, driven by premium growth and lower policy obligations as a percent of premium. Excess investment income increased $1 million compared with the prior period, as net investment income increased slightly primarily due to higher yields on fixed maturities and other long-term investments. The health segment experienced favorable underwriting margin as a result of higher premiums from strong growth in Medicare Supplement sales in addition to higher rates on individual Medicare Supplement policies.

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GL Q1 2026 FORM 10-Q

Table of Contents

GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

In 2026, the largest contributor of total underwriting margin was the life insurance segment and the primary distribution channel was American Income. The following charts represent the breakdown of total underwriting margin by operating segment and distribution channel for the three months ended March 31, 2026.

Total premium income rose 6% for the three months ended March 31, 2026 to $1.3 billion. Total net sales increased 22% to $264 million when compared with 2025. Total first-year collected premium (defined in the following section) increased 16% to $196 million for 2026, compared to $169 million in 2025.

Life insurance premium income increased 3% to $853 million over the prior-year total of $830 million. Life net sales increased 6% to $157 million for the first three months of 2026 as compared to the year-ago period. First-year collected life premium increased 2% to $116 million. Life underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was flat at 41% for 2026. Underwriting margin increased to $349 million in 2026, compared to $337 million in 2025.

Health insurance premium income increased 13% to $417 million over the prior-year total of $370 million. Health net sales rose 58% to $106 million for the first three months of 2026. First-year collected health premium rose 46% to $80 million. Health underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 23% for 2026 unchanged from 2025. Health underwriting margin increased to $95 million for the first three months of 2026, compared to $85 million in 2025.

Excess investment income, the measure of profitability of our investment segment, increased 2% during the first three months of 2026 to $37 million from $36 million in 2025. Excess investment income per commo

[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]

Latest 10-K MD&A

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2026-02-25. Report date: 2025-12-31.

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Globe Life's Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. The following management discussion will only include comparison to prior year. For discussion regarding activity from 2023, please refer to the prior filed Form 10-Ks at www.sec.gov.

"Globe Life" and the "Company" refer to Globe Life Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.

Results of Operations

How Globe Life Views Its Operations. Globe Life Inc. is the holding company for a group of insurance companies that market through exclusive, direct-to-consumer and independent distribution channels primarily individual life and supplemental health insurance to lower middle to middle-income households throughout the United States. We view our operations by segments, which are the insurance product lines of life and supplemental health, and the investment segment that supports the product lines.
Insurance Product Line Segments. The insurance product line segments involve the marketing, underwriting, and administration of policies. Each product line is further subdivided by the various distribution channels that market the insurance policies. Each distribution channel operates in a niche market offering insurance products designed for that particular market. Whether analyzing profitability of a segment as a whole, or the individual distribution channels within the segment, the measure of profitability used by management is the underwriting margin, as seen below:
Premium revenue (Policy obligations) (Policy acquisition costs and commissions) Underwriting margin
Investment Segment. The investment segment involves the management of our capital resources, including investments and the management of liquidity. Our measure of profitability for the investment segment is excess investment income, as seen below:
Net investment income(Required interest on policy liabilities) Excess investment income

21

GL 2025 FORM 10-K

Table of Contents

GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Globe Life serves the lower-middle to middle-income market. We believe this market is underserved, has significant growth potential, and provides us with a distinct competitive advantage. This advantage is protected due not only to our ability to efficiently reach this market through both exclusive and direct to consumer distribution channels, but also due to the amount of data and experience we possess, as we have been in this same market for over 60 years with essentially the same products. The basic protection life and health insurance products we offer are specifically designed to help provide financial security to consumers in this market.

Current Highlights.

•Net income as a return on equity (ROE) for the year ended December 31, 2025 was 20.9% and net operating income as an ROE, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income(1) was 16.0%.

•Total premium increased 5% over the same period in the prior year. Life premium increased 3% for the period from $3.3 billion in 2024 to $3.4 billion in 2025. Health premium increased 9% to $1.5 billion over the prior-year period of $1.4 billion.

•Total net sales increased 13% over the same period in the prior year from $840 million in 2024 to $948 million in 2025. The average producing agent count across all of the exclusive agencies increased 3% over the prior year.

•Book value per share increased 19% over the same period in the prior year from $62.50 to $74.17. Book value per share, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income(1), increased 11% over the prior year from $86.40 in 2024 to $96.16 in 2025.

•For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company repurchased 5.4 million shares of Globe Life Inc. common stock at a total cost of $685 million for an average share price of $126.41.

The following graphs represent net income and net operating income(1) for the twelve month periods ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.

(1)As shown in the charts above, net operating income is primarily comprised of insurance underwriting margin plus excess investment income and annuity and other income, offset by operating expenses after tax and, as such, is considered a non-GAAP measure. It has been used consistently by Globe Life's management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company. It differs from net income primarily because it excludes certain non-operating items such as realized gains and losses and certain significant and unusual items included in net income. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Net operating income as an ROE, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI"), is considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the business without the effect of changes in AOCI, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates. The impact of the adjustment to exclude AOCI is $(1.8) billion and $(2.0) billion for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Book value per share, excluding AOCI, is also considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the book value of the business without the effect of changes in AOCI, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates. The impact of the adjustment to exclude AOCI is $(21.99) and $(23.90) per share for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Refer to Analysis of Profitability by Segment for non-GAAP reconciliation to GAAP.

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GL 2025 FORM 10-K

Table of Contents

GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Summary of Operations.

•Net income totaled $1.16 billion in 2025, compared with $1.07 billion in 2024 and $971 million in 2023.

•On a diluted per common share basis, net income per common share for 2025 increased 18% to $14.07. Net income per common share, on a diluted per common share basis was $11.94 in 2024 and $10.07 in 2023.

•Net operating income was $1.20 billion in 2025, compared with $1.11 billion in 2024 and $1.03 billion in 2023.

•On a diluted per common share basis, net operating income per common share for 2025 increased 17% to $14.52. Net operating income per common share, on a diluted per common share basis, was $12.37 in 2024 and $10.65 in 2023.

Net remeasurement gains of $134.3 million in 2025, $46.3 million in 2024, and $3.2 million in 2023 were attributable to the Company's annual third-quarter review and unlocking of life and health long-term assumptions, including lapses, mortality and morbidity. See the remeasurement gain/loss table in Note 6—Policy Liabilities for additional information.

Overall, the Company continues to see positive signs in its core operations, including sales and premium growth, and continues to achieve an operating ROE (excluding accumulated other comprehensive income) generally in the mid-teens.

Net operating income is primarily comprised of insurance underwriting margin plus excess investment income and annuity and other income, offset by operating expenses, after tax and, as such, is considered a non-GAAP measure. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. We do not consider realized gains and losses to be a component of our core insurance operations or operating segments. Additionally, net income is affected by certain non-operating items. We do not view these items as components of core operating results because they are not indicative of past performance or future prospects of the insurance operations. We remove items such as these that relate to prior periods or are non-operating items when evaluating the results of current operations, and therefore exclude such items from our segment analysis for current periods.

23

GL 2025 FORM 10-K

Table of Contents

GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Globe Life's operations on a segment-by-segment basis are discussed in depth below. Net operating income has been used consistently by management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company and is a measure commonly used in the life insurance industry. Management believes an analysis of net operating income is important in understanding the profitability and operating trends of the Company’s business.

Analysis of Profitability by Segment

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

2025202420232025 Change%2024 Change%
Life insurance underwriting margin$1,509,361$1,352,597$1,192,972$156,76412$159,62513
Health insurance underwriting margin390,128372,423377,93717,7055(5,514)(1)
Excess investment income138,393164,404130,382(26,011)(16)34,02226
Segment profit or (loss)2,037,8821,889,4241,701,291148,4588188,13311
Annuity and other income9,4707,6368,8001,83424(1,164)(13)
Administrative expense(355,595)(342,430)(301,161)(13,165)4(41,269)14
Other corporate expense(208,758)(179,610)(143,918)(29,148)16(35,692)25
Pre-tax total1,482,9991,375,0201,265,012107,9798110,0089
Applicable taxes(284,612)(266,036)(238,368)(18,576)7(27,668)12
Net operating income1,198,3871,108,9841,026,64489,403882,3408
Reconciling items, net of tax:
Realized gains (losses)(21,952)(19,108)(51,884)(2,844)32,776
Other expenses(1,725)(2,070)(3,294)3451,224
Legal proceedings(13,472)(17,044)(711)3,572(16,333)
Net income$1,161,238$1,070,762$970,755$90,4768$100,00710

The life insurance segment is our primary segment and is the largest contributor to earnings in each year presented. In 2025, the life insurance segment underwriting margin increased $157 million, compared with 2024. This was primarily a result of increased premiums and favorable policy obligations as a percent of premium due to a remeasurement gain resulting from the assumption updates in 2025. In 2024, the life insurance segment underwriting margin increased $160 million when compared with 2023. This was primarily a result of increased premiums and favorable policy obligations as a percent of premium in addition to a remeasurement gain as a result of assumption changes in 2024. Excess investment income decreased $26 million in 2025 compared with 2024, resulting from lower average invested asset growth and lower average earned yields on our short-term, direct commercial mortgage loan and limited partnership investments. In 2025, underwriting margin in the health segment increased to $390 million due to increased sales and rate increases in our Medicare supplement business, compared with $372 million in 2024 and $378 million in 2023.

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GL 2025 FORM 10-K

Table of Contents

GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

In 2025, the largest contributor of total underwriting margin was the life insurance segment and the primary distribution channel was the American Income Life Division (American Income). The following charts represent the breakdown of total underwriting margin by operating segment and distribution channel for the year ended December 31, 2025.

Total premium income rose 5% for the year ended December 31, 2025 to $4.9 billion. Total net sales increased 13% to $948 million when compared with 2024. Total first-year collected premium (defined in the following section) increased 5% to $704 million for 2025, compared to $674 million in 2024.

Life insurance premium income increased 3% to $3.4 billion over the prior-year total of $3.3 billion. Life net sales increased 3% to $615 million for the year ended 2025 as compared to the year ago period. First-year collected life premium increased 2% to $463 million. Life underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, increased to 45% for 2025 from 41% in 2024. Underwriting margin increased to $1.5 billion in 2025, compared to $1.4 billion in 2024.

Health insurance premium income increased 9% to $1.5 billion over the prior-year total of $1.4 billion. Health net sales rose 36% to $333 million for the year ended 2025. First-year collected health premium rose 10% to $241 million. Health underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 26% for 2025 down from 27% in 2024. Health underwriting margin increased to $390 million for the year ended 2025, compared to $372 million in 2024.

Excess investment income, the measure of profitability of our investment segment, declined 16% during the year ended 2025 to $138 million from $164 million in 2024. Excess investment income per common share, reflecting the impact of our share repurchase program, declined 8% to $1.68 from $1.83 when compared with the same period in 2024.

Insurance administrative expenses increased 4% primarily due to higher employee costs, which include salaries and other costs in addition to higher information technology expenses in 2025 when compared with the prior-year period. These expenses were 7.3% as a percent of premium for 2025, unchanged from 2024.

For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company repurchased 5.4 million shares of Globe Life Inc. common stock at a total cost of $685 million for an average share price of $126.41.

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GL 2025 FORM 10-K

Table of Contents

GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The discussions of our segments are presented in the manner we view our operations, as described in Note 15—Business Segments.

We use three measures as indicators of premium growth and sales over the near term: “annualized premium in force”, "net sales,” and “first-year collected premium.”

•Annualized premium in force is defined as the premium income that would be received over the following twelve months at any given date on all active policies if those policies remain in force throughout the 12-month period.

•Net sales is calculated as annualized premium issued, net of cancellations in the first 30 days after issue, except in the case of Direct to Consumer, where net sales is annualized premium issued at the time the first full premium is paid after any introductory offer period (typically one month) has expired. Management considers net sales to be a better indicator of the rate of premium growth than annualized premium issued since annualized premium issued is before cancellations, as cancellations do not contribute to premium income.

•First-year collected premium is defined as the premium collected during the reporting period for all policies in their first policy year. First-year collected premium takes lapses into account in the first year when lapses are more likely to occur, and thus is a useful indicator of how much new premium is expected to be added to premium income in the future. First-year collected premiums are lower than net sales over the prior 12 months because premiums are not collected on lapsed policies after the date of lapse.

Cancellations are not included in lapses.

See further discussion of the distribution channels below for Life and Health.

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GL 2025 FORM 10-K

Table of Contents

GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

LIFE INSURANCE

Life insurance is the Company's predominant segment. During 2025, life premium represented 69% of total premium and life underwriting margin represented 79% of the total underwriting margin. Additionally, investments supporting the reserves for life products produce the majority of income attributable to the investment segment.

The following table presents the summary of results of life insurance. Further discussion of the results by distribution channel is included below.

Life Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Amount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremium
Premium and policy charges$3,363,470100$3,261,347100$3,137,244100
Policy obligations1,924,929572,000,977622,050,78965
Required interest on reserves(845,875)(25)(811,147)(25)(772,701)(24)
Net policy obligations1,079,054321,189,830371,278,08841
Amortization of acquisition costs386,45012356,22311327,42610
Commission expense174,0295159,7035145,6785
Premium taxes68,132268,360264,5712
Non-deferred acquisition costs146,4444134,6344128,5094
Total expense1,854,109551,908,750591,944,27262
Insurance underwriting margin$1,509,36145$1,352,59741$1,192,97238

Net policy obligations amounted to 32% of premiums for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 37% in 2024 and 41% in 2023. This improvement was primarily due to improved mortality and the annual assumption changes which were based upon our review of lapses, mortality, and morbidity resulting in a remeasurement gain of $130.9 million in 2025 compared to a remeasurement gain of $56.8 million in 2024 and a remeasurement loss of $2.0 million in 2023. Refer to Note 6—Policy Liabilities for further discussion of the Company's annual assumptions review.

To enhance comparability of underlying operating performance across periods, the Company also evaluates life underwriting margin on a normalized basis that excludes the impacts of annual assumption updates. As discussed above, assumption unlocking results in a cumulative catch-up remeasurement gain or loss recognized in policy obligations. While required under GAAP, these remeasurement effects can introduce volatility unrelated to current-period underwriting performance.

Normalized life underwriting margin is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as insurance underwriting margin excluding the impacts of assumption unlocking recognized in the period. Management believes this measure provides investors and other users of the financial statements with additional insight into the underlying profitability and trends of the in force life business by removing the effects of assumption changes that vary by period. On a normalized basis, life underwriting margin for 2025 was $1.4 billion or 41% of premium, compared with $1.3 billion or 40% of premium in 2024. In 2023, assumption unlocking had minimal impact with underwriting margin remaining unchanged at 38% of premium. This increase in normalized life underwriting margin in the current year reflects improved underlying mortality and persistency experience and favorable expense efficiency across our Divisions.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

The table below summarizes life underwriting margin by distribution channel for the last three years.

Life Insurance

Underwriting Margin by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Amount% of PremiumAmount% of PremiumAmount% of Premium
American Income$870,08849$799,94647$719,37845
Direct to Consumer320,61333281,94829234,89324
Liberty National171,34344140,13638114,64633
Other(1)147,31773130,56764124,05560
Total$1,509,36145$1,352,59741$1,192,97238

(1) Includes a gain of $14 million related to the recapture of reinsurance for the year ended December 31, 2025 as disclosed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies under the caption Reinsurance and Recapture.

The following table presents Globe Life's life premium distribution channel for the last three years.

Life Insurance

Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$1,791,35653$1,698,20952$1,588,70251
Direct to Consumer981,00629988,52230991,40631
Liberty National390,09412371,06112349,73611
Other201,0146203,5556207,4007
Total$3,363,470100$3,261,347100$3,137,244100

Annualized life premium in force was $3.4 billion at December 31, 2025, an increase of 4% over $3.3 billion a year earlier.

The following table presents life net sales, an indicator of new business production, by distribution channel for each of the last three years.

Life Insurance

Net Sales by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$393,68164$381,94564$322,65859
Direct to Consumer112,02718106,31018116,45421
Liberty National99,2521698,1621695,45918
Other9,96528,93629,7012
Total$614,925100$595,353100$544,272100

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The table below discloses first-year collected life premium by distribution channel for the last three years.

Life Insurance

First-Year Collected Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$317,49269$305,16567$266,42963
Direct to Consumer61,2221367,4521577,57019
Liberty National76,4811674,5531667,61816
Other7,98827,67828,5422
Total$463,183100$454,848100$420,159100

A discussion of life operations by distribution channel follows.

The American Income Life Division is an exclusive agency that markets to members of labor unions and other affinity groups and continues to diversify its lead sources by utilizing internally generated leads, third-party internet vendor leads and referrals to facilitate sustainable growth. This Division is Globe Life's largest contributor of life premium of any distribution channel at 53% of the Company's 2025 total life premium. In 2025, the average monthly life premium issued per policy was $60 as compared to $56 in 2024. Net sales were $394 million in 2025, up from $382 million in 2024. The underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 49% in 2025, up from 47% in 2024.

The average producing agent count increased 2% over the year-ago period. The increase in average producing agent count was driven by an increase in new agent recruiting. Sales growth in this Division, as well as within our other exclusive agencies, is generally dependent on growth in the size of the agency force.

Below is the average producing agent count as of the indicated periods for the American Income Division. The average producing agent count is based on the actual count at the beginning and end of each week during the year.

2025202420232025 Change%2024 Change%
American Income11,92011,74110,57917921,16211

American Income Life continues to focus on growing and strengthening the agency force, specifically through emphasis on agency middle-management growth. In addition to offering financial incentives and training opportunities, the Division has made considerable investments in information technology, including a customer relationship management ("CRM") tool for the agency force. This tool is designed to provide dashboards and drive productivity in lead distribution, conservation of business, and new agent recruiting. Additionally, this Division has invested in and successfully implemented technology that allows the agency force to engage in virtual recruiting, training, and sales activity. The agents have generated the vast majority of sales through virtual presentations. We find this flexibility to be attractive to new recruits as well as a driver of retention in our agency force.

The Direct to Consumer Division ("DTC") markets adult and juvenile life insurance through a variety of channels, including direct mail, insert media, and digital marketing. The different media channels support and complement one another in the Division's efforts to provide consumer outreach. All three channels work as part of an omnichannel approach. Sales from the internet and inbound phone calls continue to outpace the activity from direct mail. DTC's long-term growth has been fueled by consistent innovation and brand awareness. Additionally, the DTC Division provides valuable support to our agency business through brand impressions and inquiries that lead to sales in our exclusive agency channels. This Division has implemented new technology to enhance the underwriting process which has improved the conversion of customer inquiries into sales. New initiatives are continuously introduced to help increase response rates, issue rates, and create a seamless customer experience. The juvenile insurance market is an important source of sales as well as a vehicle to reach the parents and grandparents of existing juvenile insureds, who are more likely to respond favorably to a direct to consumer solicitation for life insurance

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

coverage on themselves in comparison to the general adult population. Additionally, future offerings to parents and grandparents for adult and juvenile insurance are sources of lower acquisition-cost life insurance sales in the future.

DTC net sales increased 5% to $112 million in 2025, compared with $106 million for the same period a year ago. This increase is the result of new technology and improvement in conversion of customer inquiries into sales, as noted above, with the expectation that we are not incurring incremental underwriting risk. This Division has been focused on improving profitability and improving underwriting margin. In 2025, DTC’s underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 33%, compared with 29% in 2024. In 2025, the average monthly life premium issued for DTC adults was $18 as compared to $15 for the same period in the prior year.

The Liberty National Division is an exclusive agency that markets individual life insurance to middle-income households and worksite customers. Recent investments in new sales technologies as well as growth in agency middle management within the Division are expected to support increased sales. Underwriting margin increased 22% from the year ago period to $171 million and premium increased 5% to $390 million. The underwriting margin as a percent of premium increased to 44% in 2025, compared to 38% in 2024. In 2025, the average monthly life premium issued per policy was $45 as compared to $43 in 2024.

Below is the average producing agent count as of the indicated periods for the Liberty National Division. The average producing agent count is based on the actual count at the beginning and end of each week during the year.

2025202420232025 Change%2024 Change%
Liberty National3,8463,6643,229182543513

The Liberty National Division's average producing agent count increased when compared with the prior-year comparable periods. This Division continues to execute a long-term plan to grow through expansion from small-town markets in the Southeast to more densely populated areas with larger pools of potential agent recruits and customers. Expansion of this Division’s presence in larger geographic cities with less penetrated areas will help create long-term sustainable agency growth. Additionally, the Division continues to help improve the ability of agents to develop new worksite business. A CRM platform and enhanced analytical capabilities have helped the agents develop additional worksite marketing and improve the productivity of agents selling in the individual life market. As this Division continues to gain momentum in its sales and recruiting initiatives through advances in technology and utilization of a CRM platform, it anticipates continued growth in recruiting activity, average producing agent count, and net sales.

The Other agency distribution channels primarily include non-exclusive independent agencies selling primarily life insurance. The Other distribution channels contributed $201 million of life premium income, or 6% of Globe Life's total life premium income in 2025, and contributed 2% of net sales for the year.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance sold by the Company primarily includes Medicare Supplement insurance as well as retiree health insurance, accident coverage, and other limited-benefit supplemental health products such as cancer, critical illness, heart disease, accident, intensive care, and other health products.

Health premium accounted for 31% of our total premium in 2025, while the health underwriting margin accounted for 21% of total underwriting margin. Health underwriting margin increased to $390 million compared to $372 million in the prior year. While the Company continues to emphasize life insurance sales relative to health, due to life’s long-term profitability and its greater contribution to excess investment income, the health business provides a significant contribution to return on equity as it does not require a substantial amount of up-front capital.

The following table presents the summary of health insurance results. Further discussion of the results by distribution channel is included below.

Health Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Amount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremium
Premium$1,526,750100$1,404,925100$1,318,773100
Policy obligations931,14161851,57761776,36259
Required interest on reserves(113,832)(8)(110,342)(8)(106,516)(8)
Net policy obligations817,30953741,23553669,84651
Amortization of acquisition costs59,897452,224350,5984
Commission expense173,49011158,86911150,19211
Premium taxes29,825228,421226,4402
Non-deferred acquisition costs56,101451,753443,7603
Total expense1,136,622741,032,50273940,83671
Insurance underwriting margin$390,12826$372,42327$377,93729

Health premium increased 9% in 2025 as compared to 2024. This increase was attributable to significant sales growth in our Medicare supplement plans as a result of what we believe is a consumer shift from Medicare Advantage plans to Medicare supplement plans during the current year. Premium growth in 2025 was also the result of Medicare supplement rate increases that went into effect in 2025 in addition to an increase in agent count and productivity on other health business. Refer to Note 6—Policy Liabilities for further discussion of the Company's annual assumptions review.

Consistent with the life segment, the Company also evaluates health underwriting margin on a normalized basis that excludes the impacts of annual assumptions unlocking recognized in policy obligations. Normalized health underwriting margin is a non-GAAP financial measure and should not be considered a substitute for GAAP underwriting margin. Management believes this measure provides useful supplemental information regarding underlying health underwriting performance by removing period specific assumption update effects.

On a normalized basis, health underwriting margin for 2025 was $387 million or 25% of premium, compared with $383 million or 27% of premium in 2024 and $373 million or 28% of premium in 2023. The percentage of premium decline primarily reflects higher claims experience and an increase in the proportion of overall health premium from United American. As with life, reported GAAP underwriting margin for all periods presented was affected by assumption unlocking as discussed above.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

The table below summarizes health underwriting margin by distribution channel for the last three years.

Health Insurance

Underwriting Margin by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Amount% of PremiumAmount% of PremiumAmount% of Premium
United American$38,0126$47,9648$57,34411
Family Heritage174,94237146,47834135,69134
Liberty National102,39954106,03356105,31756
American Income72,3485867,9125574,66862
Direct to Consumer2,42734,03664,9177
Total$390,12826$372,42327$377,93729

The following table presents Globe Life's health premium by distribution channel for the last three years.

Health Insurance

Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$666,75844$591,77442$545,72342
Family Heritage468,06331427,65430396,20930
Liberty National190,46812190,38114187,93414
American Income124,9478123,1239120,3329
Direct to Consumer76,514571,993568,5755
Total$1,526,750100$1,404,925100$1,318,773100

Premium related to limited-benefit supplemental health products comprises $851 million, or 56%, of the total health premiums for 2025, compared with $786 million, or 56%, in 2024. Premium from Medicare Supplement products comprises the remaining $676 million, or 44%, for 2025, compared with $619 million, or 44%, in 2024.

Annualized health premium in force was $1.65 billion at December 31, 2025, an increase of 12% from $1.48 billion a year earlier.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Presented below is a table of health net sales, an indicator of new business production, by distribution channel for each of the last three years.

Health Insurance

Net Sales by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$154,47646$80,29633$72,20832
Family Heritage120,31136105,6234396,09343
Liberty National32,7411033,0011333,15515
American Income18,937621,103918,1248
Direct to Consumer6,70625,00423,9932
Total$333,171100$245,027100$223,573100

Health net sales related to limited-benefit supplemental health products comprise $207 million, or 62%, of the total health net sales for 2025, compared with $175 million, or 71%, in 2024. Medicare Supplement sales make up the remaining $126 million, or 38%, for 2025, compared with $70 million, or 29%, in 2024.

The following table discloses first-year collected health premium by distribution channel for the last three years.

Health Insurance

First-Year Collected Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$98,63541$87,19040$66,00236
Family Heritage90,8283879,9343672,36239
Liberty National27,5361128,1141325,60814
American Income18,939819,740917,6339
Direct to Consumer5,22224,06423,6832
Total$241,160100$219,042100$185,288100

First-year collected premium related to limited-benefit supplemental health plans comprise $160 million, or 66% of total first-year collected premium for 2025, compared with $155 million, or 71%, in 2024. First-year collected premium from Medicare Supplement policies make up the remaining $81 million, or 34%, for 2025, compared with $64 million, or 29%, in 2024.

A discussion of health operations by distribution channel follows.

The United American Division consists of non-exclusive independent agents and brokers who may also sell for other companies. The United American Division was Globe Life's largest health Division in terms of health premium revenue, with net sales up 92% from the prior year.

This Division includes different units:

•UA General Agency, which primarily sells individual Medicare Supplement insurance through independent agents;

•Special Markets, which markets retiree health insurance to employer and union groups through brokers; and

•Globe Life Group Benefits, which offers group worksite supplemental limited benefit health insurance through brokers.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

The majority of the premium revenue comes from Medicare Supplement which has seen increased demand primarily due to changes in the Medicare Advantage market. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium for the Division was 6% in 2025 and 8% in 2024. The decline in underwriting margin as a percent of premium when compared to prior years is primarily attributable to increased claims utilization during the current year from Medicare Supplement. We adjust premium rates based upon an annual review of utilization and claim cost trends and submit rates for approval to the insurance department regulators and the new premium rates generally become effective in the following year on new business issued.

The Family Heritage Division is an exclusive agency that primarily markets individual limited-benefit supplemental health insurance to small to medium-sized businesses. Most of its policies include a return of premium feature, where premium paid is returned less any claims paid to the policyholder at the end of a specified period stated within the insurance policy. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium was 37% in 2025 and 34% in 2024.

The Division experienced a 14% rise in health net sales in 2025 as compared with 2024, primarily due to increased agent count and increased agent productivity. The Division will continue to implement incentive and retention programs to further these increases in the number of producing agents.

Below is the average producing agent count as of the indicated periods for the Family Heritage Division. The average producing agent count is based on the actual count at the beginning and end of each week during the year. The average producing agent count increased 9% compared with the same period a year ago. Along with the Division's increased efforts to grow agent count, it is also focused on the further training and development of its agency middle management. While growth in net sales and earned premium is impacted by agent productivity, growth in the number of average producing agents is the primary driver of future growth in sales, similar to other exclusive agencies.

2025202420232025 Change%2024 Change%
Family Heritage1,5271,3991,3341289655

The Liberty National Division represented 12% of all Globe Life health premium income in 2025. The Liberty National Division markets limited-benefit supplemental health products, consisting primarily of cancer, critical illness and accident insurance. Much of Liberty National’s health business is generated through worksite marketing targeting small businesses. Health premium at the Liberty National Division was $190 million in 2025, flat when compared with 2024. Liberty National's first-year collected premium was unchanged at $28 million when compared with the prior year. Health net sales fell 1% from 2024. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium was 54% in 2025, compared with 56% in 2024, primarily due to an increase in policy obligations in the current year.

While both the American Income Life Division and the Direct to Consumer Division primarily sell life insurance, they also market health products. The American Income Life Division primarily markets accident plans. The Direct to Consumer Division primarily markets Medicare Supplements to employer or union-sponsored groups. On a combined basis, these other channels accounted for 13% of health premium in 2025 and 14% in 2024.

INVESTMENTS

We manage our capital resources, including investments and cash flow, through the investment segment. Excess investment income represents the profit margin attributable to investment operations and is the measure that we use to evaluate the performance of the investment segment as described in Note 15—Business Segments. It is defined as net investment income less the required interest attributable to policy liabilities.

Management views excess investment income per diluted common share as an important and useful measure to evaluate the performance of the investment segment. It is defined as excess investment income divided by the total diluted weighted-average shares outstanding, representing the contribution by the investment segment to the consolidated earnings per share of the Company.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Excess Investment Income. The following table summarizes Globe Life's net investment income, excess investment income, and excess investment income per diluted common share.

Analysis of Excess Investment Income

(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

202520242023
Net investment income$1,130,198$1,135,631$1,056,884
Interest on policy liabilities(1)(991,805)(971,227)(926,502)
Excess investment income$138,393$164,404$130,382
Excess investment income per diluted common share$1.68$1.83$1.35
Mean invested assets (at amortized cost)$21,534,153$21,337,531$20,411,093
Average insurance policy liabilities17,920,58717,527,85716,772,861

(1)Interest on policy liabilities, at original rates, is a component of total policyholder benefits, a GAAP measure.

Excess investment income declined $26 million, or 16%, in 2025 when compared with 2024. In 2024, excess investment income increased $34 million, or 26%, when compared with 2023. Excess investment income per diluted common share was $1.68 during 2025, a decrease of 8% over the prior-year period ended 2024. Excess investment income per diluted common share was $1.83 during 2024, an increase of 36% over the period ended 2023. Excess investment income per diluted common share generally increases or decreases at a different pace than excess investment income because the number of diluted shares outstanding generally decreases from year to year as a result of our share repurchase program.

Net investment income increased at a compound annual growth rate of 4% over the three years ending 2025. Mean invested assets increased at a compound annual growth rate of 3% during the same period. The effective annual yield rate earned on the fixed maturity portfolio was 5.27% in 2025, compared to 5.26% in 2024. Generally, investment income grows at a slower rate than the assets when the yield on new investments is lower than the yield on dispositions or the average portfolio yield. It also increases at a faster rate than the assets when new investment yields exceed the yield on dispositions or the average portfolio yield. Net investment income declined in the current period due to lower growth in invested assets and lower earned yields on short-term investments, commercial mortgage loans, and limited partnerships compared to the prior year. Invested asset growth was constrained by the impact of reinsurance transactions and higher dividend distributions from the insurance subsidiaries to the Parent, which reduced cash retained at the insurance companies and, accordingly, funds available for new investment acquisitions. In addition to fixed maturities, the Company has also invested in commercial mortgage loans and limited partnerships with debt-like characteristics that diversify risk and enhance risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns on the portfolio. The earned yield on the Company's commercial mortgage loans for the year ended December 31, 2025 was 6.41%. The earned yield on limited partnership investments for the year ended December 31, 2025 was 7.56%. See additional information in Note 4—Investments. The following chart presents the growth in net investment income and the growth in mean invested assets.

202520242023
Growth in net investment income(0.5)%7.5%6.6%
Growth in mean invested assets (at amortized cost)0.9%4.5%3.5%

Globe Life's net investment income benefits from higher interest rates on new investments. While increasing interest rates has resulted in a net unrealized loss from our available-for-sale debt securities included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as of December 31, 2025, we are not concerned because we do not generally intend to sell, nor is it likely that we will be required to sell, the fixed maturities prior to their anticipated recovery.

Required interest on insurance policy liabilities reduces excess investment income, as it is the amount of net investment income necessary to cover the interest-related growth on insurance policy liabilities. As such, it is reclassified from the insurance segment to the investment segment.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

As discussed in Note 15—Business Segments, management regards this as a more meaningful analysis of the investment and insurance segments. Required interest is based on the original discount rate assumptions for our insurance policies in force.

The vast majority of our life and health insurance policies are fixed interest rate protection policies, not investment products, and are accounted for under current GAAP accounting guidance for long-duration insurance products which mandates that interest rate assumptions for a particular block of business be “locked in” for the life of that block of business. Each calendar year, we set the original discount rate to be used to calculate the benefit reserve liability for all insurance policies issued that year. The liability reported on the on the Consolidated Balance Sheets is updated in subsequent periods using current discount rates as of the end of the relevant reporting period with a corresponding adjustment to other comprehensive income.

The discount rate used for policies issued in the current year has no impact on the in force policies issued in prior years, as the rates of all prior issue years are also locked in for purposes of recognizing income. As such, the overall original discount rate for the entire in force block of 5.5% is a weighted average of the discount rates being used from all issue years. Changes in the overall weighted-average discount rate over time are caused by changes in the mix of the reserves on the entire block of in force business. Business issued in the current year has little impact on the overall weighted-average original discount rate due to the size of our in force business.

Information about interest on policy liabilities is shown in the following table.

Required Interest on Insurance Policy Liabilities

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

RequiredInterestAverage NetInsurancePolicy Liabilities(2)AverageDiscountRate(1)
2025:
Life and Health$959,707$17,243,7345.6%
Annuity9,683191,2705.1
FHLB Funding Agreement18,367397,7314.6
Deposit Funds4,04887,8524.6
Total$991,805$17,920,5875.5
Increase in 20252.1%2.2%
2024:
Life and Health$921,489$16,502,1335.6%
Annuity28,769640,5064.5
FHLB Funding Agreement16,525295,0895.6
Deposit Funds4,44490,1294.9
Total$971,227$17,527,8575.5
Increase in 20244.8%4.5%
2023:
Life and Health$879,217$15,739,4235.6%
Annuity38,224861,6764.4
FHLB Funding Agreement4,53679,0365.7
Deposit Funds4,52592,7264.9
Total$926,502$16,772,8615.5

(1)Reflects the average discount rate applicable to the current period, which is used to accrue interest on the insurance policy liabilities for each of the years presented.

(2)Average net insurance policy liabilities are net of accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI").

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Realized Gains and Losses. Our life and health insurance companies collect premium income from policyholders for the eventual payment of policyholder benefits, sometimes paid many years or even decades in the future. Since benefits are expected to be paid in future periods, premium receipts in excess of current expenses are invested to provide for these obligations. For this reason, we hold a significant investment portfolio as a part of our core insurance operations. This portfolio consists primarily of high-quality fixed maturities containing an adequate yield to provide for the cost of carrying these long-term insurance product obligations. As a result, fixed maturities are generally held for long periods to support these obligations. Expected yields on these investments are taken into account when setting insurance premium rates and product profitability expectations.

Despite our intent to hold fixed maturity investments for a long period of time, investments are occasionally sold, exchanged, called, or experience a credit loss event, resulting in a realized gain or loss. Gains or losses are only secondary to our core insurance operations of providing insurance coverage to policyholders. In a bond exchange offer, bondholders may consent to exchange their existing bonds for another class of debt securities. The Company also has investments in certain limited partnerships, held under the fair value option, with fair value changes recognized in Realized gains (losses) on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Realized gains and losses can be significant in relation to the earnings from core insurance operations, and as a result, can have a material positive or negative impact on net income. The significant fluctuations caused by gains and losses can cause period-to-period trends of net income that are not indicative of historical core operating results or predictive of the future trends of core operations. Accordingly, they have no bearing on core insurance operations or segment results as we view operations. For these reasons, and in line with industry practice, we remove the effects of realized gains and losses when evaluating overall insurance operating results.

The following table summarizes our tax-effected realized gains (losses) by component for each of the three years ended December 31, 2025.

Analysis of Realized Gains (Losses), Net of Tax

(Dollar amounts in thousands, except for per share data)

Year Ended December 31,
202520242023
AmountPerShareAmountPer ShareAmountPer Share
Fixed maturities:
Sales(3)$(9,617)$(0.12)$(9,290)$(0.10)$(59,463)$(0.62)
Matured or other redemptions(1)(8,726)(0.10)155(1,604)(0.02)
Provision for credit losses(103)(2,590)(0.03)(5,621)(0.06)
Fair value option—change in fair value(7,958)(0.10)(13,206)(0.15)11,9310.12
Mortgages(2,225)(0.03)(3,138)(0.04)(4,427)(0.04)
Other investments(1,297)(0.01)2,3190.031,4150.02
Total realized gains (losses)—investments(29,926)(0.36)(25,750)(0.29)(57,769)(0.60)
Other gains (losses)(2)7,9740.096,6420.085,8850.06
Total realized gains (losses)$(21,952)$(0.27)$(19,108)$(0.21)$(51,884)$(0.54)

(1)During the three years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, the Company recorded $288.5 million, $105.6 million, and $50.9 million, respectively, of exchanges of fixed maturity securities (noncash transactions) that resulted in $(2.3) million, $0, and $(1.5) million, respectively, in realized gains (losses), net of tax.

(2)Other realized gains (losses) are primarily a result of changes in the fair value for assets held in connection with non-qualified deferred compensation plans.

(3)During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company incurred a $52 million after-tax realized loss due to the disposal of holdings in Signature Bank New York and First Republic Bank as a result of the banks entering receivership.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Investment Acquisitions. Globe Life's investment policy calls for investing primarily in investment grade fixed maturities that meet our quality and yield objectives. We generally invest in securities with longer-term maturities because they more closely match the long-term nature of our life and health policy liabilities. We believe this strategy is appropriate since our expected future cash flows are generally stable and predictable and the likelihood that we will need to sell invested assets to raise cash is low.

The following table summarizes selected information for fixed maturity investments. The effective annual yield shown is based on the acquisition price and call features, if any, of the securities. For non-callable bonds, the yield is calculated to maturity date. For callable bonds acquired at a premium, the yield is calculated to the earliest known call date and call price after acquisition ("first call date"). For all other callable bonds, the yield is calculated to maturity date.

Fixed Maturity Acquisitions Selected Information

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
202520242023
Cost of acquisitions:
Investment-grade corporate securities$727,259$1,258,203$967,588
Investment-grade municipal securities114,62194,658572,654
Other securities76,25929,577
Total fixed maturity acquisitions(1)$918,139$1,382,438$1,540,242
Effective annual yield (one year compounded)(2)6.37%5.93%6.13%
Average life (in years, to next call)29.729.418.0
Average life (in years, to maturity)33.933.324.8
Average ratingAA-A

(1)Fixed maturity acquisitions included unsettled trades of $0 in 2025, $3.2 million in 2024, and $3.8 million in 2023.

(2)Tax-equivalent basis, where the yield on tax-exempt securities is adjusted to produce a yield equivalent to the pretax yield on taxable securities.

For investments in callable bonds, the actual life of the investment will depend on whether the issuer calls the investment prior to the maturity date. Given our investments in callable bonds, the actual average life of our investments cannot be known at the time of the investment. Absent sales and "make-whole calls," however, the average life will not be less than the average life to next call and will not exceed the average life to maturity. Data for both of these average life measures is provided in the above chart.

During 2025 and 2024, acquisitions consisted primarily of corporate and municipal bonds with securities spanning a diversified range of issuers, industry sectors, and geographical regions. For the year ended December 31, 2025, we invested primarily in the industrial, financial, and utility sectors. For the entire portfolio, the taxable equivalent effective yield earned was 5.27%, up approximately 1 basis points from the yield in 2024. The increase in taxable equivalent effective yield was primarily due to new purchases at yields exceeding the yield on dispositions and the average portfolio yield.

New cash flow available for investment has been primarily provided through our insurance operations, cash received on existing investments, and proceeds from dispositions. Dispositions of fixed maturities were $937 million in 2025 and $1.42 billion in 2024. Dispositions in 2024 included $462 million related to a coinsurance agreement to cede a majority of annuity business to a third-party insurer that was entered into during 2024.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

In addition to the fixed maturity acquisitions, Globe Life invested in commercial mortgage loans and in other long-term investments. See Note—4 Investments for further discussion.

The following table summarizes Globe Life's other investment acquisitions of the following assets.

Other Investment Acquisitions

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
20252024
Limited partnerships$210,532$238,812
Commercial mortgage loans139,967174,517
Common stock3,19719,869
Convertible notes2,850
Company-owned life insurance35,000200,000
Total$388,696$636,048

Since fixed maturities represent such a significant portion of our investment portfolio, 87% of total amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses, at December 31, 2025, the remainder of the discussion of portfolio composition will focus on fixed maturities. Selected information concerning the fixed maturity portfolio is as follows:

Fixed Maturity Portfolio Selected Information

At December 31,
20252024
Average annual effective yield(1)5.29%5.25%
Average life, in years, to:
Next call(2)15.215.1
Maturity(2)19.419.3
Effective duration to:
Next call(2,3)8.78.8
Maturity(2,3)10.510.6

(1)Tax-equivalent basis. The yield on tax-exempt securities is adjusted to produce a yield equivalent to the pretax yield on taxable securities.

(2)Globe Life calculates the average life and duration of the fixed maturity portfolio two ways:

(a) based on the next call date which is the next call date for callable bonds and the maturity date for noncallable bonds; and

(b) based on the maturity date of all bonds, whether callable or not.

(3)Effective duration is a measure of the price sensitivity of a fixed-income security to a 1% change in interest rates.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Credit Risk Sensitivity. The following tables summarize certain information about the major corporate sectors and security types held in our fixed maturity portfolio at December 31, 2025 and 2024.

Fixed Maturities by Sector

December 31, 2025

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Below Investment GradeTotal Fixed Maturities% of Total Fixed Maturities
Amortized Cost, netGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAmortized Cost, netGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAt Amortized Cost, netAt Fair Value
Corporates:
Financial
Insurance - life, health, P&C$7,978$119$$8,097$2,898,137$80,468$(175,533)$2,803,0721616
Banks60,268278(2,738)57,808916,52931,873(37,643)910,75955
Other financial74,975(7,670)67,3051,167,52121,764(120,790)1,068,49566
Total financial143,221397(10,408)133,2104,982,187134,105(333,966)4,782,3262727
Industrial
Energy44,50055(3,120)41,4351,313,73450,113(56,624)1,307,22377
Basic materials41,620(9,835)31,7851,116,74629,964(91,011)1,055,69966
Consumer, non-cyclical2,092,99523,547(198,498)1,918,0441111
Other industrials25,000(4,187)20,8131,096,80727,723(78,215)1,046,31566
Communications20,258263(3,709)16,812800,45216,981(80,227)737,20644
Transportation618,81715,863(30,939)603,74134
Consumer, cyclical104,813133(19,375)85,571407,4046,353(44,746)369,01122
Technology50,2703,54553,815340,9304,620(65,103)280,44722
Total industrial286,4613,996(40,226)250,2317,787,885175,164(645,363)7,317,6864142
Utilities58,199110(6,118)52,1912,093,01071,582(93,086)2,071,5061112
Total corporates487,8814,503(56,752)435,63214,863,082380,851(1,072,415)14,171,5187981
States, municipalities, and political divisions:
General obligations917,0065,961(179,707)743,26054
Revenues1,961(210)1,7512,468,42720,994(352,055)2,137,3661312
Total states, municipalities, and political divisions1,961(210)1,7513,385,43326,955(531,762)2,880,6261816
Other fixed maturities:
Government (U.S. and foreign)456,618299(33,518)423,39922
Collateralized debt obligations
Other asset-backed securities31,49013631,626112,0341,877(112)113,79911
Total fixed maturities$521,332$4,639$(56,962)$469,009$18,817,167$409,982$(1,637,807)$17,589,342100100

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Fixed Maturities by Sector

December 31, 2024

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Below Investment GradeTotal Fixed Maturities% of Total Fixed Maturities
Amortized CostGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAmortized CostGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAt Amortized Cost, netAt Fair Value
Corporates:
Financial
Insurance - life, health, P&C$38,584$32$(7,801)$30,815$2,817,161$49,928$(206,943)$2,660,1461515
Banks65,718254(3,506)62,4661,026,36717,023(59,795)983,59566
Other financial74,973(14,917)60,0561,162,84715,647(146,305)1,032,18966
Total financial179,275286(26,224)153,3375,006,37582,598(413,043)4,675,9302727
Industrial
Energy44,580(5,410)39,1701,318,50133,825(77,700)1,274,62677
Basic materials1,147,93220,121(91,699)1,076,35466
Consumer, non-cyclical640(3)6372,087,18111,222(255,241)1,843,1621111
Other industrials25,000(4,796)20,2041,089,11814,847(108,283)995,68266
Communications832,35512,085(90,817)753,62344
Transportation572,8299,800(38,953)543,67633
Consumer, cyclical128,674331(28,378)100,627492,6533,113(75,592)420,17433
Technology50,278(2,419)47,859341,407597(67,045)274,95922
Total industrial249,172331(41,006)208,4977,881,976105,610(805,330)7,182,2564242
Utilities58,99622(6,797)52,2212,081,36639,716(118,007)2,003,0751112
Total corporates487,443639(74,027)414,05514,969,717227,924(1,336,380)13,861,2618081
States, municipalities, and political divisions:
General obligations909,7653,695(177,021)736,43954
Revenues2,391,13616,967(357,738)2,050,3651312
Total states, municipalities, and political divisions3,300,90120,662(534,759)2,786,8041816
Other fixed maturities:
Government (U.S., municipal, and foreign)438,63619(51,664)386,99122
Collateralized debt obligations36,9235,94342,86636,9235,94342,866
Other asset-backed securities4,754104,76479,23739(2,186)77,0901
Total fixed maturities$529,120$6,592$(74,027)$461,685$18,825,414$254,587$(1,924,989)$17,155,012100100

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Corporate securities, which consist of bonds and redeemable preferred stocks, were the largest component of the fixed-maturity portfolio as of December 31, 2025, representing 79% of amortized cost, net, and 81% of fair value. The remainder of the portfolio is invested primarily in securities issued by the U.S. government and U.S. municipalities. The Company holds insignificant amounts in foreign government bonds, asset-backed securities, and mortgage-backed securities. Corporate securities are diversified over a variety of industry sectors and issuers. At December 31, 2025, the total fixed maturity portfolio consisted of 1,010 issuers.

Fixed maturities had a fair value of $17.6 billion at December 31, 2025, compared to $17.2 billion at December 31, 2024. The net unrealized loss position in the fixed-maturity portfolio decreased from $1.7 billion at December 31, 2024 to $1.2 billion at December 31, 2025 due to a change in market rates during the period.

For more information about our fixed-maturity portfolio by component at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, including a discussion of allowance for credit losses, an analysis of unrealized investment losses, and a schedule of maturities, see Note 4—Investments.

An analysis of the fixed-maturity portfolio by composite quality rating at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, is shown in the following tables. The company uses the NAIC designation for credit quality ratings. The NAIC designation is generally determined using the second lowest rating available from nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSRO”) when three or more ratings are available and the lowest rating when two or fewer rating are available. When NRSRO ratings are unavailable the rating may be assigned by the Securities Valuation Office (“SVO”) of the NAIC.

Fixed Maturities by Rating

At December 31, 2025

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Amortized Cost, net% of TotalFair Value% of TotalAverage Composite Quality Rating on Amortized Cost, net
Investment grade:
AAA$955,5615$872,1395
AA3,455,082182,941,34916
A6,016,228325,778,00633
BBB+3,133,353173,007,62317
BBB3,717,938203,554,53520
BBB-1,017,6735966,6816
Total investment grade18,295,8359717,120,33397A
Below investment grade:
BB452,8093410,2863
B64,36454,774
Below B4,1593,949
Total below investment grade521,3323469,0093BB
$18,817,167100$17,589,342100
Weighted average composite quality ratingA-

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Fixed Maturities by Rating

At December 31, 2024

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Amortized Cost, net% of TotalFairValue% of TotalAverage Composite Quality Rating on Amortized Cost
Investment grade:
AAA$968,2205$855,1655
AA3,225,044172,691,90815
A5,508,446295,147,20330
BBB+3,267,101173,040,31318
BBB4,087,323223,799,69622
BBB-1,240,16071,159,0427
Total investment grade18,296,2949716,693,32797A-
Below investment grade:
BB397,8232349,0282
B92,176167,5931
Below B39,12145,064
Total below investment grade529,1203461,6853BB-
$18,825,414100$17,155,012100
Weighted average composite quality ratingA-

The overall quality rating of the portfolio is A-, the same as of year-end 2024. Fixed maturities rated BBB are 42% of the total portfolio at December 31, 2025, down from 46% at December 31, 2024. While this ratio may be high relative to our peers, it is at its lowest level since 2003 and we have limited exposure to higher-risk assets such as derivatives, equities, and asset-backed securities. Additionally, the Company does not participate in securities lending and has no off-balance sheet investments as of December 31, 2025. Of our fixed maturity purchases, BBB securities generally provide the Company with the best risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns largely due to our ability to hold securities to maturity regardless of fluctuations in interest rates or equity markets. Our allocation to BBB rated bonds has decreased over the past few years as we have found better risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted value in higher-rated bonds.

An analysis of changes in our portfolio of below-investment grade fixed maturities at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses, is as follows:

Below-Investment Grade Fixed Maturities

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
20252024
Balance at beginning of period$529,120$529,511
Downgrades by rating agencies130,225101,018
Upgrades by rating agencies(30,565)(76,754)
Dispositions(126,293)(40,907)
Acquisitions26,73520,292
Provision for credit losses(130)(3,280)
Amortization and other(7,760)(760)
Balance at end of period$521,332$529,120

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Our investment policy calls for investing primarily in fixed maturities that are investment grade and meet our quality and yield objectives. Thus, the balance of below-investment grade issues is primarily the result of ratings downgrades of existing holdings. Below-investment grade bonds at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses, were 3% of total fixed maturities at amortized cost as of December 31, 2025.

OPERATING EXPENSES

Operating expenses are classified into two categories: insurance administrative expenses and expenses of the Parent Company. Insurance administrative expenses generally include expenses incurred after a policy has been issued. As these expenses relate to premium for a given period, management measures the expenses as a percentage of premium income. The Company also views stock-based compensation expense as a Parent Company expense. Expenses associated with the issuance of our insurance policies are reflected as acquisition expenses and included in the determination of underwriting margin.

The following table is an analysis of operating expenses for the three years ended December 31, 2025.

Operating Expenses Selected Information

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Amount% of PremiumAmount% of PremiumAmount% of Premium
Insurance administrative expenses:
Salaries$137,0152.8$129,3692.8$119,6992.7
Other employee costs41,6090.836,1760.835,9050.8
Information technology costs82,5731.780,5551.764,9981.5
Legal costs22,5100.530,4780.615,3350.3
Other administrative costs71,8881.565,8521.465,2241.5
Total insurance administrative expenses355,5957.3342,4307.3301,1616.8
Parent company expense14,18212,40010,866
Stock compensation expense53,35540,11830,736
Legal proceedings17,05321,575900
Other expenses2,1832,6204,170
Total operating expenses, per Consolidated Statements of Operations$442,368$419,143$347,833
202520242023
Amount%Amount%Amount%
Total insurance administrative expenses increase (decrease) over prior year$13,1653.8$41,26913.7$1,8200.6
Total operating expenses increase (decrease) over prior year23,2255.571,31020.5(6,121)(1.7)

Total operating expenses for December 31, 2025 increased in comparison with the prior year primarily due to increases in insurance administrative expenses as well as stock compensation. Insurance administrative expenses increased $13 million primarily due to higher employee costs, which include salaries and other costs. Insurance administrative expenses as a percent of premium were 7.3% for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. Total operating expense for December 31, 2025, increased in comparison with the prior year primarily due to increases in insurance administrative expenses and costs associated with existing stock compensation plans.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

SHARE REPURCHASES

Globe Life has an ongoing share repurchase program that began in 1986. The share repurchase program is reviewed with the Board of Directors quarterly, and continues indefinitely unless and until the Board of Directors decides to suspend, terminate or modify the program. On November 18, 2024, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $1.8 billion under the Company's existing share repurchase program. Management generally determines the amount of repurchases based on the amount of excess cash flows and other available sources after the payment of dividends to the Parent Company shareholders, general market conditions, and other alternative uses. At December 31, 2025, we had slightly more than $1.1 billion remaining under the authorization to repurchase. Since implementing our share repurchase program in 1986, we have used $11.0 billion to repurchase Globe Life Inc. common shares, after determining that the repurchases provide a greater risk-adjusted after-tax return than other alternatives and we expect to continue this program into the future.

Excess cash flow at the Parent Company is primarily comprised of dividends received from the insurance subsidiaries less interest expense paid on its debt and other limited operating activities. Additionally, when stock options are exercised, proceeds from these exercises and the resulting tax benefit are used to repurchase additional shares on the open market to minimize dilution as a result of the option exercises.

The following table summarizes share repurchases for each of the last three years.

Analysis of Share Purchases

(Amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Purchases with:SharesAmountSharesAmountSharesAmount
Excess cash flow at the Parent Company(1)5,420$685,15110,086$945,6373,369$380,103
Option exercise proceeds1,469189,66950148,0261,080127,155
Total6,889$874,82010,587$993,6634,449$507,258

(1)Excludes excise tax on the repurchase of treasury stock of $6 million in 2025, $8 million in 2024, and $4 million in 2023.

During 2024, the amount of share repurchases was higher as we accelerated repurchases given favorable market conditions and the use of additional capital raised during the year. Refer to Note 12—Debt for further details. Throughout the remainder of this discussion, share repurchases will only refer to those made from excess cash flow at the Parent Company and exclude anti-dilutive share repurchases related to stock options exercised.

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Liquidity. Liquidity provides Globe Life with the ability to meet on demand the cash commitments required to support our business operations and meet our financial obligations. Our liquidity is primarily derived from multiple sources: positive cash flow from operations, a portfolio of marketable securities, pre-capitalized trust securities facility, a revolving credit facility, commercial paper, and advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank.

Insurance Subsidiary Liquidity. The operations of our insurance subsidiaries have historically generated substantial cash inflows in excess of immediate cash needs. Cash inflows for the insurance subsidiaries primarily include premium and investment income. In addition to investment income, maturities and scheduled repayments in the investment portfolio are cash inflows. Cash outflows from operations include policy benefit payments, commissions, administrative expenses, and taxes. A portion of cash inflows in the current year will provide for the payment of future policy benefits and are invested primarily in long-term fixed maturities as they better match the long-term nature of these obligations. The subsidiary dividends are generally paid in amounts equal to the subsidiaries’ prior year statutory net income excluding net realized capital gains. While the insurance subsidiaries annually generate more operating cash inflows than cash outflows, the companies also have the entire available-for-sale fixed-maturity portfolio available to create additional cash flows if required. GL Re will pay dividends to the parent subject to limitations stipulated by the BMA.

Four of our insurance subsidiaries are members of the FHLB of Dallas. FHLB membership provides the insurance subsidiaries with access to various low-cost collateralized borrowings and funding agreements.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

While not the only source of liquidity, the FHLB could provide the insurance subsidiaries with an additional source of liquidity, if needed. Refer to Note 12—Debt for further details.

Parent Company Liquidity. An important source of Parent Company liquidity is the dividends from its insurance subsidiaries. These dividends are received throughout the year and are used by the Parent Company to pay dividends on common and preferred stock, interest and principal repayment requirements on Parent Company debt, and operating expenses of the Parent Company.

Year Ended December 31,
(Amounts in Thousands)
Projected 2026202520242023
Liquidity Sources:
Dividends from Subsidiaries$719,000$815,741$692,690$459,535
Excess Cash Flows(1)650,000890,311455,013416,081

(1)Excess cash flows are reported gross of shareholder dividends. For the year ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, shareholder dividends were $86 million, $85 million, and $84 million, respectively.

For more information on the restrictions on the payment of dividends by subsidiaries, see the Restrictions section of Note 13—Shareholders' Equity. Although these restrictions exist, dividend availability from subsidiaries historically has been more than sufficient for the cash flow needs of the Parent Company.

Dividends from subsidiaries and excess cash flows are projected to be lower in 2026 than in 2025 primarily due to nonrecurring extraordinary dividends received of $192 million in late 2024 and $80 million in 2025 which increased excess cash flows in 2025. Additional sources of liquidity for the Parent Company are cash, intercompany receivables, intercompany borrowings, debt markets, term loans, pre-capitalized trust securities facility discussed below and a revolving credit facility. See Schedule II for more information. The credit facility is discussed below under the caption Short-Term Borrowings.

In 2025, we entered into a 30-year facility agreement (“Facility Agreement”) with a Delaware Trust (the “Trust”) formed by us in connection with the sale by the trust of $500 million pre-capitalized trust securities redeemable May 15, 2055 in a Rule 144A private placement. The Trust invested the proceeds from the sale of its securities in a portfolio of principal and interest strips of U.S. Treasury securities (the “Strips”).

The Facility Agreement provides us with the right to sell at any time to the Trust up to $500 million of our 6.580% Senior Notes due 2055 (the “6.580% Senior Notes”) in exchange for a corresponding amount of the Strips held by the Trust (the “Issuance Right”). Our capacity under the agreement is based on the value of the Strips which was $499 million as of December 31, 2025. We agreed to pay a semi-annual facility fee of 1.789% per annum on the unexercised portion of the Issuance Right.

The Company can redeem the 6.580% Senior Notes at any time, in whole or in part, at a price equal to the greater of par or a make-whole redemption price. At December 31, 2025, the Company had no senior note issuances under the Facility Agreement.

Short-Term Borrowings. An additional source of Parent Company liquidity is a credit facility with a group of lenders. The facility was amended on March 29, 2024, resulting in an increased capacity of $250 million. The facility allows for unsecured borrowings and stand-by letters of credit up to $1 billion, which could be increased up to $1.25 billion. While the Parent Company may request the increase, it is not guaranteed. The updated five-year credit agreement will mature on March 29, 2029. Up to $250 million in letters of credit can be issued against the facility. The facility serves as a backup line of credit for a commercial paper program under which commercial paper may be issued at any time, with total commercial paper outstanding not to exceed the facility maximum less any letters of credit issued. Interest charged on the commercial paper program resembles variable rate debt due to its short term nature. As of December 31, 2025, we had available $579 million of additional borrowing capacity under this facility, compared with $466 million a year earlier. Globe Life has consistently been able to issue commercial paper as needed during the three years ended December 31, 2025. As of December 31, 2025, the Parent Company was in full compliance with all covenants related to the aforementioned debt.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

As a part of the credit facility, Globe Life has stand-by letters of credit. These letters are issued among our insurance subsidiaries, one of which is an offshore captive reinsurer, and have no impact on company obligations as a whole. Any future regulatory changes that restrict the use of off-shore captive reinsurers might require Globe Life to obtain third-party financing, which could cause an increase in financing costs. On March 29, 2023, the letters of credit were amended to reduce the amount outstanding from $125 million to $115 million. The outstanding letters of credit remained at $115 million at December 31, 2025.

The Parent Company expects to have readily available funds for 2026 and the foreseeable future to conduct its operations and to maintain target capital ratios in the insurance subsidiaries. In the unlikely event that more liquidity is needed, the Company could generate additional funds through multiple sources including, but not limited to, the issuance of debt, an additional short-term credit facility, and intercompany borrowings. Refer to Note 5—Commitments and Contingencies and the discussion surrounding the Company's obligations over the next five years. As noted above, the Parent Company had access to $76 million of liquid assets available as of December 31, 2025. This liquidity is available to the Company in the event additional funds are needed to support the targeted capital levels within our insurance subsidiaries.

Consolidated Liquidity. Consolidated net cash inflows provided from operations were $1.40 billion in 2025 and 2024. The Company sold shorter term securities and reinvested in longer term investments, extending duration and taking advantage of higher current interest rates during the year ended December 31, 2025. As noted under the caption Credit Facility in Note 12—Debt, the Parent Company has in place a revolving credit facility and a P-CAPS facility. The insurance companies have no additional outstanding credit facilities.

Cash and short-term investments were $459 million at the end of 2025, compared with $250 million at the end of 2024. In addition to these liquid assets, $17.6 billion (fair value at December 31, 2025) of fixed income securities are available for sale in the event of an unexpected need. Approximately $1.4 billion, at fair value, are pledged for outstanding FHLB advances and reinsurance. Further, approximately 98% of our fixed income securities are publicly traded, freely tradable under SEC Rule 144, or qualified for resale under SEC Rule 144A. While our fixed income securities are classified as available for sale, we have the ability and general intent to hold any securities to recovery or maturity. Our strong cash flows from operations, on-going investment maturities, and available liquidity under our credit facility, FHLB, and P-CAPS facility make any need to sell securities for liquidity highly unlikely.

Capital Resources. The Parent Company's capital structure consists of short-term debt (the commercial paper facility and current maturities of long-term debt), long-term debt, and shareholders’ equity. It does not include short-term FHLB borrowings, which are obligations of the insurance subsidiaries and typically repaid over the course of the year.

Debt: The carrying value of the long-term debt was $2.3 billion at December 31, 2025 and 2024. A complete analysis and description of long-term debt issues outstanding is presented in Note 12—Debt.

Financing costs consist primarily of interest on our various debt instruments. The table below presents the components of financing costs and reconciles interest expense per the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Analysis of Financing Costs

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202520242023
Interest on funded debt$94,431$77,258$72,641
Interest on term loan15,24013,8237,684
Interest on short-term debt26,90035,97921,958
Other4,6503233
Financing costs$141,221$127,092$102,316

In 2025, financing costs increased 11% compared with the prior year. The increase in financing costs is primarily due to higher average balances in the current year compared to the prior year due to the issuance of debt in the third quarter of 2024. More information on our debt transactions is disclosed in the Financial Condition section of this report and in Note 12—Debt.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Subsidiary Capital: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has established a risk-based factor approach for determining threshold risk-based capital levels for all insurance companies. This approach was designed to assist the regulatory bodies in identifying companies that may require regulatory attention. A Risk-Based Capital ratio is typically determined by dividing adjusted total statutory capital by the amount of RBC determined using the NAIC’s factors. If a company’s RBC ratio approaches two times the RBC amount, the company must file a plan with the NAIC for improving its capital levels (this level is commonly referred to as “Company Action Level” RBC). Companies typically hold a multiple of the Company Action Level RBC depending on their particular business needs and risk profile.

Our goal is to maintain statutory capital within our insurance subsidiaries at levels necessary to support our current ratings. Globe Life targets a consolidated Company Action Level RBC ratio of 300% to 320%. The Company has concluded that this capital level is more than adequate and sufficient to support its current ratings, given the nature of its business and its risk profile. For 2025, our consolidated Company Action Level RBC ratio was 316%. The Parent Company is committed to maintaining the targeted consolidated RBC ratio at its insurance subsidiaries and has sufficient liquidity available to provide additional capital if necessary.

Our Bermuda-based insurance subsidiaries are subject to regulation in Bermuda and the BMA has capital requirements and solvency standards including limitations on dividends or distributions to shareholders, The minimum solvency margin that must be maintained by a Class C insurer is the greater of : (i) $0.5 million; or (ii) 1.5 percent of assets; or (iii) 25 percent of its enhanced capital requirement ("ECR") as reported at the end of the relevant year.

A Class C insurer is also required to maintain available statutory economic capital and surplus at a level equal to or in excess of its ECR, which is established by reference to either the Bermuda Solvency Capital Requirement ("BSCR") model or a Bermuda-approved internal capital model. While not specifically referred to in the Insurance Act, the BMA has also established a target capital level ("TCL") equal to 120 percent of an insurer's ECR. The TCL serves as an early warning tool for the BMA and failure to maintain statutory capital at least equal to the TCL will likely result in increased regulatory oversight.

We are in the process of completing Globe Life Re's capital and solvency return in respect of the year ended December 31, 2025, which includes the BSCR. We expect that Globe Life Re’s level of capitalization will exceed the minimum solvency margin and result in its statutory economic capital and surplus being in excess of the TCL.

Shareholder's Equity: As noted under the caption Analysis of Share Purchases within this report, we have an ongoing share repurchase program.

Globe Life has continually increased the quarterly dividend on its common shares over the past three years.

Year Ended December 31,
Projected 2026202520242023
Quarterly dividend by annual year$0.3300$0.2700$0.2400$0.2250

Shareholders’ equity was $6.0 billion at December 31, 2025. This compares with $5.3 billion at December 31, 2024, an increase of $669 million or 13%. Shareholders' equity increased $819 million, or 18%, during 2024 from $4.5 billion in 2023.

During 2025, shareholders’ equity increased as a result of net income of $1.2 billion, but was offset by share repurchases of $685 million and an additional $190 million in share repurchases to offset the dilution from stock option exercises. Additionally, the balance of AOCI increased $258 million primarily due to increased interest rates and discount rates over the period. During 2024, shareholders' equity increased as a result of net income of $1.1 billion, offset by share repurchases of $946 million and an additional $48 million in share repurchases to offset the dilution from stock option exercises. In addition, the balance of AOCI increased $743 million due to changes in interest rates and discount rates over the 2024 period.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

We plan to use excess cash available at the Parent Company as efficiently as possible in the future. Excess cash flow, as we define it, results primarily from the dividends received by the Parent Company from its insurance subsidiaries less the interest paid on debt. The cash received by the Parent Company from our insurance subsidiaries is after they have made substantial investments during the year to grow the business. Possible uses of excess cash flow include, but are not limited to, share repurchases, acquisitions, shareholder dividend payments, subsidiary capital contributions, investments in securities, or repayment of short-term debt. We will determine the best use of excess cash after ensuring that targeted capital levels are maintained in our insurance subsidiaries. If market conditions are favorable, we currently expect that share repurchases will continue to be a primary use of those funds.

Future policy benefits are computed using current discount rates with the impact of changes in discount rates included in accumulated other comprehensive income. Additionally, the liability for future policy benefits is calculated using net premiums rather than gross premiums. Given that gross premiums are considerably higher than net premiums for our business, as seen in Note 6—Policy Liabilities, the measurement of the liability is higher than what it would be had it been computed using gross premiums. This is an important consideration when analyzing shareholders' equity.

We maintain a significant available-for-sale fixed maturity portfolio to support our insurance policy liabilities. Current accounting guidance requires that we revalue our portfolio to fair market value at the end of each accounting period. The period-to-period changes in fair value, net of their associated impact on income tax, are reflected directly in shareholders’ equity. Changes in the fair value of the portfolio can result from changes in market rates.

While a majority of invested assets are revalued, accounting rules do not permit interest-bearing insurance policy liabilities to be valued at fair value in a consistent manner as that of assets, with changes in value applied directly to shareholders’ equity. Due to the size of our policy liabilities in relation to our shareholders’ equity, an inconsistency exists in measurement, which may have a material impact on the reported value of shareholders’ equity. Fluctuations in interest rates cause undue volatility in the period-to-period presentation of our shareholders’ equity, capital structure, and financial ratios. Due to the long-term nature of our fixed maturity investments and liabilities and the strong cash flows consistently generated by our insurance subsidiaries, we have the ability to hold our securities to maturity. As such, we do not expect to incur losses due to fluctuations in market value of fixed maturities caused by market rate changes and temporarily illiquid markets. Accordingly, our management, credit rating agencies, lenders, many industry analysts, and certain other financial statement users prefer to remove the effect of this accounting rule when analyzing our balance sheet, capital structure, and financial ratios.

Financial Strength Ratings. The financial strength of our major insurance subsidiaries is rated by Standard & Poor’s and A. M. Best. The following table presents these ratings for our five largest insurance subsidiaries at December 31, 2025.

Standard & Poor’sA.M. Best
Liberty National Life Insurance CompanyAA-A
Globe Life And Accident Insurance CompanyAA-A
United American Insurance CompanyAA-A
American Income Life Insurance CompanyAA-A
Family Heritage Life Insurance Company of AmericaNRA

A.M. Best states that it assigns an A (Excellent) rating to insurance companies that have, in its opinion, an excellent ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations.

The AA financial strength rating category is assigned by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (S&P) to those insurers which have very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. The plus sign (+) or minus sign (-) shows the relative standing within the major rating category.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

OTHER ITEMS

Litigation. For more information concerning litigation, please refer to Note 5—Commitments and Contingencies.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

Application of Critical Accounting Estimates. Critical accounting estimates are those estimates made in accordance with GAAP that involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on the financial condition or results of operations. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the application of accounting estimates that often involve a significant degree of judgment. Management reviews these key estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of financial statements on a timely basis. If management determines that modifications are necessary due to current facts and circumstances, the Company’s results of operations and financial position as reported in the consolidated financial statements could possibly change significantly. Information on our accounting policies is disclosed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies.

Future Policy Benefits. Considerable information concerning the policies, procedures, and other relevant data related to the valuation of our liability for future policy benefits is presented in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and Note 6—Policy Liabilities.

The liability for future policy benefits for traditional and limited-payment long duration life and health products comprises the vast majority of the total liability for future policy benefits for the Company. The liability is determined each reporting period based on the net level premium method. This method requires the liability for future policy benefits to be calculated as the present value of estimated future policyholder benefits and the related termination expenses, less the present value of estimated future net premiums to be collected from policyholders.

The Company reviews, and updates as necessary, its cash flow assumptions (mortality, morbidity, and lapses) used to calculate the change in the liability for future policy benefits at least annually. These cash flow assumptions are reviewed at the same time every year, or more frequently, if suggested by experience. If cash flow assumptions are changed, the net premium ratio is recalculated from the original issue date, or the Transition Date, using actual experience and projected future cash flows. As cash flow assumptions are changed, the liability for future policy benefits is adjusted with changes recognized in policyholder benefits on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The following table illustrates the sensitivity of our liability for future policy benefits, including the corresponding pre-tax impact on OCI, and net income, as of December 31, 2025, to changes in cash flow assumptions. This information is useful in understanding the potential financial impact on our financial statements from changes in these items and the expected impact to our liability for future policy benefits. We could experience impacts that are more or less significant than noted in the following analysis; however the sensitivities provide insight regarding the direction and magnitude of those potential impacts.

At December 31, 2025
(Dollar amounts in thousands)
AssumptionsSensitivityFuture policy benefitsOCI(1)Net Income
Mortality1% increase$48,504$(1,337)$(47,167)
1% decrease(48,640)(328)48,967
Morbidity5% increase65,0403,611(68,651)
5% decrease(51,319)(4,846)56,165
Lapses10% increase(111,575)15,88095,695
10% decrease118,804(17,724)(101,080)

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

(1)Represents the associated impact to OCI from updating the net premium ratio based upon the cash flow assumptions and the remeasurement of the liability for future policy benefits using the current discount rate.

The liability for future policy benefits is discounted using a current upper-medium grade fixed-income instrument yield that reflects the duration characteristics of the liability for future policy benefits. Accordingly, the discount rate assumption is key in determining the change in the value of the liability for future benefits for long duration life and health contracts. Since the liability for future policy benefits for traditional and limited-payment long duration life and health products comprises approximately 93% of the total liability for future policy benefits, it is subject to interest rate risk. A decrease in discount rates will cause an increase in the obligation with a corresponding change in AOCI.

The following table illustrates the interest rate sensitivity of our liability for future policy benefits as of December 31, 2025. This table measures the effect of a parallel shift in discount rates on the liability. The data measures the change in reported value arising from an immediate change in rates in increments of 50 and 100 basis points, which would be recorded as a component of OCI.

Value of Liability for Future Policy Benefits

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

At December 31,
Change in Discount Rates(1)2025
(200)$27,523,393
(100)22,707,449
(50)20,809,077
019,169,687
5017,744,418
10016,497,497
20014,429,228

(1) In basis points.

Deferred Acquisition Costs. Certain costs of acquiring new insurance business are deferred and recorded as an asset. These costs are capitalized on a grouped contract basis and amortized over the expected term of the related contracts, and are essential for the acquisition of new insurance business.

Deferred Acquisition Costs ("DAC") are amortized on a constant-level basis over the expected term of the grouped contracts, with the related expense included in amortization of deferred acquisition costs on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The in force metric used to compute the DAC amortization rate is annualized premium in force. The assumptions used to amortize acquisition costs include mortality, morbidity, and lapses, and are consistent with those used in calculating the liability for future policy benefits.

Value of business acquired ("VOBA") is amortized on a basis that is consistent with DAC, as described above, and is subject to periodic recoverability and loss recognition testing to determine if there is a premium deficiency. These tests evaluate whether the present value of future contract-related cash flows will support the capitalized VOBA asset. These cash flows consist primarily of premium income, less benefits and expenses. The present value of these cash flows, less the reserve liability, is then compared with the unamortized balance. In the event the estimated present value of net cash flows is less, the deficiency would be recognized by a charge to earnings and either a reduction of unamortized acquisition costs or an increase in the liability for future benefits.

Policy Claims and Other Benefits Payable. This liability consists of known benefits currently payable and an estimate of claims that have been incurred but not yet reported to us. The estimate of unreported claims is based on prior experience and is made after careful evaluation of all information available to us. However, the factors upon which these estimates are based can be subject to change from historical patterns. Factors involved include the litigation environment, regulatory mandates, and the introduction of policy types for which claim patterns are not well established, and medical trend rates and medical cost inflation as they affect our health claims. Changes in these estimates, if any, are reflected in the earnings of the period in which the adjustment is made. The Company concludes that the estimates used to produce the liability for claims and other benefits, including the estimate of

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

unsubmitted claims, are the most appropriate under the circumstances. However, there is no certainty that the resulting stated liability will be our ultimate obligation. At this time, we do not expect any change in this estimate to have a material impact on earnings or financial position consistent with our historical experience. There were no significant changes in the claims process in the current year.

Valuation of Fixed Maturities. We hold a substantial investment in high-quality fixed maturities to provide for the funding of our future policy contractual obligations over long periods of time. While these securities are generally expected to be held to maturity, they are classified as available for sale and are sold from time to time to maximize risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns or for other general purposes. We report this portfolio at fair value. Fair value is the price that we would expect to receive upon sale of the asset in an orderly transaction. The fair value of the fixed maturity portfolio is primarily affected by changes in interest rates in financial markets. Because of the size of our fixed maturity portfolio and the long average life, small changes in rates can have a significant effect on the portfolio and the reported financial position of the Company. This impact is disclosed in 100 basis point increments under the caption Market Risk Sensitivity in this report. However, as discussed under the caption Financial Condition in this report, the Company regards these unrealized fluctuations in value as having no meaningful impact on our actual financial condition and, as such, we remove them from consideration when viewing our financial position and financial ratios.

At times, the values of our fixed maturities can also be affected by illiquidity in the financial markets. Illiquidity may contribute to a spread widening, and accordingly to unrealized losses, on many securities that we would expect to be fully recoverable. Even though our fixed maturity portfolio is available for sale, we have the ability and general intent to hold the securities until maturity as a result of our strong and stable cash flows generated from our insurance products. Considerable information concerning the policies, procedures, classification levels, and other relevant data concerning the valuation of our fixed maturity investments is presented in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and in Note 4—Investments under the captions Fair Value Measurements in both notes. There were no significant changes in the valuation process in the current year.

Market Risk Sensitivity. Globe Life's investment securities are exposed to interest rate risk, meaning the effect of changes in financial market interest rates on the current fair value of the Company’s investment portfolio. Since 86% of the carrying value of our investments is attributable to fixed maturity investments and these investments are predominately fixed-rate investments, the portfolio is highly subject to market risk. Declines in market interest rates generally result in the fair value of the investment portfolio rising, and increases in interest rates cause the fair value to decline. Under normal market conditions, we are not concerned about unrealized losses that are interest rate driven since we would not expect to realize them. Globe Life does not generally intend to sell the securities prior to maturity and, likely, will not be required to sell the securities prior to recovery of amortized cost. The long-term nature of our insurance policy liabilities and strong operating cash-flow substantially mitigate any future need to liquidate portions of the portfolio.

The following table illustrates the interest rate sensitivity of our fixed maturity portfolio at December 31, 2025. This table measures the effect of a parallel shift in interest rates (as represented by the U.S. Treasury curve) on the fair value of the fixed maturity portfolio. The data measures the change in fair value arising from an immediate and sustained change in interest rates in increments of 100 basis points.

Market Value of Fixed Maturity Portfolio

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

At December 31,
Change in Interest Rates(1)2025
(200)$21,383,000
(100)19,376,000
017,589,000
10015,992,000
20014,561,000

(1) In basis points.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Investments: Allowance for Credit Losses. We continually monitor our investment portfolio for investments where fair value has declined below carrying value to determine if a credit loss event has occurred. When a credit event does occur, an allowance for credit loss is recorded and the corresponding provision is recognized on the Consolidated Statements of Operations in Realized Gains or Losses. Non-credit related fluctuations in the fair value are recorded in Other Comprehensive Income. The policies and procedures that we use to evaluate and account for allowance for credit losses are disclosed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and the discussions under the captions Investments and Realized Gains and Losses in this report. While every effort is made to make the best estimate of status and value with the information available regarding an allowance for credit loss, it is difficult to predict the future prospects of a distressed or impaired security.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans. We maintain funded defined benefit plans covering most full-time employees. We also have an unfunded nonqualified defined benefit plan covering a limited number of officers. Our obligations under these plans are determined actuarially based on specified actuarial assumptions. In accordance with GAAP, an expense is recorded each year as these pension obligations grow due to the increase in the service period of employees and the interest cost associated with the passage of time. These obligations are offset, at least in part, by the growth in value of the assets in the funded plans. At December 31, 2025, our gross liability under these plans was $677 million, but was offset by assets of $684 million.

The actuarial assumptions used in determining our obligations/expenses for pensions include: employee mortality and turnover, retirement age, the expected return on plan assets, projected salary increases, and the discount rate at which future obligations could be settled. Additionally, a corridor approach is used to amortize any unrecognized gains or losses outside the corridor (the standard 10% of the greater of plan PBO and fair value assets) and have an amortization service period of approximately nine years. These assumptions have an important effect on the pension obligation. A decrease in the discount rate will cause an increase in the pension obligation. A decrease in projected salary increases will cause a decrease in this obligation. Small changes in assumptions may cause significant differences in reported results for these plans. For example, a sensitivity analysis is presented below for the impact of change in the discount rate and the long-term rate of return on assets assumed on our defined benefit pension plans expense for the year 2025 and projected benefit obligation as of December 31, 2025.

Pension Assumptions

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

AssumptionChange(1)Impact on ExpenseImpact on Projected Benefit Obligation
Discount Rate(2):
Increase25$(962)$(20,826)
Decrease(25)85821,944
Expected Return(3):
Increase25(1,673)
Decrease(25)1,673

(1)In basis points.

(2)The discount rate for determining the net periodic benefit cost was 5.81% for 2025. The discount rate used for determining the projected benefit obligation as of December 31, 2025 was 5.81%.

(3)The expected long-term return rate assumed was 7.33% at December 31, 2025, and 7.18% in the prior year. Management considers both historical and future yields to determine the expected return.

The Company determines mortality assumptions through the use of published mortality tables that reflect broad-based studies of mortality and published longevity improvement scales.

The criteria used to determine the primary assumptions are discussed in Note 10—Postretirement Benefits. While we have used our best efforts to determine the most reliable assumptions, given the information available from Company experience, economic data, independent consultants, and other sources, we cannot be certain that actual results will be the same as expected. The assumptions are reviewed annually and revised, if necessary, based on more current information available to us. Note 10—Postretirement Benefits also contains information about pension plan assets, investment policies, and other related data. There were no significant changes in the assumptions in the current year.

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MD&A history

Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.

FY 2024 10-K MD&A

SEC filing source: 0000320335-25-000013.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2025-02-26. Report date: 2024-12-31.

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Globe Life's Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. The following management discussion will only include comparison to prior year. For discussion regarding activity from 2022, please refer to the prior filed Form 10-Ks at www.sec.gov.

"Globe Life" and the "Company" refer to Globe Life Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.

Results of Operations

How Globe Life Views Its Operations. Globe Life Inc. is the holding company for a group of insurance companies that market primarily individual life and supplemental health insurance to lower middle to middle-income households throughout the United States. We view our operations by segments, which are the insurance product lines of life and supplemental health, and the investment segment that supports the product lines.
Insurance Product Line Segments. The insurance product line segments involve the marketing, underwriting, and administration of policies. Each product line is further subdivided by the various distribution channels that market the insurance policies. Each distribution channel operates in a niche market offering insurance products designed for that particular market. Whether analyzing profitability of a segment as a whole, or the individual distribution channels within the segment, the measure of profitability used by management is the underwriting margin, as seen below:
Premium revenue (Policy obligations) (Policy acquisition costs and commissions) Underwriting margin
Investment Segment. The investment segment involves the management of our capital resources, including investments and the management of liquidity. Our measure of profitability for the investment segment is excess investment income, as seen below:
Net investment income(Required interest on policy liabilities) Excess investment income

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Current Highlights.

•Net income as a return on equity (ROE) for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 21.7% and net operating income as an ROE, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income(1) was 15.1%.

•Total premium increased 5% over the same period in the prior year. Life premium increased 4% for the period from $3.14 billion in 2023 to $3.26 billion in 2024.

•Net investment income increased 7% over the same period in the prior year.

•Total net sales increased 9% over the same period in the prior year from $768 million in 2023 to $840 million in 2024. The average producing agent count across all of the exclusive agencies increased 11% over the prior year.

•Book value per share increased 33% over the same period in the prior year from $47.10 to $62.50. Book value per share, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income(1), increased 13% over the prior year from $76.21 in 2023 to $86.40 in 2024.

•For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company repurchased 10.1 million shares of Globe Life Inc. common stock at a total cost of $946 million for an average share price of $93.76.

The following graphs represent net income and net operating income for the three years ended December 31, 2024.

(1)As shown in the charts above, net operating income is primarily comprised of insurance underwriting margin plus excess investment income and annuity and other income, offset by operating expenses after tax and, as such, is considered a non-GAAP measure. It has been used consistently by Globe Life's management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company. It differs from net income primarily because it excludes certain non-operating items such as realized gains and losses and certain significant and unusual items included in net income. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Net operating income as an ROE, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI), is considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the business without the effect of changes in AOCI, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates. The impact of the adjustment to exclude AOCI is $(2.03) billion and $(2.77) billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Book value per share, excluding AOCI, is also considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the book value of the business without the effect of changes in AOCI, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates. The impact of the adjustment to exclude AOCI is $(23.90) and $(29.11) for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Refer to Analysis of Profitability by Segment for non-GAAP reconciliation to GAAP.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Summary of Operations. Net income increased 10% to $1.07 billion in 2024, compared with $971 million in 2023. In 2023, net income increased 9% from $894 million in 2022. On a diluted per common share basis, net income per common share for 2024 increased from $10.07 to $11.94. In 2023, net income per common share, on a diluted per common share basis, increased 11% from $9.04 in 2022.

Net operating income increased 8% to $1.11 billion in 2024, compared with $1.03 billion in 2023, due to a 26% increase in excess investment income as well as a 13% increase in life underwriting margin. In 2023, net operating income increased 7% from $961 million in 2022. On a diluted per common share basis, net operating income per common share for 2024 increased from $10.65 to $12.37, an increase of 16%. In 2023, net income per common share, on a diluted per common share basis, increased 10% from $9.71 in 2022. Net operating income is primarily comprised of insurance underwriting margin plus excess investment income and annuity and other income, offset by operating expenses, after tax and, as such, is considered a non-GAAP measure. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. We do not consider realized gains and losses to be a component of our core insurance operations or operating segments. Additionally, net income in 2024, 2023, and 2022 was affected by certain non-operating items. We do not view these items as components of core operating results because they are not indicative of past performance or future prospects of the insurance operations. We remove items such as these that relate to prior periods or are non-operating items when evaluating the results of current operations, and therefore exclude such items from our segment analysis for current periods.

As previously noted, a component of insurance underwriting margin is policy obligations, which includes for each reporting period the change in the liability for future policy benefits (LFPB). The LFPB is determined each reporting period based on the net level premium method. Net level premiums reflect a recomputed net premium ratio using actual experience since the issue date, and expected future experience based on future cash-flow assumptions. See Note 6—Policy Liabilities for additional information. The policy liability is accrued as premium revenue is recognized and adjusted for differences between actual and expected experience in the form of remeasurement gains and losses during the period. If actual mortality, morbidity, and lapse experience equals our expected assumptions used in the development of our liability for future policy benefits, there would be no impact to our financial results. Actual experience can have a material impact on financial results to the extent it significantly deviates from the expected assumptions which are used to develop our estimates of the liability for future policy benefits and amortization of the deferred acquisition cost asset (DAC). For example, deviations in actual versus expected lapses in the early policy years tend to have a larger impact on DAC amortization than LFPB change in reserves. Conversely, deviations in actual versus expected lapses in the later policy years typically have a larger impact on LFPB change in reserves than DAC amortization. This is due to the release of DAC and LFPB where DAC capitalization in earlier years is amortizing over time and the LFPB is increasing over time as the policy stays inforce. Disaggregated rollforwards of our present value of expected future net premiums and our expected future policy benefits are presented within Note 6—Policy Liabilities, which include disclosure of remeasurement gain (loss) for the effect of actual variances from expected experience and the changes in assumptions (mortality, morbidity, and lapses) on future cash flows.

The Company performed an annual review of its assumptions in the third quarter of 2024 that resulted in favorable changes to its mortality and lapse assumptions on life and unfavorable changes to morbidity assumptions on health. In our life segment mortality assumptions generally decreased across most channels in line with recent experience consistent with decreasing levels of excess deaths. Lapse rate assumptions in the life segment were slightly increased across all channels. For the health segment, morbidity assumptions were increased, causing higher future policy benefit reserves. The assumption review process of the life and health segments resulted in a $46.3 million net remeasurement gain for the period ended December 31, 2024 as compared to a $3.2 million net remeasurement gain for the period ended December 31, 2023 and a $36.5 million net remeasurement loss for the period ended December 31, 2022.

Excluding the impact of assumption changes, the Company's results for actual variances from expected experience for both life and health produced a $57.4 million net remeasurement gain for the period ended December 31, 2024, as compared to a $38.0 million net remeasurement gain for the period ended December 31, 2023 and a $4.6 million net remeasurement gain for the period ended December 31, 2022.

Overall, the Company continues to see positive signs in its core operations, including sales and premium growth, and continues to achieve an operating ROE (excluding accumulated other comprehensive income) generally in the mid-teens.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Globe Life's operations on a segment-by-segment basis are discussed in depth below. Net operating income has been used consistently by management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company and is a measure commonly used in the life insurance industry. It differs from GAAP net income primarily because it excludes certain non-operating items such as realized gains and losses and other significant and unusual items included in net income. Management believes an analysis of net operating income is important in understanding the profitability and operating trends of the Company’s business. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Analysis of Profitability by Segment

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

2024202320222024 Change%2023 Change%
Life insurance underwriting margin$1,352,597$1,192,972$1,129,525$159,62513$63,4476
Health insurance underwriting margin372,423377,937377,137(5,514)(1)800
Excess investment income164,404130,382104,58934,0222625,79325
Segment profit or (loss)1,889,4241,701,2911,611,251188,1331190,0406
Annuity and other income7,6368,80011,757(1,164)(13)(2,957)(25)
Administrative expense(342,430)(301,161)(299,341)(41,269)14(1,820)1
Other corporate expense(179,610)(143,918)(137,201)(35,692)25(6,717)5
Pre-tax total1,375,0201,265,0121,186,466110,008978,5467
Applicable taxes(266,036)(238,368)(225,439)(27,668)12(12,929)6
Net operating income1,108,9841,026,644961,02782,340865,6177
Reconciling items, net of tax:
Realized gains (losses)(19,108)(51,884)(60,473)32,7768,589
Non-operating expenses(2,070)(3,294)(4,196)1,224902
Legal proceedings(17,044)(711)(1,972)(16,333)1,261
Net income$1,070,762$970,755$894,386$100,00710$76,3699

The life insurance segment is our primary segment and is the largest contributor to earnings in each year presented. In 2024, the life insurance segment underwriting margin increased $160 million compared with 2023. This was primarily a result of increased premiums and favorable policy obligations as a percent of premium due to a remeasurement gain resulting from the assumption updates in 2024. In 2023, the life insurance segment underwriting margin increased $63 million when compared with 2022. The increase was due to increased premiums, favorable policy obligations as a percent of premium, and a lower remeasurement loss resulting from assumption updates in 2023. Excess investment income increased $34 million in 2024 compared with 2023, resulting from growth in our invested assets and increased yields due to higher interest rates. In 2023, excess investment income increased $26 million compared with 2022. In 2024, underwriting margin in the health segment decreased to $372 million due to higher claim utilization, compared with $378 million in 2023 and $377 million in 2022.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

In 2024, the largest contributor of total underwriting margin was the life insurance segment and the primary distribution channel was the American Income Life Division (American Income). The following charts represent the breakdown of total underwriting margin by operating segment and distribution channel for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Total premium income rose 5% for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $4.67 billion. Total net sales increased 9% to $840 million, when compared with 2023. Total first-year collected premium (defined in the following section) increased 11% to $674 million for 2024, compared to $605 million in 2023.

Life insurance premium income increased 4% to $3.26 billion over the prior-year total of $3.14 billion. Life net sales rose 9% to $595 million for the year ended 2024. First-year collected life premium increased 8% to $455 million. Life underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, increased to 41% for 2024 from 38% in 2023. Underwriting margin increased to $1.35 billion in 2024, compared to $1.19 billion in 2023.

Health insurance premium income increased 7% to $1.40 billion over the prior-year total of $1.32 billion. Health net sales rose 10% to $245 million for the year ended 2024. First-year collected health premium rose 18% to $219 million. Health underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 27% for 2024 and 29% for 2023. Health underwriting margin declined to $372 million for the year ended 2024, compared to $378 million in 2023.

Excess investment income, the measure of profitability of our investment segment, increased 26% during the year ended 2024 to $164.4 million from $130.4 million in 2023. Excess investment income per common share, reflecting the impact of our share repurchase program and increased net investment income, increased 36% to $1.83 from $1.35 when compared with the same period in 2023.

Insurance administrative expenses increased 14% in 2024 when compared with the prior-year period. These expenses were 7.3% as a percent of premium during 2024 compared to 6.8% in 2023.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company repurchased 10.1 million Globe Life Inc. shares at a total cost of $946 million for an average share price of $93.76.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The discussions of our segments are presented in the manner we view our operations, as described in Note 15—Business Segments.

We use three measures as indicators of premium growth and sales over the near term: “annualized premium in force,” “net sales,” and “first-year collected premium.”

•Annualized premium in force is defined as the premium income that would be received over the following twelve months at any given date on all active policies if those policies remain in force throughout the twelve-month period.

•Net sales is calculated as annualized premium issued, net of cancellations generally in the first thirty days after issue, except in the case of Direct to Consumer, where net sales is annualized premium issued at the time the first full premium is paid after any introductory offer period (typically 1 month) has expired. Management considers net sales to be a better indicator of the rate of premium growth than annualized premium issued since annualized premium issued excludes cancellations, and cancellations do not contribute to premium income.

•First-year collected premium is defined as the premium collected during the reporting period for all policies in their first policy year. First-year collected premium takes lapses into account in the first year when lapses are more likely to occur, and thus is a useful indicator of how much new premium is expected to be added to premium income in the future. First-year collected premiums are lower than net sales over the prior 12 months because premiums are not collected on lapsed policies after the date of lapse.

Cancellations are not included in lapses.

Approximately 90% of our premiums are collected monthly; however, other premium payment options such as quarterly and annual are offered by the Company and may be elected by the policyholder. The majority of premiums are paid by way of automatic draft or electronic payment from our policyholders and to a lesser extent from other payment methods such as check, credit card, and worksite payroll deduction.

Excluding our Direct to Consumer Division, we sell our policies primarily through independently contracted agents (“agents”) who earn commissions in accordance with contracts they have with the respective insurance subsidiary of the Company. These contract arrangements with agents cover commission structures and rates, contract periods, credit terms for settlement of agent advance accounts, vesting rights in future renewal commissions upon termination of contracts and responsibility for certain premium collections. Contract terms with agents vary, but generally commissions are earned over the life of the policy as premiums are paid. Commissions are calculated on a policy-by-policy basis and vary by product type and policy year. Commission rates are higher for the first-year premium when a policy is issued and are generally reduced for policies that remain in effect for renewal periods (e.g., commission rates may reduce in years 2-10 and again in year 11 and after). After a certain period (typically 10 years), commission rates become constant over the remaining life of the policy and are considered level commissions.

See further discussion of the distribution channels below for Life and Health.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

LIFE INSURANCE

Life insurance is the Company's predominant segment. During 2024, life premium represented 70% of total premium and life underwriting margin represented 78% of the total underwriting margin. Additionally, investments supporting the reserves for life products produce the majority of excess investment income attributable to the investment segment.

The following table presents the summary of results of life insurance. Further discussion of the results by distribution channel is included below.

Life Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Amount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremium
Premium and policy charges$3,261,347100$3,137,244100$3,027,824100
Policy obligations2,000,977622,050,789652,035,69367
Required interest on reserves(811,147)(25)(772,701)(24)(735,688)(24)
Net policy obligations1,189,830371,278,088411,300,00543
Amortization of acquisition costs356,22311327,42610298,84110
Commission expense159,7035145,6785140,2835
Premium taxes68,360264,571261,6092
Non-deferred acquisition costs134,6344128,509497,5613
Total expense1,908,750591,944,272621,898,29963
Insurance underwriting margin$1,352,59741$1,192,97238$1,129,52537

Net policy obligations amounted to 37% of premiums for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 41% in 2023, and 43% in 2022. This improvement was primarily due to the assumptions updated based upon our review of lapses, mortality, and morbidity resulting in a remeasurement gain of $56.8 million compared to a remeasurement loss of $2.0 million in 2023 and a remeasurement loss of $47.2 million in 2022. Refer to Note 6—Policy Liabilities for further discussion of the Company's annual assumptions review.

The table below summarizes life underwriting margin by distribution channel for the last three years.

Life Insurance

Underwriting Margin by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Amount% of PremiumAmount% of PremiumAmount% of Premium
American Income$799,94647$719,37845$692,10746
Direct to Consumer281,94829234,89324213,74822
Liberty National140,13638114,64633101,20231
Other130,56764124,05560122,46858
Total$1,352,59741$1,192,97238$1,129,52537

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The following table presents Globe Life's life premium distribution channel for the last three years.

Life Insurance

Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$1,698,20952$1,588,70251$1,505,03450
Direct to Consumer988,52230991,40631985,48832
Liberty National371,06112349,73611327,46911
Other203,5556207,4007209,8337
Total$3,261,347100$3,137,244100$3,027,824100

Annualized life premium in force was $3.3 billion at December 31, 2024, an increase of 4% over $3.2 billion a year earlier.

The following table presents life net sales, an indicator of new business production, by distribution channel for each of the last three years.

Life Insurance

Net Sales by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$381,94564$322,65859$316,71559
Direct to Consumer106,31018116,45421125,97924
Liberty National98,1621695,4591878,39015
Other8,93629,70129,8442
Total$595,353100$544,272100$530,928100

The table below discloses first-year collected life premium by distribution channel for the last three years.

Life Insurance

First-Year Collected Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$305,16567$266,42963$257,58463
Direct to Consumer67,4521577,5701986,85421
Liberty National74,5531667,6181656,08514
Other7,67828,54228,9882
Total$454,848100$420,159100$409,511100

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

A discussion of life operations by distribution channel follows.

The American Income Life Division markets to members of labor unions and other affinity groups and continues to diversify its lead sources utilizing third-party internet vendor leads and obtaining referrals to facilitate sustainable growth. This division is Globe Life's largest contributor of life premium of any distribution channel at 52% of the Company's 2024 total life premium. In 2024, the average monthly life premium issued per policy was $56 as compared to $54 in 2023. Net sales were $382 million in 2024, up from $323 million in 2023. The underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 47% in 2024, up from 45% in 2023.

The average producing agent count increased 11% over the year-ago period. Over 65% of the Division's net sales are driven by agents that have been producing for the Division for six months or more. The increase in average producing agent count was driven by an increase in new agent recruiting along with continued improvement in new agent retention. Sales growth in this Division, as well as within our other exclusive agencies, is generally dependent on growth in the size of the agency force.

Below is the average producing agent count as of the indicated periods for the American Income Division. The average producing agent count is based on the actual count at the beginning and end of each week during the year.

2024202320222024 Change%2023 Change%
American Income11,74110,5799,4441,162111,13512

American Income Life continues to focus on growing and strengthening the agency force, specifically through emphasis on agency middle-management growth and additional agency office openings. In addition to offering financial incentives and training opportunities, the Division has made considerable investments in information technology, including a customer relationship management (CRM) tool for the agency force. This tool is designed to drive productivity in lead distribution, conservation of business, manager dashboards, and new agent recruiting. Additionally, this Division has invested in and successfully implemented technology that allows the agency force to engage in virtual recruiting, training, and sales activity. The agents have shifted to primarily a virtual experience with customers and have generated the vast majority of sales through virtual presentations. We find this flexibility to be attractive to new recruits as well as a driver of sustainability for our agency force.

The Direct to Consumer Division (DTC) markets adult and juvenile life insurance through a variety of mediums, including direct mail, insert media, and digital marketing. The different media channels support and complement one another in the Division's efforts to provide consumer outreach. All three channels work in an omnichannel approach. Sales from the internet and inbound phone calls continue to outpace the activity from direct mail. DTC's long-term growth has been fueled by consistent innovation and brand awareness. Additionally, the DTC division provides valuable support to our agency business through brand impressions and inquires that may lead to sales in our exclusive agency channels. New initiatives are continuously introduced to help increase response rates, issue rates, and create a seamless customer experience. The juvenile market is an important source of sales as well as a vehicle to reach the parent and grandparent market of juvenile policyholders, who are more likely to respond favorably to a solicitation for life insurance.

It is also a vehicle to reach the parents and grandparents of juvenile policyholders, who are more likely to respond favorably to a seamless customer experience solicitation for life coverage on themselves in comparison to the general adult population. Also, future offerings to juvenile policyholders and their parents are sources of lower acquisition-cost life insurance sales in the future.

DTC net sales declined 9% to $106 million in 2024 compared with $116 million for the same period a year ago. This decline is due primarily to the management of costs relative to direct mail and mailing insert marketing activity as a result of inflation related to postage, paper, and online advertising costs. While total sales have declined, the focus has been on improving profitability and improving the underwriting margin. In 2024, DTC’s underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 29% compared with 24% in 2023.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The Liberty National Division markets individual life insurance to middle-income household and worksite customers. Recent investments in new sales technologies as well as recent growth in middle management within the agency are expected to support increased sales. The underwriting margin as a percent of premium was 38% in 2024, compared with 33% in 2023. The increase is primarily attributable to increased premiums and lower policy obligations as a percent of premium during the year compared with the same year ago period. In 2024, the average monthly life premium issued per policy was $43 as compared to $44 in 2023. Net sales rose 3% in 2024 over the same period in 2023 due primarily to increased agent count.

Below is the average producing agent count as of the indicated periods for the Liberty National Division. The average producing agent count is based on the actual count at the beginning and end of each week during the year.

2024202320222024 Change%2023 Change%
Liberty National3,6643,2292,7754351345416

The Liberty National Division average producing agent count increased significantly compared with the prior-year comparable periods. We continue to execute our long-term plan to grow this agency through expansion from small-town markets in the Southeast to more densely populated areas with larger pools of potential agent recruits and customers as we serve communities, regions, and cities. Continued expansion of this Division’s presence in larger geographic cities, with less penetrated areas will help create long-term sustainable agency growth. Additionally, the Division continues to help improve the ability of agents to develop new worksite marketing business. Systems that have been put in place, including the addition of a CRM platform and enhanced analytical capabilities, have helped the agents develop additional worksite marketing opportunities as well as improve the productivity of agents selling in the individual life market. As the Division continues to gain momentum in its sales and recruiting initiatives, as well as advances in its technology and CRM platform, the Division anticipates continued growth in recruiting activity, average producing agent count and net sales.

The Other agency distribution channels primarily include non-exclusive independent agencies selling primarily life insurance. The other distribution channels contributed $204 million of life premium income, or 6% of Globe Life's total life premium income in 2024, and contributed 2% of net sales for the year.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance sold by the Company primarily includes Medicare Supplement insurance including retiree health insurance business, accident coverage, and other limited-benefit supplemental health products including cancer, critical illness, heart disease, intensive care, and other health products.

Health premium accounted for 30% of our total premium in 2024, while the health underwriting margin accounted for 22% of total underwriting margin. Health underwriting margin declined to $372 million compared to $378 million in the prior year. While the Company continues to emphasize life insurance sales relative to health due to life’s superior long-term profitability and its greater contribution to excess investment income, the health business provides a significant contribution to return on equity as it does not require a substantial amount of up-front capital.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The following table presents the summary of health insurance results. Further discussion of the results by distribution channel is included below.

Health Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Amount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremium
Premium$1,404,925100$1,318,773100$1,282,417100
Policy obligations851,57761776,36259752,86659
Required interest on reserves(110,342)(8)(106,516)(8)(102,315)(8)
Net policy obligations741,23553669,84651650,55151
Amortization of acquisition costs52,224350,598448,1854
Commission expense158,86911150,19211145,18511
Premium taxes28,421226,440224,6532
Non-deferred acquisition costs51,753443,760336,7063
Total expense1,032,50273940,83671905,28071
Insurance underwriting margin$372,42327$377,93729$377,13729

Net policy obligations amounted to 53% of premium in 2024 compared to 51% in both 2023 and 2022. This increase was primarily due to the assumptions review of lapses and morbidity resulting in a remeasurement loss of $10.5 million compared to a remeasurement gain of $5.2 million and $10.7 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Refer to Note 6—Policy Liabilities for further discussion of the Company's annual assumptions review.

The table below summarizes health underwriting margin by distribution channel for the last three years.

Health Insurance

Underwriting Margin by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Amount% of PremiumAmount% of PremiumAmount% of Premium
United American$47,9648$57,34411$62,69512
Family Heritage146,47834135,69134124,93634
Liberty National106,03356105,31756107,66257
American Income67,9125574,6686274,55164
Direct to Consumer4,03664,91777,29310
Total$372,42327$377,93729$377,13729

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The following table presents Globe Life's health premium by distribution channel for the last three years.

Health Insurance

Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$591,77442$545,72342$539,87442
Family Heritage427,65430396,20930366,82029
Liberty National190,38114187,93414187,24115
American Income123,1239120,3329117,3539
Direct to Consumer71,993568,575571,1295
Total$1,404,925100$1,318,773100$1,282,417100

Premium related to limited-benefit supplemental health products comprise $786 million, or 56%, of the total health premiums for 2024 compared with $743 million, or 56%, in 2023. Premium from Medicare Supplement products comprises the remaining $619 million, or 44%, for 2024 compared with $576 million, or 44%, in 2023.

Annualized health premium in force was $1.48 billion at December 31, 2024, an increase of 7% from $1.39 billion a year earlier.

Presented below is a table of health net sales, an indicator of new business production, by distribution channel for each of the last three years.

Health Insurance

Net Sales by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$80,29633$72,20832$58,60131
Family Heritage105,6234396,0934382,52943
Liberty National33,0011333,1551528,91615
American Income21,103918,124817,5559
Direct to Consumer5,00423,99323,8252
Total$245,027100$223,573100$191,426100

Health net sales related to limited-benefit supplemental health products, comprise $175 million, or 71%, of the total health net sales for 2024 compared with $161 million, or 72%, in 2023. Medicare Supplement sales make up the remaining $70 million, or 29%, for 2024 compared with $63 million, or 28%, in 2023.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The following table discloses first-year collected health premium by distribution channel for the last three years.

Health Insurance

First-Year Collected Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$87,19040$66,00236$64,41039
Family Heritage79,9343672,3623960,69936
Liberty National28,1141325,6081422,41513
American Income19,740917,633917,29410
Direct to Consumer4,06423,68323,1152
Total$219,042100$185,288100$167,933100

First-year collected premium related to limited-benefit supplemental health plans comprise $155 million, or 71% of total first-year collected premium for 2024 compared with $133 million, or 72%, in 2023. First-year collected premium from Medicare Supplement policies make up the remaining $64 million, or 29%, for 2024 compared with $52 million, or 28%, in 2023.

A discussion of health operations by distribution channel follows.

The United American Division consists of non-exclusive independent agencies and brokers who may also sell for other companies. The United American Division was Globe Life's largest health agency in terms of health premium income, with net sales up 11% from the same period in the prior year.

This Division includes three different units:

•UA General Agency, which primarily sells individual Medicare Supplement insurance through independent agents;

•Special Markets, which markets retiree health insurance to employer and union groups through brokers; and

•Globe Life Group Benefits, which offers group worksite supplemental health insurance through brokers.

The majority of the premium revenue comes from Medicare Supplement. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium for the Division was 8% in 2024, declining due to increased claims utilization, 11% in 2023, and 12% in 2022.

The Family Heritage Division primarily markets individual limited-benefit supplemental health insurance in small to medium sized businesses. Most of its policies include a cash-back feature, such as a return of premium, where any excess of premiums over claims paid is returned to the policyholder at the end of a specified period stated within the insurance policy. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium was 34% in 2024, the same as in 2023 and 2022.

The division experienced a 10% rise in health net sales in 2024 as compared with 2023, primarily due to an increase in producing agents and improved agent productivity and training. The Division will continue to implement incentive and retention programs to further increases in the number of producing agents.

The average producing agent count was up 5% compared with the same period a year ago. The Division has recently increased efforts to grow agency middle management, which also positively impacts average producing agent count. While growth in net sales and earned premium is impacted by agent productivity, growth in the number of average producing agents is the primary driver of future growth in sales, similar to other exclusive agencies.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Below is the average producing agent count as of the indicated periods for the Family Heritage Division. The average producing agent count is based on the actual count at the beginning and end of each week during the year.

2024202320222024 Change%2023 Change%
Family Heritage1,3991,3341,21065512410

The Liberty National Division represented 14% of all Globe Life health premium income in 2024. The Liberty National Division markets limited-benefit supplemental health products, consisting primarily of cancer and critical illness insurance. Much of Liberty National’s health business is generated through worksite marketing targeting small businesses. Health premium at the Liberty National Division was $190 million in 2024 up from $188 million in 2023. Liberty National's first-year collected premium increased 10% to $28 million in 2024 compared with $26 million in 2023. Health net sales is slightly lower in 2024 as compared to 2023. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium was 56% in 2024 and 2023.

While both the American Income Life Division and the Direct to Consumer Division sell life insurance, they also market health products. The American Income Life Division primarily markets accident plans. The Direct to Consumer Division primarily markets Medicare Supplements to employer or union-sponsored groups. On a combined basis, these other channels accounted for 14% of health premium in 2024 and 2023.

INVESTMENTS

We manage our capital resources, including investments and cash flow, through the investment segment. Excess investment income represents the profit margin attributable to investment operations and is the measure that we use to evaluate the performance of the investment segment as described in Note 15—Business Segments. It is defined as net investment income less the required interest attributable to policy liabilities.

Management also views excess investment income per diluted common share as an important and useful measure to evaluate the performance of the investment segment. It is defined as excess investment income divided by the total diluted weighted average shares outstanding, representing the contribution by the investment segment to the consolidated earnings per share of the Company. As excess investment income per diluted common share incorporates all invested assets and insurance liabilities, we view excess investment income per diluted common share as a useful measure to evaluate the investment segment.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Excess Investment Income. The following table summarizes Globe Life's investment income, excess investment income, and excess investment income per diluted common share.

Analysis of Excess Investment Income

(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

202420232022
Net investment income$1,135,631$1,056,884$991,800
Interest on policy liabilities(1)(971,227)(926,502)(887,211)
Excess investment income$164,404$130,382$104,589
Excess investment income per diluted common share$1.83$1.35$1.06
Mean invested assets (at amortized cost)$21,337,531$20,411,093$19,714,027
Average insurance policy liabilities17,527,85716,772,86116,060,240

(1)Interest on policy liabilities, at original rates, is a component of total policyholder benefits, a GAAP measure.

Excess investment income increased $34 million, or 26%, in 2024 when compared with 2023. In 2023, excess investment income increased $26 million, or 25%, when compared with 2022. Excess investment income per diluted common share was $1.83 during 2024, an increase of 36% over the prior-year period ended 2023. Excess investment income per diluted common share was $1.35 during 2023, an increase of 27% over the period ended 2022. Excess investment income per diluted common share generally increases at a faster pace than excess investment income because the number of diluted shares outstanding generally decreases from year to year as a result of our share repurchase program.

Net investment income increased at a compound annual growth rate of 6% over the three years ending 2024. Mean invested assets increased at a compound annual growth rate of 4% during the same period. The effective annual yield rate earned on the fixed maturity portfolio was 5.26% in 2024, compared with 5.20% in 2023. Generally, investment income grows at a slower rate than the assets when the yield on new investments is lower than the yield on dispositions or the average portfolio yield. It also increases at a faster rate than the assets when new investment yields exceed the yield on dispositions or the average portfolio yield. Investment income grew in the current period due to the growth in invested assets and the higher yields on new investments relative to the yield on dispositions and average portfolio yield. In addition to fixed maturities, the Company has also invested in commercial mortgage loans and limited partnerships with debt-like characteristics that diversify risk and enhance risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns on the portfolio. The earned yield on the Company's commercial mortgage loans for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 8.04%. The earned yield on limited partnership investments for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 8.42%. See additional information in Note 4—Investments. The following chart presents the growth in net investment income and the growth in mean invested assets.

202420232022
Growth in net investment income7.5%6.6%3.7%
Growth in mean invested assets (at amortized cost)4.5%3.5%4.1%

Globe Life's net investment income benefits from higher interest rates on new investments. While increasing interest rates have resulted in a net unrealized loss from our available for sale debt securities included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as of December 31, 2024, we are not concerned because we do not generally intend to sell, nor is it likely that we will be required to sell, fixed maturity investments prior to their anticipated recovery.

Required interest on insurance policy liabilities reduces excess investment income, as it is the amount of net investment income considered by management necessary to cover the interest-related growth on insurance policy liabilities. As such, it is reclassified from the insurance segment to the investment segment. As discussed in Note 15—Business Segments, management regards this as a more meaningful analysis of the investment and insurance segments. Required interest is based on the original discount rate assumptions for our insurance policies in force.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The vast majority of our life and health insurance policies are fixed interest rate protection policies, not investment products, and are accounted for under current GAAP accounting guidance for long-duration insurance products which mandate that interest rate assumptions for a particular block of business be “locked in” for the life of that block of business. Each calendar year, we set the original discount rate to be used to calculate the benefit reserve liability for all insurance policies issued that year. The liability reported on the balance sheet is updated in subsequent periods using current discount rates as of the end of the relevant reporting period with a corresponding adjustment to Other Comprehensive Income.

The discount rate used for policies issued in the current year has no impact on the in-force policies issued in prior years as the rates of all prior issue years are also locked in for purposes of recognizing income. As such, the overall original discount rate for the entire in-force block of 5.5% is a weighted average of the discount rates being used from all issue years. Changes in the overall weighted-average discount rate over time are caused by changes in the mix of the reserves on the entire block of in force business. Business issued in the current year has little impact on the overall weighted-average original discount rate due to the size of our in-force business.

Information about interest on policy liabilities is shown in the following table.

Required Interest on Insurance Policy Liabilities

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

RequiredInterestAverage NetInsurancePolicy LiabilitiesAverageDiscountRate(1)
2024:
Life and Health$921,489$16,502,1335.6%
Annuity28,769640,5064.5
FHLB Funding Agreement16,525295,0895.6
Deposit Funds4,44490,1294.9
Total$971,227$17,527,8575.5
Increase in 20244.8%4.5%
2023:
Life and Health$879,217$15,739,4235.6%
Annuity38,224861,6764.4
FHLB Funding Agreement4,53679,0365.7
Deposit Funds4,52592,7264.9
Total$926,502$16,772,8615.5
Increase in 20234.4%4.4%
2022:
Life and Health$838,003$14,957,7285.6%
Annuity44,8361,007,0084.5
FHLB Funding Agreement712,6922.6
Deposit Funds4,30192,8124.6
Total$887,211$16,060,2405.5

(1)    Reflects the average discount rate applicable to the current period, which is used to accrue interest on the insurance policy liabilities for each of the years presented.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Realized Gains and Losses. Our life and health insurance companies collect premium income from policyholders for the eventual payment of policyholder benefits, sometimes paid many years or even decades in the future. Since benefits are expected to be paid in future periods, premium receipts in excess of current expenses are invested to provide for these obligations. For this reason, we hold a significant investment portfolio as a part of our core insurance operations. This portfolio consists primarily of high-quality fixed maturities containing an adequate yield to provide for the cost of carrying these long-term insurance product obligations. As a result, fixed maturities are generally held for long periods to support these obligations. Expected yields on these investments are taken into account when setting insurance premium rates and product profitability expectations.

Despite our intent to hold fixed maturity investments for a long period of time, investments are occasionally sold, exchanged, called, or experience a credit loss event, resulting in a realized gain or loss. Gains or losses are only secondary to our core insurance operations of providing insurance coverage to policyholders. In a bond exchange offer, bondholders may consent to exchange their existing bonds for another class of debt securities. The Company also has investments in certain limited partnerships, held under the fair value option, with fair value changes recognized in Realized gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Realized gains and losses can be significant in relation to the earnings from core insurance operations, and as a result, can have a material positive or negative impact on net income. The significant fluctuations caused by gains and losses can cause period-to-period trends of net income that are not indicative of historical core operating results or predictive of the future trends of core operations. Accordingly, they have no bearing on core insurance operations or segment results as we view operations. For these reasons, and in line with industry practice, we remove the effects of realized gains and losses when evaluating overall insurance operating results.

The following table summarizes our tax-effected realized gains (losses) by component for each of the three years ended December 31, 2024.

Analysis of Realized Gains (Losses), Net of Tax

(Dollar amounts in thousands, except for per share data)

Year Ended December 31,
202420232022
AmountPerShareAmountPer ShareAmountPer Share
Fixed maturities:
Sales(3)$(9,290)$(0.10)$(59,463)$(0.62)$(44,792)$(0.45)
Matured or other redemptions(1)155(1,604)(0.02)19,0760.19
Provision for credit losses(2,590)(0.03)(5,621)(0.06)306
Fair value option—change in fair value(13,206)(0.15)11,9310.12(23,189)(0.23)
Mortgages(3,138)(0.04)(4,427)(0.04)(761)(0.01)
Other investments2,3190.031,4150.023,6990.04
Total realized investment gains (losses)—investments(25,750)(0.29)(57,769)(0.60)(45,661)(0.46)
Other gains (losses)(2)6,6420.085,8850.06(14,812)(0.15)
Total realized gains (losses)$(19,108)$(0.21)$(51,884)$(0.54)$(60,473)$(0.61)

(1)During the three years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, the Company recorded $105.6 million, $50.9 million, and $147.6 million, respectively, of exchanges of fixed maturity securities (noncash transactions) that resulted in $0, $(1.5) million, and $1.5 million, respectively, in realized gains (losses), net of tax.

(2)Other realized gains (losses) are primarily a result of changes in the fair value for assets held in rabbi trust.

(3)During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company incurred a $52 million after-tax realized loss due to the disposal of holdings in Signature Bank New York and First Republic Bank as a result of the banks entering receivership.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Investment Acquisitions. Globe Life's investment policy calls for investing primarily in investment grade fixed maturities that meet our quality and yield objectives. We generally invest in securities with longer-term maturities because they more closely match the long-term nature of our life and health policy liabilities. We believe this strategy is appropriate since our expected future cash flows are generally stable and predictable and the likelihood that we will need to sell invested assets to raise cash is low.

The following table summarizes selected information for fixed maturity investments. The effective annual yield shown is based on the acquisition price and call features, if any, of the securities. For non-callable bonds, the yield is calculated to maturity date. For callable bonds acquired at a premium, the yield is calculated to the earliest known call date and call price after acquisition ("first call date"). For all other callable bonds, the yield is calculated to maturity date.

Fixed Maturity Acquisitions Selected Information

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
202420232022
Cost of acquisitions:
Investment-grade corporate securities$1,258,203$967,588$812,697
Investment-grade municipal securities94,658572,654599,946
Other securities29,5777,577
Total fixed maturity acquisitions(1)$1,382,438$1,540,242$1,420,220
Effective annual yield (one year compounded)(2)5.93%6.13%5.18%
Average life (in years, to next call)29.418.013.5
Average life (in years, to maturity)33.324.822.8
Average ratingA-AA

(1)Fixed maturity acquisitions included unsettled trades of $3.2 million in 2024, $3.8 million in 2023, and $0 in 2022.

(2)Tax-equivalent basis, where the yield on tax-exempt securities is adjusted to produce a yield equivalent to the pretax yield on taxable securities.

For investments in callable bonds, the actual life of the investment will depend on whether the issuer calls the investment prior to the maturity date. Given our investments in callable bonds, the actual average life of our investments cannot be known at the time of the investment. Absent sales and "make-whole calls," however, the average life will not be less than the average life to next call and will not exceed the average life to maturity. Data for both of these average life measures is provided in the above chart.

During 2024 and 2023, acquisitions consisted primarily of corporate and municipal bonds with securities spanning a diversified range of issuers, industry sectors, and geographical regions. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we invested primarily in the industrial, financial, and utility sectors. For the entire portfolio, the taxable equivalent effective yield earned was 5.26%, up approximately 6 basis points from the yield in 2023. The increase in taxable equivalent effective yield was primarily due to new purchase yields exceeding the yield on dispositions and the average portfolio yield.

New cash flow available for investment has been primarily provided through our insurance operations, cash received on existing investments, and proceeds from dispositions. Dispositions of fixed maturities were $1.42 billion in 2024 and $853 million in 2023. Dispositions in 2024 included $462 million related to a coinsurance agreement to cede a majority of annuity business to a third-party insurer. Refer to Note—1 Significant Accounting Policies for further information.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

In addition to the fixed maturity acquisitions, Globe Life invested in commercial mortgage loans and in other long-term investments. Other long-term investments primarily consist of investment funds. See Note—4 Investments for further discussion.

The following table summarizes Globe Life's other investment acquisitions of the following assets.

Other Investment Acquisitions

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
20242023
Limited partnerships$238,812$142,308
Commercial mortgage loans174,517158,823
Common stock19,86910,257
Convertible notes2,8503,950
Company-owned life insurance200,000
Total$636,048$315,338

Since fixed maturities represent such a significant portion of our investment portfolio, 89% of total amortized cost net of allowance for credit losses at December 31, 2024, the remainder of the discussion of portfolio composition will focus on fixed maturities. Selected information concerning the fixed maturity portfolio is as follows:

Fixed Maturity Portfolio Selected Information

At December 31,
20242023
Average annual effective yield(1)5.25%5.23%
Average life, in years, to:
Next call(2)15.114.6
Maturity(2)19.318.6
Effective duration to:
Next call(2,3)8.89.0
Maturity(2,3)10.610.7

(1)Tax-equivalent basis. The yield on tax-exempt securities is adjusted to produce a yield equivalent to the pretax yield on taxable securities.

(2)Globe Life calculates the average life and duration of the fixed maturity portfolio two ways:

(a) based on the next call date which is the next call date for callable bonds and the maturity date for noncallable bonds; and

(b) based on the maturity date of all bonds, whether callable or not.

(3)Effective duration is a measure of the price sensitivity of a fixed-income security to a 1% change in interest rates.

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Credit Risk Sensitivity. The following tables summarize certain information about the major corporate sectors and security types held in our fixed maturity portfolio at December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Fixed Maturities by Sector

December 31, 2024

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Below Investment GradeTotal Fixed Maturities% of Total Fixed Maturities
Amortized Cost, netGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAmortized Cost, netGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAt Amortized Cost, netAt Fair Value
Corporates:
Financial
Insurance - life, health, P&C$38,584$32$(7,801)$30,815$2,817,161$49,928$(206,943)$2,660,1461515
Banks65,718254(3,506)62,4661,026,36717,023(59,795)983,59566
Other financial74,973(14,917)60,0561,162,84715,647(146,305)1,032,18966
Total financial179,275286(26,224)153,3375,006,37582,598(413,043)4,675,9302727
Industrial
Energy44,580(5,410)39,1701,318,50133,825(77,700)1,274,62677
Basic materials1,147,93220,121(91,699)1,076,35466
Consumer, non-cyclical640(3)6372,087,18111,222(255,241)1,843,1621111
Other industrials25,000(4,796)20,2041,089,11814,847(108,283)995,68266
Communications832,35512,085(90,817)753,62344
Transportation572,8299,800(38,953)543,67633
Consumer. cyclical128,674331(28,378)100,627492,6533,113(75,592)420,17433
Technology50,278(2,419)47,859341,407597(67,045)274,95922
Total industrial249,172331(41,006)208,4977,881,976105,610(805,330)7,182,2564242
Utilities58,99622(6,797)52,2212,081,36639,716(118,007)2,003,0751112
Total corporates487,443639(74,027)414,05514,969,717227,924(1,336,380)13,861,2618081
States, municipalities, and political divisions:
General obligations909,7653,695(177,021)736,43954
Revenues2,391,13616,967(357,738)2,050,3651312
Total states, municipalities, and political divisions3,300,90120,662(534,759)2,786,8041816
Other fixed maturities:
Government (U.S. and foreign)438,63619(51,664)386,99122
Collateralized debt obligations36,9235,94342,86636,9235,94342,866
Other asset-backed securities4,754104,76479,23739(2,186)77,0901
Total fixed maturities$529,120$6,592$(74,027)$461,685$18,825,414$254,587$(1,924,989)$17,155,012100100

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Fixed Maturities by Sector

December 31, 2023

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Below Investment GradeTotal Fixed Maturities% of Total Fixed Maturities
Amortized CostGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAmortized CostGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAt Amortized Cost, netAt Fair Value
Corporates:
Financial
Insurance - life, health, P&C$107,010$$(12,472)$94,538$2,413,685$61,715$(163,455)$2,311,9451313
Banks36,906(4,401)32,5051,327,27225,019(71,714)1,280,57777
Other financial74,965(25,255)49,7101,287,19425,634(153,171)1,159,65777
Total financial218,881(42,128)176,7535,028,151112,368(388,340)4,752,1792727
Industrial
Energy44,652(7,481)37,1711,446,48058,637(62,324)1,442,79388
Basic materials1,166,38539,248(64,501)1,141,13266
Consumer, non-cyclical2,096,65132,071(160,828)1,967,8941111
Other industrials5,1851105,2951,101,05932,541(78,817)1,054,78366
Communications868,13121,006(73,323)815,81445
Transportation8,403(415)7,988534,46821,113(24,649)530,93233
Consumer. cyclical136,343(25,059)111,284515,1694,941(57,735)462,37533
Technology32,54362533,168280,6683,521(44,670)239,51911
Total industrial227,126735(32,955)194,9068,009,011213,078(566,847)7,655,2424243
Utilities34,698722(1,523)33,8972,017,96773,925(94,130)1,997,7621111
Total corporates480,7051,457(76,606)405,55615,055,129399,371(1,049,317)14,405,1838081
States, municipalities, and political divisions:
General obligations887,0138,526(135,003)760,53644
Revenues2,409,29238,820(268,326)2,179,7861312
Total states, municipalities, and political divisions3,296,30547,346(403,329)2,940,3221716
Other fixed maturities:
Government (U.S., municipal, and foreign)442,9038(42,654)400,25722
Collateralized debt obligations37,1105,03642,14637,1105,03642,146
Other asset-backed securities11,696(409)11,28786,3523(4,057)82,29811
Total fixed maturities$529,511$6,493$(77,015)$458,989$18,917,799$451,764$(1,499,357)$17,870,206100100

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Corporate securities, which consist of bonds and redeemable preferred stocks, were the largest component of the fixed maturity portfolio as of December 31, 2024, representing 80% of amortized cost, net, and 81% of fair value. The remainder of the portfolio is invested primarily in securities issued by the U.S. government and U.S. municipalities. The Company holds insignificant amounts in foreign government bonds, collateralized debt obligations, asset-backed securities, and mortgage-backed securities. Corporate securities are diversified over a variety of industry sectors and issuers. At December 31, 2024, the total fixed maturity portfolio consisted of 1,014 issuers.

Fixed maturities had a fair value of $17.2 billion at December 31, 2024, compared with $17.9 billion at December 31, 2023. The net unrealized loss position in the fixed-maturity portfolio increased from $1.0 billion at December 31, 2023 to $1.7 billion at December 31, 2024 due to an increase in market rates during the period.

For more information about our fixed maturity portfolio by component at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, including a discussion of allowance for credit losses, an analysis of unrealized investment losses, and a schedule of maturities, see Note 4—Investments.

An analysis of the fixed maturity portfolio by composite quality rating at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, is shown in the following tables. The company uses the NAIC designation for credit quality ratings. The NAIC designation is generally determined using the second lowest rating available from nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSRO”) when 3 or more ratings are available and the lowest rating when 2 or fewer rating are available. When NRSRO ratings are unavailable the rating may be assigned by the Securities Valuation Office (“SVO”) of the NAIC.

Fixed Maturities by Rating

At December 31, 2024

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Amortized Cost, net% of TotalFair Value% of TotalAverage Composite Quality Rating on Amortized Cost, net
Investment grade:
AAA$968,2205$855,1655
AA3,225,044172,691,90815
A5,508,446295,147,20330
BBB+3,267,101173,040,31318
BBB4,087,323223,799,69622
BBB-1,240,16071,159,0427
Total investment grade18,296,2949716,693,32797A-
Below investment grade:
BB397,8232349,0282
B92,176167,5931
Below B39,12145,064
Total below investment grade529,1203461,6853BB-
$18,825,414100$17,155,012100
Weighted average composite quality ratingA-

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Fixed Maturities by Rating

At December 31, 2023

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Amortized Cost, net% of TotalFairValue% of TotalAverage Composite Quality Rating on Amortized Cost
Investment grade:
AAA$952,8225$880,7295
AA3,179,618172,789,62615
A5,118,085274,976,28028
BBB+3,615,102193,495,89819
BBB4,278,786234,056,83323
BBB-1,243,87561,211,8517
Total investment grade18,388,2889717,411,21797A-
Below investment grade:
BB450,5033376,9123
B37,89635,929
Below B41,11246,148
Total below investment grade529,5113458,9893BB
$18,917,799100$17,870,206100
Weighted average composite quality ratingA-

The overall quality rating of the portfolio is A-, the same as of year end 2023. Fixed maturities rated BBB are 46% of the total portfolio at December 31, 2024, down from 48% at December 31, 2023. While this ratio is high relative to our peers, it is at its lowest level since 2007 and we have limited exposure to higher-risk assets such as derivatives, equities, and asset-backed securities. Additionally, the Company does not participate in securities lending and has no off-balance sheet investments as of December 31, 2024. Of our fixed maturity purchases, BBB securities generally provide the Company with the best risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns largely due to our ability to hold securities to maturity regardless of fluctuations in interest rates or equity markets.

An analysis of changes in our portfolio of below-investment grade fixed maturities at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses is as follows:

Below-Investment Grade Fixed Maturities

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
20242023
Balance at beginning of period$529,511$542,497
Downgrades by rating agencies101,018117,731
Upgrades by rating agencies(76,754)(32,540)
Dispositions(40,907)(95,060)
Acquisitions20,292
Provision for credit losses(3,280)(6,811)
Amortization and other(760)3,694
Balance at end of period$529,120$529,511

Our investment policy calls for investing primarily in fixed maturities that are investment grade and meet our quality and yield objectives. Thus, the balance of below-investment grade issues is primarily the result of ratings

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

downgrades of existing holdings. Below-investment grade bonds at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses, were 3% of total fixed maturities at amortized cost as of December 31, 2024. Globe Life invests long term and as such, one of our key criterion in our investment process is to select issuers that are anticipated to weather multiple financial cycles.

OPERATING EXPENSES

Operating expenses are classified into two categories: insurance administrative expenses and expenses of the Parent Company. Insurance administrative expenses generally include expenses incurred after a policy has been issued. As these expenses relate to premium for a given period, management measures the expenses as a percentage of premium income. The Company also views stock-based compensation expense as a Parent Company expense. Expenses associated with the issuance of our insurance policies are reflected as acquisition expenses and included in the determination of underwriting margin.

The following table is an analysis of operating expenses for the three years ended December 31, 2024.

Operating Expenses Selected Information

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Amount% of PremiumAmount% of PremiumAmount% of Premium
Insurance administrative expenses:
Salaries$129,3692.8$119,6992.7$129,7113.0
Other employee costs36,1760.835,9050.842,3191.0
Information technology costs80,5551.764,9981.555,5261.3
Legal costs30,4780.615,3350.312,0560.2
Other administrative costs65,8521.465,2241.559,7291.4
Total insurance administrative expenses342,4307.3301,1616.8299,3416.9
Parent company expense12,40010,86611,156
Stock compensation expense40,11830,73635,650
Legal proceedings21,5759002,496
Non-operating expenses2,6204,1705,311
Total operating expenses, per Consolidated Statements of Operations$419,143$347,833$353,954
202420232022
Amount%Amount%Amount%
Total insurance administrative expenses increase (decrease) over prior year$41,26913.7$1,8200.6$27,71010.2
Total operating expenses increase (decrease) over prior year71,31020.5(6,121)(1.7)31,9259.9

Total operating expenses for December 31, 2024 increased in comparison with the prior year primarily due to increases in insurance administrative expenses as well as stock compensation and legal proceedings. Insurance administrative expenses increased $41.3 million primarily due to higher information technology costs, legal costs including compliance and security and employee costs, which includes salaries and other. Insurance administrative expenses as a percent of premium were 7.3% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 6.8% for the same period in 2023.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

SHARE REPURCHASES

Globe Life has an ongoing share repurchase program that began in 1986. The share repurchase program is reviewed with the Board of Directors by management quarterly, and continues indefinitely unless and until the Board of Directors decides to suspend, terminate or modify the program. On November 18, 2024, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $1.8 billion under the Company's existing share repurchase program. Management generally determines the amount of repurchases based on the amount of the excess cash flows and other available sources after the payment of dividends to the Parent Company shareholders, general market conditions, and other alternative uses. Since implementing our share repurchase program in 1986, we have used $10.3 billion to repurchase Globe Life Inc. common shares after determining that the repurchases provide a greater risk-adjusted after-tax return than other investment alternatives.

Excess cash flow at the Parent Company is primarily comprised of dividends received from the insurance subsidiaries less interest expense paid on its debt and other limited operating activities. Additionally, when stock options are exercised, proceeds from these exercises and the resulting tax benefit are used to repurchase additional shares on the open market to minimize dilution as a result of the option exercises.

The following table summarizes share repurchases for each of the last three years.

Analysis of Share Purchases

(Amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Purchases with:SharesAmountSharesAmountSharesAmount
Excess cash flow at the Parent Company(1)10,086$945,6373,369$380,1033,322$335,145
Option exercise proceeds50148,0261,080127,1551,103119,493
Total10,587$993,6634,449$507,2584,425$454,638

(1)Excludes excise tax on the repurchase of treasury stock of $8 million in 2024, $4 million in 2023, and $0 in 2022.

During 2024, the amount of share repurchases was higher as we accelerated repurchases given favorable market conditions and the use of additional capital raised during the year. Refer to Note 12—Debt for further details. Throughout the remainder of this discussion, share repurchases will only refer to those made from excess cash flow at the Parent Company and exclude anti-dilutive share repurchases related to stock options exercised.

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Liquidity. Liquidity provides Globe Life with the ability to meet on demand the cash commitments required to support our business operations and meet our financial obligations. Our liquidity is primarily derived from multiple sources: positive cash flow from operations, a portfolio of marketable securities, a revolving credit facility, commercial paper, and advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank.

Insurance Subsidiary Liquidity. The operations of our insurance subsidiaries have historically generated substantial cash inflows in excess of immediate cash needs. Cash inflows for the insurance subsidiaries primarily include premium and investment income. In addition to investment income, maturities and scheduled repayments in the investment portfolio are cash inflows. Cash outflows from operations include policy benefit payments, commissions, administrative expenses, and taxes. A portion of cash inflows in the current year will provide for the payment of future policy benefits and are invested primarily in long-term fixed maturities as they better match the long-term nature of these obligations. Excess cash available from the insurance subsidiaries’ operations is generally distributed as a dividend to the Parent Company, subject to regulatory restrictions. The dividends are generally paid in amounts equal to the subsidiaries’ prior year statutory net income excluding realized capital gains. While the insurance subsidiaries annually generate more operating cash inflows than cash outflows, the companies also have the entire available-for-sale fixed maturity investment portfolio available to create additional cash flows if required.

Four of our insurance subsidiaries are members of the FHLB of Dallas. FHLB membership provides the insurance subsidiaries with access to various low-cost collateralized borrowings and funding agreements. While not the only

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source of liquidity, the FHLB could provide the insurance subsidiaries with an additional source of liquidity, if needed. Refer to Note 12—Debt for further details.

Parent Company Liquidity. An important source of Parent Company liquidity is the dividends from its insurance subsidiaries. These dividends are received throughout the year and are used by the Parent Company to pay dividends on common and preferred stock, interest and principal repayment requirements on Parent Company debt, and operating expenses of the Parent Company.

Year Ended December 31,
(Amounts in Thousands)
Projected 2025202420232022
Liquidity Sources:
Dividends from Subsidiaries$724,000$692,690$459,535$407,042
Excess Cash Flows(1)810,000455,013416,081358,981

(1)Excess cash flows are reported gross of shareholder dividends. For the year ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, shareholder dividends were $85 million, $84 million, and $81 million, respectively.

For more information on the restrictions on the payment of dividends by subsidiaries, see the Restrictions section of Note 13—Shareholders' Equity. Although these restrictions exist, dividend availability from subsidiaries historically has been more than sufficient for the cash flow needs of the Parent Company.

Dividends from subsidiaries and excess cash flows are projected to be higher in 2025 than in 2024 primarily due to improved earnings from favorable mortality trends and growth in business, as well as positive impacts from lower reserve increases under statutory accounting impacting the 2024 statutory earnings that derive the 2025 dividends. Additional sources of liquidity for the Parent Company are cash, intercompany receivables, intercompany borrowings, public debt markets, term loans, and a revolving credit facility. See Schedule II for more information. The credit facility is discussed below.

Short-Term Borrowings. An additional source of Parent Company liquidity is a credit facility with a group of lenders. The facility was amended on March 29, 2024, resulting in an increased capacity of $250 million. The facility allows for unsecured borrowings and stand-by letters of credit up to $1 billion, which could be increased up to $1.25 billion. While the Parent Company may request the increase, it is not guaranteed. The updated five-year credit agreement will mature on March 29, 2029. Up to $250 million in letters of credit can be issued against the facility. The facility serves as a back-up line of credit for a commercial paper program under which commercial paper may be issued at any time, with total commercial paper outstanding not to exceed the facility maximum less any letters of credit issued. Interest charged on the commercial paper program resembles variable rate debt due to its short term nature. As of December 31, 2024, we had available $466 million of additional borrowing capacity under this facility, compared with $316 million a year earlier. Globe Life has consistently been able to issue commercial paper as needed during the three years ended December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2024, the Parent Company was in full compliance with all covenants related to the aforementioned debt.

As a part of the credit facility, Globe Life has stand-by letters of credit. These letters are issued among our insurance subsidiaries, one of which is an offshore captive reinsurer, and have no impact on company obligations as a whole. Any future regulatory changes that restrict the use of off-shore captive reinsurers might require Globe Life to obtain third-party financing, which could cause an increase in financing costs. On March 29, 2023, the letters of credit were amended to reduce the amount outstanding from $125 million to $115 million. The outstanding letters of credit remained at $115 million at December 31, 2024.

Through internally generated cash flow and the credit facility the Parent Company expects to have readily available funds for 2025 and the foreseeable future to conduct its operations and to maintain target capital ratios in the insurance subsidiaries. In the unlikely event that more liquidity is needed, the Company could generate additional funds through multiple sources including, but not limited to, the issuance of debt, an additional short-term credit facility, and intercompany borrowings. Refer to Note 5—Commitments and Contingencies and the discussion surrounding the Company's obligations over the next five years. As noted above, the Parent Company had access

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

to $90 million of liquid assets available as of December 31, 2024. This liquidity is available to the Company in the event additional funds are needed to support the targeted capital levels within our insurance subsidiaries.

Consolidated Liquidity. Consolidated net cash inflows provided from operations were $1.40 billion in 2024, compared with $1.48 billion in 2023. The decrease is attributable to routine fluctuations in the settlement of operating activities. In addition to cash inflows from operations, our insurance companies received proceeds from dispositions of fixed maturities, mortgage loans, and other long-term investments in the amount of $1.52 billion in 2024. The Company sold shorter term securities and reinvested in longer term investments, extending duration and taking advantage of higher current interest rates during the year ended December 31, 2024. As noted under the caption Credit Facility in Note 12—Debt, the Parent Company has in place a revolving credit facility. The insurance companies have no additional outstanding credit facilities.

Cash and short-term investments were $250 million at the end of 2024 compared with $185 million at the end of 2023. In addition to these liquid assets, $17.2 billion (fair value at December 31, 2024) of fixed income securities are available for sale in the event of an unexpected need. Approximately $1.3 billion, at fair value, are pledged for outstanding FHLB advances and reinsurance. Further, approximately 98% of our fixed income securities are publicly traded, freely tradable under SEC Rule 144, or qualified for resale under SEC Rule 144A. While our fixed income securities are classified as available for sale, we have the ability and general intent to hold any securities to recovery or maturity. Our strong cash flows from operations, ongoing investment maturities, and available liquidity under our credit facility make any need to sell securities for liquidity highly unlikely.

Capital Resources. The Parent Company's capital structure consists of short-term debt (the commercial paper facility and current maturities of long-term debt), long-term debt, and shareholders’ equity. It does not include short-term FHLB borrowings, which are obligations of the insurance subsidiaries and typically repaid over the course of the year.

Debt: The carrying value of the long-term debt was $2.3 billion at December 31, 2024 and $1.6 billion at December 31, 2023. A complete analysis and description of long-term debt issues outstanding is presented in Note 12—Debt.

Financing costs consist primarily of interest on our various debt instruments. The table below presents the components of financing costs and reconciles interest expense per the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Analysis of Financing Costs

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202420232022
Interest on debt$77,258$72,641$80,481
Interest on term loan13,8237,684
Interest on short-term debt35,97921,9589,875
Other323339
Financing costs$127,092$102,316$90,395

In 2024, financing costs increased 24% compared with the prior year. The increase in financing costs is primarily due to higher average balances in the current year compared to the prior year. We increased durations on commercial paper issuances during 2024 due to market considerations. More information on our debt transactions is disclosed in the Financial Condition section of this report and in Note 12—Debt.

Subsidiary Capital: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has established a risk-based factor approach for determining threshold risk-based capital levels for all insurance companies. This approach was designed to assist the regulatory bodies in identifying companies that may require regulatory attention. A Risk-Based Capital (RBC) ratio is typically determined by dividing adjusted total statutory capital by the amount of risk-based capital determined using the NAIC’s factors. If a company’s RBC ratio approaches two times the RBC amount, the company must file a plan with the NAIC for improving its capital levels (this level is commonly referred to as “Company Action Level” RBC). Companies typically hold a multiple of the Company Action Level RBC depending on their particular business needs and risk profile.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Our goal is to maintain statutory capital within our insurance subsidiaries at levels necessary to support our current ratings. For 2025, Globe Life has targeted a consolidated Company Action Level RBC ratio of 300% to 320%. The Company has concluded that this capital level is more than adequate and sufficient to support its current ratings, given the nature of its business and its risk profile. For 2024, our consolidated Company Action Level RBC ratio is expected to be approximately 310%. The Parent Company is committed to maintaining the targeted consolidated RBC ratio at its insurance subsidiaries and has sufficient liquidity available to provide additional capital if necessary.

Shareholder's Equity: As noted under the caption Analysis of Share Purchases within this report, we have an ongoing share repurchase program.

Globe Life has continually increased the quarterly dividend on its common shares over the past three years.

Year Ended December 31,
Projected 2025202420232022
Quarterly dividend by annual year$0.2700$0.2400$0.2250$0.2075

Shareholders’ equity was $5.3 billion at December 31, 2024. This compares to $4.5 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $819 million or 18%. Shareholders' equity increased $537 million, or 14%, during 2023 from $3.9 billion in 2022.

During 2024, shareholders’ equity increased as a result of net income of $1.1 billion, but was offset by share repurchases of $946 million and an additional $48 million in share repurchases to offset the dilution from stock option exercises. Additionally, the balance of AOCI increased $743 million primarily due to increased interest rates and discount rates over the period. During 2023, shareholders' equity increased as a result of net income of $971 million, but was offset by share repurchases of $380 million and an additional $127 million in share repurchases to offset the dilution from stock option exercises. Additionally, the balance of AOCI increased $18 million due to increased interest rates and discount rates over the period.

We plan to use excess cash available at the Parent Company as efficiently as possible in the future. Excess cash flow, as we define it, results primarily from the dividends received by the Parent Company from its insurance subsidiaries less the interest paid on debt. The cash received by the Parent Company from our insurance subsidiaries is after they have made substantial investments during the year to grow the business. Possible uses of excess cash flow include, but are not limited to, share repurchases, acquisitions, shareholder dividend payments, investments in securities, or repayment of short-term debt. We will determine the best use of excess cash after ensuring that targeted capital levels are maintained in our insurance subsidiaries. If market conditions are favorable, we currently expect that share repurchases will continue to be a primary use of those funds.

Future policy benefits are computed using current discount rates with the impact of changes in discount rates included in accumulated other comprehensive income. Additionally, the liability for future policy benefits is calculated using net premiums rather than gross premiums. Given that gross premiums are considerably higher than net premiums for our business, as seen in Note 6—Policy Liabilities, the measurement of the liability is higher than what it would be had it been computed using gross premiums. This is an important consideration when analyzing shareholders' equity.

We maintain a significant available-for-sale fixed maturity portfolio to support our insurance policy liabilities. Current accounting guidance requires that we revalue our portfolio to fair market value at the end of each accounting period. The period-to-period changes in fair value, net of their associated impact on income tax, are reflected directly in shareholders’ equity. Changes in the fair value of the portfolio can result from changes in market rates.

While a majority of invested assets are revalued, accounting rules do not permit interest-bearing insurance policy liabilities to be valued at fair value in a consistent manner as that of assets, with changes in value applied directly to shareholders’ equity. Due to the size of our policy liabilities in relation to our shareholders’ equity, an inconsistency exists in measurement, which may have a material impact on the reported value of shareholders’ equity. Fluctuations in interest rates cause undue volatility in the period-to-period presentation of our shareholders’ equity, capital structure, and financial ratios. Due to the long-term nature of our fixed maturity investments and liabilities

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

and the strong cash flows consistently generated by our insurance subsidiaries, we have the ability to hold our securities to maturity. As such, we do not expect to incur losses due to fluctuations in market value of fixed maturities caused by market rate changes and temporarily illiquid markets. Accordingly, our management, credit rating agencies, lenders, many industry analysts, and certain other financial statement users prefer to remove the effect of this accounting rule when analyzing our balance sheet, capital structure, and financial ratios.

Financial Strength Ratings. The financial strength of our major insurance subsidiaries is rated by Standard & Poor’s and A. M. Best. The following table presents these ratings for our five largest insurance subsidiaries at December 31, 2024.

Standard & Poor’sA.M. Best
Liberty National Life Insurance CompanyAA-A
Globe Life And Accident Insurance CompanyAA-A
United American Insurance CompanyAA-A
American Income Life Insurance CompanyAA-A
Family Heritage Life Insurance Company of AmericaNRA

A.M. Best states that it assigns an A (Excellent) rating to insurance companies that have, in its opinion, an excellent ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations.

The AA financial strength rating category is assigned by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (S&P) to those insurers which have very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. The plus sign (+) or minus sign (-) shows the relative standing within the major rating category.

OTHER ITEMS

Litigation. For more information concerning litigation, please refer to Note 5—Commitments and Contingencies.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

Application of Critical Accounting Estimates. Critical accounting estimates are those estimates made in accordance with GAAP that involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on the financial condition or results of operations. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the application of accounting estimates that often involve a significant degree of judgment. Management reviews these key estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of financial statements on a timely basis. If management determines that modifications are necessary due to current facts and circumstances, the Company’s results of operations and financial position as reported in the consolidated financial statements could possibly change significantly. Information on our accounting policies is disclosed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies.

Future Policy Benefits. Considerable information concerning the policies, procedures, and other relevant data related to the valuation of our liability for future policy benefits is presented in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and Note 6—Policy Liabilities.

The liability for future policy benefits for traditional and limited-payment long duration life and health products comprises the vast majority of the total liability for future policy benefits for the Company. The liability is determined each reporting period based on the net level premium method. This method requires the liability for future policy benefits to be calculated as the present value of estimated future policyholder benefits and the related termination expenses, less the present value of estimated future net premiums to be collected from policyholders.

The Company reviews, and updates as necessary, its cash flow assumptions (mortality, morbidity, and lapses) used to calculate the change in the liability for future policy benefits at least annually. These cash flow assumptions are reviewed at the same time every year, or more frequently, if suggested by experience. If cash flow assumptions are

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changed, the net premium ratio is recalculated from the original issue date, or the Transition Date, using actual experience and projected future cash flows. As cash flow assumptions are changed, the liability for future policy benefits is adjusted with changes recognized in policyholder benefits on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The following table illustrates the sensitivity of our liability for future policy benefits, including the corresponding pre-tax impact on OCI, and net income, as of December 31, 2024, to changes in cash flow assumptions. This information is useful in understanding the potential financial impact on our financial statements from changes in these items and the expected impact to our liability for future policy benefits. We could experience impacts that are more or less significant than noted in the following analysis; however the sensitivities provide insight regarding the direction and magnitude of those potential impacts.

At December 31, 2024
(Dollar amounts in thousands)
AssumptionsSensitivityFuture policy benefitsOCI(1)Net Income
Mortality1% increase$40,722$(1,805)$(38,917)
1% decrease(40,993)2,43138,562
Morbidity5% increase68,461(895)(67,566)
5% decrease(54,082)18553,897
Lapses10% increase(165,378)82,93782,441
10% decrease176,216(90,799)(85,417)

(1)Represents the associated impact to OCI from updating the net premium ratio based upon the cash flow assumptions and the remeasurement of the liability for future policy benefits using the current discount rate.

The liability for future policy benefits is discounted using a current upper-medium grade fixed-income instrument yield that reflects the duration characteristics of the liability for future policy benefits. Accordingly, the discount rate assumption is key in determining the change in the value of the liability for future benefits for long duration life and health contracts. Since the liability for future policy benefits for traditional and limited-payment long duration life and health products comprises approximately 93% of the total liability for future policy benefits, it is subject to interest rate risk. A decrease in discount rates will cause an increase in the obligation with a corresponding change in AOCI.

The following table illustrates the interest rate sensitivity of our liability for future policy benefits as of December 31, 2024. This table measures the effect of a parallel shift in discount rates on the liability. The data measures the change in reported value arising from an immediate change in rates in increments of 50 and 100 basis points, which would be recorded as a component of OCI.

Value of Liability for Future Policy Benefits

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

At December 31,
Change in Discount Rates(1)2024
(200)$27,004,267
(100)22,070,140
(50)20,129,615
018,457,263
5017,006,840
10015,741,352
20013,651,611

(1) In basis points.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Deferred Acquisition Costs. Certain costs of acquiring new insurance business are deferred and recorded as an asset. These costs are capitalized on a grouped contract basis and amortized over the expected term of the related contracts, and are essential for the acquisition of new insurance business.

Deferred Acquisition Costs (DAC) are amortized on a constant-level basis over the expected term of the grouped contracts, with the related expense included in amortization of deferred acquisition costs on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The in-force metric used to compute the DAC amortization rate is annualized premium in force. The assumptions used to amortize acquisition costs include mortality, morbidity, and lapses, and are consistent with those used in calculating the liability for future policy benefits.

Value of business acquired (VOBA) is amortized on a basis that is consistent with DAC, as described above, and is subject to periodic recoverability and loss recognition testing to determine if there is a premium deficiency. These tests evaluate whether the present value of future contract-related cash flows will support the capitalized VOBA asset. These cash flows consist primarily of premium income, less benefits and expenses. The present value of these cash flows, less the reserve liability, is then compared with the unamortized balance. In the event the estimated present value of net cash flows is less, the deficiency would be recognized by a charge to earnings and either a reduction of unamortized acquisition costs or an increase in the liability for future benefits.

Policy Claims and Other Benefits Payable. This liability consists of known benefits currently payable and an estimate of claims that have been incurred but not yet reported to us. The estimate of unreported claims is based on prior experience and is made after careful evaluation of all information available to us. However, the factors upon which these estimates are based can be subject to change from historical patterns. Factors involved include the litigation environment, regulatory mandates, and the introduction of policy types for which claim patterns are not well established, and medical trend rates and medical cost inflation as they affect our health claims. Changes in these estimates, if any, are reflected in the earnings of the period in which the adjustment is made. The Company concludes that the estimates used to produce the liability for claims and other benefits, including the estimate of unsubmitted claims, are the most appropriate under the circumstances. However, there is no certainty that the resulting stated liability will be our ultimate obligation. At this time, we do not expect any change in this estimate to have a material impact on earnings or financial position consistent with our historical experience. There were no significant changes in the claims process in the current year.

Valuation of Fixed Maturities. We hold a substantial investment in high-quality fixed maturities to provide for the funding of our future policy contractual obligations over long periods of time. While these securities are generally expected to be held to maturity, they are classified as available for sale and are sold from time to time to maximize risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns or for other general purposes. We report this portfolio at fair value. Fair value is the price that we would expect to receive upon sale of the asset in an orderly transaction. The fair value of the fixed maturity portfolio is primarily affected by changes in interest rates in financial markets. Because of the size of our fixed maturity portfolio and the long average life, small changes in rates can have a significant effect on the portfolio and the reported financial position of the Company. This impact is disclosed in 100 basis point increments under the caption Market Risk Sensitivity in this report. However, as discussed under the caption Financial Condition in this report, the Company regards these unrealized fluctuations in value as having no meaningful impact on our actual financial condition and, as such, we remove them from consideration when viewing our financial position and financial ratios.

At times, the values of our fixed maturities can also be affected by illiquidity in the financial markets. Illiquidity may contribute to a spread widening, and accordingly to unrealized losses, on many securities that we would expect to be fully recoverable. Even though our fixed maturity portfolio is available for sale, we have the ability and general intent to hold the securities until maturity as a result of our strong and stable cash flows generated from our insurance products. Considerable information concerning the policies, procedures, classification levels, and other relevant data concerning the valuation of our fixed maturity investments is presented in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and in Note 4—Investments under the captions Fair Value Measurements in both notes. There were no significant changes in the valuation process in the current year.

Market Risk Sensitivity. Globe Life's investment securities are exposed to interest rate risk, meaning the effect of changes in financial market interest rates on the current fair value of the Company’s investment portfolio. Since 88% of the carrying value of our investments is attributable to fixed maturity investments and these investments are

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

predominately fixed-rate investments, the portfolio is highly subject to market risk. Declines in market interest rates generally result in the fair value of the investment portfolio rising, and increases in interest rates cause the fair value to decline. Under normal market conditions, we are not concerned about unrealized losses that are interest rate driven since we would not expect to realize them. Globe Life does not generally intend to sell the securities prior to maturity and, likely, will not be required to sell the securities prior to recovery of amortized cost. The long-term nature of our insurance policy liabilities and strong operating cash-flow substantially mitigate any future need to liquidate portions of the portfolio.

The following table illustrates the interest rate sensitivity of our fixed maturity portfolio at December 31, 2024. This table measures the effect of a parallel shift in interest rates (as represented by the U.S. Treasury curve) on the fair value of the fixed maturity portfolio. The data measures the change in fair value arising from an immediate and sustained change in interest rates in increments of 100 basis points.

Market Value of Fixed Maturity Portfolio

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

At December 31,
Change in Interest Rates(1)2024
(200)$20,877,000
(100)18,909,000
017,155,000
10015,588,000
20014,186,000

(1) In basis points.

Investments: Allowance for Credit Losses. We continually monitor our investment portfolio for investments where fair value has declined below carrying value to determine if a credit loss event has occurred. When a credit event does occur, an allowance for credit loss is recorded and the corresponding provision is recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in Realized Gains or Losses. Non-credit related fluctuations in the fair value are recorded in Other Comprehensive Income. The policies and procedures that we use to evaluate and account for allowance for credit losses are disclosed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and the discussions under the captions Investments and Realized Gains and Losses in this report. While every effort is made to make the best estimate of status and value with the information available regarding an allowance for credit loss, it is difficult to predict the future prospects of a distressed or impaired security.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans. We maintain funded defined benefit plans covering most full-time employees. We also have an unfunded nonqualified defined benefit plan covering a limited number of officers. Our obligations under these plans are determined actuarially based on specified actuarial assumptions. In accordance with GAAP, an expense is recorded each year as these pension obligations grow due to the increase in the service period of employees and the interest cost associated with the passage of time. These obligations are offset, at least in part, by the growth in value of the assets in the funded plans. At December 31, 2024, our gross liability under these plans was $635 million, but was offset by assets of $615 million.

The actuarial assumptions used in determining our obligations/expenses for pensions include: employee mortality and turnover, retirement age, the expected return on plan assets, projected salary increases, and the discount rate at which future obligations could be settled. Additionally, a corridor approach is used to amortize any unrecognized gains or losses outside the corridor (the standard 10% of the greater of plan PBO and fair value assets) and have an amortization service period of approximately nine years. These assumptions have an important effect on the pension obligation. A decrease in the discount rate will cause an increase in the pension obligation. A decrease in projected salary increases will cause a decrease in this obligation. Small changes in assumptions may cause significant differences in reported results for these plans. For example, a sensitivity analysis is presented below for the impact of change in the discount rate and the long-term rate of return on assets assumed on our defined benefit pension plans expense for the year 2024 and projected benefit obligation as of December 31, 2024.

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Pension Assumptions

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

AssumptionChange(1)Impact on ExpenseImpact on Projected Benefit Obligation
Discount Rate(2):
Increase25$(870)$(19,576)
Decrease(25)77720,627
Expected Return(3):
Increase25(1,578)
Decrease(25)1,578

(1)In basis points.

(2)The discount rate for determining the net periodic benefit cost was 5.40% for 2024. The discount rate used for determining the projected benefit obligation as of December 31, 2024 was 5.81%.

(3)The expected long-term return rate assumed was 7.18% at December 31, 2024, and 6.98% in the prior year. Management considers both historical and future yields to determine the expected return.

The Company determines mortality assumptions through the use of published mortality tables that reflect broad-based studies of mortality and published longevity improvement scales.

The criteria used to determine the primary assumptions are discussed in Note 10—Postretirement Benefits. While we have used our best efforts to determine the most reliable assumptions, given the information available from Company experience, economic data, independent consultants, and other sources, we cannot be certain that actual results will be the same as expected. The assumptions are reviewed annually and revised, if necessary, based on more current information available to us. Note 10—Postretirement Benefits also contains information about pension plan assets, investment policies, and other related data. There were no significant changes in the assumptions in the current year.

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FY 2023 10-K MD&A

SEC filing source: 0000320335-24-000006.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2024-02-28. Report date: 2023-12-31.

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Globe Life's Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. The results included herein reflect the adoption of ASU 2018-12, Financial Services - Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts. Globe Life Inc. implemented the standard on January 1, 2023 using the modified retrospective transition method at adoption. As a result of this election, the prior year figures have been retrospectively adjusted as of January 1, 2021 with significant impacts to shareholders' equity, net income, underwriting margins, and net operating income. While the impacts of the new accounting guidance are significant, we do not consider it a fundamental change to the overall business.

Unless impacted by the adoption noted above, the following management discussion will only include comparison to prior year. For discussion regarding activity from 2021 for the items not impacted by the new standard, please refer to the prior filed Form 10-Ks at www.sec.gov.

Additional information on the effects of the adoption has been included in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies.

"Globe Life" and the "Company" refer to Globe Life Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.

Results of Operations

How Globe Life Views Its Operations. Globe Life Inc. is the holding company for a group of insurance companies that market primarily individual life and supplemental health insurance to lower middle to middle-income households throughout the United States. We view our operations by segments, which are the insurance product lines of life, supplemental health, and annuities, and the investment segment that supports the product lines. Segments are aligned based on their common characteristics, comparability of the profit margins, and management techniques used to operate each segment.
Insurance Product Line Segments. The insurance product line segments involve the marketing, underwriting, and administration of policies. Each product line is further segmented by the various distribution channels that market the insurance policies. Each distribution channel operates in a niche market offering insurance products designed for that particular market. Whether analyzing profitability of a segment as a whole, or the individual distribution channels within the segment, the measure of profitability used by management is the underwriting margin, as seen below:
Premium revenue (Policy obligations) (Policy acquisition costs and commissions) Underwriting margin
Investment Segment. The investment segment involves the management of our capital resources, including investments and the management of liquidity. Our measure of profitability for the investment segment is excess investment income, as seen below:
Net investment income(Required interest on policy liabilities) Excess investment income

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Current Highlights.

•Net income as a return on equity (ROE) for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 23.2% and net operating income as an ROE, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income(1) was 14.7%.

•Total premium increased 3% over the same period in the prior year. Life premium increased 4% for the period from $3.03 billion in 2022 to $3.14 billion in 2023.

•Net investment income increased 7% over the same period in the prior year.

•Total net sales increased 6% over the same period in the prior year from $722 million in 2022 to $768 million in 2023. The average producing agent count across all of the exclusive agencies increased 13% over the prior year.

•Book value per share increased 18% over the same period in the prior year from $40.05 to $47.10. Book value per share, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income(1), increased 11% over the prior year from $68.35 in 2022 to $76.21 in 2023.

•For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company repurchased 3.4 million shares of Globe Life Inc. common stock at a total cost of $380 million for an average share price of $112.84.

The following graphs represent net income and net operating income for the three years ended December 31, 2023.

(1)As shown in the charts above, net operating income is the consolidated total of segment profits after tax and as such is considered a non-GAAP measure. It has been used consistently by Globe Life's management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company. It differs from net income primarily because it excludes certain non-operating items such as realized gains and losses and certain significant and unusual items included in net income. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Net operating income as an ROE, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI), is considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the business without the effect of changes in AOCI, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates. The impact of the adjustment to exclude AOCI is $(2.77) billion and $(2.79) billion for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Book value per share, excluding AOCI, is also considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the book value of the business without the effect of changes in AOCI, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates. The impact of the adjustment to exclude AOCI is $(29.11) and $(28.30) for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Refer to Analysis of Profitability by Segment for non-GAAP reconciliation to GAAP.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Summary of Operations. Net income increased 9% to $971 million in 2023, compared with $894 million in 2022. In 2022, net income decreased 13% from $1.03 billion in 2021. On a diluted per common share basis, net income per common share for 2023 increased from $9.04 to $10.07. In 2022, net income per common share, on a diluted per common share basis, decreased to $9.04 from $9.99.

Net operating income increased 7% to $1.03 billion in 2023, compared with $961 million in 2022. In 2022, net operating income decreased 3% from $994 million in 2021. On a diluted per common share basis, net operating income per common share for 2023 increased from $9.71 to $10.65, an increase of 10%. In 2022, net income per common share, on a diluted per common share basis, increased 1% from $9.63. Net operating income is the consolidated total of segment profits after tax and as such is considered a non-GAAP measure. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. We do not consider realized gains and losses to be a component of our core insurance operations or operating segments. Additionally, net income in 2023, 2022 and 2021 was affected by certain significant and unusual non-operating items. We do not view these items as components of core operating results because they are not indicative of past performance or future prospects of the insurance operations. We remove items such as these that relate to prior periods or are non-operating items when evaluating the results of current operations, and therefore exclude such items from our segment analysis for current periods.

The liability for future policy benefits is determined each reporting period based on the net level premium method. Net level premiums reflect a recomputed net premium ratio using actual experience since the issue date, and expected future experience based on future cash-flow assumptions. See Note 6—Policy Liabilities for additional information. The policy liability is accrued as premium revenue is recognized and adjusted for differences between actual and expected experience in the form of remeasurement gains and losses during the period.

The Company continues to see positive signs in its core operations, including strong sales and premium growth, favorable persistency, and a strong ROE, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Globe Life's operations on a segment-by-segment basis are discussed in depth below. Net operating income has been used consistently by management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company and is a measure commonly used in the life insurance industry. It differs from GAAP net income primarily because it excludes certain non-operating items such as realized gains and losses and other significant and unusual items included in net income. Management believes an analysis of net operating income is important in understanding the profitability and operating trends of the Company’s business. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Analysis of Profitability by Segment

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

2023202220212023 Change%2022 Change%
Life insurance underwriting margin$1,192,972$1,129,525$1,161,638$63,4476$(32,113)(3)
Health insurance underwriting margin377,937377,137352,47880024,6597
Annuity underwriting margin8,49210,5119,826(2,019)(19)6857
Excess investment income130,382104,58996,97425,793257,6158
Other insurance:
Other income3081,2461,216(938)(75)302
Administrative expense(301,161)(299,341)(271,631)(1,820)1(27,710)10
Corporate and other(143,918)(137,201)(123,311)(6,717)5(13,890)11
Pre-tax total1,265,0121,186,4661,227,19078,5467(40,724)(3)
Applicable taxes(238,368)(225,439)(233,538)(12,929)68,099(3)
Net operating income1,026,644961,027993,65265,6177(32,625)(3)
Reconciling items, net of tax:
Realized gain (loss)—investments(51,884)(60,473)54,2208,589(114,693)
Realized loss—redemption of debt(7,358)7,358
Administrative settlements(1,047)1,047
Non-operating expenses(3,294)(4,196)(1,923)902(2,273)
Legal proceedings(711)(1,972)(6,430)1,2614,458
Net income$970,755$894,386$1,031,114$76,3699$(136,728)(13)

The results for each of the years presented above are impacted, as previously noted, by the reserve development and assumption changes in the third quarter of 2023, 2022, and 2021. The life insurance segment is our primary segment and is the largest contributor to earnings in each year presented. In 2023, the life insurance segment underwriting margin increased $63 million compared with 2022, primarily a result of increased premiums, favorable policy obligations as a percent of premium, and a lower remeasurement loss in 2023 resulting from the assumption updates. In 2022, the life insurance segment underwriting margin decreased $32 million when compared with 2021, which was a result of a higher remeasurement loss resulting from assumption updates in 2022 than in 2021, offset by increased premiums.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

In 2023, the largest contributor of total underwriting margin was the life insurance segment and the primary distribution channel was the American Income Life Division. The following charts represent the breakdown of total underwriting margin by operating segment and distribution channel for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Total premium income rose 3% for the year ended December 31, 2023 to $4.46 billion. Total net sales increased 6% to $768 million, when compared with 2022. Total first-year collected premium (defined in the following section) increased 5% to $605 million for 2023 compared to $577 million in 2022.

Life insurance premium income increased 4% to $3.14 billion over the prior-year total of $3.03 billion. Life net sales rose 3% to $544 million for the year ended 2023. First-year collected life premium increased 3% to $420 million. Life underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, increased to 38% in 2023 from 37%. Underwriting margin increased to $1.19 billion in 2023, compared to $1.13 billion for the same period in 2022.

Health insurance premium income increased 3% to $1.32 billion over the prior-year total of $1.28 billion. Health net sales rose 17% to $224 million for the year ended 2023. First-year collected health premium rose 10% to $185 million. Health underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 29% in 2023 and 2022. Health underwriting margin decreased slightly to $378 million for the year ended 2023, compared to the same period in 2022.

Excess investment income, the measure of profitability of our investment segment, increased 25% during the year ended 2023 to $130.4 million from $104.6 million in the same period in 2022. Excess investment income per common share, reflecting the impact of our share repurchase program and increased net investment income, increased 27% to $1.35 from $1.06 when compared with the same period in 2022.

Insurance administrative expenses increased 1% in 2023 when compared with the prior-year period. These expenses were 6.8% as a percent of premium during 2023 compared to 6.9% in 2022.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company repurchased 3.4 million Globe Life Inc. shares at a total cost of $380 million for an average share price of $112.84.

The discussions of our segments are presented in the manner we view our operations, as described in Note 15—Business Segments.

We use three measures as indicators of premium growth and sales over the near term: “annualized premium in force,” “net sales,” and “first-year collected premium.”

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

•Annualized premium in force is defined as the premium income that would be received over the following twelve months at any given date on all active policies if those policies remain in force throughout the twelve-month period.

•Net sales are calculated as annualized premium issued, net of cancellations in the first thirty days after issue, except in the case of Direct to Consumer, where net sales is annualized premium issued at the time the first full premium is paid after any introductory offer period has expired. Management considers net sales to be a better indicator of the rate of premium growth than annualized premium issued.

•First-year collected premium is defined as the premium collected during the reporting period for all policies in their first policy year. First-year collected premium takes lapses into account in the first year when lapses are more likely to occur, and thus is a useful indicator of how much new premium is expected to be added to premium income in the future.

See further discussion of the distribution channels below for Life and Health.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

LIFE INSURANCE

Life insurance is the Company's predominant segment. During 2023, life premium represented 70% of total premium and life underwriting margin represented 75% of the total underwriting margin. Additionally, investments supporting the reserves for life products produce the majority of excess investment income attributable to the investment segment.

The following table presents the summary of results of life insurance. Further discussion of the results by distribution channel is included below.

Life Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Amount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremium
Premium and policy charges$3,137,244100$3,027,824100$2,893,930100
Policy obligations2,050,789652,035,693671,897,19466
Required interest on reserves(772,701)(24)(735,688)(24)(710,301)(25)
Net policy obligations1,278,088411,300,005431,186,89341
Commissions, premium taxes, and non-deferred acquisition expenses338,75811299,45310274,47510
Amortization of acquisition costs327,42610298,84110270,9249
Total expense1,944,272621,898,299631,732,29260
Insurance underwriting margin$1,192,97238$1,129,52537$1,161,63840

Net policy obligations amounted to 41% of premiums for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to 43% in the year-ago period and 41% for 2021.

The table below summarizes life underwriting margin by distribution channel for the last three years.

Life Insurance

Underwriting Margin by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Amount% of PremiumAmount% of PremiumAmount% of Premium
American Income$719,37845$692,10746$676,18248
Direct to Consumer234,89324213,74822248,25426
Liberty National114,64633101,20231105,49034
Other124,05560122,46858131,71262
Total$1,192,97238$1,129,52537$1,161,63840

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Life insurance products are marketed through several distribution channels. Premium income by distribution channel for each of the last three years is as follows:

Life Insurance

Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$1,588,70251$1,505,03450$1,401,89848
Direct to Consumer991,40631985,48832968,36534
Liberty National349,73611327,46911311,20011
Other207,4007209,8337212,4677
Total$3,137,244100$3,027,824100$2,893,930100

Annualized life premium in force was $3.2 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of 4% over $3.1 billion a year earlier.

The following table presents net sales information for each of the last three years by distribution channel.

Life Insurance

Net Sales by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$322,65859$316,71559$290,51256
Direct to Consumer116,45421125,97924148,84628
Liberty National95,4591878,3901571,18414
Other9,70129,844211,0552
Total$544,272100$530,928100$521,597100

The table below discloses first-year collected life premium by distribution channel.

Life Insurance

First-Year Collected Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$266,42963$257,58463$250,93759
Direct to Consumer77,5701986,85421111,76127
Liberty National67,6181656,0851450,33612
Other8,54228,98829,7052
Total$420,159100$409,511100$422,739100

A discussion of life operations by distribution channel follows.

The American Income Life Division markets to members of labor unions and other affinity groups, and continues to diversify its lead sources by utilizing third-party internet vendor leads and obtaining referrals to facilitate sustainable growth. This division is Globe Life's largest contributor of life premium of any distribution channel at 51% of the Company's 2023 total life premium. Net sales were $323 million in 2023, up from $317 million in 2022. The

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 45% for the year ended December 31, 2023, down from 46% in the prior year due to higher acquisition costs.

Below is the average producing agent count at the end of the indicated periods for the American Income Life Division. The average producing agent count is based on the actual count at the beginning and end of each week during the year. The average producing agent count increased 12% over the year-ago period. The increase in average producing agent count was driven by an increase in new agent recruiting. Sales growth in this division, as well as within our other exclusive agencies, is generally dependent on growth in the size of the agency force.

2023202220212023 Change%2022 Change%
American Income10,5799,4449,9711,13512(527)(5)

American Income Life continues to focus on growing and strengthening the agency force, specifically through emphasis on agency middle-management growth and additional agency office openings. In addition to offering financial incentives and training opportunities, the agency has made considerable investments in information technology, including a customer relationship management (CRM) tool for the agency force. This tool is designed to drive productivity in lead distribution, conservation of business, manager dashboards, and new agent recruiting. Additionally, this division has invested in and successfully implemented technology that allows the agency force to engage in virtual recruiting, training, and sales activity. The agents have shifted to primarily a virtual experience with the customers and have generated a vast majority of sales through virtual presentations. We find this flexibility to be attractive to new recruits as well as a driver of sustainability for our agency force.

The Direct to Consumer Division (DTC) offers adult and juvenile life insurance through a variety of marketing approaches, including direct mailings, insert media, and electronic media. In recent years, production from electronic media, which is comprised of sales through both the internet and inbound phone calls to our call center, has grown faster than direct mail response as customer preferences have focused marketing activity to internet and mobile technology. The proportion of sales from the internet and inbound phone calls continue to outpace the activity from the direct mailings, but all three channels continue to work in an omnichannel approach. The different media channels support and complement one another in the division's efforts to reach the consumer. The DTC's long-term growth has been fueled by constant innovation and name recognition. We continually introduce new initiatives in this division in an attempt to increase response rates and create a seamless customer experience.

The juvenile market is an important source of sales, it is also a vehicle to reach the parents and grandparents of juvenile policyholders, who are more likely to respond favorably to a DTC solicitation for life coverage on themselves in comparison to the general adult population. Also, future offerings to juvenile policyholders and their parents are sources of lower acquisition-cost life insurance sales in the future.

DTC net sales declined 8% to $116 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared with $126 million in the prior year. This decline is due primarily to reductions in direct mail and mailing insert marketing activity resulting from the impact of inflation on postage and paper costs. While total sales have declined, the focus has been on improving profitability and improving the underwriting margin. DTC’s underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 24% for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 22% for the same period in 2022, and 2% below the 26% underwriting margin percentage for 2021.

The Liberty National Division markets individual life insurance to middle-income household and worksite customers. Recent investments in new sales technologies as well as recent growth in middle management within the agency are expected to help continue this growth. The underwriting margin as a percent of premium was 33%, up from 31% for the year ended 2022, but down slightly from 34% for 2021. The increase from the prior year is primarily attributable to increased premiums, and lower policy obligations as a percent of premium, during the year compared with the same period a year ago. The decrease in 2022 from 2021 is due primarily to higher acquisition costs.

Net sales rose 22% in 2023 over the same period in 2022. With the division's ability to return to face-to-face customer interaction and the option of virtual sales, the Company continues to project total life net sales to increase in 2024 as compared to the prior year.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Below is the average producing agent count at the end of the indicated periods for Liberty National Division.

2023202220212023 Change%2022 Change%
Liberty National3,2292,7752,71645416592

The Liberty National Division average producing agent count increased significantly compared with the prior year. We continue to execute our long-term plan to grow this agency through expansion from small-town markets in the Southeast to more densely populated areas with larger pools of potential agent recruits and customers. Continued expansion of this agency’s presence into more heavily populated, less-penetrated areas will help create long-term agency growth. In addition to the aforementioned geographic expansion, we have also started a campaign of market expansion to increase our agency presence in cities where we currently have offices, but not enough to properly serve the community, region, area and city. These tend to be larger geographic cities which will help create long-term sustainable agency growth. Additionally, the agency continues to help improve the ability of agents to develop new worksite marketing business. Systems that have been put in place, including the addition of a CRM platform and enhanced analytical capabilities, have helped the agents develop additional worksite marketing opportunities as well as improve the productivity of agents selling in the individual life market. As the division continues to gain momentum in its sales and recruiting initiatives, as well as advances its technology and CRM platform, the agency anticipates continued growth in recruiting activity and average producing agent count.

The Other Agencies distribution channels primarily include non-exclusive independent agencies selling primarily life insurance. The other distribution channels contributed $207 million of life premium income, or 7% of Globe Life's total life premium income in 2023, and contributed 2% of net sales for the year.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance sold by the Company primarily includes Medicare Supplement insurance, accident coverage, and other limited-benefit supplemental health products including accident, cancer, critical illness, heart, and intensive care products.

Health premium accounted for 30% of our total premium in 2023, while the health underwriting margin accounted for 24% of total underwriting margin. Health underwriting margin increased slightly to $378 million compared to $377 million in the prior year. The Company continues to emphasize life insurance sales relative to health due to life’s superior long-term profitability and its greater contribution to excess investment income.

The following table presents underwriting margin data for health insurance.

Health Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Amount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremium
Premium$1,318,773100$1,282,417100$1,200,882100
Policy obligations776,36259752,86659721,30960
Required interest on reserves(106,516)(8)(102,315)(8)(98,477)(8)
Net policy obligations669,84651650,55151622,83252
Commissions, premium taxes, and non-deferred acquisition expenses220,39216206,54416180,74815
Amortization of acquisition costs50,598448,185444,8244
Total expense940,83671905,28071848,40471
Insurance underwriting margin$377,93729$377,13729$352,47829

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Health premium increased 3% in 2023 to $1.32 billion when compared to 2022. In 2022, health premium rose 7% to $1.28 billion when compared to 2021. Health underwriting margin increased slightly from $377 million in 2022 to $378 million in 2023 and increased 7% from $352 million in 2021 to $377 million in 2022 primarily due to growth in premiums.

The table below summarizes health underwriting margin by distribution channel for the last three years.

Health Insurance

Underwriting Margin by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Amount% of PremiumAmount% of PremiumAmount% of Premium
United American$57,34411$62,69512$54,17111
Family Heritage135,69134124,93634107,15631
Liberty National105,31756107,66257107,61257
American Income74,6686274,5516473,89464
Direct to Consumer4,91777,293109,64513
Total$377,93729$377,13729$352,47829

Globe Life markets supplemental health insurance products through a number of distribution channels. The following table is an analysis of our health premium by distribution channel for each of the last three years.

Health Insurance

Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$545,72342$539,87442$480,65640
Family Heritage396,20930366,82029343,83929
Liberty National187,93414187,24115187,66916
American Income120,3329117,3539114,7429
Direct to Consumer68,575571,129573,9766
Total$1,318,773100$1,282,417100$1,200,882100

Premium related to limited-benefit supplemental health products comprise $743 million, or 56%, of the total health premiums for 2023 compared with $702 million, or 55%, in 2022 and $639 million, or 53%, in 2021. Premium from Medicare Supplement products comprises the remaining $576 million, or 44%, for 2023 compared with $580 million, or 45%, in 2022 and $562 million, or 47%, in 2021.

Annualized health premium in force was $1.39 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of 4% from $1.33 billion in 2022.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Presented below is a table of health net sales by distribution channel for the last three years.

Health Insurance

Net Sales by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$72,20832$58,60131$63,55135
Family Heritage96,0934382,5294372,60039
Liberty National33,1551528,9161526,51214
American Income18,124817,555918,23010
Direct to Consumer3,99323,82523,4652
Total$223,573100$191,426100$184,358100

Health net sales related to supplemental health products comprise $161 million, or 72%, of the total health new sales for 2023 compared with $137 million, or 71%, in 2022. Medicare Supplement sales make up the remaining $63 million, or 28%, for 2023 compared with $54 million, or 29%, in 2022.

The following table discloses first-year collected health premium by distribution channel.

Health Insurance

First-Year Collected Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$66,00236$64,41039$60,38637
Family Heritage72,3623960,6993657,42736
Liberty National25,6081422,4151320,34813
American Income17,633917,2941018,93912
Direct to Consumer3,68323,11523,2532
Total$185,288100$167,933100$160,353100

First-year collected premium related to limited-benefit plans comprise $133 million, or 72% of total first-year collected premium for 2023 compared with $108 million, or 64%, in 2022. First-year collected premium from Medicare Supplement policies make up the remaining $52 million, or 28%, for 2023 compared with $60 million, or 36%, in 2022.

A discussion of health operations by distribution channel follows.

The United American Division consists of non-exclusive independent agencies who may also sell for other companies. The United American Division was Globe Life's largest health agency in terms of health premium income, with sales up 23% from the same period in the prior year.

This division includes three different units:

•UA General Agency, which primarily sells individual Medicare Supplement insurance through independent agents;

•Special Markets, which markets retiree health insurance to employer and union groups through brokers; and

•Globe Life Benefits, which offers group worksite supplemental health insurance through brokers.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

The majority of the premium revenue comes from Medicare Supplement and Retiree Health business. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium for the division was 11% in 2023, 12% in 2022, and 11% in 2021.

The Family Heritage Division primarily markets limited-benefit supplemental health insurance in non-urban areas. Most of its policies include a cash-back feature, such as a return of premium, where any excess of premiums over claims paid is returned to the policyholder at the end of a specified period stated within the insurance policy. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium was 34% in 2023, the same as in 2022, and 31% in 2021.

The division experienced a 16% rise in health net sales in 2023 as compared with the 2022, primarily due to an increase in recruiting, as well as improved agent productivity and training. The division will continue to implement incentive and retention programs to further these increases in the number of producing agents.

Below is the average producing agent count at the end of the indicated periods for the Family Heritage Division. The average producing agent count was up 10% compared with the same period a year ago, driven by an increase in recruiting during 2023.

2023202220212023 Change%2022 Change%
Average producing agents1,3341,2101,21312410(3)

The Liberty National Division represented 14% of all Globe Life health premium income at $188 million in 2023. The Liberty National Division markets limited-benefit supplemental health products, consisting primarily of cancer and critical illness insurance. Much of Liberty National’s health business is generated through worksite marketing targeting small businesses. In 2023, health premium income was flat. Liberty National's first-year collected premium increased 14% to $26 million in 2023 compared with $22 million in 2022. Health net sales for 2023 increased by $4 million or 15% from 2022.

The Company's other distribution channels, while primarily focused on selling life insurance, also market health products. The American Income Life Division primarily markets accident plans. The Direct to Consumer Division primarily markets Medicare Supplements to employer or union-sponsored groups. On a combined basis, these other channels accounted for 14% of health premium in 2023 and 2022.

ANNUITIES

Our fixed annuity balances at the end of 2023 and 2022 were $773.0 million and $954.3 million, respectively. Underwriting margin was $8.5 million for 2023, $10.5 million for 2022, and $9.8 million for 2021.

We do not currently market stand-alone fixed or deferred annuity products, favoring instead protection-oriented life and supplemental health insurance products. Therefore, we do not expect that annuities will be a significant portion of our business or marketing strategy going forward.

INVESTMENTS

We manage our capital resources, including investments and cash flow, through the investment segment. Excess investment income represents the profit margin attributable to investment operations and is the measure that we use to evaluate the performance of the investment segment as described in Note 15—Business Segments. It is defined as net investment income less the required interest attributable to policy liabilities.

Management also views excess investment income per diluted common share as an important and useful measure to evaluate the performance of the investment segment. It is defined as excess investment income divided by the total diluted weighted average shares outstanding, representing the contribution by the investment segment to the consolidated earnings per share of the Company. As excess investment income per diluted common share

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

incorporates all invested assets and insurance liabilities, we view excess investment income per diluted common share as a useful measure to evaluate the investment segment.

Excess Investment Income. The following table summarizes Globe Life's investment income, excess investment income, and excess investment income per diluted common share.

Analysis of Excess Investment Income

(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

202320222021
Net investment income$1,056,884$991,800$956,690
Interest on policy liabilities(1)(926,502)(887,211)(859,716)
Excess investment income$130,382$104,589$96,974
Excess investment income per diluted common share$1.35$1.06$0.94
Mean invested assets (at amortized cost)$20,411,093$19,714,027$18,939,317
Average insurance policy liabilities16,772,86116,060,24015,412,514

(1)Interest on policy liabilities is a component of total policyholder benefits, a GAAP measure. The amounts presented for 2021 and 2022 have been retrospectively adjusted to exclude the interest on deferred acquisition costs due to the LDTI standard and the interest on debt.

Excess investment income increased $26 million, or 25%, in 2023 when compared with 2022. In 2022, excess investment income increased $8 million, or 8%, when compared with 2021. Excess investment income per diluted common share was $1.35 during 2023, an increase of 27% over the prior-year period ended 2022. Excess investment income per diluted common share was $1.06 during 2022, an increase of 13% over the period ended 2021. Excess investment income per diluted common share generally increases at a faster pace than excess investment income because the number of diluted shares outstanding generally decreases from year to year as a result of our share repurchase program.

Net investment income increased at a compound annual growth rate of 4% over the three years ending 2023 and mean invested assets increased at a compound annual growth rate of 4% during the same period. The effective annual yield rate earned on the fixed maturity portfolio was 5.20% in 2023. Generally, investment income grows at a slower rate than the assets when the yield on new investments is lower than the yield on dispositions or the average portfolio yield. It also increases at a faster rate than the assets when new investment yields exceed the yield on dispositions or the average portfolio yield. Investment income grew in the current period due to the growth in invested assets and the increase in interest rates compared to the prior year. We currently expect that the average annual turnover rate of fixed maturity assets will be less than 1% per annum over the next five years and will not have a material impact on net investment income. In addition to fixed maturities, the Company has also invested in commercial mortgage loans and limited partnerships with debt-like characteristics that diversify risk and enhance risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns on the portfolio. The earned yield on the investment funds for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 6.95%. See additional information in Note 4—Investments. The following chart presents the growth in net investment income and the growth in mean invested assets.

202320222021
Growth in net investment income6.6%3.7%3.2%
Growth in mean invested assets (at amortized cost)3.5%4.1%5.3%

Globe Life's net investment income benefits from higher interest rates on new investments. While increasing interest rates have resulted in a net unrealized loss from our available for sale debt securities included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as of December 31, 2023, we are not concerned because we do not generally intend to sell, nor is it likely that we will be required to sell, the fixed maturities prior to their anticipated recovery.

Required interest on insurance policy liabilities reduces excess investment income, as it is the amount of net investment income considered by management necessary to “fund” required interest on insurance policy liabilities.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

As such, it is reclassified from the insurance segment to the investment segment. As discussed in Note 15—Business Segments, management regards this as a more meaningful analysis of the investment and insurance segments. Required interest is based on the original discount rate assumptions for our insurance policies in force.

The great majority of our life and health insurance policies are fixed interest rate protection policies, not investment products, and are accounted for under current GAAP accounting guidance for long-duration insurance products which mandate that interest rate assumptions for a particular block of business be “locked in” for the life of that block of business. Each calendar year, we set the original discount rate to be used to calculate the benefit reserve liability for all insurance policies issued that year. The liability reported on the balance sheet is updated in subsequent periods using current discount rates as of the end of the relevant reporting period with a corresponding adjustment to Other Comprehensive Income. The rates are based on the methodology prescribed in ASU 2018-12. See Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies for additional information.

The discount rate used for policies issued in the current year has no impact on the in-force policies issued in prior years as the rates of all prior issue years are also locked in for purposes of recognizing income. As such, the overall original discount rate for the entire in-force block of 5.5% is a weighted average of the discount rates being used from all issue years. Changes in the overall weighted-average discount rate over time are caused by changes in the mix of the reserves on the entire block of in force business. Business issued in the current year has little impact on the overall weighted-average original discount rate due to the size of our in-force business.

Information about interest on policy liabilities is shown in the following table.

Required Interest on Insurance Policy Liabilities

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

RequiredInterestAverage NetInsurancePolicy LiabilitiesAverageDiscountRate(1)
2023
Life and Health$879,217$15,739,4235.6%
Annuity38,224861,6764.4
FHLB Funding Agreement4,53679,0365.7
Deposit Funds4,52592,7264.9
Total$926,502$16,772,8615.5
Increase in 20234.4%4.4%
2022
Life and Health$838,003$14,957,7285.6%
Annuity44,8361,007,0084.5
FHLB Funding Agreement712,6922.6
Deposit Funds4,30192,8124.6
Total$887,211$16,060,2405.5
Increase in 20223.2%4.2%
2021
Life and Health$808,778$14,268,9165.7%
Annuity46,6951,052,1714.4
Deposit Funds4,24391,4274.6
Total$859,716$15,412,5145.6

(1) Reflects the average discount rate applicable to the current period, which is used to accrue interest on the insurance policy liabilities for each of the years presented.

Realized Gains and Losses. Our life and health insurance companies collect premium income from policyholders for the eventual payment of policyholder benefits, sometimes paid many years or even decades in the future. Since benefits are expected to be paid in future periods, premium receipts in excess of current expenses are invested to

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

provide for these obligations. For this reason, we hold a significant investment portfolio as a part of our core insurance operations. This portfolio consists primarily of high-quality fixed maturities containing an adequate yield to provide for the cost of carrying these long-term insurance product obligations. As a result, fixed maturities are generally held for long periods to support these obligations. Expected yields on these investments are taken into account when setting insurance premium rates and product profitability expectations.

Despite our intent to hold fixed maturity investments for a long period of time, investments are occasionally sold, exchanged, called, or experience a credit loss event, resulting in a realized gain or loss. Gains or losses are only secondary to our core insurance operations of providing insurance coverage to policyholders. In a bond exchange offer, bondholders may consent to exchange their existing bonds for another class of debt securities. The Company also has investments in certain limited partnerships, held under the fair value option, with fair value changes recognized in Realized gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Realized gains and losses can be significant in relation to the earnings from core insurance operations, and as a result, can have a material positive or negative impact on net income. The significant fluctuations caused by gains and losses can cause period-to-period trends of net income that are not indicative of historical core operating results or predictive of the future trends of core operations. Accordingly, they have no bearing on core insurance operations or segment results as we view operations. For these reasons, and in line with industry practice, we remove the effects of realized gains and losses when evaluating overall insurance operating results.

The following table summarizes our tax-effected realized gains (losses) by component for each of the three years ended December 31, 2023.

Analysis of Realized Gains (Losses), Net of Tax

(Dollar amounts in thousands, except for per share data)

Year Ended December 31,
202320222021
AmountPerShareAmountPer ShareAmountPer Share
Fixed maturities:
Sales$(59,463)$(0.62)$(44,792)$(0.45)$(8,100)$(0.08)
Matured or other redemptions(1)(1,604)(0.02)19,0760.1935,6840.34
Provision for credit losses(5,621)(0.06)3062,3370.02
Fair value option—change in fair value11,9310.12(23,189)(0.23)18,1050.18
Mortgages(4,427)(0.04)(761)(0.01)1,4130.02
Other investments1,4150.023,6990.04(106)
Total realized investment gains (losses)—investments(57,769)(0.60)(45,661)(0.46)49,3330.48
Loss on redemption of debt(7,358)(0.07)
Other gains (losses)(2)5,8850.06(14,812)(0.15)4,8870.04
Total realized gains (losses)$(51,884)$(0.54)$(60,473)$(0.61)$46,862$0.45

(1)During the three years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, the Company recorded $50.9 million, $147.6 million, and $109.2 million, respectively, of exchanges of fixed maturity securities (noncash transactions) that resulted in $(1.5) million, $1.5 million, and $19.9 million, respectively, in realized gains (losses), net of tax.

(2)Other realized gains (losses) are primarily a result of changes in the fair value for assets held in rabbi trust.

In 2023, it was announced Signature Bank New York and First Republic Bank had entered receivership. The Company disposed of each of the holdings and incurred a $52 million after-tax realized loss during the year ended December 31, 2023. As investment yields increased throughout 2022 and 2023, the Company disposed of certain fixed maturity investments to improve the risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns on the portfolio and enhance the yield, credit quality, or diversification of the portfolio.

Investment Acquisitions. Globe Life's investment policy calls for investing primarily in investment grade fixed maturities that meet our quality and yield objectives. We generally invest in securities with longer-term maturities because they more closely match the long-term nature of our life and health policy liabilities. We believe this

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strategy is appropriate since our expected future cash flows are generally stable and predictable and the likelihood that we will need to sell invested assets to raise cash is low.

The following table summarizes selected information for fixed maturity investments. The effective annual yield shown is based on the acquisition price and call features, if any, of the securities. For non-callable bonds, the yield is calculated to maturity date. For callable bonds acquired at a premium, the yield is calculated to the earliest known call date and call price after acquisition ("first call date"). For all other callable bonds, the yield is calculated to maturity date.

Fixed Maturity Acquisitions Selected Information

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
202320222021
Cost of acquisitions:
Investment-grade corporate securities$967,588$812,697$566,400
Investment-grade municipal securities572,654599,946434,482
Other investment-grade securities7,57710,465
Total fixed maturity acquisitions(1)$1,540,242$1,420,220$1,011,347
Effective annual yield (one year compounded)(2)6.13%5.18%3.39%
Average life (in years, to next call)18.013.521.7
Average life (in years, to maturity)24.822.831.7
Average ratingAAA+

(1)Fixed maturity acquisitions included unsettled trades of $4 million in 2023, $0 in 2022 and $7 million in 2021.

(2)Tax-equivalent basis, where the yield on tax-exempt securities is adjusted to produce a yield equivalent to the pretax yield on taxable securities.

For investments in callable bonds, the actual life of the investment will depend on whether the issuer calls the investment prior to the maturity date. Given our investments in callable bonds, the actual average life of our investments cannot be known at the time of the investment. Absent sales and "make-whole calls," however, the average life will not be less than the average life to next call and will not exceed the average life to maturity. Data for both of these average life measures is provided in the above chart.

During 2023 and 2022, acquisitions consisted primarily of corporate and municipal bonds with securities spanning a diversified range of issuers, industry sectors, and geographical regions. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we invested primarily in the municipal, financial, and industrial sectors. For the entire portfolio, the taxable equivalent effective yield earned was 5.20%, up approximately 3 basis points from the yield in 2022. Further, as previously noted in the discussion of net investment income, the increase in taxable equivalent effective yield was primarily due to new purchase yields exceeding the yield on dispositions and the average portfolio yield. In addition to the fixed maturity acquisitions, Globe Life invested $159 million and $77 million in commercial mortgage loans and $156 million and $213 million in other long-term investments in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Other long-term investments primarily consist of investment funds. See Note—4 Investments for further discussion.

New cash flow available for investment has been primarily provided through our insurance operations, cash received on existing investments, and proceeds from dispositions. Dispositions of fixed maturities were $853 million in 2023 and $852 million in 2022.

Since fixed maturities represent such a significant portion of our investment portfolio, the remainder of the discussion of portfolio composition will focus on fixed maturities. See a breakdown of the Company's Other long-term investments in Note 4—Investments.

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Selected information concerning the fixed maturity portfolio is as follows:

Fixed Maturity Portfolio Selected Information

At December 31,
20232022
Average annual effective yield(1)5.23%5.19%
Average life, in years, to:
Next call(2)14.614.7
Maturity(2)18.618.5
Effective duration to:
Next call(2,3)9.08.8
Maturity(2,3)10.710.4

(1)Tax-equivalent basis. The yield on tax-exempt securities is adjusted to produce a yield equivalent to the pretax yield on taxable securities.

(2)Globe Life calculates the average life and duration of the fixed maturity portfolio two ways:

(a) based on the next call date which is the next call date for callable bonds and the maturity date for noncallable bonds, and

(b) based on the maturity date of all bonds, whether callable or not.

(3)Effective duration is a measure of the price sensitivity of a fixed-income security to a 1% change in interest rates.

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Credit Risk Sensitivity. The following tables summarize certain information about the major corporate sectors and security types held in our fixed maturity portfolio at December 31, 2023 and 2022.

Fixed Maturities by Sector

December 31, 2023

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Below Investment GradeTotal Fixed Maturities% of Total Fixed Maturities
Amortized Cost, netGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAmortized Cost, netGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAt Amortized Cost, netAt Fair Value
Corporates:
Financial
Insurance - life, health, P&C$107,010$$(12,472)$94,538$2,413,685$61,715$(163,455)$2,311,9451313
Banks36,906(4,401)32,5051,327,27225,019(71,714)1,280,57777
Other financial74,965(25,255)49,7101,287,19425,634(153,171)1,159,65777
Total financial218,881(42,128)176,7535,028,151112,368(388,340)4,752,1792727
Industrial
Energy44,652(7,481)37,1711,446,48058,637(62,324)1,442,79388
Basic materials1,166,38539,248(64,501)1,141,13266
Consumer, non-cyclical2,096,65132,071(160,828)1,967,8941111
Other industrials5,1851105,2951,101,05932,541(78,817)1,054,78366
Communications868,13121,006(73,323)815,81445
Transportation8,403(415)7,988534,46821,113(24,649)530,93233
Consumer. cyclical136,343(25,059)111,284515,1694,941(57,735)462,37533
Technology32,54362533,168280,6683,521(44,670)239,51911
Total industrial227,126735(32,955)194,9068,009,011213,078(566,847)7,655,2424243
Utilities34,698722(1,523)33,8972,017,96773,925(94,130)1,997,7621111
Total corporates480,7051,457(76,606)405,55615,055,129399,371(1,049,317)14,405,1838081
States, municipalities, and political divisions:
General obligations887,0138,526(135,003)760,53644
Revenues2,409,29238,820(268,326)2,179,7861312
Total states, municipalities, and political divisions3,296,30547,346(403,329)2,940,3221716
Other fixed maturities:
Government (U.S. and foreign)442,9038(42,654)400,25722
Collateralized debt obligations37,1105,03642,14637,1105,03642,146
Other asset-backed securities11,696(409)11,28786,3523(4,057)82,29811
Total fixed maturities$529,511$6,493$(77,015)$458,989$18,917,799$451,764$(1,499,357)$17,870,206100100

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Fixed Maturities by Sector

December 31, 2022

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Below Investment GradeTotal Fixed Maturities% of Total Fixed Maturities
Amortized CostGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAmortized CostGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAt Amortized Cost, netAt Fair Value
Corporates:
Financial
Insurance - life, health, P&C$107,355$22$(13,966)$93,411$2,375,633$44,578$(216,938)$2,203,2731313
Banks26,94484(192)26,8361,336,86814,035(100,038)1,250,86578
Other financial74,9631(22,026)52,9381,195,2934,513(187,513)1,012,29376
Total financial209,262107(36,184)173,1854,907,79463,126(504,489)4,466,4312727
Industrial
Energy44,723(10,168)34,5551,436,59822,637(101,923)1,357,31288
Basic materials1,090,30914,913(95,958)1,009,26466
Consumer, non-cyclical2,146,00320,427(232,196)1,934,2341212
Other industrials25,461(522)24,9391,212,67419,107(121,540)1,110,24167
Communications28,499(2,253)26,246857,3757,779(110,132)755,02255
Transportation520,02911,684(34,269)497,44433
Consumer. cyclical149,465(27,822)121,643592,6574,903(85,005)512,55533
Technology247,99690(59,672)188,41411
Total industrial248,148(40,765)207,3838,103,641101,540(840,695)7,364,4864445
Utilities35,496433(3,173)32,7561,924,19036,670(125,713)1,835,1471111
Total corporates492,906540(80,122)413,32414,935,625201,336(1,470,897)13,666,0648283
States, municipalities, and political divisions:
General obligations915,7255,041(167,393)753,37355
Revenues1,875,30519,287(338,054)1,556,538109
Total states, municipalities, and political divisions2,791,03024,328(505,447)2,309,9111514
Other fixed maturities:
Government (U.S., municipal, and foreign)449,60333(51,674)397,96222
Collateralized debt obligations37,09813,26650,36437,09813,26650,364
Other asset-backed securities12,493(1,618)10,87588,3364(9,276)79,06411
Total fixed maturities$542,497$13,806$(81,740)$474,563$18,301,692$238,967$(2,037,294)$16,503,365100100

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Corporate securities, which consist of bonds and redeemable preferred stocks, were the largest component of the fixed maturity portfolio as of December 31, 2023, representing 80% of amortized cost, net, and 81% of fair value. The remainder of the portfolio is invested primarily in securities issued by the U.S. government and U.S. municipalities. The Company holds insignificant amounts in foreign government bonds, collateralized debt obligations, asset-backed securities, and mortgage-backed securities. Corporate securities are diversified over a variety of industry sectors and issuers. At December 31, 2023, the total fixed maturity portfolio consisted of 980 issuers.

Fixed maturities had a fair value of $17.9 billion at December 31, 2023, compared with $16.5 billion at December 31, 2022. The net unrealized loss position in the fixed-maturity portfolio decreased from $1.8 billion at December 31, 2022 to $1.0 billion at December 31, 2023 due to a decrease in market rates during the period.

For more information about our fixed maturity portfolio by component at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, including a discussion of allowance for credit losses, an analysis of unrealized investment losses and a schedule of maturities, see Note 4—Investments.

An analysis of the fixed maturity portfolio by composite quality rating at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, is shown in the following tables. The composite rating for each security, other than private-placement securities managed by third parties, is the average of the security’s available ratings as assigned by Moody’s Investor Service, Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings, and Dominion Bond Rating Service, LTD. The ratings assigned by these four nationally recognized statistical rating organizations are evenly weighted when calculating the average. The composite quality rating is created utilizing a methodology developed by Globe Life using ratings from the various rating agencies noted above. The composite quality rating is not a Standard & Poor's credit rating. Standard & Poor's does not sponsor, endorse, or promote the composite quality rating and shall not be liable for any use of the composite quality rating. Included in the following chart are private placement fixed maturity holdings of $439 million at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses ($402 million at fair value) for which the ratings were assigned by the third-party managers.

Fixed Maturities by Rating

At December 31, 2023

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Amortized Cost, net% of TotalFair Value% of TotalAverage Composite Quality Rating on Amortized Cost, net
Investment grade:
AAA$952,8225$880,7295
AA3,179,618172,789,62615
A5,118,085274,976,28028
BBB+3,615,102193,495,89819
BBB4,278,786234,056,83323
BBB-1,243,87561,211,8517
Total investment grade18,388,2889717,411,21797A-
Below investment grade:
BB450,5033376,9123
B37,89635,929
Below B41,11246,148
Total below investment grade529,5113458,9893BB
$18,917,799100$17,870,206100
Weighted average composite quality ratingA-

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Fixed Maturities by Rating

At December 31, 2022

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Amortized Cost, net% of TotalFairValue% of TotalAverage Composite Quality Rating on Amortized Cost
Investment grade:
AAA$828,3155$733,5244
AA2,779,587152,260,25714
A4,752,633264,438,91327
BBB+3,934,053213,639,11822
BBB4,254,730233,844,18223
BBB-1,209,87771,112,8087
Total investment grade17,759,1959716,028,80297A-
Below investment grade:
BB462,3563389,1323
B43,04435,067
Below B37,09750,364
Total below investment grade542,4973474,5633BB-
$18,301,692100$16,503,365100
Weighted average composite quality ratingA-

The overall quality rating of the portfolio is A-, the same as of year-end 2022. Fixed maturities rated BBB are 48% of the total portfolio at December 31, 2023, down from 51% at December 31, 2022. While this ratio is high relative to our peers, it is at its lowest level in over 10 years and we have limited exposure to higher-risk assets such as derivatives, equities, and asset-backed securities. Additionally, the Company does not participate in securities lending and has no off-balance sheet investments as of December 31, 2023. Of our fixed maturity purchases, BBB securities generally provide the Company with the best risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns largely due to our ability to hold securities to maturity regardless of fluctuations in interest rates or equity markets.

An analysis of changes in our portfolio of below-investment grade fixed maturities at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses is as follows:

Below-Investment Grade Fixed Maturities

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
20232022
Balance at beginning of period$542,497$701,546
Downgrades by rating agencies117,73150,147
Upgrades by rating agencies(32,540)(97,462)
Dispositions(95,060)(116,791)
Provision for credit losses(6,811)(31)
Amortization and other3,6945,088
Balance at end of period$529,511$542,497

Our investment policy calls for investing primarily in fixed maturities that are investment grade and meet our quality and yield objectives. Thus, any increases in below-investment grade issues are typically a result of ratings

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downgrades of existing holdings. Below-investment grade bonds at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses, were 7% of our shareholders’ equity excluding accumulated other comprehensive income as of December 31, 2023. Globe Life invests long term and as such, one of our key criterion in our investment process is to select issuers that have the ability to weather multiple financial cycles.

OPERATING EXPENSES

Operating expenses are included in the "Corporate and Other" segment and are classified into two categories: insurance administrative expenses and expenses of the Parent Company. Insurance administrative expenses generally include expenses incurred after a policy has been issued. As these expenses relate to premium for a given period, management measures the expenses as a percentage of premium income. The Company also views stock-based compensation expense as a Parent Company expense. Expenses associated with the issuance of our insurance policies are reflected as acquisition expenses and included in the determination of underwriting margin.

The following table is an analysis of operating expenses for the three years ended December 31, 2023.

Operating Expenses Selected Information

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Amount% of PremiumAmount% of PremiumAmount% of Premium
Insurance administrative expenses:
Salaries$119,6992.7$129,7113.0$115,8522.8
Other employee costs35,9050.842,3191.041,8411.0
Information technology costs64,9981.555,5261.347,9231.2
Legal costs15,3350.312,0560.215,4940.4
Other administrative costs65,2241.559,7291.450,5211.2
Total insurance administrative expenses301,1616.8299,3416.9271,6316.6
Parent company expense10,86611,1569,553
Stock compensation expense30,73635,65030,272
Legal proceedings9002,4968,139
Non-operating expenses4,1705,3112,434
Total operating expenses, per Consolidated Statements of Operations$347,833$353,954$322,029
202320222021
Amount%Amount%Amount%
Total insurance administrative expenses increase (decrease) over prior year$1,8200.6$27,71010.2$20,6848.2
Total operating expenses increase (decrease) over prior year(6,121)(1.7)31,9259.920,9917.0

Total operating expenses for December 31, 2023 decreased in comparison with the prior year primarily due to decreases in stock compensation expense and other non-operating costs. Insurance administrative expenses increased $1.8 million primarily due to higher information technology costs, information security costs, and other administrative costs offset by a decline in pension-related employee benefit costs. Insurance administrative expenses as a percent of premium were 6.8% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to 6.9% for the same period in 2022.

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SHARE REPURCHASES

Globe Life has an ongoing share repurchase program that began in 1986. The share repurchase program is reviewed with the Board of Directors by management quarterly, and continues indefinitely unless and until the Board of Directors decides to suspend, terminate or modify the program. With no specified authorization amount, management determines the amount of repurchases based on the amount of the excess cash flows after the payment of dividends to the Parent Company shareholders, general market conditions, and other alternative uses. Since implementing our share repurchase program in 1986, we have used $9.4 billion of excess cash flow at the Parent Company to repurchase Globe Life Inc. common shares after determining that the repurchases provide a greater risk-adjusted after-tax return than other investment alternatives.

Excess cash flow at the Parent Company is primarily comprised of dividends received from the insurance subsidiaries less interest expense paid on its debt and other limited operating activities. The majority of our share repurchases are made from excess cash flow after the payment of shareholder dividends. Additionally, when stock options are exercised, proceeds from these exercises and the resulting tax benefit are used to repurchase additional shares on the open market to minimize dilution as a result of the option exercises.

The following table summarizes share repurchases for each of the last three years.

Analysis of Share Purchases

(Amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Purchases with:SharesAmountSharesAmountSharesAmount
Excess cash flow at the Parent Company(1)3,369$380,1033,322$335,1454,784$455,030
Option exercise proceeds1,080127,1551,103119,49385886,405
Total4,449$507,2584,425$454,6385,642$541,435

(1)Excludes excise tax on the repurchase of treasury stock of $4 million in 2023, $0 in 2022, and $0 in 2021.

Throughout the remainder of this discussion, share repurchases will only refer to those made from excess cash flow at the Parent Company.

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Liquidity. Liquidity provides Globe Life with the ability to meet on demand the cash commitments required to support our business operations and meet our financial obligations. Our liquidity is primarily derived from multiple sources: positive cash flow from operations, a portfolio of marketable securities, a revolving credit facility, commercial paper, and the Federal Home Loan Bank.

Insurance Subsidiary Liquidity. The operations of our insurance subsidiaries have historically generated substantial cash inflows in excess of immediate cash needs. Cash inflows for the insurance subsidiaries primarily include premium and investment income. In addition to investment income, maturities and scheduled repayments in the investment portfolio are cash inflows. Cash outflows from operations include policy benefit payments, commissions, administrative expenses, and taxes. A portion of the excess cash inflows in the current year will provide for the payment of future policy benefits and are invested primarily in long-term fixed maturities as they better match the long-term nature of these obligations. Excess cash available from the insurance subsidiaries’ operations is generally distributed as a dividend to the Parent Company, subject to regulatory restrictions. The dividends are generally paid in amounts equal to the subsidiaries’ prior year statutory net income excluding realized capital gains. While the leading source of the excess cash is investment income, a significant portion of the excess cash also comes from underwriting income due to our high underwriting margins and effective expense control. While the insurance subsidiaries annually generate more operating cash inflows than cash outflows, the companies also have the entire available-for-sale fixed maturity investment portfolio available to create additional cash flows if required.

Four of our insurance subsidiaries are members of the FHLB of Dallas. FHLB membership provides the insurance subsidiaries with access to various low-cost collateralized borrowings and funding agreements. While not the only

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source of liquidity, the FHLB could provide the insurance subsidiaries with an additional source of liquidity, if needed. Refer to Note 12—Debt for further details.

Parent Company Liquidity. An important source of Parent Company liquidity is the dividends from its insurance subsidiaries. These dividends are received throughout the year and are used by the Parent Company to pay dividends on common and preferred stock, interest and principal repayment requirements on Parent Company debt, and operating expenses of the Parent Company.

Year Ended December 31,
(Amounts in Thousands)
Projected 2024202320222021
Liquidity Sources:
Dividends from Subsidiaries$466,000$459,535$407,042$478,535
Excess Cash Flows(1)450,000416,081358,981450,164

(1)Excess cash flows are reported gross of shareholder dividends. For the year ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, shareholder dividends were $84 million, $81 million, and $80 million, respectively.

For more information on the restrictions on the payment of dividends by subsidiaries, see the Restrictions section of Note 13—Shareholders' Equity. Although these restrictions exist, dividend availability from subsidiaries historically has been more than sufficient for the cash flow needs of the Parent Company.

Dividends from subsidiaries and excess cash flows are projected to be higher in 2024 than in 2023 primarily due to lower life obligations and the growth in our underwriting margins, both of which resulted in higher statutory earnings generated by the affiliates. Additional sources of liquidity for the Parent Company are cash, intercompany receivables, intercompany borrowings, public debt markets, term loans, and a revolving credit facility. See Schedule II for more information. The credit facility is discussed below.

Short-Term Borrowings. An additional source of Parent Company liquidity is a credit facility with a group of lenders allowing for unsecured borrowings and stand-by letters of credit up to $750 million, which could be extended up to $1 billion. While the Parent Company may request the extension, it is not guaranteed. Up to $250 million in letters of credit can be issued against the facility. The facility serves as a back-up line of credit for a commercial paper program under which commercial paper may be issued at any time, with total commercial paper outstanding not to exceed the facility maximum less any letters of credit issued. As of December 31, 2023, we had available $316 million of additional borrowing capacity under this facility, compared with $340 million a year earlier. Interest charged on the commercial paper program resembles variable rate debt due to its short term nature. Globe Life has consistently been able to issue commercial paper as needed during the three years ended December 31, 2023. As discussed in Note 12—Debt, on September 30, 2021, Globe Life amended the credit agreement dated August 24, 2020. The five-year credit agreement will mature on September 30, 2026. As of December 31, 2023, the Parent Company was in full compliance with all covenants related to the aforementioned debt.

As a part of the credit facility, Globe Life has stand-by letters of credit. These letters are issued among our subsidiaries, one of which is an offshore captive reinsurer, and have no impact on company obligations as a whole. Any future regulatory changes that restrict the use of off-shore captive reinsurers might require Globe Life to obtain third-party financing, which could cause an insignificant increase in financing costs. On March 29, 2023, the letters of credit were amended to reduce the amount outstanding from $125 million to $115 million. The outstanding letters of credit remained at $115 million at December 31, 2023.

The Parent Company expects to have readily available funds for 2024 and the foreseeable future to conduct its operations and to maintain target capital ratios in the insurance subsidiaries through internally generated cash flow and the credit facility. In the unlikely event that more liquidity is needed, the Company could generate additional funds through multiple sources including, but not limited to, the issuance of debt, an additional short-term credit facility, and intercompany borrowing. Refer to Note 5—Commitments and Contingencies and the discussion surrounding the Company's obligations over the next five years.

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As noted above, the Parent Company had access to $48 million of liquid assets available as of December 31, 2023. This liquidity is available to the Company in the event additional funds are needed to support the targeted capital levels within our insurance subsidiaries.

Consolidated Liquidity. Consolidated net cash inflows provided from operations were $1.48 billion in 2023, compared with $1.42 billion in 2022. The increase is primarily attributable to fluctuations in the settlement of certain amounts included in other liabilities. In addition to cash inflows from operations, our companies received proceeds from dispositions of fixed maturities available for sale, mortgage loans, and other long-term investments in the amount of $1.05 billion in 2023. As noted under the caption Credit Facility in Note 12, the Parent Company has in place a revolving credit facility. The insurance subsidiaries have no additional outstanding credit facilities.

Cash and short-term investments were $185 million at the end of 2023 compared with $207 million at the end of 2022. In addition to these liquid assets, $17.9 billion (fair value at December 31, 2023) of fixed income securities are available for sale in the event of an unexpected need. Approximately $1.3 billion, at fair value, are pledged for outstanding FHLB advances and reinsurance. Further, approximately 97% of our fixed income securities are publicly traded, freely tradable under SEC Rule 144, or qualified for resale under SEC Rule 144A. While our fixed income securities are classified as available for sale, we have the ability and general intent to hold any securities to recovery or maturity. Our strong cash flows from operations, ongoing investment maturities, and available liquidity under credit facility make any need to sell securities for liquidity highly unlikely.

Capital Resources. The Parent Company's capital structure consists of short-term debt (the commercial paper facility and current maturities of long-term debt), long-term debt, and shareholders’ equity.

Debt: The carrying value of the long-term debt was $1.6 billion at December 31, 2023, and 2022. A complete analysis and description of long-term debt issues outstanding is presented in Note 12—Debt.

Financing costs for the corporate and other segment consist primarily of interest on our various debt instruments. The table below presents the components of financing costs and reconciles interest expense per the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Analysis of Financing Costs

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202320222021
Interest on debt$72,641$80,481$78,183
Interest on term loan7,684
Interest on short-term debt21,9589,8755,270
Other333933
Financing costs$102,316$90,395$83,486

In 2023, financing costs increased 13% compared with prior year primarily due to higher short-term interest rates. More information on our debt transactions is disclosed in the Financial Condition section of this report and in Note 12—Debt.

Subsidiary Capital: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has established a risk-based factor approach for determining threshold risk-based capital levels for all insurance companies. This approach was designed to assist the regulatory bodies in identifying companies that may require regulatory attention. A Risk-Based Capital (RBC) ratio is typically determined by dividing adjusted total statutory capital by the amount of risk-based capital determined using the NAIC’s factors. If a company’s RBC ratio approaches two times the RBC amount, the company must file a plan with the NAIC for improving its capital levels (this level is commonly referred to as “Company Action Level” RBC). Companies typically hold a multiple of the Company Action Level RBC depending on their particular business needs and risk profile.

Our goal is to maintain statutory capital within our insurance subsidiaries at levels necessary to support our current ratings. For 2024, Globe Life has targeted a consolidated Company Action Level RBC ratio of 300% to 320%. The Company has concluded that this capital level is more than adequate and sufficient to support its current ratings,

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given the nature of its business and its risk profile. For 2023, our consolidated Company Action Level RBC ratio was 314%. The Parent Company is committed to maintaining the targeted consolidated RBC ratio at its insurance subsidiaries and has sufficient liquidity available to provide additional capital if necessary.

Shareholder's Equity: As noted under the caption Analysis of Share Purchases within this report, we have an ongoing share repurchase program.

Globe Life has continually increased the quarterly dividend on its common shares over the past three years.

Year Ended December 31,
Projected 2024202320222021
Quarterly dividend by annual year$0.2400$0.2250$0.2075$0.1975

In 2023, new guidance became effective that impacted the accounting for our long duration contracts with significant effects to shareholders' equity. Please see Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies for additional information.

Shareholders’ equity was $4.5 billion at December 31, 2023. This compares to $3.9 billion at December 31, 2022, as adjusted, an increase of $537 million or 14%. Shareholders' equity increased $1.9 billion, or 97%, during 2022 from $2.0 billion in 2021.

At December 31, 2022, shareholders' equity was $3.9 billion. During 2023, shareholders’ equity increased as a result of net income of $971 million, but was offset by share repurchases of $380 million and an additional $127 million in share repurchases to offset the dilution from stock option exercises. Additionally, the balance of AOCI increased $18 million primarily due to increased interest rates and discount rates over the period. At December 31, 2021, shareholders' equity was $2.0 billion. During 2022, shareholders' equity increased as a result of net income of $894 million, but was offset by share repurchases of $335 million and an additional $120 million in share repurchases to offset the dilution from stock option exercises. Additionally, the balance of AOCI increased $1.4 billion due to increased interest rates and discount rates over the period.

We plan to use excess cash available at the Parent Company as efficiently as possible in the future. Excess cash flow, as we define it, results primarily from the dividends received by the Parent Company from its subsidiaries less the interest paid on debt. The cash received by the Parent Company from our insurance subsidiaries is after they have made substantial investments during the year to grow the business. Possible uses of excess cash flow include, but are not limited to, share repurchases, acquisitions, shareholder dividend payments, investments in securities, or repayment of short-term debt. We will determine the best use of excess cash after ensuring that targeted capital levels are maintained in our insurance subsidiaries. If market conditions are favorable, we currently expect that share repurchases will continue to be a primary use of those funds.

As discussed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies, the Company adopted ASU 2018-12, Financial Services–Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts (LDTI) on January 1, 2023. The liability for future policy benefits under ASU 2018-12 is required to be computed using current discount rates with the impact of changes in discount rates included in accumulated other comprehensive income. Additionally, the guidance requires the liability for future policy benefits to be calculated using net premiums rather than gross premiums. Given that gross premiums are considerably higher than net premiums for our business, as seen in Note 6—Policy Liabilities, the measurement of the liability is higher than what it would be had it been computed using gross premiums. This is an important consideration when analyzing shareholders' equity.

We maintain a significant available-for-sale fixed maturity portfolio to support our insurance policy liabilities. Current accounting guidance requires that we revalue our portfolio to fair market value at the end of each accounting period. The period-to-period changes in fair value, net of their associated impact on income tax, are reflected directly in shareholders’ equity. Changes in the fair value of the portfolio can result from changes in market rates.

While a majority of invested assets are revalued, accounting rules do not permit interest-bearing insurance policy liabilities to be valued at fair value in a consistent manner as that of assets, with changes in value applied directly to shareholders’ equity. Due to the size of our policy liabilities in relation to our shareholders’ equity, an inconsistency

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

exists in measurement, which may have a material impact on the reported value of shareholders’ equity. Fluctuations in interest rates cause undue volatility in the period-to-period presentation of our shareholders’ equity, capital structure, and financial ratios. Due to the long-term nature of our fixed maturity investments and liabilities and the strong cash flows consistently generated by our insurance subsidiaries, we have the ability to hold our securities to maturity. As such, we do not expect to incur losses due to fluctuations in market value of fixed maturities caused by market rate changes and temporarily illiquid markets. Accordingly, our management, credit rating agencies, lenders, many industry analysts, and certain other financial statement users prefer to remove the effect of this accounting rule when analyzing our balance sheet, capital structure, and financial ratios.

Financial Strength Ratings. The financial strength of our major insurance subsidiaries is rated by Standard & Poor’s and A. M. Best. The following table presents these ratings for our five largest insurance subsidiaries at December 31, 2023.

Standard & Poor’sA.M. Best
Liberty National Life Insurance CompanyAA-A
Globe Life And Accident Insurance CompanyAA-A
United American Insurance CompanyAA-A
American Income Life Insurance CompanyAA-A
Family Heritage Life Insurance Company of AmericaNRA

A.M. Best states that it assigns an A (Excellent) rating to insurance companies that have, in its opinion, an excellent ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations.

The AA financial strength rating category is assigned by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (S&P) to those insurers which have very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments which differs from the highest-rated insurers only to a small degree. An insurer rated A has strong capacity to meet its financial commitments but it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than insurers in higher-rated categories. The plus sign (+) or minus sign (-) shows the relative standing within the major rating category.

OTHER ITEMS

Litigation. For more information concerning litigation, please refer to Note 5—Commitments and Contingencies.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Application of Critical Accounting Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the application of accounting policies that often involve a significant degree of judgment. Management reviews these key estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of financial statements on a timely basis. If management determines that modifications are necessary due to current facts and circumstances, the Company’s results of operations and financial position as reported in the consolidated financial statements could possibly change significantly. Additional information on our accounting policies is disclosed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies.

Future Policy Benefits. Considerable information concerning the policies, procedures, and other relevant data related to the valuation of our liability for future policy benefits is presented in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and Note 6—Policy Liabilities.

The liability for future policy benefits for traditional and limited-payment long duration life and health products comprises the vast majority of the total liability for future policy benefits for the Company. The liability is determined each reporting period based on the net level premium method. This method requires the liability for future policy benefits to be calculated as the present value of estimated future policyholder benefits and the related termination expenses, less the present value of estimated future net premiums to be collected from policyholders.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The Company reviews, and updates as necessary, its cash flow assumptions (mortality, morbidity, and lapses) used to calculate the change in the liability for future policy benefits at least annually. These cash flow assumptions are reviewed at the same time every year, or more frequently, if suggested by experience. If cash flow assumptions are changed, the net premium ratio is recalculated from the original issue date, or the Transition Date, using actual experience and projected future cash flows. As cash flow assumptions are changed, the liability for future policy benefits is adjusted with changes recognized in policyholder benefits on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The following table illustrates the sensitivity of our liability for future policy benefits, including the corresponding pre-tax impact on OCI, and net income, as of December 31, 2023, to changes in cash flow assumptions. This information is useful in understanding the potential financial impact on our financial statements from changes in these items and the expected impact to our liability for future policy benefits. We could experience impacts that are more or less significant than noted in the following analysis; however the sensitivities provide insight regarding the direction and magnitude of those potential impacts.

At December 31, 2023
(Dollar amounts in thousands)
AssumptionsSensitivityFuture policy benefitsOCINet Income
Mortality1% increase$29,373$1,462$(30,835)
1% decrease(29,221)(1,474)30,695
Morbidity5% increase49,0144,650(53,664)
5% decrease(38,006)(4,671)42,677
Lapses10% increase(99,618)35,23364,385
10% decrease110,271(43,196)(67,075)

The liability for future policy benefits is discounted using a current upper-medium grade fixed-income instrument yield that reflects the duration characteristics of the liability for future policy benefits. Accordingly, the discount rate assumption is key in determining the change in the value of the liability for future benefits for long duration life and health contracts. Since the liability for future policy benefits for traditional and limited-payment long duration life and health products comprises approximately 92% of the total liability for future policy benefits, it is subject to interest rate risk. A decrease in discount rates will cause an increase in the obligation with a corresponding change in AOCI.

The following table illustrates the interest rate sensitivity of our liability for future policy benefits as of December 31, 2023. This table measures the effect of a parallel shift in discount rates on the liability. The data measures the change in reported value arising from an immediate change in rates in increments of 50 and 100 basis points, which would be recorded as a component of OCI.

Value of Liability for Future Policy Benefits

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

At December 31,
Change in Discount Rates(1)2023
(200)$28,524,314
(100)23,364,282
(50)21,346,814
019,460,353
5018,114,882
10016,810,309
20014,662,284

(1) In basis points.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Deferred Acquisition Costs. Certain costs of acquiring new insurance business are deferred and recorded as an asset. These costs are capitalized on a grouped contract basis and amortized over the expected term of the related contracts, and are essential for the acquisition of new insurance business.

Deferred Acquisition Costs (DAC) are amortized on a constant-level basis over the expected term of the grouped contracts, with the related expense included in amortization of deferred acquisition costs on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The in-force metric used to compute the DAC amortization rate is annualized premium in force. The assumptions used to amortize acquisition costs include mortality, morbidity, and lapses, and are consistent with those used in calculating the liability for future policy benefits.

Value of business acquired (VOBA) is amortized on a basis that is consistent with DAC, as described above, and is subject to periodic recoverability and loss recognition testing to determine if there is a premium deficiency. These tests evaluate whether the present value of future contract-related cash flows will support the capitalized VOBA asset. These cash flows consist primarily of premium income, less benefits and expenses. The present value of these cash flows, less the reserve liability, is then compared with the unamortized balance. In the event the estimated present value of net cash flows is less, the deficiency would be recognized by a charge to earnings and either a reduction of unamortized acquisition costs or an increase in the liability for future benefits.

Policy Claims and Other Benefits Payable. This liability consists of known benefits currently payable and an estimate of claims that have been incurred but not yet reported to us. The estimate of unreported claims is based on prior experience and is made after careful evaluation of all information available to us. However, the factors upon which these estimates are based can be subject to change from historical patterns. Factors involved include the litigation environment, regulatory mandates, and the introduction of policy types for which claim patterns are not well established, and medical trend rates and medical cost inflation as they affect our health claims. Changes in these estimates, if any, are reflected in the earnings of the period in which the adjustment is made. The Company concludes that the estimates used to produce the liability for claims and other benefits, including the estimate of unsubmitted claims, are the most appropriate under the circumstances. However, there is no certainty that the resulting stated liability will be our ultimate obligation. At this time, we do not expect any change in this estimate to have a material impact on earnings or financial position consistent with our historical experience. There were no significant changes in the claims process in the current year.

Valuation of Fixed Maturities. We hold a substantial investment in high-quality fixed maturities to provide for the funding of our future policy contractual obligations over long periods of time. While these securities are generally expected to be held to maturity, they are classified as available for sale and are sold from time to time to maximize risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns. We report this portfolio at fair value. Fair value is the price that we would expect to receive upon sale of the asset in an orderly transaction. The fair value of the fixed maturity portfolio is primarily affected by changes in interest rates in financial markets. Because of the size of our fixed maturity portfolio and the long average life, small changes in rates can have a significant effect on the portfolio and the reported financial position of the Company. This impact is disclosed in 100 basis point increments under the caption Market Risk Sensitivity in this report. However, as discussed under the caption Financial Condition in this report, the Company regards these unrealized fluctuations in value as having no meaningful impact on our actual financial condition and, as such, we remove them from consideration when viewing our financial position and financial ratios.

At times, the values of our fixed maturities can also be affected by illiquidity in the financial markets. Illiquidity would contribute to a spread widening, and accordingly to unrealized losses, on many securities that we would expect to be fully recoverable. Even though our fixed maturity portfolio is available for sale, we have the ability and general intent to hold the securities until maturity as a result of our strong and stable cash flows generated from our insurance products. Considerable information concerning the policies, procedures, classification levels, and other relevant data concerning the valuation of our fixed maturity investments is presented in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and in Note 4—Investments under the captions Fair Value Measurements in both notes. There were no significant changes in the valuation process in the current year.

Market Risk Sensitivity. Globe Life's investment securities are exposed to interest rate risk, meaning the effect of changes in financial market interest rates on the current fair value of the Company’s investment portfolio. Since 91% of the carrying value of our investments is attributable to fixed maturity investments and these investments are predominately fixed-rate investments, the portfolio is highly subject to market risk. Declines in market interest rates

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

generally result in the fair value of the investment portfolio rising, and increases in interest rates cause the fair value to decline. Under normal market conditions, we are not concerned about unrealized losses that are interest rate driven since we would not expect to realize them. Globe Life does not generally intend to sell the securities prior to maturity and, likely, will not be required to sell the securities prior to recovery of amortized cost. The long-term nature of our insurance policy liabilities and strong operating cash-flow substantially mitigate any future need to liquidate portions of the portfolio.

The following table illustrates the interest rate sensitivity of our fixed maturity portfolio at December 31, 2023. This table measures the effect of a parallel shift in interest rates (as represented by the U.S. Treasury curve) on the fair value of the fixed maturity portfolio. The data measures the change in fair value arising from an immediate and sustained change in interest rates in increments of 100 basis points.

Market Value of Fixed Maturity Portfolio

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

At December 31,
Change in Interest Rates(1)2023
(200)$21,818,000
(100)19,731,000
017,870,000
10016,210,000
20014,729,000

(1) In basis points.

Investments: Allowance for Credit Losses. We continually monitor our investment portfolio for investments where fair value has declined below carrying value to determine if a credit loss event has occurred. When a credit event does occur, an allowance for credit loss is recorded and the corresponding provision is recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in Realized Gains or Losses. Non-credit related fluctuations in the fair value are recorded in Other Comprehensive Income. The policies and procedures that we use to evaluate and account for allowance for credit losses are disclosed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and the discussions under the captions Investments and Realized Gains and Losses in this report. While every effort is made to make the best estimate of status and value with the information available regarding an allowance for credit loss, it is difficult to predict the future prospects of a distressed or impaired security.

Defined benefit pension plans. We maintain funded defined benefit plans covering most full-time employees. We also have an unfunded nonqualified defined benefit plan covering a limited number of officers. Our obligations under these plans are determined actuarially based on specified actuarial assumptions. In accordance with GAAP, an expense is recorded each year as these pension obligations grow due to the increase in the service period of employees and the interest cost associated with the passage of time. These obligations are offset, at least in part, by the growth in value of the assets in the funded plans. At December 31, 2023, our gross liability under these plans was $628 million, but was offset by assets of $571 million.

The actuarial assumptions used in determining our obligations/expenses for pensions include: employee mortality and turnover, retirement age, the expected return on plan assets, projected salary increases, and the discount rate at which future obligations could be settled. Additionally, a corridor approach is used to amortize any unrecognized gains or losses outside the corridor (the standard 10% of the greater of plan PBO and fair value assets) and have an amortization service period of approximately nine years. These assumptions have an important effect on the pension obligation. A decrease in the discount rate will cause an increase in the pension obligation. A decrease in projected salary increases will cause a decrease in this obligation. Small changes in assumptions may cause significant differences in reported results for these plans. For example, a sensitivity analysis is presented below for the impact of change in the discount rate and the long-term rate of return on assets assumed on our defined benefit pension plans expense for the year 2023 and projected benefit obligation as of December 31, 2023.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Pension Assumptions

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

AssumptionChange(1)Impact on ExpenseImpact on Projected Benefit Obligation
Discount Rate(2):
Increase25$(786)$(20,567)
Decrease(25)82021,708
Expected Return(3):
Increase25(1,483)
Decrease(25)1,483

(1)In basis points.

(2)The discount rate for determining the net periodic benefit cost was 5.71% for 2023. The discount rate used for determining the projected benefit obligation as of December 31, 2023 was 5.40%.

(3)The expected long-term return rate assumed was 6.98% at December 31, 2023, and 6.98% in the prior year. Management considers both historical and future yields to determine the expected return.

The Company determines mortality assumptions through the use of published mortality tables that reflect broad-based studies of mortality and published longevity improvement scales.

The criteria used to determine the primary assumptions are discussed in Note 10—Postretirement Benefits. While we have used our best efforts to determine the most reliable assumptions, given the information available from Company experience, economic data, independent consultants and other sources, we cannot be certain that actual results will be the same as expected. The assumptions are reviewed annually and revised, if necessary, based on more current information available to us. Note 10—Postretirement Benefits also contains information about pension plan assets, investment policies, and other related data. There were no significant changes in the assumptions in the current year.

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FY 2022 10-K MD&A

SEC filing source: 0000320335-23-000008.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2023-02-23. Report date: 2022-12-31.

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Globe Life's Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. The following management discussion will only include comparison to prior year. For discussion regarding activity from 2020, please refer to the prior filed Form 10-Ks at www.sec.gov.

"Globe Life" and the "Company" refer to Globe Life Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.

Results of Operations

How Globe Life Views Its Operations. Globe Life Inc. is the holding company for a group of insurance companies that market primarily individual life and supplemental health insurance to lower middle to middle-income households throughout the United States. We view our operations by segments, which are the insurance product lines of life, supplemental health, and annuities, and the investment segment that supports the product lines. Segments are aligned based on their common characteristics, comparability of the profit margins, and management techniques used to operate each segment.
Insurance Product Line Segments. The insurance product line segments involve the marketing, underwriting, and administration of policies. Each product line is further segmented by the various distribution channels that market the insurance policies. Each distribution channel operates in a niche market offering insurance products designed for that particular market. Whether analyzing profitability of a segment as a whole, or the individual distribution channels within the segment, the measure of profitability used by management is the underwriting margin, as seen below:
Premium revenue (Policy obligations) (Policy acquisition costs and commissions) Underwriting margin
Investment Segment. The investment segment involves the management of our capital resources, including investments and the management of corporate debt and liquidity. Our measure of profitability for the investment segment is excess investment income, as seen below:
Net investment income(Required interest on net policy liabilities) (Financing costs) Excess investment income

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Long-Duration Targeted Improvements. As discussed in further detail within Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies, the Company will adopt ASU 2018-12, Financial Services–Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts (LDTI), effective on January 1, 2023. The Company has selected the modified retrospective transition method upon adoption as of the transition date (the “Transition Date”) of January 1, 2021. The accounting adoption will have no economic impact on the cash flows of our business nor influence our business model of providing basic protection-oriented products to the underserved and lower middle to middle-income market. In addition, it will not impact our statutory earnings, statutory capital, nor our capital management philosophies.

The adoption will, however, modify the timing of when profits emerge on our insurance policies and result in the restatement of 2021 and 2022 key figures in the 2023 consolidated financial statements. We are anticipating GAAP net income and net operating income to increase significantly under the new standard primarily due to a reduction in deferred acquisition cost (DAC) amortization in the near to intermediate term. Additionally, future policy benefits on our life insurance business for 2021 and 2022, as restated to reflect the new standard, will be adjusted to reflect updated assumptions used to determine the reserves as well as the treatment of adverse claims experience incurred in 2021 and 2022, which gets spread out over future periods from transition, including those relating to COVID-19. This will result in slightly higher future policy benefits, as a percentage of premium, in future years than what would have been expected under existing guidance. Finally, we expect some modest decreases to future policy benefits, as a percentage of premium, in our health business on some of our limited benefit plans under the new standard.

With respect to future policy benefits, we anticipate an increase of between $9.5 billion and $11.0 billion on the Transition Date, which will be reflected in other comprehensive income. This change reflects an unrealized interest rate loss at transition and is a result of several primary factors:

a.Life insurance future policy benefit cash flows tend to be long as death benefits, which are greater than premium amounts, are typically paid to beneficiaries many years after a policy is issued. This results in a generally longer overall liability duration than the overall asset duration.

b.The new methodology requires the use of current discount rates (upper-medium grade) rather than locked-in discount rates, which are determined when a policy is issued. Current discount rates are generally lower than the locked-in discount rates used to determine net income. The required current discount rate is inconsistent with historical practices, the current asset portfolio and current investment strategy.

c.The methodology requires the net premium ratio2 used to determine future policy benefits be based on locked-in rates rather than permitting the redetermination of the net premium ratio using current discount rates. This restricts the level of gross premiums allowed in the calculation, as well as the level of gross premiums available to offset the impact of current discount rates to the extent these rates are realized in future years. Because of this requirement, the change in future policy benefits results in a measure of unrealized gain (loss) due to differences in discount rates only.

For Globe Life, discount rates lower than the locked-in discount rate under LDTI have the effect of increasing the level of reserves carried due to the use of net premiums in the calculation as compared to current GAAP, which in the loss recognition test, uses the total gross premium. Once implemented, future policy benefits will be sensitive to changes in current discount rates for the reasons stated above. To demonstrate this sensitivity to discount rates, to the extent current discount rates were consistent with rates as of December 31, 2022, we estimate future policy benefits as of the Transition Date would have only increased between $1.5 billion and $2.3 billion.

With respect to shareholders’ equity, as of the end of 2020, reported shareholders’ equity on the Consolidated Balance Sheets was $8.8 billion. We anticipate a decrease in the range of $7.5 billion to $8.5 billion, net of tax, as a result of the requirement to use current discount rates to remeasure the future policy benefits and record the offset through accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) at adoption.

If we hold all else equal as of the Transition Date but use current discount rates as of December 31, 2022, the after-tax decrease in AOCI due solely to the increase in future policy benefits would have been in the range of $1.2 billion

2 The net premium ratio is the ratio between the present value of benefits and the present value of gross premium.

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to $1.8 billion. AOCI would also be impacted by fluctuations in the valuation of the fixed maturity bond portfolio in this situation.

Another item impacting shareholders’ equity relates to increases in the liability for future policy benefits on smaller, older blocks of business with a minimum floor or net premium ratios capped at 100%. For blocks of business that require increases in future policy benefits to minimum levels, or a net premium ratio capped at 100% on the Transition Date, any difference between the future policy benefits calculated using the discount rate immediately before the Transition Date, and the existing carrying value as of the Transition Date is recorded as an adjustment (decrease) to opening retained earnings. At the Transition Date, we expect an immaterial decrease to opening retained earnings related to these items.

As noted above, we expect GAAP net income and net operating income to increase under the new standard due to a significant decrease in the annual amortization of DAC in the near and intermediate term. This is a result of changes to the calculation of amortization rate, including use of only deferred costs through the valuation date. For business with deferrals of renewal commissions, as is the case with our captive agency channels, the expected amortization rate as a percentage of premium will no longer be level, but will increase over the period of time during which commissions are deferred. The decrease in amortization in the near term will primarily impact our life insurance line of business. In total, we expect the increase in net income in 2023, largely due to the decrease in amortization, to fall within a range of $105 million and $115 million, net of tax.

Regarding our measure of excess investment income, we expect a significant decrease in the figure as a result of the updated standard. This is driven by the removal of interest in the computation of DAC. Although non-GAAP measures, the review of underwriting margin and excess investment income will remain an important part of the Company’s measurement of performance.

Inflation Reduction Act. The Inflation Reduction Act (the Act) was enacted on August 16, 2022, and included a new corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT). The Act and CAMT go into effect for tax years beginning after 2022. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact the Act will have, if any, on the financial statements.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Current Highlights, comparing year-to-date 2022 with 2021.

•Net income as a return on equity (ROE) for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 12.3% and net operating income as an ROE, excluding net unrealized gains or losses on the fixed maturity portfolio(1) was 13.4%.

•Total premium increased 5% over the prior year. Life premium increased 4% for the period from $2.9 billion in 2021 to $3.0 billion in 2022. Life underwriting margin increased 23% from $624 million in 2021 to $769 million in 2022.

•Net investment income increased 4% over the same period in the prior year.

•Total net sales increased 2% over the same period in the prior year from $706 million in 2021 to $722 million in 2022.

•Book value per share declined 42% below the same period in the prior year from $85.97 to $49.65. Book value per share, excluding net unrealized gains or losses on the fixed maturity portfolio(1), increased 9% over the prior year from $58.50 in 2021 to $64.01 in 2022.

•The Company incurred $49 million of COVID-19 net life claims (net of reserves released upon death) for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared with $140 million during the same period last year.

•For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased 3.3 million shares of Globe Life Inc. common stock at a total cost of $335 million for an average share price of $100.90.

The following graphs represent net income and net operating income for the three years ended December 31, 2022.

(1)As shown in the charts above, net operating income is the consolidated total of segment profits after tax and as such is considered a non-GAAP measure. It has been used consistently by Globe Life's management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company. It differs from net income primarily because it excludes certain non-operating items such as realized gains and losses and certain significant and unusual items included in net income. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Net operating income as an ROE, excluding net unrealized gains or losses on the fixed maturity portfolio, is considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the business without the effect of the net unrealized gains or losses, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates on the available-for-sale portfolio. The impact of the adjustment to exclude net unrealized gains or losses on fixed maturities, net of tax is $(1.4) billion and $2.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Book value per share, excluding net unrealized gains or losses on the fixed maturity portfolio, is also considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the book value of the business without the effect of net unrealized gains or losses, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates on the available-for-sale portfolio. The impact of the adjustment to exclude net unrealized gains or losses on fixed maturities is $(14.36) and $27.47 for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Refer to Analysis of Profitability by Segment for non-GAAP reconciliation to GAAP.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Summary of Operations. Net income declined 1% to $740 million in 2022, compared with $745 million in 2021. This decrease was primarily related to an increase in realized losses on the fixed maturity portfolio offset by lower COVID-19 life claims. On a diluted per common share basis, net income per common share for 2022 increased from $7.22 to $7.47. Included in net income were after-tax realized losses of $60 million in 2022, compared with realized after-tax gains of $47 million for 2021. Realized gains and losses are presented more fully under the caption Realized Gains and Losses in this report.

Net operating income from operations increased 14% to $806 million in 2022, compared with $707 million in 2021. On a diluted per common share basis, net operating income per common share increased from $6.86 to $8.15, a 19% increase. Net operating income is the consolidated total of segment profits after tax and as such is considered a non-GAAP measure. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. We do not consider realized gains and losses to be a component of our core insurance operations or operating segments. Net income was also impacted by certain significant and unusual non-operating items in 2021 and 2022. We do not view these items as components of core operating results because they are not indicative of past performance or future prospects of the insurance operations. We remove items such as these that relate to prior periods or are non-operating items when evaluating the results of current operations, and therefore exclude such items from our segment analysis for current periods.

The Company continues to see positive signs in its core operations, including strong sales, favorable persistency, and a strong ROE, excluding net unrealized gains or losses on the fixed maturity portfolio.

COVID-19. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company incurred $49 million of COVID-19 net life claims, compared to $140 million in 2021. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were approximately 243 thousand U.S. COVID-19 deaths in 2022, down from approximately 460 thousand in 2021. The Company’s level of COVID-19 net life claims, on average for the year, was approximately $2 million per 10,000 U.S. deaths, a decrease from $3 million per 10,000 U.S. deaths in 2021.

Going forward, we anticipate approximately $45 million in impact from excess life claims in 2023 from both COVID-19 and related non-COVID-19 causes at the mid-point of our guidance. We define excess life claims as the additional claims that arose over what would have been expected based on pre-COVID experience. The projected life claims are dependent on many variables, including, but not limited to, projected U.S. deaths from COVID-19, the timing and availability of effective treatments for the disease, vaccination rates and effectiveness of vaccines, impact from potential variants, and the ages and geographic areas in which infections and deaths occur.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Globe Life's operations on a segment-by-segment basis are discussed in depth below. Net operating income has been used consistently by management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company and is a measure commonly used in the life insurance industry. It differs from GAAP net income primarily because it excludes certain non-operating items such as realized gains and losses and other significant and unusual items included in net income. Management believes an analysis of net operating income is important in understanding the profitability and operating trends of the Company’s business. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Analysis of Profitability by Segment

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

2022202120202022 Change%2021 Change%
Life insurance underwriting margin$768,546$623,675$674,946$144,87123$(51,271)(8)
Health insurance underwriting margin320,712304,302272,36916,410531,93312
Annuity underwriting margin8,2268,7049,029(478)(5)(325)(4)
Excess investment income238,083238,528244,424(445)(5,896)(2)
Other insurance:
Other income1,2461,2161,325302(109)(8)
Administrative expense(299,341)(271,631)(250,947)(27,710)10(20,684)8
Corporate and other(46,806)(39,825)(45,783)(6,981)185,958(13)
Pre-tax total990,666864,969905,363125,69715(40,394)(4)
Applicable taxes(184,321)(157,472)(167,771)(26,849)1710,299(6)
Net operating income806,345707,497737,59298,84814(30,095)(4)
Reconciling items, net of tax:
Realized gain (loss)—investments(60,473)54,220(1,915)(114,693)56,135
Realized loss—redemption of debt(7,358)(501)7,358(6,857)
Administrative settlements(1,047)1,047(1,047)
Non-operating expenses(4,196)(1,923)(816)(2,273)(1,107)
Legal proceedings(1,972)(6,430)(2,587)4,458(3,843)
Net income$739,704$744,959$731,773$(5,255)(1)$13,1862

The life insurance segment is our primary segment and is the largest contributor to earnings in each year presented. The life insurance segment underwriting margin increased $145 million compared with the prior year, primarily due to lower life claims related to COVID-19 and growth in premiums. The health segment contributed to growth in income in both years, contributing $16 million of additional underwriting margin in 2022 and $32 million in 2021, a result of sustained premium growth.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

In 2022, the largest contributor of total underwriting margin was the life insurance segment and the primary distribution channel was the American Income Life Division. The following charts represent the breakdown of total underwriting margin by operating segment and distribution channel for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Total premium income rose 5% for the year ended December 31, 2022 to $4.3 billion. Total net sales increased 2% to $722 million, when compared with 2021. Total first-year collected premium (defined in the following section) was $577 million for 2022, compared with $583 million for 2021.

Life insurance premium income increased 4% to $3.0 billion over the prior-year total of $2.9 billion. Life net sales rose 2% to $531 million for the year ended 2022. First-year collected life premium declined 3% to $410 million. Life underwriting margins, as a percent of premium, increased to 25% in 2022 from 22%. Underwriting margin increased to $769 million in 2022, 23% over the same period in 2021, largely a result of a significant decline in COVID-19 net life claims and an increase in premium growth.

Health insurance premium income increased 6% to $1.3 billion over the prior-year total of $1.2 billion. Health net sales rose 4% to $191 million for the year ended 2022. First-year collected health premium rose 5% to $168 million. Health underwriting margins, as a percent of premium, were 25% in 2022 and 2021. Health underwriting margin increased to $321 million for the year ended 2022, 5% over the same period in 2021.

Excess investment income, the measure of profitability of our investment segment, declined slightly during 2022 to $238.1 million from $238.5 million in the same period in 2021. Excess investment income per common share, reflecting the impact of our share repurchase program, increased 4% to $2.41 from $2.31 when compared with the same period in 2021.

Insurance administrative expenses increased 10% in 2022 when compared with the prior-year period. These expenses were 7.0% as a percent of premium during 2022 compared with 6.6% a year earlier.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased 3.3 million Globe Life Inc. shares at a total cost of $335 million for an average share price of $100.90.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The discussions of our segments are presented in the manner we view our operations, as described in Note 14—Business Segments.

We use three statistical measures as indicators of premium growth and sales over the near term: “annualized premium in force,” “net sales,” and “first-year collected premium.”

•Annualized premium in force is defined as the premium income that would be received over the following twelve months at any given date on all active policies if those policies remain in force throughout the twelve-month period.

•Net sales, a statistical performance measure, is calculated as annualized premium issued, net of cancellations in the first thirty days after issue, except in the case of Direct to Consumer, where net sales is annualized premium issued at the time the first full premium is paid after any introductory offer period has expired. Management considers net sales to be a better indicator of the rate of premium growth than annualized premium issued.

•First-year collected premium is defined as the premium collected during the reporting period for all policies in their first policy year. First-year collected premium takes lapses into account in the first year when lapses are more likely to occur, and thus is a useful indicator of how much new premium is expected to be added to premium income in the future.

See further discussion of the distribution channels below for Life and Health.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

LIFE INSURANCE

Life insurance is the Company's predominant segment. During 2022, life premium represented 70% of total premium and life underwriting margin represented 70% of the total underwriting margin. Additionally, investments supporting the reserves for life products produce the majority of excess investment income attributable to the investment segment.

The following table presents the summary of results of life insurance. Further discussion of the results by distribution channel is included below.

Life Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202220212020
Amount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremium
Premium and policy charges$3,023,296100$2,898,210100$2,672,804100
Policy obligations2,045,730682,070,485711,809,37368
Required interest on reserves(771,914)(26)(735,282)(25)(698,112)(26)
Net policy obligations1,273,816421,335,203461,111,26142
Commissions, premium taxes, and non-deferred acquisition expenses256,5469234,0338212,8598
Amortization of acquisition costs724,38824705,29924673,73825
Total expense2,254,750752,274,535781,997,85875
Insurance underwriting margin$768,54625$623,67522$674,94625

The higher life insurance underwriting margins, as well as the higher underwriting margins as a percentage of premium, for the year ended December 31, 2022 are primarily a result of growth in premiums along with a decrease in net policy obligations. Net policy obligations amounted to 42% of premiums for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to 46% in the year-ago period, due to approximately $49 million in COVID-19 net life claims incurred during the year as compared to $140 million in 2021.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Life insurance products are marketed through several distribution channels. Premium income by distribution channel for each of the last three years is as follows:

Life Insurance

Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202220212020
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$1,505,42550$1,402,87848$1,257,72647
Direct to Consumer981,51732971,46134906,95934
Liberty National326,64211311,08111293,89711
Other209,7127212,7907214,2228
Total$3,023,296100$2,898,210100$2,672,804100

Annualized life premium in force was $3.1 billion at December 31, 2022, an increase of 4% over $2.9 billion a year earlier.

The following table shows net sales information for each of the last three years by distribution channel.

Life Insurance

Net Sales by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202220212020
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$316,71559$290,51256$253,27652
Direct to Consumer125,97924148,84628165,42634
Liberty National78,3901571,1841454,93112
Other9,844211,055210,3712
Total$530,928100$521,597100$484,004100

The table below discloses first-year collected life premium by distribution channel.

Life Insurance

First-Year Collected Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202220212020
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$257,58463$250,93759$214,56658
Direct to Consumer86,85421111,76127104,26228
Liberty National56,0851450,3361242,43511
Other8,98829,705210,1903
Total$409,511100$422,739100$371,453100

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

A discussion of life operations by distribution channel follows.

The American Income Life Division markets to members of labor unions and continues to diversify its lead sources by building relationships with other affinity groups, utilizing third-party internet vendor leads and obtaining referrals to facilitate sustainable growth. This division is Globe Life's largest contributor of life premium of any distribution channel at 50% of the Company's 2022 total life premium. Net sales increased 9% to $317 million in 2022 over the 2021 total of $291 million. The increase in life net sales is due to increased productivity plus an improvement in issue rates as some challenges in underwriting, such as staffing and speed to obtain medical records and other information resolved, during the year. The underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 33% for the year ended December 31, 2022, up from 30% in the prior year.

This division incurred $16 million in COVID-19 net life claims, representing approximately 1% of premium, for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared with $36 million in COVID-19 net life claims during the prior year.

Below is the average producing agent count at the end of the period for the American Income Life Division. The average producing agent count is based on the actual count at the end of each week during the year. Despite the division's ability to recruit both virtually and in-person, retention challenges still exist. Sales growth in this division, as well as within our other exclusive agencies, is generally dependent on growth in the size of the agency force.

2022202120202022 Change%2021 Change%
American Income9,4449,9718,738(527)(5)1,23314

American Income Life continues to focus on growing and strengthening the agency force, specifically through emphasis on agency middle-management growth and additional agency office openings. In addition to offering financial incentives and training opportunities, the agency has made considerable investments in information technology, including launching a customer relationship management (CRM) tool for the agency force. This tool is designed to drive productivity in lead distribution, conservation of business, manager dashboards and new agent recruiting. Additionally, this division has invested in and successfully implemented technology that allows the agency force to engage in virtual recruiting, training, and sales activity. Over the course of the pandemic, the agents have shifted to primarily a virtual experience with the customers and have generated a vast majority of sales through virtual presentations. We find this flexibility to be enticing for new recruits as well as a driver of sustainability for our agency force.

The Direct to Consumer Division (DTC) offers adult and juvenile life insurance through a variety of marketing approaches, including direct mailings, insert media, and electronic media. In recent years, production from electronic media, which is comprised of sales through both the internet and inbound phone calls to our call center, has grown faster than direct mail response as customer demand increased marketing activity to internet and mobile technology. The proportion of sales from the internet and inbound phone calls had been steadily increasing prior to COVID-19, but accelerated after the start of the pandemic. The different approaches support and complement one another in the division's efforts to reach the consumer. The DTC's long-term growth has been fueled by constant innovation and name recognition. We continually introduce new initiatives in this division in an attempt to increase response rates.

While the juvenile market is an important source of sales, it is also a vehicle to reach the parents and grandparents of juvenile policyholders, who are more likely to respond favorably to a DTC solicitation for life coverage on themselves in comparison to the general adult population. Also, future offerings to juvenile policyholders and their parents are sources of low acquisition-cost life insurance sales in the future.

DTC net sales decreased 15% to $126 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared with $149 million in the prior year. After experiencing higher than normal life net sales in the prior year, sales in the current year are returning to pre-pandemic levels. The decline is also due in part to the impact of recent record inflation on the cost of our direct mailings and on our customers, who generally have less discretionary income to purchase and retain life insurance. DTC incurred $24 million of COVID-19 net life claims, representing approximately 2% of premium, in 2022 compared with $69 million in 2021. DTC’s underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 12% for the year

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

ended December 31, 2022 and 7% for the same period in 2021, reflecting the lessening impact of COVID-19 on the division's underwriting results.

The Liberty National Division markets individual life insurance to middle-income household and worksite customers. Recent investments in new sales technologies as well as recent growth in middle management within the agency are expected to help continue this growth. The underwriting margin as a percent of premium was 22%, up from 17% for the year ended 2021. The increase is primarily attributable to lower net policy obligations in relation to premium during the year compared with the same period a year ago. This division incurred $7 million of COVID-19 net life claims, representing approximately 2% of premium, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared with $28 million in 2021. Net sales increased 10% in 2022 over 2021.

Below is the average producing agent count at the end of the period for Liberty National Division.

2022202120202022 Change%2021 Change%
Liberty National2,7752,7162,5755921415

The Liberty National Division average producing agent count was up slightly compared with the prior year. We continue to execute our long-term plan to grow this agency through expansion from small-town markets in the Southeast to more densely populated areas with larger pools of potential agent recruits and customers. Continued expansion of this agency’s presence into more heavily populated, less-penetrated areas will help create long-term agency growth. Additionally, the agency continues to help improve the ability of agents to develop new marketing opportunities. Systems that have been put in place, including the addition of a CRM platform and enhanced analytical capabilities, have also helped the agents develop additional marketing opportunities as well as improve the productivity of agents selling in the individual life market. As the division continues to gain momentum in its sales and recruiting initiatives and advances its technology and CRM platform, the agency anticipates an increase in recruiting of new agents and an increase in the average producing agent count.

The Other Agencies distribution channels primarily include non-exclusive independent agencies selling predominantly life insurance. The Other Agencies contributed $210 million of life premium income, or 7% of Globe Life's total in 2022, but contributed only 2% of net sales for the year.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance sold by the Company primarily includes Medicare Supplement insurance, accident coverage, and other limited-benefit supplemental health products including cancer, critical illness, heart, and intensive care coverage.

Health premium accounted for 30% of our total premium in 2022, while the health underwriting margin accounted for 29% of total underwriting margin. Health underwriting margin increased 5% to $321 million primarily due to higher premium growth. The Company continues to emphasize life insurance sales relative to health due to life’s superior long-term profitability and its greater contribution to excess investment income.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The following table presents underwriting margin data for health insurance.

Health Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202220212020
Amount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremium
Premium$1,279,412100$1,201,676100$1,141,097100
Policy obligations791,80962758,74563733,48164
Required interest on reserves(109,789)(9)(102,574)(8)(93,475)(8)
Net policy obligations682,02053656,17155640,00656
Commissions, premium taxes, and non-deferred acquisition expenses117,815997,453891,9598
Amortization of acquisition costs158,86513143,75012136,76312
Total expense958,70075897,37475868,72876
Insurance underwriting margin$320,71225$304,30225$272,36924

Health premium increased 6% from $1.20 billion in 2021 to $1.28 billion in 2022. Health underwriting margin increased 5% from $304 million in 2021 to $321 million in 2022 primarily due to growth in premiums. Further discussion is included below by distribution channel.

Globe Life markets supplemental health insurance products through a number of distribution channels. The following table is an analysis of our health premium by distribution channel for each of the last three years.

Health Insurance

Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202220212020
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$538,42842$481,61440$452,98040
Family Heritage366,82029343,83929317,02128
Liberty National185,76114187,32716188,83516
American Income117,3089114,9509105,7349
Direct to Consumer71,095673,946676,5277
Total$1,279,412100$1,201,676100$1,141,097100

Of total health premium of $1.3 billion, premium from limited-benefit plans comprise $701 million, or 55% of the total, for 2022 compared with $639 million in the prior year. Premium from Medicare Supplement products comprises the remaining 45% or $578 million for 2022 compared with $563 million in 2021.

Annualized health premium in force was $1.33 billion at December 31, 2022, an increase of 3% over the prior year balance of $1.29 billion.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Presented below is a table of health net sales by distribution channel for the last three years.

Health Insurance

Net Sales by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202220212020
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$58,60131$63,55135$61,69035
Family Heritage82,5294372,6003970,66540
Liberty National28,9161526,5121422,90513
American Income17,555918,2301018,81710
Direct to Consumer3,82523,46523,5942
Total$191,426100$184,358100$177,671100

Of total net sales of $191 million, sales of limited-benefit plans comprise $137 million, or 71% of the total, for 2022 compared with $118 million in 2021. Medicare Supplement sales make up the remaining 29%, or $54 million for 2022 compared with $66 million in 2021.

The following table discloses first-year collected health premium by distribution channel.

Health Insurance

First-Year Collected Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202220212020
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$64,41039$60,38637$79,62845
Family Heritage60,6993657,4273654,24231
Liberty National22,4151320,3481320,16911
American Income17,2941018,9391218,53611
Direct to Consumer3,11523,25323,0512
Total$167,933100$160,353100$175,626100

First-year collected premium related to limited-benefit plans comprise $108 million, or 64% of total first-year collected premium for 2022 compared with $99 million in 2021. First-year collected premium from Medicare Supplement policies make up the remaining 36%, or $60 million for 2022 compared with $61 million in 2021.

A discussion of health operations by distribution channel follows.

The United American Independent Agency consists of non-exclusive independent agencies who may also sell for other companies. The United American Independent Agency was Globe Life's largest health agency in terms of health premium income.

This division is also Globe Life's largest producer of Medicare Supplement insurance, responsible for 83% of the Company's Medicare Supplement premium and 93% of Medicare Supplement net sales. Medicare Supplement premium in this agency rose 5% to $482 million in 2022 over the prior period premium of $460 million. Medicare Supplement net sales declined 19% to $51 million in 2022 from the prior year. The Medicare Supplement market is highly competitive and thus sales will fluctuate over the years. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium was flat at 15% for 2022 compared with 2021.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

The Family Heritage Division primarily markets limited-benefit supplemental health insurance in non-urban areas. Most of its policies include a cash-back feature, such as a return of premium, where any excess of premiums over claims paid is returned to the policyholder at the end of a specified period stated within the insurance policy. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium in 2022 was 27%, the same as in 2021.

The division experienced a 14% increase in health net sales in 2022 as compared with the 2021, primarily due to an increase in recruiting, agent productivity and training. The division will continue to implement incentive programs to help drive an increase in productivity and the number of producing agents.

Below is the average producing agent count at the end of the indicated periods for the Family Heritage Division. While the agency was relatively flat in agent count as compared with 2021, we anticipate that as COVID-19 and the job market stabilize, agent recruitment opportunities will continue to trend upward.

2022202120202022 Change%2021 Change%
Average producing agents1,2101,2131,325(3)(112)(8)

The Liberty National Division represented 14% of all Globe Life health premium income at $186 million in 2022. Liberty National markets limited-benefit supplemental health products consisting primarily of critical illness insurance. Much of Liberty National’s health business is generated through worksite marketing targeting small businesses. In 2022, health premium income declined 1%. Liberty National's first-year collected premium increased 10% to $22 million in 2022 compared with $20 million in 2021. Health net sales for 2022 increased by $2 million or 9% from 2021. We anticipate an increase in health net sales going forward at this division as the Company becomes more able to interact face-to-face with customers.

Other distribution. While some of the Company's other distribution channels market health products, selling life insurance is the main emphasis. On a combined basis, they accounted for 15% of health premium in 2022 and 15% in 2021. The American Income Life Division primarily markets accident plans. The Direct to Consumer Division markets primarily Medicare Supplements to employer or union-sponsored groups, adding $4 million of Medicare Supplement net sales in 2022 and $3 million in 2021.

ANNUITIES

Our fixed annuity balances at the end of 2022 and 2021 were $953.3 million and $1.0 billion, respectively. Underwriting margin was $8.2 million for 2022 and $8.7 million for 2021.

We do not currently market stand-alone fixed or deferred annuity products, favoring instead protection-oriented life and supplemental health insurance products. Therefore, we do not expect that annuities will be a significant portion of our business or marketing strategy going forward.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

INVESTMENTS

We manage our capital resources including investments, debt, and cash flow through the investment segment. Excess investment income represents the profit margin attributable to investment operations and is the measure that we use to evaluate the performance of the investment segment as described in Note 14—Business Segments. It is defined as net investment income less both the required interest on net insurance policy liabilities and the interest cost associated with capital funding or “financing costs.”

Management also views excess investment income per diluted common share as an important and useful measure to evaluate the performance of the investment segment. It is defined as excess investment income divided by the total diluted weighted average shares outstanding, representing the contribution by the investment segment to the consolidated earnings per share of the Company. Since implementing our share repurchase program in 1986, we have used $9.0 billion of excess cash flow at the Parent Company to repurchase Globe Life Inc. common shares after determining that the repurchases provided a greater risk adjusted after-tax return than other investment alternatives. If we had not used this excess cash to repurchase shares, but had instead invested it in interest-bearing assets, we would have earned more investment income and had more shares outstanding. As excess investment income per diluted common share incorporates all capital resources, we view excess investment income per diluted common share as a useful measure to evaluate the investment segment.

Excess Investment Income. The following table summarizes Globe Life's investment income, excess investment income, and excess investment income per diluted common share.

Analysis of Excess Investment Income

(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

202220212020
Net investment income$987,499$952,447$927,062
Interest on net insurance policy liabilities:
Required interest on reserves(1)(919,864)(877,822)(833,000)
Required interest on deferred acquisition costs260,843247,389237,066
Net required interest(659,021)(630,433)(595,934)
Financing costs(90,395)(83,486)(86,704)
Excess investment income$238,083$238,528$244,424
Excess investment income per diluted common share$2.41$2.31$2.28
Mean invested assets (at amortized cost)$19,714,027$18,939,317$17,987,502
Average net insurance policy liabilities(2)11,377,10410,954,50010,460,539
Average debt and preferred securities (at amortized cost)2,127,3052,053,9351,859,298

(1)Includes $71 thousand of required interest on Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) funding agreements in 2022.

(2)Net of deferred acquisition costs, excluding the associated unrealized gains and losses thereon.

Excess investment income declined slightly in 2022 when compared with 2021. Excess investment income per diluted common share increased 4% during 2022 when compared with 2021. Excess investment income per diluted common share generally increases at a faster pace than excess investment income because the number of diluted shares outstanding generally decreases from year to year as a result of our share repurchase program.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Net investment income increased at a compound annual growth rate of 3% over the 3 years ending 2022 while mean invested assets increased at a compound rate of 5% during the same period. The tax equivalent effective annual yield rate earned on the fixed maturity portfolio was 5.16% in 2022. Generally, investment income grows at a slower rate than the assets when the yield on new investments is lower than the yield on dispositions or the average portfolio yield. It also increases at a faster rate than the assets when new investment yields exceed the yield on dispositions or the average portfolio yield. We currently expect that the average annual turnover rate of fixed maturity assets will be less than 2% over the next five years and will not have a material negative impact on net investment income. In addition to fixed maturities, the Company has also invested in limited partnerships with debt like characteristics that diversify risk and enhance risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns on the portfolio. The earned yield on the investment funds for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 5.65%. See additional information in Note 4—Investments. The following chart presents the growth in net investment income and the growth in mean invested assets.

202220212020
Growth in net investment income3.7%2.7%1.8%
Growth in mean invested assets (at amortized cost)4.1%5.3%5.6%

Globe Life's net investment income benefits from higher interest rates on new investments. While increasing interest rates have resulted in a net unrealized loss on the fixed maturities portfolio as of December 31, 2022, we are not concerned because we do not generally intend to sell, nor is it likely that we will be required to sell, the fixed maturities prior to their anticipated recovery.

Required interest on net insurance policy liabilities reduces net investment income, as it is the amount of net investment income considered by management necessary to “fund” required interest on net insurance policy liabilities, which is the net of the benefit reserve liability and the deferred acquisition cost asset. As such, it is removed from the investment segment and applied to the insurance segments to offset the effect of the required interest from the insurance segments. As discussed in Note 14—Business Segments, management regards this as a more meaningful analysis of the investment and insurance segments. Required interest is based on the actuarial interest assumptions used in discounting the benefit reserve liability and the amortization of deferred acquisition costs for our insurance policies in force.

The great majority of our life and health insurance policies are fixed interest rate protection policies, not investment products, and are accounted for under current GAAP accounting guidance for long-duration insurance products which mandate that interest rate assumptions for a particular block of business be “locked in” for the life of that block of business. Each calendar year, we set the discount rate to be used to calculate the benefit reserve liability and the amortization of the deferred acquisition cost asset for all insurance policies issued that year. That rate is based on the new money yields that we expect to earn on cash flow received in the future from policies of that issue year and cannot be changed. The discount rate used for policies issued in the current year has no impact on the in force policies issued in prior years as the rates of all prior issue years are also locked in. As such, the overall discount rate for the entire in force block of 5.8% is a weighted average of the discount rates being used from all issue years. Changes in the overall weighted-average discount rate over time are caused by changes in the mix of the reserves and the deferred acquisition cost asset by issue year on the entire block of in force business. Business issued in the current year has little impact on the overall weighted-average discount rate due to the size of our in force business. In 2023, new guidance will become effective that will significantly impact the accounting for our long duration contracts including the determination of required interest. Please see Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies for additional information.

Since actuarial discount rates are locked in for life on essentially all of our business, benefit reserves and deferred acquisition costs are not affected by interest rate fluctuations unless a loss recognition event occurs. Due to the strength and consistency of our underwriting margins, we do not expect an extended low interest rate environment will cause a loss recognition event.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Information about interest on net policy liabilities is shown in the following table.

Required Interest on Net Insurance Policy Liabilities

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

RequiredInterestAverage NetInsurancePolicy LiabilitiesAverageDiscountRate
2022
Life and Health$614,361$10,373,9725.9%
Annuity44,5891,000,4404.5
FHLB Funding Agreement712,6922.6
Total$659,021$11,377,1045.8
Increase in 20224.5%3.9%
2021
Life and Health$583,996$9,912,9145.9%
Annuity46,4371,041,5864.5
Total$630,433$10,954,5005.8
Increase in 20215.8%4.7%
2020
Life and Health$548,066$9,391,6805.8%
Annuity47,8681,068,8594.5
Total$595,934$10,460,5395.7
Increase in 20204.8%3.9%

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Financing costs for the investment segment consist primarily of interest on our various debt instruments. The table below presents the components of financing costs and reconciles interest expense per the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Analysis of Financing Costs

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202220212020
Interest on funded debt$80,481$78,183$73,157
Interest on term loan4,193
Interest on short-term debt9,8755,2709,302
Other393352
Financing costs$90,395$83,486$86,704

In 2022, financing costs increased 8% compared with prior year primarily due to rates on the short-term debt. In addition, interest on funded debt was higher in 2022 than the prior year as a result of the 4.80% Senior Notes issued in May 2022, prior the repayment of the 3.80% Senior Notes on September 15, 2022. More information on our debt transactions is disclosed in the Financial Condition section of this report and in Note 11—Debt.

Realized Gains and Losses. Our life and health insurance companies collect premium income from policyholders for the eventual payment of policyholder benefits, sometimes paid many years or even decades in the future. Since benefits are expected to be paid in future periods, premium receipts in excess of current expenses are invested to provide for these obligations. For this reason, we hold a significant investment portfolio as a part of our core insurance operations. This portfolio consists primarily of high-quality fixed maturities containing an adequate yield to provide for the cost of carrying these long-term insurance product obligations. As a result, fixed maturities are generally held for long periods to support the liabilities. Expected yields on these investments are taken into account when setting insurance premium rates and product profitability expectations.

Despite our intent to hold fixed maturity investments for a long period of time, investments are occasionally sold, exchanged, called, or experience a credit loss event, resulting in a realized gain or loss. Gains or losses are only secondary to our core insurance operations of providing insurance coverage to policyholders. In a bond exchange offer, bondholders may consent to exchange their existing bonds for another class of debt securities. The Company also has investments in certain limited partnerships, held under the fair value option, with fair value changes recognized in Realized gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Realized gains and losses can be significant in relation to the earnings from core insurance operations, and as a result, can have a material positive or negative impact on net income. The significant fluctuations caused by gains and losses can cause period-to-period trends of net income that are not indicative of historical core operating results or predictive of the future trends of core operations. Accordingly, they have no bearing on core insurance operations or segment results as we view operations. For these reasons, and in line with industry practice, we remove the effects of realized gains and losses when evaluating overall insurance operating results.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

The following table summarizes our tax-effected realized gains (losses) by component for each of the three years ended December 31, 2022.

Analysis of Realized Gains (Losses), Net of Tax

(Dollar amounts in thousands, except for per share data)

Year Ended December 31,
202220212020
AmountPerShareAmountPer ShareAmountPer Share
Fixed maturities:
Sales$(44,792)$(0.45)$(8,100)$(0.08)$(28,844)$(0.27)
Matured or other redemptions(1)19,0760.1935,6840.3411,7120.11
Provision for credit losses3062,3370.02(2,643)(0.03)
Fair value option—change in fair value(23,189)(0.23)18,1050.188260.01
Other(2)(11,874)(0.12)6,1940.0617,0340.16
Total Realized investment gains (losses)—investments(60,473)(0.61)54,2200.52(1,915)(0.02)
Loss on redemption of debt(7,358)(0.07)(501)
Total realized gains (losses)$(60,473)$(0.61)$46,862$0.45$(2,416)$(0.02)

(1)During the three years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, the Company recorded $147.6 million, $109.2 million, and $219.8 million of exchanges of fixed maturity securities (noncash transactions) that resulted in $1.5 million, $19.9 million, and $6.2 million, respectively, in realized gains (losses), net of tax.

(2)Other realized gains (losses) are primarily a result of changes in the fair value of exchange traded funds.

As investment yields increased in 2022, the Company disposed of certain fixed maturity investments to improve the risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns on the portfolio. While we realized losses, we were able to enhance the yield, credit quality and diversification of the portfolio.

Investment Acquisitions. Globe Life's investment policy calls for investing primarily in investment grade fixed maturities that meet our quality and yield objectives. We generally invest in securities with longer maturities because they more closely match the long-term nature of our policy liabilities. We believe this strategy is appropriate since our expected future cash flows are generally stable and predictable and the likelihood that we will need to sell invested assets to raise cash is low.

The following table summarizes selected information for fixed maturity investments. The effective annual yield shown is based on the acquisition price and call features, if any, of the securities. For non-callable bonds, the yield is calculated to maturity date. For callable bonds acquired at a premium, the yield is calculated to the earliest known

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

call date and call price after acquisition ("first call date"). For all other callable bonds, the yield is calculated to maturity date.

Fixed Maturity Acquisitions Selected Information

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
202220212020
Cost of acquisitions(1):
Investment-grade corporate securities$812,697$566,400$686,844
Investment-grade municipal securities599,946434,482543,088
Other investment-grade securities7,57710,46534,171
Total fixed maturity acquisitions$1,420,220$1,011,347$1,264,103
Effective annual yield (one year compounded)(2)5.18%3.39%3.73%
Average life (in years to next call)13.521.715.8
Average life (in years to maturity)22.831.726.3
Average ratingAA+A

(1)Fixed maturity acquisitions included unsettled trades of $0 in 2022, $7 million in 2021 and $2 million in 2020.

(2)Tax-equivalent basis, where the yield on tax-exempt securities is adjusted to produce a yield equivalent to the pretax yield on taxable securities.

For investments in callable bonds, the actual life of the investment will depend on whether the issuer calls the investment prior to the maturity date. Given our investments in callable bonds, the actual average life of our investments cannot be known at the time of the investment. Absent sales and "make-whole calls," however, the average life will not be less than the average life to next call and will not exceed the average life to maturity. Data for both of these average life measures is provided in the above chart.

During 2021 and 2022, acquisitions consisted of securities spanning a diversified range of issuers, industry sectors, and geographical regions. All of the acquired securities were investment grade. In addition to the fixed maturity acquisitions, Globe Life invested $290 million in other long-term investments in 2022 and $258 million in 2021. These investments include primarily investment funds. See Note—4 Investments for further discussion.

New cash flow available for investment has been primarily provided through our insurance operations, cash received on existing investments, and proceeds from dispositions. While dispositions increase funds available for investment, as noted earlier in this discussion, they can also have a negative impact on investment income if the proceeds from the dispositions are reinvested at lower yields than the bonds that were disposed. Dispositions were $852 million in 2022 and $428 million in 2021.

Since fixed maturities represent such a significant portion of our investment portfolio, the remainder of the discussion of portfolio composition will focus on fixed maturities. See a breakdown of the Company's other investments in Other Investment Information within Note 4—Investments.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Selected information concerning the fixed maturity portfolio is as follows:

Fixed Maturity Portfolio Selected Information

At December 31,
20222021
Average annual effective yield(1)5.19%5.17%
Average life, in years, to:
Next call(2)14.715.7
Maturity(2)18.519.0
Effective duration to:
Next call(2,3)8.810.6
Maturity(2,3)10.412.2

(1)Tax-equivalent basis. The yield on tax-exempt securities is adjusted to produce a yield equivalent to the pretax yield on taxable securities.

(2)Globe Life calculates the average life and duration of the fixed maturity portfolio two ways:

(a) based on the next call date which is the next call date for callable bonds and the maturity date for noncallable bonds, and

(b) based on the maturity date of all bonds, whether callable or not.

(3)Effective duration is a measure of the price sensitivity of a fixed-income security to a particular change in interest rates.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Credit Risk Sensitivity. The following tables summarize certain information about the major corporate sectors and security types held in our fixed maturity portfolio at December 31, 2022 and 2021.

Fixed Maturities by Sector

December 31, 2022

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Below Investment GradeTotal Fixed Maturities% of Total Fixed Maturities
Amortized Cost, netGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAmortized Cost, netGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAt Amortized Cost, netAt Fair Value
Corporates:
Financial
Insurance - life, health, P&C$107,355$22$(13,966)$93,411$2,375,633$44,578$(216,938)$2,203,2731313
Banks26,94484(192)26,8361,336,86814,035(100,038)1,250,86578
Other financial74,9631(22,026)52,9381,195,2934,513(187,513)1,012,29376
Total financial209,262107(36,184)173,1854,907,79463,126(504,489)4,466,4312727
Industrial
Energy44,723(10,168)34,5551,436,59822,637(101,923)1,357,31288
Basic materials1,090,30914,913(95,958)1,009,26466
Consumer, non-cyclical2,146,00320,427(232,196)1,934,2341212
Other industrials25,461(522)24,9391,212,67419,107(121,540)1,110,24167
Communications28,499(2,253)26,246857,3757,779(110,132)755,02255
Transportation520,02911,684(34,269)497,44433
Consumer. cyclical149,465(27,822)121,643592,6574,903(85,005)512,55533
Technology247,99690(59,672)188,41411
Total industrial248,148(40,765)207,3838,103,641101,540(840,695)7,364,4864445
Utilities35,496433(3,173)32,7561,924,19036,670(125,713)1,835,1471111
Total corporates492,906540(80,122)413,32414,935,625201,336(1,470,897)13,666,0648283
States, municipalities, and political divisions:
General obligations915,7255,041(167,393)753,37355
Revenues1,875,30519,287(338,054)1,556,538109
Total states, municipalities, and political divisions2,791,03024,328(505,447)2,309,9111514
Other fixed maturities:
Government (U.S. and foreign)449,60333(51,674)397,96222
Collateralized debt obligations37,09813,26650,36437,09813,26650,364
Other asset-backed securities12,493(1,618)10,87588,3364(9,276)79,06411
Total fixed maturities$542,497$13,806$(81,740)$474,563$18,301,692$238,967$(2,037,294)$16,503,365100100

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Fixed Maturities by Sector

December 31, 2021

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Below Investment GradeTotal Fixed Maturities% of Total Fixed Maturities
Amortized CostGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAmortized CostGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAt Amortized Cost, netAt Fair Value
Corporates:
Financial
Insurance - life, health, P&C$57,470$3,825$(4,807)$56,488$2,345,116$513,844$(5,553)$2,853,4071313
Banks26,98061427,594983,317207,466(1,635)1,189,14866
Other financial97,800547(1,103)97,2441,240,340186,431(2,161)1,424,61077
Total financial182,2504,986(5,910)181,3264,568,773907,741(9,349)5,467,1652626
Industrial
Energy118,53815,941(1,445)133,0341,587,892346,780(1,683)1,932,98999
Basic materials1,145,222279,175(50)1,424,34767
Consumer, non-cyclical84,10613,059(2,697)94,4682,256,802475,012(3,397)2,728,4171313
Other industrials25,5653,18228,7471,254,243286,889(589)1,540,54377
Communications28,6993,00231,701876,058153,295(3,610)1,025,74255
Transportation25,5555,58831,143559,399135,581(38)694,94233
Consumer. cyclical150,62418,805(3,429)166,000575,597106,438(3,594)678,44133
Technology212,13818,074(2,084)228,12911
Total industrial433,08759,577(7,571)485,0938,467,3511,801,244(15,045)10,253,5504748
Utilities36,2843,88840,1721,931,391490,119(1,012)2,420,4981111
Total corporates651,62168,451(13,481)706,59114,967,5153,199,104(25,406)18,141,2138485
States, municipalities, and political divisions:
General obligations736,85356,163(2,060)790,95644
Revenues1,516,144182,972(847)1,698,26998
Total states, municipalities, and political divisions2,252,997239,135(2,907)2,489,2251312
Other fixed maturities:
Government (U.S., municipal, and foreign)442,94465,413(5,296)503,06122
Collateralized debt obligations36,46827,03763,50536,46827,03763,505
Other asset-backed securities13,457(414)13,043104,9983,715(430)108,28311
Total fixed maturities$701,546$95,488$(13,895)$783,139$17,804,922$3,534,404$(34,039)$21,305,287100100

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Corporate securities, which consist of bonds and redeemable preferred stocks, were the largest component of the December 31, 2022 fixed maturity portfolio, representing 82% of amortized cost, net and 83% of fair value. The remainder of the portfolio is invested primarily in securities issued by the U.S. government and U.S. municipalities. The Company holds insignificant amounts in foreign government bonds, collateralized debt obligations, asset-backed securities, and mortgage-backed securities. Corporate securities are diversified over a variety of industry sectors and issuers. At December 31, 2022, the total fixed maturity portfolio consisted of 979 issuers.

Fixed maturities had a fair value of $16.5 billion at December 31, 2022, compared with $21.3 billion at December 31, 2021. The net unrealized gain (loss) position in the fixed-maturity portfolio decreased from a $3.5 billion gain position at December 31, 2021 to a loss position of $1.8 billion at December 31, 2022 due to an increase in market rates during the period.

For more information about our fixed maturity portfolio by component at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, including a discussion of allowance for credit losses, an analysis of unrealized investment losses and a schedule of maturities, see Note 4—Investments.

An analysis of the fixed maturity portfolio by a composite quality rating at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, is shown in the following tables. The composite rating for each security, other than private-placement securities managed by third parties, is the average of the security’s ratings as assigned by Moody’s Investor Service, Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings, and Dominion Bond Rating Service, LTD. The ratings assigned by these four nationally recognized statistical rating organizations are evenly weighted when calculating the average. The composite quality rating is created utilizing a methodology developed by Globe Life using ratings from the various rating agencies noted above. The composite quality rating is not a Standard & Poor's credit rating. Standard & Poor's does not sponsor, endorse, or promote the composite quality rating and shall not be liable for any use of the composite quality rating. Included in the following chart are private placement fixed maturity holdings of $466 million at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses ($425 million at fair value) for which the ratings were assigned by the third-party managers.

Fixed Maturities by Rating

At December 31, 2022

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Amortized Cost, net% of TotalFair Value% of TotalAverage Composite Quality Rating on Amortized Cost, net
Investment grade:
AAA$828,3155$733,5244
AA2,779,587152,260,25714
A4,752,633264,438,91327
BBB+3,934,053213,639,11822
BBB4,254,730233,844,18223
BBB-1,209,87771,112,8087
Total investment grade17,759,1959716,028,80297A-
Below investment grade:
BB462,3563389,1323
B43,04435,067
Below B37,09750,364
Total below investment grade542,4973474,5633BB-
$18,301,692100$16,503,365100
Weighted average composite quality ratingA-

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Fixed Maturities by Rating

At December 31, 2021

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

AmortizedCost% of TotalFairValue% of TotalAverage Composite Quality Rating on Amortized Cost
Investment grade:
AAA$761,5264$867,7284
AA2,215,179132,412,94711
A4,487,607255,584,58826
BBB+3,779,051214,616,97722
BBB4,289,044245,174,66724
BBB-1,570,96991,865,2419
Total investment grade17,103,3769620,522,14896A-
Below investment grade:
BB537,0643583,6083
B128,4021136,0261
Below B36,08063,505
Total below investment grade701,5464783,1394BB-
$17,804,922100$21,305,287100
Weighted average composite quality ratingA-

The overall quality rating of the portfolio is A-, the same as year-end 2021. Fixed maturities rated BBB are 51% of the total portfolio at December 31, 2022 compared with 54% at year-end 2021, and the percentage of BBB bonds to the overall portfolio has been declining since the end of 2018. While this ratio is high relative to our peers, we have limited exposure to higher-risk assets such as derivatives, equities, and asset-backed securities. Additionally, the Company does not participate in securities lending and has no off-balance sheet investments as of December 31, 2022. Of our fixed maturity purchases, BBB securities generally provide the Company with the best risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns largely due to our ability to hold securities to maturity regardless of fluctuations in interest rates or equity markets.

An analysis of changes in our portfolio of below-investment grade fixed maturities at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses is as follows:

Below-Investment Grade Fixed Maturities

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
20222021
Balance at beginning of period$701,546$840,739
Downgrades by rating agencies50,147
Upgrades by rating agencies(97,462)(67,078)
Dispositions(116,791)(78,712)
Provision for credit losses(31)2,959
Amortization and other5,0883,638
Balance at end of period$542,497$701,546

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Our investment policy calls for investing primarily in fixed maturities that are investment grade and meet our quality and yield objectives. Thus, any increases in below-investment grade issues are typically a result of ratings downgrades of existing holdings. Below-investment grade bonds at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses, were 9% of our shareholders’ equity, excluding the effect of unrealized gains or losses on fixed maturities as of December 31, 2022. Globe Life invests long term and as such, one of our key criterion in our investment process is to select issuers that have the ability to weather multiple financial cycles.

Market Risk Sensitivity. Globe Life's investment securities are exposed to interest rate risk, meaning the effect of changes in financial market interest rates on the current fair value of the Company’s investment portfolio. Since 91% of the carrying value of our investments is attributable to fixed maturity investments and these investments are predominately fixed-rate investments, the portfolio is highly subject to market risk. Declines in market interest rates generally result in the fair value of the investment portfolio rising, and increases in interest rates cause the fair value to decline. Under normal market conditions, we are not concerned about unrealized losses that are interest rate driven since we would not expect to realize them. Globe Life does not generally intend to sell the securities prior to maturity and, likely, will not be required to sell the securities prior to recovery of amortized cost. The long-term nature of our insurance policy liabilities and strong operating cash-flow substantially mitigate any future need to liquidate portions of the portfolio. The increase or decrease in the fair value of insurance liabilities and debt due to increases or decreases in market interest rates largely offsets the impact of rates on the investment portfolio. However, as is permitted by GAAP, these liabilities are not recorded at fair value.

The following table illustrates the interest rate risk sensitivity of our fixed maturity portfolio at December 31, 2022 and 2021. This table measures the effect of a parallel shift in interest rates (as represented by the U.S. Treasury curve) on the fair value of the fixed maturity portfolio. The data measures the change in fair value arising from an immediate and sustained change in interest rates in increments of 100 basis points.

Market Value of Fixed Maturity Portfolio

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

At December 31,
Change in Interest Rates(1)20222021
(200)$20,059,000$26,939,000
(100)18,177,00023,916,000
016,503,00021,305,000
10015,015,00019,045,000
20013,690,00017,082,000

(1) In basis points.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

OPERATING EXPENSES

Operating expenses are included in the "Corporate and Other" segment and are classified into two categories: insurance administrative expenses and expenses of the Parent Company. Insurance administrative expenses generally include expenses incurred after a policy has been issued. As these expenses relate to premium for a given period, management measures the expenses as a percentage of premium income. The Company also views stock-based compensation expense as a Parent Company expense. Expenses associated with the issuance of our insurance policies are reflected as acquisition expenses and included in the determination of underwriting margin.

The following table is an analysis of operating expenses for the three years ended December 31, 2022.

Operating Expenses Selected Information

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202220212020
Amount% of PremiumAmount% of PremiumAmount% of Premium
Insurance administrative expenses:
Salaries$129,7113.0$115,8522.8$105,9352.8
Other employee costs42,3191.041,8411.039,8851.0
Information technology costs55,5261.347,9231.245,7421.2
Legal costs12,0560.315,4940.411,2560.3
Other administrative costs59,7291.450,5211.248,1291.3
Total insurance administrative expenses299,3417.0271,6316.6250,9476.6
Parent company expense11,1569,5539,891
Stock compensation expense35,65030,27235,892
Legal proceedings2,4968,1393,275
Non-operating expenses5,3112,4341,033
Total operating expenses, per Consolidated Statements of Operations$353,954$322,029$301,038
202220212020
Amount%Amount%Amount%
Total insurance administrative expenses increase (decrease) over prior year$27,71010.2$20,6848.2$10,6264.4
Total operating expenses increase (decrease) over prior year31,9259.920,9917.0(3,787)(1.2)

Total operating expenses 2022 increased 10% over the prior year reflecting higher insurance administrative expenses. Insurance administrative expenses increased $28 million primarily due to higher information technology costs, including associated information technology salaries, higher employee costs in general, and higher administrative costs associated with the acquisition of Globe Life Benefits, which occurred in late 2021. Insurance administrative expenses as a percent of premium were 7.0%, compared to 6.6% for the same period in 2021.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

SHARE REPURCHASES

Globe Life has an ongoing share repurchase program that began in 1986, and is reviewed with the Board of Directors by management quarterly and annually reaffirmed by the Board of Directors. With no specified authorization amount, we determine the amount of repurchases based on the amount of the excess cash flows after the payment of dividends to the Parent Company shareholders, general market conditions, and other alternative uses. Excess cash flow at the Parent Company is primarily comprised of dividends received from the insurance subsidiaries less interest expense paid on its debt and other limited operating activities. The majority of our share repurchases are made from excess cash flow after the payment of shareholder dividends. Additionally, when stock options are exercised, proceeds from these exercises and the resulting tax benefit are used to repurchase additional shares on the open market to minimize dilution as a result of the option exercises. On August 10, 2022, the Board of Directors reauthorized the Parent Company’s share repurchase program in amounts and with timing that management, in consultation with the Board, determines to be in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders.

The following table summarizes share purchase activity for each of the last three years.

Analysis of Share Purchases

(Amounts in thousands)

202220212020
Purchases with:SharesAmountSharesAmountSharesAmount
Share repurchase program3,322$335,1454,784$455,0304,459$380,112
Option proceeds1,103119,49385886,40567663,754
Total4,425$454,6385,642$541,4355,135$443,866

Throughout the remainder of this discussion, share purchases refer only to those made from excess cash flow at the Parent Company.

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Liquidity. Liquidity provides Globe Life with the ability to meet on demand the cash commitments required to support our business operations and meet our financial obligations. Our liquidity is primarily derived from multiple sources: positive cash flow from operations, a portfolio of marketable securities, a revolving credit facility, commercial paper and the Federal Home Loan Bank.

Insurance Subsidiary Liquidity. The operations of our insurance subsidiaries have historically generated substantial cash inflows in excess of immediate cash needs. Cash inflows for the insurance subsidiaries primarily include premium and investment income. In addition to investment income, maturities and scheduled repayments in the investment portfolio are cash inflows. Cash outflows from operations include policy benefit payments, commissions, administrative expenses, and taxes. A portion of the excess cash inflows in the current year will provide for the payment of future policy benefits and are invested primarily in long-term fixed maturities as they better match the long-term nature of these obligations. Excess cash available from the insurance subsidiaries’ operations is generally distributed as a dividend to the Parent Company, subject to regulatory restrictions. The dividends are generally paid in amounts equal to the subsidiaries’ prior year statutory net income excluding realized capital gains. While the leading source of the excess cash is investment income, a significant portion of the excess cash also comes from underwriting income due to our high underwriting margins and effective expense control. While the insurance subsidiaries annually generate more operating cash inflows than cash outflows, the companies also have the entire available-for-sale fixed maturity investment portfolio available to create additional cash flows if required.

Four of our insurance subsidiaries are members of the FHLB of Dallas. FHLB membership provides the insurance subsidiaries with access to various low-cost collateralized borrowings and funding agreements. While not the only source of liquidity, the FHLB could provide the insurance subsidiaries with an additional source of liquidity, if needed. Refer to Note 11—Debt for further details.

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Parent Company Liquidity. An important source of Parent Company liquidity is the dividends from its insurance subsidiaries. These dividends are received throughout the year and are used by the Parent Company to pay dividends on common and preferred stock, interest and principal repayment requirements on Parent Company debt, and operating expenses of the Parent Company.

Year Ended December 31,
(Amounts in Thousands)
Projected 2023202220212020
Liquidity Sources:
Dividends from Subsidiaries$465,000$407,042$478,535$485,871
Excess Cash Flows345,000278,434370,120387,606

For more information on the restrictions on the payment of dividends by subsidiaries, see the Restrictions section of Note 12—Shareholders' Equity. Although these restrictions exist, dividend availability from subsidiaries historically has been more than sufficient for the cash flow needs of the Parent Company.

Additional sources of liquidity for the Parent Company are cash, intercompany receivables, intercompany borrowings, public debt markets, term loans, and a revolving credit facility. At December 31, 2022, the Parent Company had access to $91 million of invested cash, net intercompany receivables, and other liquid assets. The credit facility is discussed below.

Short-Term Borrowings. An additional source of Parent Company liquidity is a revolving credit facility with a group of lenders which allows unsecured borrowings and stand-by letters of credit up to $750 million, which could be extended up to $1 billion. While Globe Life can request the extension, it is not guaranteed. Up to $250 million in letters of credit can be issued against the facility. The facility is further designated as a back-up line of credit for a commercial paper program under which commercial paper may be issued at any time, with total commercial paper outstanding not to exceed the facility maximum less any letters of credit issued. As of December 31, 2022, we had available $340 million of additional borrowing capacity under this facility, compared with $295 million a year earlier. Interest charged on the commercial paper program resembles variable rate debt due to its short term nature. Globe Life has consistently been able to issue commercial paper as needed during the three years ended December 31, 2022. As discussed in Note 11—Debt, on September 30, 2021, Globe Life amended the credit agreement dated August 24, 2020. The five-year credit agreement will now mature on September 30, 2026. As of December 31, 2022, the Parent Company was in full compliance with all covenants related to the aforementioned debt.

As a part of the credit facility, Globe Life has stand-by letters of credits. These letters are issued among our subsidiaries, one of which is an offshore captive reinsurer, and have no impact on company obligations as a whole. Any future regulatory changes that restrict the use of off-shore captive reinsurers might require Globe Life to obtain third-party financing, which could cause an insignificant increase in financing costs. On October 26, 2021, the letters of credit were amended to reduce the amount outstanding from $135 million to $125 million. The outstanding letters of credit remained at $125 million at December 31, 2022.

The Parent Company expects to have readily available funds for 2023 and the foreseeable future to conduct its operations and to maintain target capital ratios in the insurance subsidiaries through internally generated cash flow and the credit facility. In the unlikely event that more liquidity is needed, the Company could generate additional funds through multiple sources including, but not limited to, the issuance of debt, an additional short-term credit facility, and intercompany borrowing. Refer to Note 6—Commitments and Contingencies and the discussion surrounding the Company's obligations over the next five years.

As noted above, the Parent Company had access to $91 million of liquid assets available as of December 31, 2022. This liquidity is available to the Company in the event additional funds are needed to support the targeted capital levels within our insurance subsidiaries.

Consolidated Liquidity. Consolidated net cash inflows provided from operations were $1.42 billion in 2022, compared with $1.44 billion in 2021. In addition to cash inflows from operations, our companies received proceeds

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from maturities, calls, and repayments of fixed maturities in the amount of $462 million in 2022, compared with $311 million in 2021. As noted under the caption Credit Facility in Note 11, the Parent Company has in place a revolving credit facility. The insurance companies have no additional outstanding credit facilities.

Cash and short-term investments were $207 million at the end of 2022 compared with $161 million at the end of 2021. In addition to these liquid assets, the entire $16.5 billion (fair value at December 31, 2022) portfolio of fixed income securities is available for sale in the event of an unexpected need. Approximately 97% of our fixed income securities are publicly traded, freely tradable under SEC Rule 144, or qualified for resale under SEC Rule 144A. We generally expect to hold fixed income securities to maturity, and even though these securities are classified as available for sale, we have the ability and general intent to hold any securities until recovery or maturity. Our strong cash flows from operations, ongoing investment maturities, and credit line availability make any need to sell securities for liquidity highly unlikely.

Capital Resources. The Parent Company's capital structure consists of short-term debt (the commercial paper facility and current maturities of long-term debt), long-term debt, and shareholders’ equity.

Debt: The carrying value of the long-term debt was $1.6 billion at December 31, 2022, an increase from $1.5 billion a year earlier. A complete analysis and description of long-term debt issues outstanding is presented in Note 11—Debt.

Subsidiary Capital: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has established a risk-based factor approach for determining threshold risk-based capital levels for all insurance companies. This approach was designed to assist the regulatory bodies in identifying companies that may require regulatory attention. A Risk-Based Capital (RBC) ratio is typically determined by dividing adjusted total statutory capital by the amount of risk-based capital determined using the NAIC’s factors. If a company’s RBC ratio approaches two times the RBC amount, the company must file a plan with the NAIC for improving its capital levels (this level is commonly referred to as “Company Action Level” RBC). Companies typically hold a multiple of the Company Action Level RBC depending on their particular business needs and risk profile.

Our goal is to maintain statutory capital within our insurance subsidiaries at levels necessary to support our current ratings. For 2022, Globe Life has targeted a consolidated Company Action Level RBC ratio of 300% to 320%. The Company concludes that this capital level is more than adequate and sufficient to support its current ratings, given the nature of its business and its risk profile. As of December 31, 2022, our consolidated Company Action Level RBC ratio was 321%, compared to 315% in the prior year. The Parent Company is committed to maintaining the targeted consolidated RBC ratio at its insurance subsidiaries and has sufficient liquidity available to provide additional capital if necessary.

In August 2022, the NAIC fully adopted new and expanded C-2 life insurance mortality risk factors. The adoption of these factors resulted in higher amounts of required capital related to our life insurance liabilities. The Parent Company is committed to maintaining the targeted consolidated RBC ratio at its insurance subsidiaries and has sufficient liquidity available to provide additional capital if necessary.

Shareholder's Equity: As noted under the caption Analysis of Share Purchases within this report, we have an ongoing share repurchase program.

Globe Life has continually increased the quarterly dividend on its common shares over the past three years.

Year Ended December 31,
Projected 2023202220212020
Quarterly dividend by annual year$0.2250$0.2075$0.1975$0.1875

Shareholders’ equity was $4.9 billion at December 31, 2022, compared with $8.6 billion at December 31, 2021, a decrease of $3.7 billion or 43%. Since December 31, 2021, shareholders’ equity was reduced by $4.2 billion due to after-tax unrealized losses in the fixed-maturity portfolio as interest rates increased over the period offset by $740 million of net income during this period. In addition, shareholders' equity was reduced by $335 million in share

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purchases under the repurchase program and an additional $119 million in share purchases to offset the dilution from stock option exercises.

We plan to use excess cash available at the Parent Company as efficiently as possible in the future. Excess cash flow, as we define it, results primarily from the dividends received by the Parent Company from its subsidiaries less the interest paid on debt. The cash received by the Parent Company from our insurance subsidiaries is after they have made substantial investments during the year to grow the business. Possible uses of excess cash flow include, but are not limited to, share repurchases, acquisitions, increases in shareholder dividends, investment in securities, or repayment of short-term debt. We will determine the best use of excess cash after ensuring that targeted capital levels are maintained in our insurance subsidiaries. If market conditions are favorable, we currently expect that share repurchases will continue to be a primary use of those funds.

As discussed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies, the Company will adopt ASU 2018-12, Financial Services–Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts (LDTI), effective on January 1, 2023. The accounting adoption will have no economic impact on the cash flows of our business nor influence our business model of providing basic protection oriented products to the underserved and low to middle-income market. In addition, the adoption will not impact our capital management philosophies. It will, however, modify the timing of when profits emerge on our insurance policies. We are anticipating GAAP net income and net operating income to increase under the new standard primarily due to the significant reduction in DAC amortization in the near or intermediate term. With respect to equity, we anticipate a significant decrease as a result of the requirement to use current discount rates to remeasure the policy liabilities and record the offset through AOCI at adoption. Since current rates (upper-medium grade) are lower than the locked-in rates assumed in valuing our policy liabilities, we will have unrealized interest rate loss recognized through AOCI.

We maintain a significant available-for-sale fixed maturity portfolio to support our insurance policy liabilities. Current accounting guidance requires that we revalue our portfolio to fair market value at the end of each accounting period. The period-to-period changes in fair value, net of their associated impact on deferred acquisition costs and income tax, are reflected directly in shareholders’ equity. Changes in the fair value of the portfolio can result from changes in market rates.

While a majority of invested assets are revalued, accounting rules do not permit interest-bearing insurance policy liabilities to be valued at fair value in a consistent manner as that of assets, with changes in value applied directly to shareholders’ equity. Due to the size of our policy liabilities in relation to our shareholders’ equity, an inconsistency exists in measurement, which may have a material impact on the reported value of shareholders’ equity. Fluctuations in interest rates cause undue volatility in the period-to-period presentation of our shareholders’ equity, capital structure, and financial ratios. Due to the long-term nature of our fixed maturities and liabilities and the strong cash flows consistently generated by our insurance subsidiaries, we have the general intent and ability to hold our securities to maturity. As such, we do not expect to incur losses due to fluctuations in market value of fixed maturities caused by market rate changes and temporarily illiquid markets. Accordingly, our management, credit rating agencies, lenders, many industry analysts, and certain other financial statement users prefer to remove the effect of this accounting rule when analyzing our balance sheet, capital structure, and financial ratios.

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The following table presents selected data related to our capital resources. Additionally, the table presents the effect of this accounting guidance on relevant line items, so that investors and other financial statement users may determine its impact on Globe Life's capital structure. Excluding the effect of unrealized gains or losses on the fixed maturity portfolio from shareholders' equity is considered non-GAAP. Below we include the reconciliation to GAAP.

Selected Financial Data

(Dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data)

At
December 31, 2022December 31, 2021December 31, 2020
GAAPEffect ofAccountingRuleRequiringRevaluation(1)GAAPEffect ofAccountingRuleRequiringRevaluation(1)GAAPEffect ofAccountingRuleRequiringRevaluation(1)
Fixed maturities$16,503,365$(1,798,327)$21,305,287$3,500,365$21,213,509$4,019,710
Deferred acquisition costs(2)5,249,9075,3804,914,728(4,327)4,595,444(5,955)
Total assets25,537,159(1,792,947)29,768,0483,496,03829,046,7314,013,755
Short-term debt449,103479,644254,918
Long-term debt1,627,9521,546,4941,667,886
Shareholders' equity4,895,861(1,416,428)8,642,8062,761,8708,771,0923,170,866
Book value per diluted share49.65(14.36)85.9727.4783.1930.07
Debt to capitalization(3)29.8%5.0%19.0%(6.6)%18.0%(7.6)%
Diluted shares outstanding98,615100,535105,429
Actual shares outstanding96,74099,567103,797

(1)Amount added to (deducted from) comprehensive income to produce the stated GAAP item, per accounting rule ASC 320-10-35-1.

(2)Includes the value of business acquired (VOBA).

(3)Globe Life's debt covenants require that the effect of this accounting rule be removed to determine this ratio. This ratio is computed by dividing total debt by the sum of total debt and shareholders’ equity.

Financial Strength Ratings. The financial strength of our major insurance subsidiaries is rated by Standard & Poor’s and A. M. Best. The following table presents these ratings for our five largest insurance subsidiaries at December 31, 2022.

Standard & Poor’sA.M. Best
Liberty National Life Insurance CompanyAA-A
Globe Life And Accident Insurance CompanyAA-A
United American Insurance CompanyAA-A
American Income Life Insurance CompanyAA-A
Family Heritage Life Insurance Company of AmericaNRA

A.M. Best states that it assigns an A (Excellent) rating to insurance companies that have, in its opinion, an excellent ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations.

The AA financial strength rating category is assigned by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (S&P) to those insurers which have very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments which differs from the highest-rated insurers only to a small degree. An insurer rated A has strong capacity to meet its financial commitments but it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than insurers in higher-rated categories. The plus sign (+) or minus sign (-) shows the relative standing within the major rating category.

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OTHER ITEMS

Litigation. For more information concerning litigation, please refer to Note 6—Commitments and Contingencies.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Application of Critical Accounting Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the application of accounting policies that often involve a significant degree of judgment. Management reviews these key estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of financial statements on a timely basis. If management determines that modifications are necessary due to current facts and circumstances, the Company’s results of operations and financial position as reported in the consolidated financial statements could possibly change significantly.

The following accounting policies are deemed critical to the preparation of the financial statements and include accounting estimates that management believes are most subjective or have complex judgments.

Future Policy Benefits. Due to the long-term nature of insurance contracts, our insurance companies are liable for policy benefit payments that will be made in the future. The liability for future policy benefits is determined by standard actuarial procedures common to the life insurance industry. The accounting policies for determining this liability are disclosed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies.

Approximately 90% of our liabilities for future policy benefits at December 31, 2022 were traditional insurance liabilities where the liability is determined as the present value of future benefits less the present value of the portion of the gross premium required to pay for such benefits. The assumptions used in estimating the future benefits for this portion of business are set at the time of contract issue. These assumptions are “locked in” and are not revised for the lifetime of the contracts, except where there is a premium deficiency, as defined in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies under the caption Future Policy Benefits. Otherwise, variability in the accrual of policy reserve liabilities after policy issuance is caused only by variability of the inventory of in force policies.

The remaining portion of liabilities for future policy benefits pertains to business accounted for as deposit business, where the recorded liability is the fund balance attributable to the benefit of policyholders as determined by the policy contract at the consolidated financial statement date. Accordingly, there are no assumptions used to determine the future policy benefit liability for deposit business.

Refer to Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies for discussion on the significant changes to future policy benefits with an effective date of January 1, 2023.

Deferred Acquisition Costs. Certain costs of acquiring new business are deferred and recorded as an asset. Deferred acquisition costs consist primarily of sales commissions and other underwriting costs such as advertising related to the successful issuance of a new insurance contract as indicated in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies under the caption Deferred Acquisition Costs in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Additionally, the cost of acquiring blocks of insurance business or insurance business through the purchase of other companies, known as the value of insurance acquired (VOBA), is included in deferred acquisition costs. Our policies for accounting for deferred acquisition costs and the associated amortization are reported under the same caption in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies.

Over 99% of our deferred acquisition costs at December 31, 2022 were related to traditional products and are being amortized over the premium-paying period in proportion to the present value of actual historic and estimated future gross premiums. The projection assumptions for this business are set at the time of contract issue. These assumptions are “locked-in” at that time and, except where there is a loss recognition issue, are not revised for the lifetime of the contracts. Absent a premium deficiency, variability in amortization after policy issuance is caused only by variability in premium volume. We have not recorded a deferred acquisition cost loss recognition event for assets related to this business for any period in the three years ended December 31, 2022.

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Less than 1% of deferred acquisition costs pertain to deposit business for which deferred acquisition costs are amortized over the estimated lives of the contracts.

Policy Claims and Other Benefits Payable. This liability consists of known benefits currently payable and an estimate of claims that have been incurred but not yet reported to us. The estimate of unreported claims is based on prior experience and is made after careful evaluation of all information available to us. However, the factors upon which these estimates are based can be subject to change from historical patterns. Factors involved include the litigation environment, regulatory mandates, and the introduction of policy types for which claim patterns are not well established, and medical trend rates and medical cost inflation as they affect our health claims. Changes in these estimates, if any, are reflected in the earnings of the period in which the adjustment is made. The Company concludes that the estimates used to produce the liability for claims and other benefits, including the estimate of unsubmitted claims, are the most appropriate under the circumstances. However, there is no certainty that the resulting stated liability will be our ultimate obligation. At this time, we do not expect any change in this estimate to have a material impact on earnings or financial position consistent with our historical experience. There were no significant changes in the claims process in the current year.

Valuation of Fixed Maturities. We hold a substantial investment in high-quality fixed maturities to provide for the funding of our future policy contractual obligations over long periods of time. While these securities are generally expected to be held to maturity, they are classified as available for sale and are sold from time to time to maximize risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns. We report this portfolio at fair value. Fair value is the price that we would expect to receive upon sale of the asset in an orderly transaction. The fair value of the fixed maturity portfolio is primarily affected by changes in interest rates in financial markets. Because of the size of our fixed maturity portfolio and the long average life, small changes in rates can have a significant effect on the portfolio and the reported financial position of the Company. This impact is disclosed in 100 basis point increments under the caption Market Risk Sensitivity in this report. However, as discussed under the caption Financial Condition in this report, the Company regards these unrealized fluctuations in value as having no meaningful impact on our actual financial condition and, as such, we remove them from consideration when viewing our financial position and financial ratios.

At times, the values of our fixed maturities can also be affected by illiquidity in the financial markets. Illiquidity would contribute to a spread widening, and accordingly to unrealized losses, on many securities that we would expect to be fully recoverable. Even though our fixed maturity portfolio is available for sale, we have the ability and general intent to hold the securities until maturity as a result of our strong and stable cash flows generated from our insurance products. Considerable information concerning the policies, procedures, classification levels, and other relevant data concerning the valuation of our fixed maturity investments is presented in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and in Note 4—Investments under the captions Fair Value Measurements in both notes. There were no significant changes in the valuation process in the current year.

Investments: Allowance for Credit Losses. We continually monitor our investment portfolio for investments where fair value has declined below carrying value to determine if a credit loss event has occurred. When a credit event does occur, an allowance for credit loss is recorded and the corresponding provision is recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in Realized Gains or Losses. Non-credit related fluctuations in the fair value are recorded in Other Comprehensive Income. The policies and procedures that we use to evaluate and account for allowance for credit losses are disclosed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and the discussions under the captions Investments and Realized Gains and Losses in this report. While every effort is made to make the best estimate of status and value with the information available regarding an allowance for credit loss, it is difficult to predict the future prospects of a distressed or impaired security.

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Defined benefit pension plans. We maintain funded defined benefit plans covering most full-time employees. We also have an unfunded nonqualified defined benefit plan covering a limited number of officers. Our obligations under these plans are determined actuarially based on specified actuarial assumptions. In accordance with GAAP, an expense is recorded each year as these pension obligations grow due to the increase in the service period of employees and the interest cost associated with the passage of time. These obligations are offset, at least in part, by the growth in value of the assets in the funded plans. At December 31, 2022, our gross liability under these plans was $563 million, but was offset by assets of $500 million.

The actuarial assumptions used in determining our obligations/expenses for pensions include: employee mortality and turnover, retirement age, the expected return on plan assets, projected salary increases, and the discount rate at which future obligations could be settled. Additionally, a corridor approach is used to amortize any unrecognized gains or losses outside the corridor (the standard 10% of the greater of plan PBO and fair value assets) and have an amortization service period of approximately nine years. These assumptions have an important effect on the pension obligation. A decrease in the discount rate will cause an increase in the pension obligation. A decrease in projected salary increases will cause a decrease in this obligation. Small changes in assumptions may cause significant differences in reported results for these plans. For example, a sensitivity analysis is presented below for the impact of change in the discount rate and the long-term rate of return on assets assumed on our defined benefit pension plans expense for the year 2022 and projected benefit obligation as of December 31, 2022.

Pension Assumptions

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

AssumptionChange(1)Impact on ExpenseImpact on Projected Benefit Obligation
Discount Rate(2):
Increase25$(2,020)$(18,163)
Decrease(25)88219,148
Expected Return(3):
Increase25(1,381)
Decrease(25)1,381

(1)In basis points.

(2)The discount rate for determining the net periodic benefit cost was 3.19% for 2022. The discount rate used for determining the projected benefit obligation as of December 31, 2022 was 5.71%.

(3)The expected long-term return rate assumed was 6.98% at December 31, 2022, and 6.67% in the prior year. Management considers both historical and future yields to determine the expected return.

The Company determines mortality assumptions through the use of published mortality tables that reflect broad-based studies of mortality and published longevity improvement scales.

The criteria used to determine the primary assumptions are discussed in Note 9—Postretirement Benefits. While we have used our best efforts to determine the most reliable assumptions, given the information available from Company experience, economic data, independent consultants and other sources, we cannot be certain that actual results will be the same as expected. The assumptions are reviewed annually and revised, if necessary, based on more current information available to us. Note 9—Postretirement Benefits also contains information about pension plan assets, investment policies, and other related data. There were no significant changes in the assumptions in the current year.

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FY 2021 10-K MD&A

SEC filing source: 0000320335-22-000006.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2022-02-24. Report date: 2021-12-31.

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Globe Life's Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. The following management discussion will only include comparison to prior year. For discussion regarding activity from 2019, please refer to the prior filed Form 10-Ks at www.sec.gov.

"Globe Life" and the "Company" refer to Globe Life Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.

Results of Operations

How Globe Life Views Its Operations. Globe Life Inc. is the holding company for a group of insurance companies that market primarily individual life and supplemental health insurance to lower middle to middle income households throughout the United States. We view our operations by segments, which are the insurance product lines of life, supplemental health, and annuities, and the investment segment that supports the product lines. Segments are aligned based on their common characteristics, comparability of the profit margins, and management techniques used to operate each segment.
Insurance Product Line Segments. The insurance product line segments involve the marketing, underwriting, and administration of policies. Each product line is further segmented by the various distribution channels that market the insurance policies. Each distribution channel operates in a niche market offering insurance products designed for that particular market. Whether analyzing profitability of a segment as a whole, or the individual distribution channels within the segment, the measure of profitability used by management is the underwriting margin, as seen below:
Premium revenue (Policy obligations) (Policy acquisition costs and commissions) Underwriting margin
Investment Segment. The investment segment involves the management of our capital resources, including investments and the management of corporate debt and liquidity. Our measure of profitability for the investment segment is excess investment income, as seen below:
Net investment income(Required interest on net policy liabilities) (Financing costs) Excess investment income

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Current Highlights, comparing year-to-date 2021 with 2020.

•Net income as a return on equity (ROE) for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 8.8% and net operating income as an ROE, excluding net unrealized gains on the fixed maturity portfolio(1) was 12.3%.

•Total premium increased 7% over the prior year. Life premium increased 8% for the period from $2.7 billion in 2020 to $2.9 billion in 2021. Life underwriting margin declined 8% from $675 million in 2020 to $624 million in 2021.

•Net investment income increased 3% over the same period in the prior year. Excess investment income declined 2% below the prior year.

•Total net sales increased 7% over the same period in the prior year from $662 million to $706 million.

•Book value per share increased 3% over the same period in the prior year from $83.19 to $85.97. Book value per share, excluding net unrealized gains on the fixed maturity portfolio(1), increased 10% over the prior year from $53.12 to $58.50.

•The Company incurred $140 million of COVID-19 net life claims (net of reserves released upon death) for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared with $67 million during the same period last year.

•For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company repurchased 4.8 million shares of Globe Life Inc. common stock at a total cost of $455 million for an average share price of $95.11.

The following graphs represent net income and net operating income for the three years ended December 31, 2021.

(1)As shown in the charts above, net operating income is the consolidated total of segment profits after tax and as such is considered a non-GAAP measure. It has been used consistently by Globe Life's management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company. It differs from net income primarily because it excludes certain non-operating items such as realized gains and losses and certain significant and unusual items included in net income. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Net operating income as an ROE, excluding net unrealized gains on the fixed maturity portfolio, is considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the business without the effect of the net unrealized gains, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates on the available-for-sale portfolio. The impact of the adjustment to exclude net unrealized gains on fixed maturities, net of tax is $2.8 billion and $3.2 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Book value per share, excluding net unrealized gains on the fixed maturity portfolio, is also considered a non-GAAP measure. Management utilizes this measure to view the book value of the business without the effect of net unrealized gains, which are primarily attributable to fluctuation in interest rates on the available-for-sale portfolio. The impact of the adjustment to exclude net unrealized gains on fixed maturities is $27.47 and $30.07 for year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Refer to Analysis of Profitability by Segment for non-GAAP reconciliation to GAAP.

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Summary of Operations. Net income increased 2% to $745 million in 2021, compared with $732 million in 2020. This increase was primarily related to an increase in realized gains offset by higher COVID-19 life claims. On a diluted per common share basis, net income per common share for 2021 increased from $6.82 to $7.22. Included in net income were after-tax realized gains of $47 million in 2021, compared with realized after-tax losses of $2 million for 2020. Realized gains and losses are presented more fully under the caption Realized Gains and Losses in this report.

Net operating income from continuing operations declined 4% to $707 million in 2021, compared with $738 million in 2020. On a diluted per common share basis, net operating income per common share decreased slightly from $6.88 to $6.86. Net operating income is the consolidated total of segment profits after tax and as such is considered a non-GAAP measure. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. We do not consider realized gains and losses to be a component of our core insurance operations or operating segments. Additionally, net income was affected by certain significant and unusual non-operating items in 2020 and 2021. We do not view these items as components of core operating results because they are not indicative of past performance or future prospects of the insurance operations. We remove items such as these that relate to prior periods or are non-operating items when evaluating the results of current operations, and therefore exclude such items from our segment analysis for current periods.

Despite headwinds with COVID-19, the Company continues to see positive signs in its core operations, including strong sales, favorable persistency and a strong ROE, excluding net unrealized gains on the fixed maturity portfolio.

COVID-19. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company incurred $140 million of COVID-19 net life claims. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were approximately 460 thousand U.S. COVID-19 deaths in 2021. In the second half of the year, the COVID-19 deaths were concentrated in geographies and younger age groups where the Company has greater risk exposure. The Company’s level of COVID-19 net life claims, on average for the year, was approximately $3 million per 10,000 U.S. deaths.

Going forward, we anticipate that COVID-19 deaths will continue at elevated levels throughout 2022, with an impact of approximately $50 million at the mid-point of our guidance based on incurred claims in the range of $3 million to $4 million per 10,000 U.S. deaths. The projected life claims are dependent on this estimate and many other variables, including, but not limited to, projected U.S. deaths from COVID-19, the timing and availability of effective treatments for the disease, vaccination rates, and effectiveness of vaccines, impact from potential variants, and the ages and geographic areas in which infections and deaths occur.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Globe Life's operations on a segment-by-segment basis are discussed in depth below. Net operating income has been used consistently by management for many years to evaluate the operating performance of the Company and is a measure commonly used in the life insurance industry. It differs from GAAP net income primarily because it excludes certain non-operating items such as realized gains and losses and other significant and unusual items included in net income. Management believes an analysis of net operating income is important in understanding the profitability and operating trends of the Company’s business. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Analysis of Profitability by Segment

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

2021202020192021 Change%2020 Change%
Life insurance underwriting margin$623,675$674,946$703,464$(51,271)(8)$(28,518)(4)
Health insurance underwriting margin304,302272,369243,63831,9331228,73112
Annuity underwriting margin8,7049,0299,458(325)(4)(429)(5)
Excess investment income238,528244,424257,605(5,896)(2)(13,181)(5)
Other insurance:
Other income1,2161,3251,318(109)(8)71
Administrative expense(271,631)(250,947)(240,321)(20,684)8(10,626)4
Corporate and other(39,825)(45,783)(55,103)5,958(13)9,320(17)
Pre-tax total864,969905,363920,059(40,394)(4)(14,696)(2)
Applicable taxes(157,472)(167,771)(167,957)10,299(6)186
Net operating income707,497737,592752,102(30,095)(4)(14,510)(2)
Reconciling items, net of tax:
Realized gain (loss)—investments54,220(1,915)16,29156,135(18,206)
Realized loss—redemption of debt(7,358)(501)(6,857)(501)
Part D adjustments—discontinued operations(92)92
Administrative settlements(1,047)(400)(1,047)400
Non-operating expenses(1,923)(816)(508)(1,107)(308)
Legal proceedings(6,430)(2,587)(6,603)(3,843)4,016
Net income$744,959$731,773$760,790$13,1862$(29,017)(4)

The life insurance segment is our primary segment and is the largest contributor to earnings in each year presented. The life insurance segment underwriting margin declined $51 million compared with the prior year, primarily due to higher life claims related to COVID-19 offset by premium growth. The health segment contributed to growth in income in both years contributing $32 million of additional underwriting margin in 2021 and $29 million in 2020.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

In 2021, the largest contributor of total underwriting margin was the life insurance segment and the primary distribution channel was American Income Life Division. The following charts represent the breakdown of total underwriting margin by operating segment and distribution channel for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Total premium income rose 7% for the year ended December 31, 2021 to $4.1 billion. Total net sales increased 7% to $706 million, when compared with 2020. Total first-year collected premium (defined in the following section) was $583 million for 2021, compared with $547 million for 2020.

Life insurance premium income increased 8% to $2.9 billion over the prior year total of $2.7 billion. Life net sales rose 8% to $522 million for the year ended 2021. First-year collected life premium rose 14% to $423 million. Life underwriting margins, as a percent of premium, declined to 22% in 2021 from 25% in the prior year. Underwriting margin declined to $624 million in 2021, 8% below the same period in 2020. The decline in the life underwriting margin is primarily due to approximately $140 million of COVID-19 net life claims incurred during the year ended 2021 versus $67 million during the same period in 2020.

Health insurance premium income increased 5% to $1.20 billion over the prior year total of $1.14 billion. Health net sales rose 4% to $184 million for the year ended 2021. First-year collected health premium fell 9% to $160 million. Health underwriting margins, as a percent of premium, increased to 25% in 2021 compared with 24% in 2020. Health underwriting margin increased to $304 million for the year ended 2021, 12% over the same period in 2020.

Excess investment income, the measure of profitability of our investment segment, declined 2% during 2021 to $239 million from $244 million in the same period in 2020. Excess investment income per common share, reflecting the impact of our share repurchase program, increased 1% to $2.31 from $2.28 when compared with the same period in 2020.

Insurance administrative expenses increased 8% in 2021 when compared with the prior year period. These expenses were 6.6% as a percent of premium during the year ended 2021 and 2020.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company repurchased 4.8 million Globe Life Inc. shares at a total cost of $455 million for an average share price of $95.11.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The discussions of our segments are presented in the manner we view our operations, as described in Note 14—Business Segments.

We use three statistical measures as indicators of premium growth and sales over the near term: “annualized premium in force,” “net sales,” and “first-year collected premium.”

•Annualized premium in force is defined as the premium income that would be received over the following twelve months at any given date on all active policies if those policies remain in force throughout the twelve-month period. Annualized premium in force is an indicator of potential growth in premium revenue.

•Net sales, a statistical performance measure, is calculated as annualized premium issued, net of cancellations in the first thirty days after issue, except in the case of Direct to Consumer, where net sales is annualized premium issued at the time the first full premium is paid after any introductory offer period has expired. Management considers net sales to be a better indicator of the rate of premium growth than annualized premium issued.

•First-year collected premium is defined as the premium collected during the reporting period for all policies in their first policy year. First-year collected premium takes lapses into account in the first year when lapses are more likely to occur, and thus is a useful indicator of how much new premium is expected to be added to premium income in the future.

See further discussion of the distribution channels below for Life and Health.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

LIFE INSURANCE

Life insurance is the Company's predominant segment. During 2021, life premium represented 71% of total premium and life underwriting margin represented 67% of the total. Additionally, investments supporting the reserves for life products produce the majority of excess investment income attributable to the investment segment.

The following table presents the summary of results of life insurance. Further discussion of the results by distribution channel is included below.

Life Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202120202019
Amount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremium
Premium and policy charges$2,898,210100$2,672,804100$2,517,784100
Policy obligations2,070,485711,809,373681,638,05365
Required interest on reserves(735,282)(25)(698,112)(26)(666,168)(26)
Net policy obligations1,335,203461,111,26142971,88539
Commissions, premium taxes, and non-deferred acquisition expenses234,0338212,8598203,0528
Amortization of acquisition costs705,29924673,73825639,38325
Total expense2,274,535781,997,858751,814,32072
Insurance underwriting margin$623,67522$674,94625$703,46428

The lower life insurance underwriting margins for the year ended December 31, 2021 are primarily attributed to approximately $140 million of COVID-19 net life claims, compared with $67 million in the prior year.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Life insurance products are marketed through several distribution channels. Premium income by distribution channel for each of the last three years is as follows:

Life Insurance

Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202120202019
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$1,402,87848$1,257,72647$1,160,49546
Direct to Consumer971,46134906,95934855,54334
Liberty National311,08111293,89711285,55111
Other212,7907214,2228216,1959
Total$2,898,210100$2,672,804100$2,517,784100

Annualized life premium in force was $2.9 billion at December 31, 2021, an increase of 7% over $2.7 billion a year earlier.

The following table shows net sales information for each of the last three years by distribution channel.

Life Insurance

Net Sales by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202120202019
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$290,51256$253,27652$237,58755
Direct to Consumer148,84628165,42634126,20829
Liberty National71,1841454,9311253,71813
Other11,055210,371212,3013
Total$521,597100$484,004100$429,814100

The table below discloses first-year collected life premium by distribution channel.

Life Insurance

First-Year Collected Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202120202019
Amount% of TotalAmount% of TotalAmount% of Total
American Income$250,93759$214,56658$195,22559
Direct to Consumer111,76127104,2622882,61525
Liberty National50,3361242,4351139,84012
Other9,705210,190311,5644
Total$422,739100$371,453100$329,244100

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

A discussion of life operations by distribution channel follows.

The American Income Life Division markets to members of labor unions and continues to diversify its lead sources by building relationships with other affinity groups, utilizing third-party internet vendor leads and obtaining referrals to facilitate sustainable growth. This division is Globe Life's largest contributor of life premium of any distribution channel at 48% of the Company's 2021 total life premium. Net sales increased 15% to $291 million in 2021 over the 2020 total of $253 million. The increase in net life sales is due to increased productivity and well as an increase in agent count. Premium increased 12% primarily due to improved persistency and higher sales. The underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 30% for the year ended December 31, 2021, down from 32% from the prior year primarily due to higher COVID-19 claims and higher reserve increases from lower policy lapse rates.

This division incurred $36 million in COVID-19 net life claims, representing approximately 3% of premium, for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared with $18 million in COVID-19 net life claims during the prior year.

Below is the average producing agent count at the end of the period for the American Income Life Division. The average producing agent count is based on the actual count at the end of each week during the year. The division continues to see a significant recruiting opportunity due to the current economic conditions and our ability to recruit virtually and in-person. Sales growth in our exclusive agencies is generally dependent on growth in the size of the agency force.

2021202020192021 Change%2020 Change%
American Income9,9718,7387,3601,233141,37819

American Income Life continues to focus on growing and strengthening the agency force, specifically through emphasis on agency middle-management growth and additional agency office openings. In addition to offering financial incentives and training opportunities, the agency has made considerable investments in information technology, including a customer relationship management (CRM) tool for the agency force. This tool is designed to drive productivity in lead distribution, conservation of business, manager dashboards and new agent recruiting. Additionally, this division has invested in and successfully implemented technology that allows the agency force to engage in virtual recruiting, training and sales activity. Over the past year and through the pandemic, the agents have shifted to primarily a virtual experience with the customers and have generated a vast majority of its sales through virtual presentations. We find this flexibility to be enticing for new recruits as well as a driver of sustainability for our agency force.

The Direct to Consumer Division (DTC) offers adult and juvenile life insurance through a variety of marketing approaches, including direct mailings, insert media, and electronic media. In recent years, production from electronic media, which is comprised of sales through both the internet and inbound phone calls to our call center, has grown rapidly compared with direct mail response as management has aggressively increased marketing activities related to internet and mobile technology as well as focused on driving traffic to our inbound call center. This had been steadily increasing prior to COVID-19, but the pandemic accelerated this activity due in part to the awareness of needing life insurance from the effects of COVID-19. The different approaches support and complement one another in the division's efforts to reach the consumer. The DTC's long-term growth has been fueled by constant innovation and name recognition. We continually introduce new initiatives in this division in an attempt to increase response rates.

While the juvenile market is an important source of sales, it also is a vehicle to reach the parents and grandparents of juvenile policyholders, who are more likely to respond favorably to a DTC solicitation for life coverage on themselves than is the general adult population. Also, both juvenile policyholders and their parents are low acquisition-cost targets for sales of additional coverage over time.

The DTC division continued to see high demand of its life insurance products in the current year primarily through its internet and inbound phone channels as a result of the response from COVID-19. Our continued investments in technology have allowed us to successfully serve the higher demands for our products through the digital self-serve and phone channels.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

DTC net sales decreased 10% to $149 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared with $165 million in the prior year, primarily due to the record high net life sales in the prior year at the onset of the pandemic. We expect continued strong sales in 2022 due to the heightened awareness as to the benefits of life insurance.

DTC incurred $69 million of COVID-19 net life claims, representing approximately 7% of premium, in 2021 compared with $35 million in 2020. DTC’s underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 7% for the year ended December 31, 2021, which was lower than the 14% result in 2020 primarily due to higher COVID-19 net life claims in 2021.

The Liberty National Division markets individual life insurance to middle-income household and worksite customers. Recent investments in new sales technologies as well as recent growth in middle management within the agency will help continue this growth. The underwriting margin as a percent of premium was 17%, down from 23% for the year ended 2020. The decrease is primarily attributable to higher than normal policy obligations during 2021 as a result of COVID-19. This division incurred $28 million of COVID-19 net life claims, representing approximately 9% of premium, for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared with $12 million in 2020. Net sales increased 30% in 2021 over 2020. With the division's ability to return to face-to-face customer interaction and the option of virtual sales, total net life sales increased for the full year 2021. However, due to higher policy obligations as result of COVID-19, underwriting margin as a percent of premium was lower for the full year 2021 as compared with 2020.

Below is the average producing agent count at the end of the period for Liberty National Division. As the division continues to gain momentum in its sales and recruiting initiatives and advances its technology and CRM platform, the agency should see an increase in recruiting of new agents and an increase in the average producing agent count.

2021202020192021 Change%2020 Change%
Liberty National2,7162,5752,350141522510

The Liberty National Division average producing agent count increased 5% in 2021. We continue to execute our long-term plan to grow this agency through expansion from small-town markets in the Southeast to more densely populated areas with larger pools of potential agent recruits and customers. Continued expansion of this agency’s presence into more heavily populated, less-penetrated areas will help create long-term agency growth. Additionally, the agency continues to help improve the ability of agents to develop new worksite marketing business. Systems that have been put in place, including the addition of a CRM platform and enhanced analytical capabilities, have helped the agents develop additional worksite marketing opportunities as well as improve the productivity of agents selling in the individual life market.

The Other Agencies distribution channels primarily include non-exclusive independent agencies selling predominantly life insurance. The Other Agencies contributed $213 million of life premium income, or 7% of Globe Life's total in 2021, but contributed only 2% of net sales for the year.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance sold by the Company primarily includes Medicare Supplement insurance, accident coverage, and other limited-benefit supplemental health products including cancer, critical illness, heart, and intensive care coverage.

Health premium accounted for 29% of our total premium in 2021, while the health underwriting margin accounted for 32% of total underwriting margin. Health underwriting margin increased 12% to $304 million primarily due to lower policy obligations. The Company continues to emphasize life insurance sales relative to health due to life’s superior long-term profitability and its greater contribution to excess investment income.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

The following table presents underwriting margin data for health insurance.

Health Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202120202019
Amount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremiumAmount% ofPremium
Premium$1,201,676100$1,141,097100$1,077,346100
Policy obligations758,74563733,48164687,76464
Required interest on reserves(102,574)(8)(93,475)(8)(87,289)(8)
Net policy obligations656,17155640,00656600,47556
Commissions, premium taxes, and non-deferred acquisition expenses97,453891,959894,9738
Amortization of acquisition costs143,75012136,76312138,26013
Total expense897,37475868,72876833,70877
Insurance underwriting margin$304,30225$272,36924$243,63823

Health premium increased 5% from $1.14 billion in 2020 to $1.20 billion in 2021. Health underwriting margin increased 12% from $272 million in 2020 to $304 million in 2021 primarily due to growth in premiums. Further discussion is included below by distribution channel.

Globe Life markets supplemental health insurance products through a number of distribution channels. The following table is an analysis of our health premium by distribution channel for each of the last three years.

Health Insurance

Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202120202019
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$481,61440$452,98040$416,58239
Family Heritage343,83929317,02128294,18227
Liberty National187,32716188,83516189,57818
American Income114,9509105,734999,4479
Direct to Consumer73,946676,527777,5577
Total$1,201,676100$1,141,097100$1,077,346100

Of total health premium of $1.2 billion, premium from limited-benefit plans comprise $639 million, or 53% of the total, for 2021 compared with $588 million in the prior year. Premium from Medicare Supplement products comprises the remaining 47% or $563 million for 2021 compared with $553 million in 2020. Annualized health premium in force was $1.29 billion at December 31, 2021, an increase of 8% over the prior year balance of $1.19 billion.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

Presented below is a table of health net sales by distribution channel for the last three years.

Health Insurance

Net Sales by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202120202019
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$63,55135$61,69035$79,21841
Family Heritage72,6003970,6654065,62634
Liberty National26,5121422,9051324,50413
American Income18,2301018,8171018,05910
Direct to Consumer3,46523,59423,8272
Total$184,358100$177,671100$191,234100

Of total net sales of $184 million, sales of limited-benefit plans comprise $118 million, or 64% of the total, for 2021 compared with $113 million in 2020. Medicare Supplement sales make up the remaining 36%, or $66 million for 2021 compared with $65 million in 2020.

The following table discloses first-year collected health premium by distribution channel.

Health Insurance

First-Year Collected Premium by Distribution Channel

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202120202019
Amount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotalAmount% ofTotal
United American$60,38637$79,62845$72,02144
Family Heritage57,4273654,2423150,20431
Liberty National20,3481320,1691119,69812
American Income18,9391218,5361117,14211
Direct to Consumer3,25323,05123,7492
Total$160,353100$175,626100$162,814100

First-year collected premium related to limited-benefit plans comprise $99 million, or 62% of total first-year collected premium for 2021 compared with $93 million in 2020. First-year collected premium from Medicare Supplement policies make up the remaining 38%, or $61 million for 2021 compared with $83 million in 2020.

A discussion of health operations by distribution channel follows.

The United American Independent Agency consists of non-exclusive independent agencies who may also sell for other companies. The United American Independent Agency was Globe Life's largest health agency in terms of health premium income.

This division is also Globe Life's largest producer of Medicare Supplement insurance, responsible for 82% of the Company's Medicare Supplement premium and 95% of Medicare Supplement net sales. Medicare Supplement premium in this agency rose 4% to $460 million in 2021 over the prior period net sales of $443 million. Medicare Supplement net sales increased 2% to $63 million in 2021 from the prior year. The Medicare Supplement market is highly competitive and thus sales will fluctuate over the years. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium was flat at 15% for 2021 compared with 2020.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

As discussed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies, the Company acquired Beazley Benefits, now rebranded as Globe Life Benefits, on August 1, 2021. Globe Life Benefits enhances the Company's presence in the worksite market by offering group supplemental health insurance solutions to employer groups through brokers. While the acquisition had an immaterial impact on year-to-date results, we are optimistic about Globe Life Benefits' ability to contribute additional health premium and profits in the future. Operating results for Globe Life Benefits are included as part of United American Division results.

The Family Heritage Division primarily markets limited-benefit supplemental health insurance in non-urban areas. Most of its policies include a cash-back feature, such as a return of premium, where any excess of premiums over claims paid is returned to the policyholder at the end of a specified period stated within the insurance policy. Underwriting margin as a percent of premium was 27%, up from 26% for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily attributable to favorable claims experience.

The division experienced a 3% increase in net health sales in 2021 as compared with the 2020, primarily due to an increase in agent productivity and training. The division will continue to launch incentive programs to help drive an increase in productivity and the number of producing agents.

Below is the average producing agent count at the end of the indicated periods for the Family Heritage Division. While the agency has seen a decrease in agent count as compared with 2020, we anticipate that as COVID-19 and the job market stabilize, agent recruitment opportunities should increase.

2021202020192021 Change%2020 Change%
Average producing agents1,2131,3251,112(112)(8)21319

The Liberty National Division represented 16% of all Globe Life health premium income at $187 million in 2021. Liberty National markets limited-benefit supplemental health products consisting primarily of critical illness insurance. Much of Liberty National’s health business is generated through worksite marketing targeting small businesses of 10 to 100 employees. In 2021, health premium income declined 1%. Liberty National's first-year collected premium increased 1% to $20.3 million in 2021 compared with $20.2 million in 2020. Health net sales for 2021 increased by $4 million or 16% from 2020. We anticipate an increase in net health sales going forward at this division as the Company becomes more able to interact face-to-face with customers.

Other distribution. While some of the Company's other distribution channels market health products, selling life insurance is the main emphasis. On a combined basis, they accounted for 15% of health premium in 2021 and 16% in 2020. The American Income Life Division primarily markets accident plans. The Direct to Consumer Division markets primarily Medicare Supplements to employer or union-sponsored groups, adding $3 million of Medicare Supplement net sales in 2021 and $4 million in 2020.

ANNUITIES

Our fixed annuity balances at the end of 2021 and 2020 were $1.03 billion and $1.06 billion, respectively. Underwriting margin was $8.7 million for 2021 and $9.0 million for 2020.

We do not currently market stand-alone fixed or deferred annuity products, favoring instead protection-oriented life and supplemental health insurance products. Therefore, we do not expect that annuities will be a significant portion of our business or marketing strategy going forward.

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GLOBE LIFE INC.

Management's Discussion & Analysis

INVESTMENTS

We manage our capital resources including investments, debt, and cash flow through the investment segment. Excess investment income represents the profit margin attributable to investment operations and is the measure that we use to evaluate the performance of the investment segment as described in Note 14—Business Segments. It is defined as net investment income less both the required interest on net insurance policy liabilities and the interest cost associated with capital funding or “financing costs.”

Management also views excess investment income per diluted common share as an important and useful measure to evaluate the performance of the investment segment. It is defined as excess investment income divided by the total diluted weighted average shares outstanding, representing the contribution by the investment segment to the consolidated earnings per share of the Company. Since implementing our share repurchase program in 1986, we have used $8.7 billion of excess cash flow at the Parent Company to repurchase Globe Life Inc. common shares after determining that the repurchases provided a greater risk adjusted after-tax return than other investment alternatives. If we had not used this excess cash to repurchase shares, but had instead invested it in interest-bearing assets, we would have earned more investment income and had more shares outstanding. As excess investment income per diluted common share incorporates all capital resources, we view excess investment income per diluted common share as a useful measure to evaluate the investment segment.

Excess Investment Income. The following table summarizes Globe Life's investment income, excess investment income, and excess investment income per diluted common share.

Analysis of Excess Investment Income

(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

202120202019
Net investment income$952,447$927,062$910,459
Interest on net insurance policy liabilities:
Required interest on reserves(877,822)(833,000)(796,979)
Required interest on deferred acquisition costs247,389237,066228,431
Net required interest(630,433)(595,934)(568,548)
Financing costs(83,486)(86,704)(84,306)
Excess investment income$238,528$244,424$257,605
Excess investment income per diluted common share$2.31$2.28$2.31
Mean invested assets (at amortized cost)$18,939,317$17,987,502$17,026,058
Average net insurance policy liabilities(1)10,954,50010,460,53910,068,120
Average debt and preferred securities (at amortized cost)2,053,9351,859,2981,650,081

(1)Net of deferred acquisition costs, excluding the associated unrealized gains and losses thereon.

Excess investment income declined $6 million or 2% during 2021. Excess investment income per diluted common share increased 1% during 2021. Excess investment income per diluted common share generally increases at a faster pace than excess investment income because the number of diluted shares outstanding generally decreases from year to year as a result of our share repurchase program.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Net investment income increased at a compound annual growth rate of 3% over the 3 years ending 2021 while mean invested assets increased at a compound rate of 5% during the same period. The tax equivalent effective annual yield rate earned on the fixed maturity portfolio was 5.21% in 2021. Growth in net investment income has been negatively impacted in recent years by the low interest rate environment during which time we have invested new money at yields lower than our average portfolio yield. In addition, we have reinvested the proceeds from bonds that matured, were called, or were otherwise disposed of at yield rates less than the yield earned on these disposed bonds. We currently expect that the average annual turnover rate of fixed maturity assets will be less than 2% over the next five years and will not have a material negative impact on net investment income. In addition to fixed maturities, the Company has also invested in limited partnerships with debt like characteristics that diversify risk and enhance risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns on the portfolio. The earned yield on the investment funds for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 5.24%. See additional information in Note 4—Investments. The following chart presents the growth in net investment income and the growth in mean invested assets.

202120202019
Growth in net investment income2.7%1.8%3.2%
Growth in mean invested assets (at amortized cost)5.3%5.6%4.8%

Should the current low interest rate environment continue, the growth of the Company's net investment income will be negatively impacted primarily due to the investment of new money and proceeds from dispositions at rates less than the average portfolio yield rate. While net investment income would grow, it would continue to grow at rates less than the growth in mean invested assets.

Should interest rates, especially long-term rates, rise, Globe Life's net investment income would benefit due to higher interest rates on new investments. While such a rise in interest rates could adversely affect the fair value of the fixed maturities portfolio, we could withstand an increase in interest rates of approximately 140 to 145 basis points before the net unrealized gains on our fixed maturity portfolio as of December 31, 2021 would be eliminated. Should interest rates increase further, we would not be concerned with potential interest rate driven unrealized losses in our fixed maturity portfolio because we do not intend to sell nor is it likely that management will be required to sell the fixed maturities prior to their anticipated recovery.

Required interest on net insurance policy liabilities reduces net investment income, as it is the amount of net investment income considered by management necessary to “fund” required interest on net insurance policy liabilities, which is the net of the benefit reserve liability and the deferred acquisition cost asset. As such, it is removed from the investment segment and applied to the insurance segments to offset the effect of the required interest from the insurance segments. As discussed in Note 14—Business Segments, management regards this as a more meaningful analysis of the investment and insurance segments. Required interest is based on the actuarial interest assumptions used in discounting the benefit reserve liability and the amortization of deferred acquisition costs for our insurance policies in force.

The great majority of our life and health insurance policies are fixed interest rate protection policies, not investment products, and are accounted for under current GAAP accounting guidance for long-duration insurance products which mandate that interest rate assumptions for a particular block of business be “locked in” for the life of that block of business. Each calendar year, we set the discount rate to be used to calculate the benefit reserve liability and the amortization of the deferred acquisition cost asset for all insurance policies issued that year. That rate is based on the new money yields that we expect to earn on cash flow received in the future from policies of that issue year and cannot be changed. The discount rate used for policies issued in the current year has no impact on the in force policies issued in prior years as the rates of all prior issue years are also locked in. As such, the overall discount rate for the entire in force block of 5.8% is a weighted average of the discount rates being used from all issue years. Changes in the overall weighted-average discount rate over time are caused by changes in the mix of the reserves and the deferred acquisition cost asset by issue year on the entire block of in force business. Business issued in the current year has very little impact on the overall weighted-average discount rate due to the size of our in force business.

Since actuarial discount rates are locked in for life on essentially all of our business, benefit reserves and deferred acquisition costs are not affected by interest rate fluctuations unless a loss recognition event occurs. Due to the

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strength of our underwriting margins, we do not expect an extended low interest rate environment will cause a loss recognition event.

Information about interest on net policy liabilities is shown in the following table.

Required Interest on Net Insurance Policy Liabilities

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

RequiredInterestAverage NetInsurancePolicy LiabilitiesAverageDiscountRate
2021
Life and Health$583,996$9,912,9145.9%
Annuity46,4371,041,5864.5
Total$630,433$10,954,5005.8
Increase in 20215.8%4.7%
2020
Life and Health$548,066$9,391,6805.8%
Annuity47,8681,068,8594.5
Total$595,934$10,460,5395.7
Increase in 20204.8%3.9%
2019
Life and Health$518,623$8,947,3085.8%
Annuity49,9251,120,8124.5
Total$568,548$10,068,1205.6
Increase in 20193.9%3.3%

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Financing costs for the investment segment consist primarily of interest on our various debt instruments. The table below presents the components of financing costs and reconciles interest expense per the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Analysis of Financing Costs

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202120202019
Interest on funded debt$78,183$73,157$69,844
Interest on term loan4,1933,262
Interest on short-term debt5,2709,30211,165
Other335235
Financing costs$83,486$86,704$84,306

In 2021, financing costs decreased 4% compared with prior year primarily due to rates on the short-term debt. The interest on funded debt was higher than the prior year as a result of the 2.15% Senior Note issued in August 2020. More information on our debt transactions are disclosed in the Financial Condition section of this report and in Note 11—Debt.

Realized Gains and Losses. Our life and health insurance companies collect premium income from policyholders for the eventual payment of policyholder benefits, sometimes paid many years or even decades in the future. Since benefits are expected to be paid in future periods, premium receipts in excess of current expenses are invested to provide for these obligations. For this reason, we hold a significant investment portfolio as a part of our core insurance operations. This portfolio consists primarily of high-quality fixed maturities containing an adequate yield to provide for the cost of carrying these long-term insurance product obligations. As a result, fixed maturities are generally held for long periods to support the liabilities. Expected yields on these investments are taken into account when setting insurance premium rates and product profitability expectations.

Despite our intent to hold fixed maturity investments for a long period of time, investments are occasionally sold, exchanged, called, or experience a credit loss event, resulting in a realized gain or loss. These sales are often in response to deterioration in credit quality of the issuer in effort to maximize risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns. We do not engage in trading investments for profit. Therefore, gains or losses, which occur in protecting the portfolio or its yield or which result from events that are beyond our control, are only secondary to our core insurance operations of providing insurance coverage to policyholders. In a bond exchange offer, bondholders may consent to exchange their existing bonds for another class of debt securities. The Company also has investments in certain limited partnerships, held under the fair value option, with fair value changes recognized in Realized gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Realized gains and losses can be significant in relation to the earnings from core insurance operations, and as a result, can have a material positive or negative impact on net income. The significant fluctuations caused by gains and losses can cause period-to-period trends of net income that are not indicative of historical core operating results or predictive of the future trends of core operations. Accordingly, they have no bearing on core insurance operations or segment results as we view operations. For these reasons, and in line with industry practice, we remove the effects of realized gains and losses when evaluating overall insurance operating results.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

The following table summarizes our tax-effected realized gains (losses) by component for each of the three years ended December 31, 2021.

Analysis of Realized Gains (Losses), Net of Tax

(Dollar amounts in thousands, except for per share data)

Year Ended December 31,
202120202019
AmountPerShareAmountPer ShareAmountPer Share
Fixed maturities:
Sales$(8,100)$(0.08)$(28,844)$(0.27)$(1,933)$(0.02)
Other(1)35,6840.3411,7120.1117,2230.16
Provision for credit losses2,3370.02(2,643)(0.03)
Fair value option—change in fair value18,1050.188260.019920.01
Other investments6,1940.0617,0340.169
Realized investment gains (losses)54,2200.52(1,915)(0.02)16,2910.15
Loss on redemption of debt(7,358)(0.07)(501)
Total realized gains (losses)$46,862$0.45$(2,416)$(0.02)$16,291$0.15

(1)During the three years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, the Company recorded $109.2 million, $219.8 million and $243.2 million of exchanges of fixed maturity securities (noncash transactions) that resulted in $19.9 million, $6.2 million, and $16.2 million, respectively in realized gains (losses), net of tax.

Investment Acquisitions. Globe Life's investment policy calls for investing primarily in investment grade fixed maturities that meet our quality and yield objectives. We generally invest in securities with longer maturities because they more closely match the long-term nature of our policy liabilities. We believe this strategy is appropriate since our expected future cash flows are generally stable and predictable and the likelihood that we will need to sell invested assets to raise cash is low.

During calendar years 2019 through 2021, Globe Life invested predominately in fixed maturity securities, primarily in corporate and municipal bonds with longer-term maturities. The following table summarizes selected information for fixed maturity investments. The effective annual yield shown is based on the acquisition price and call features, if any, of the securities. For non-callable bonds, the yield is calculated to maturity date. For callable bonds acquired at a premium, the yield is calculated to the earliest known call date and call price after acquisition ("first call date"). For all other callable bonds, the yield is calculated to maturity date.

Fixed Maturity Acquisitions Selected Information

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
202120202019
Cost of acquisitions(1):
Investment-grade corporate securities$566,400$686,844$922,927
Investment-grade municipal securities434,482543,088627,967
Other investment-grade securities10,46534,17110,483
Total fixed maturity acquisitions$1,011,347$1,264,103$1,561,377
Effective annual yield (one year compounded)(2)3.39%3.73%4.47%
Average life (in years to next call)21.715.818.7
Average life (in years to maturity)31.726.329.4
Average ratingA+AA

(1)Fixed maturity acquisitions included unsettled trades of $7 million in 2021, $2 million in 2020 and $8 million in 2019.

(2)Tax-equivalent basis, where the yield on tax-exempt securities is adjusted to produce a yield equivalent to the pretax yield on taxable securities.

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For investments in callable bonds, the actual life of the investment will depend on whether the issuer calls the investment prior to the maturity date. Given our investments in callable bonds, the actual average life of our investments cannot be known at the time of the investment. Absent sales and "make-whole calls," however, the average life will not be less than the average life to next call and will not exceed the average life to maturity. Data for both of these average life measures is provided in the above chart.

During 2020 and 2021, acquisitions consisted of securities spanning a diversified range of issuers, industry sectors, and geographical regions. All of the acquired securities were investment grade. In addition to the fixed maturity acquisitions, Globe Life invested $258 million in other long-term investments in 2021 and $266 million in 2020. These investments include primarily investment funds. See Note—4 for further discussion.

New cash flow available for investment has been primarily provided through our insurance operations, cash received on existing investments, and proceeds from dispositions. While dispositions increase funds available for investment, as noted earlier in this discussion, they can also have a negative impact on investment income if the proceeds from the dispositions are reinvested at lower yields than the bonds that were disposed. Dispositions were $428 million in 2021 and $469 million in 2020.

Since fixed maturities represent such a significant portion of our investment portfolio, the remainder of the discussion of portfolio composition will focus on fixed maturities. See a breakdown of the Company's other investments in Other Investment Information within Note 4—Investments.

Selected information concerning the fixed maturity portfolio is as follows:

Fixed Maturity Portfolio Selected Information

At December 31,
20212020
Average annual effective yield(1)5.17%5.28%
Average life, in years, to:
Next call(2)15.716.2
Maturity(2)19.019.0
Effective duration to:
Next call(2,3)10.611.0
Maturity(2,3)12.212.3

(1)Tax-equivalent basis. The yield on tax-exempt securities is adjusted to produce a yield equivalent to the pretax yield on taxable securities.

(2)Globe Life calculates the average life and duration of the fixed maturity portfolio two ways:

(a) based on the next call date which is the next call date for callable bonds and the maturity date for noncallable bonds, and

(b) based on the maturity date of all bonds, whether callable or not.

(3)Effective duration is a measure of the price sensitivity of a fixed-income security to a particular change in interest rates.

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Credit Risk Sensitivity. The following tables summarize certain information about the major corporate sectors and security types held in our fixed maturity portfolio at December 31, 2021 and 2020.

Fixed Maturities by Sector

December 31, 2021

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Below Investment GradeTotal Fixed Maturities% of Total Fixed Maturities
Amortized Cost, netGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAmortized Cost, netGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAt Amortized Cost, netAt Fair Value
Corporates:
Financial
Insurance - life, health, P&C$57,470$3,825$(4,807)$56,488$2,345,116$513,844$(5,553)$2,853,4071313
Banks26,98061427,594983,317207,466(1,635)1,189,14866
Other financial97,800547(1,103)97,2441,240,340186,431(2,161)1,424,61077
Total financial182,2504,986(5,910)181,3264,568,773907,741(9,349)5,467,1652626
Utilities
Electric36,2843,88840,1721,388,094382,892(395)1,770,59188
Gas and water543,297107,227(617)649,90733
Total utilities36,2843,88840,1721,931,391490,119(1,012)2,420,4981111
Industrial - Energy
Pipelines85,22211,051(1,445)94,828918,746203,324(1,445)1,120,62555
Exploration and production33,3164,89038,206530,336105,604(238)635,70233
Oil field services49,77813,65363,431
Refinery89,03224,199113,23111
Total energy118,53815,941(1,445)133,0341,587,892346,780(1,683)1,932,98999
Industrial - Basic materials
Chemicals673,699145,114(50)818,76344
Metals and mining405,915118,115524,03023
Forestry products and paper65,60815,94681,554
Total basic materials1,145,222279,175(50)1,424,34767
Industrial - Consumer, non-cyclical84,10613,059(2,697)94,4682,256,802475,012(3,397)2,728,4171313
Other industrials25,5653,18228,7471,254,243286,889(589)1,540,54377
Industrial - Transportation25,5555,58831,143559,399135,581(38)694,94233
Other corporate sectors179,32321,807(3,429)197,7011,663,793277,807(9,288)1,932,31299
Total corporates651,62168,451(13,481)706,59114,967,5153,199,104(25,406)18,141,2138485
Other fixed maturities:
Government (U.S., municipal, and foreign)2,695,796304,537(8,203)2,992,1301514
Collateralized debt obligations36,46827,03763,50536,46827,03763,505
Other asset-backed securities13,457(414)13,043104,9053,701(430)108,17611
Mortgage-backed securities(1)23825263
Total fixed maturities$701,546$95,488$(13,895)$783,139$17,804,922$3,534,404$(34,039)$21,305,287100100

(1)Includes Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA).

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Fixed Maturities by Sector

December 31, 2020

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Below Investment GradeTotal Fixed Maturities% of Total Fixed Maturities
Amortized CostGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAmortized CostGross Unrealized GainsGross Unrealized LossesFair ValueAt Amortized Cost, netAt Fair Value
Corporates:
Financial
Insurance - life, health, P&C$57,658$3,894$(10,788)$50,764$2,275,843$563,349$(14,769)$2,824,4231313
Banks27,01415(456)26,573993,946259,489(1,050)1,252,38566
Other financial114,919271(8,245)106,9451,134,414193,975(8,402)1,319,98776
Total financial199,5914,180(19,489)184,2824,404,2031,016,813(24,221)5,396,7952625
Utilities
Electric50,6636,28956,9521,438,796476,744(108)1,915,43299
Gas and water536,664131,851668,51533
Total utilities50,6636,28956,9521,975,460608,595(108)2,583,9471212
Industrial - Energy
Pipelines85,3271,624(2,309)84,642923,756187,851(2,423)1,109,18455
Exploration and production104,7195,980(678)110,021555,796121,940(678)677,05833
Oil field services49,79913,61363,412
Refinery89,37122,793112,16411
Driller1,902181,9201,902181,920
Total energy191,9487,604(2,969)196,5831,620,624346,197(3,083)1,963,73899
Industrial - Basic materials
Chemicals642,258152,016794,27444
Metals and mining406,564144,110550,67423
Forestry products and paper88,80421,588110,39211
Total basic materials1,137,626317,7141,455,34078
Industrial - Consumer, non-cyclical96,2658,680(1,903)103,0422,233,324576,007(2,070)2,807,2611313
Other industrials25,6613,92529,5861,260,646328,986(6)1,589,62677
Industrial - Transportation25,7774,31530,092566,935175,405742,34033
Other corporate sectors179,87817,459(3,595)193,7421,489,113329,254(4,142)1,814,22599
Total corporates769,78352,452(27,956)794,27914,687,9313,698,971(33,630)18,353,2728686
Other fixed maturities:
Government (U.S., municipal, and foreign)2,313,855341,176(1,256)2,653,7751313
Collateralized debt obligations57,00723,460(8,869)71,59857,00723,460(8,869)71,598
Other asset-backed securities13,949(2,727)11,222134,6163,591(3,778)134,42911
Mortgage-backed securities(1)39045435
Total fixed maturities$840,739$75,912$(39,552)$877,099$17,193,799$4,067,243$(47,533)$21,213,509100100

(1)Includes GNMAs.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Corporate securities, which consist of bonds and redeemable preferred stocks, were the largest component of the December 31, 2021 fixed maturity portfolio, representing 84% of amortized cost, net and 85% of fair value. The remainder of the portfolio is invested primarily in securities issued by the U.S. government and U.S. municipalities. The Company holds insignificant amounts in foreign government bonds, collateralized debt obligations, asset-backed securities, and mortgage-backed securities. Corporate securities are diversified over a variety of industry sectors and issuers. At December 31, 2021, the total fixed maturity portfolio consisted of 843 issuers.

Fixed maturities had a fair value of $21.3 billion at December 31, 2021, compared with $21.2 billion at December 31, 2020. The net unrealized gain position in the fixed-maturity portfolio decreased from $4.0 billion at December 31, 2020 to $3.5 billion at December 31, 2021 due to an increase in market rates during the period.

For more information about our fixed maturity portfolio by component at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, including a discussion of allowance for credit losses, an analysis of unrealized investment losses and a schedule of maturities, see Note 4—Investments.

An analysis of the fixed maturity portfolio by a composite quality rating at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, is shown in the following tables. The composite rating for each security, other than private-placement securities managed by third parties, is the average of the security’s ratings as assigned by Moody’s Investor Service, Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings, and Dominion Bond Rating Service, LTD. The ratings assigned by these four nationally recognized statistical rating organizations are evenly weighted when calculating the average. The composite quality rating is created utilizing a methodology developed by Globe Life using ratings from the various rating agencies noted above. The composite quality rating is not a Standard & Poor's credit rating. Standard & Poor's does not sponsor, endorse or promote the composite quality rating and shall not be liable for any use of the composite quality rating. Included in the following chart are private placement fixed maturity holdings of $538 million at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses ($577 million at fair value) for which the ratings were assigned by the third-party managers.

Fixed Maturities by Rating

At December 31, 2021

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Amortized Cost, net% of TotalFair Value% of TotalAverage Composite Quality Rating on Amortized Cost, net
Investment grade:
AAA$761,5264$867,7284
AA2,215,179132,412,94711
A4,487,607255,584,58826
BBB+3,779,051214,616,97722
BBB4,289,044245,174,66724
BBB-1,570,96991,865,2419
Total investment grade17,103,3769620,522,14896A-
Below investment grade:
BB537,0643583,6083
B128,4021136,0261
Below B36,08063,505
Total below investment grade701,5464783,1394BB-
$17,804,922100$21,305,287100
Weighted average composite quality ratingA-

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

Fixed Maturities by Rating

At December 31, 2020

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

AmortizedCost% of TotalFairValue% of TotalAverage Composite Quality Rating on Amortized Cost
Investment grade:
AAA$713,0534$848,6214
AA1,657,270101,873,3239
A4,566,999265,969,67728
BBB+3,634,583214,612,89822
BBB4,137,099245,088,11424
BBB-1,644,056101,943,7779
Total investment grade16,353,0609520,336,41096A-
Below investment grade:
BB686,1844692,6093
B115,6461122,1041
Below B38,90962,386
Total below investment grade840,7395877,0994BB-
$17,193,799100$21,213,509100
Weighted average composite quality ratingA-

The overall quality rating of the portfolio is A-, the same as year-end 2020. Fixed maturities rated BBB are 54% of the total portfolio at December 31, 2021 compared with 55% at year-end 2020. While this ratio is high relative to our peers, we have limited exposure to higher-risk assets such as derivatives, equities, and asset-backed securities. Additionally, the Company does not participate in securities lending and has no off-balance sheet investments as of December 31, 2021. Of our fixed maturity purchases, BBB securities generally provide the Company with the best risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns largely due to our ability to hold securities to maturity regardless of fluctuations in interest rates or equity markets.

An analysis of changes in our portfolio of below-investment grade fixed maturities at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses is as follows:

Below-Investment Grade Fixed Maturities

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
20212020
Balance at beginning of period$840,739$674,155
Downgrades by rating agencies230,334
Upgrades by rating agencies(67,078)(14,618)
Dispositions(78,712)(49,037)
Provision for credit losses2,959(3,346)
Amortization and other3,6383,251
Balance at end of period$701,546$840,739

Our investment policy calls for investing primarily in fixed maturities that are investment grade and meet our quality and yield objectives. Thus, any increases in below-investment grade issues are typically a result of ratings downgrades of existing holdings. Below-investment grade bonds at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

losses, were 12% of our shareholders’ equity, excluding the effect of unrealized gains and losses on fixed maturities as of December 31, 2021. Globe Life invests long term and as such, one of our key criterion in our investment process is to select issuers that have the ability to weather multiple financial cycles.

Market Risk Sensitivity. Globe Life's investment securities are exposed to interest rate risk, meaning the effect of changes in financial market interest rates on the current fair value of the Company’s investment portfolio. Since 94% of the carrying value of our investments is attributable to fixed maturity investments and these investments are predominately fixed-rate investments, the portfolio is highly subject to market risk. Declines in market interest rates generally result in the fair value of the investment portfolio rising, and increases in interest rates cause the fair value to decline. Under normal market conditions, we are not concerned about unrealized losses that are interest rate driven since we would not expect to realize them. Globe Life does not intend to sell the securities prior to maturity and, likely, will not be required to sell the securities prior to recovery of amortized cost. The long-term nature of our insurance policy liabilities and strong operating cash-flow substantially mitigate any future need to liquidate portions of the portfolio. The increase or decrease in the fair value of insurance liabilities and debt due to increases or decreases in market interest rates largely offsets the impact of rates on the investment portfolio. However, as is permitted by GAAP, these liabilities are not recorded at fair value.

The following table illustrates the interest rate risk sensitivity of our fixed maturity portfolio at December 31, 2021 and 2020. This table measures the effect of a parallel shift in interest rates (as represented by the U.S. Treasury curve) on the fair value of the fixed maturity portfolio. The data measures the change in fair value arising from an immediate and sustained change in interest rates in increments of 100 basis points.

Market Value of Fixed Maturity Portfolio

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

At December 31,
Change in Interest Rates(1)20212020
(200)$26,939,000$26,976,000
(100)23,916,00023,874,000
021,305,00021,214,000
10019,045,00018,926,000
20017,082,00016,953,000

(1) In basis points.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

OPERATING EXPENSES

Operating expenses are included in the "Corporate and Other" segment and are classified into two categories: insurance administrative expenses and expenses of the Parent Company. Insurance administrative expenses generally include expenses incurred after a policy has been issued. As these expenses relate to premium for a given period, management measures the expenses as a percentage of premium income. The Company also views stock-based compensation expense as a Parent Company expense. Expenses associated with the issuance of our insurance policies are reflected as acquisition expenses and included in the determination of underwriting margin.

The following table is an analysis of operating expenses for the three years ended December 31, 2021.

Operating Expenses Selected Information

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

202120202019
Amount% of PremiumAmount% of PremiumAmount% of Premium
Insurance administrative expenses:
Salaries$115,8522.8$105,9352.8$102,8622.8
Other employee costs41,8411.039,8851.034,9471.0
Information technology costs47,9231.245,7421.242,9271.2
Legal costs15,4940.411,2560.310,2860.3
Other administrative costs50,5211.248,1291.349,2991.4
Total insurance administrative expenses271,6316.6250,9476.6240,3216.7
Parent company expense9,5539,89110,260
Stock compensation expense30,27235,89244,843
Administrative settlements400
Legal proceedings8,1393,2758,358
Non-operating expenses2,4341,033643
Total operating expenses, per Consolidated Statements of Operations$322,029$301,038$304,825
202120202019
Amount%Amount%Amount%
Total insurance administrative expenses increase (decrease) over prior year$20,6848.2$10,6264.4$16,3807.3
Total operating expenses increase (decrease) over prior year20,9917.0(3,787)(1.2)25,2409.0

Total operating expenses increased 7% over the prior year period primarily due to an 8% increase in insurance administrative expenses. Insurance administrative expenses increased primarily due to higher employee-related expenses, including pension costs and information technology salaries. Pension expense increased due to the lower discount rate used to determine net periodic benefit costs in 2021 as compared to 2020. The decrease in stock-based compensation expense was primarily due to fewer performance based equity awards in 2021 as compared to the same period in 2020. Insurance administrative expenses as a percent of premium were in line with 2020.

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Management's Discussion & Analysis

SHARE REPURCHASES

Globe Life has an ongoing share repurchase program that began in 1986, and is reviewed with the Board of Directors by management quarterly and annually reaffirmed by the Board of Directors. With no specified authorization amount, we determine the amount of repurchases based on the amount of the excess cash flow at the Parent Company, general market conditions, and other alternative uses. The majority of these purchases are made from excess cash flow. Excess cash flow at the Parent Company is primarily comprised of dividends received from the insurance subsidiaries less interest expense paid on its debt, dividends paid to Parent Company shareholders, and other limited operating activities. Additionally, when stock options are exercised, proceeds from these exercises and the resulting tax benefit are used to repurchase additional shares on the open market to minimize dilution as a result of the option exercises. On August 4, 2021, the Board of Directors reauthorized the Parent Company’s share repurchase program in amounts and with timing that management, in consultation with the Board, determines to be in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders.

The following table summarizes share purchase activity for each of the last three years.

Analysis of Share Purchases

(Amounts in thousands)

202120202019
Purchases with:SharesAmountSharesAmountSharesAmount
Share repurchase program4,784$455,0304,459$380,1123,932$350,080
Option proceeds85886,40567663,7541,209109,489
Total5,642$541,4355,135$443,8665,141$459,569

Throughout the remainder of this discussion, share purchases refer only to those made from excess cash flow at the Parent Company.

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Liquidity. Liquidity provides Globe Life with the ability to meet on demand the cash commitments required to support our business operations and meet our financial obligations. Our liquidity is primarily derived from multiple sources: positive cash flow from operations, a portfolio of marketable securities, a revolving credit facility, commercial paper and Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB).

Insurance Subsidiary Liquidity. The operations of our insurance subsidiaries have historically generated substantial cash inflows in excess of immediate cash needs. Cash inflows for the insurance subsidiaries primarily include premium and investment income. In addition to investment income, maturities and scheduled repayments in the investment portfolio are cash inflows. Cash outflows from operations include policy benefit payments, commissions, administrative expenses, and taxes. A portion of the excess cash inflows in the current year will provide for the payment of future policy benefits and are invested primarily in long-term fixed maturities as they better match the long-term nature of these obligations. Excess cash available from the insurance subsidiaries’ operations is generally distributed as a dividend to the Parent Company, subject to regulatory restrictions. The dividends are generally paid in amounts equal to the subsidiaries’ prior year statutory net income excluding realized capital gains. While the leading source of the excess cash is investment income, a significant portion of the excess cash also comes from underwriting income due to our high underwriting margins and effective expense control. While the insurance subsidiaries routinely generate more operating cash inflows than cash outflows annually, the companies also have the entire available-for-sale fixed maturity investment portfolio available to create additional cash flows if required.

During the year, four of our insurance subsidiaries became members of the FHLB of Dallas. FHLB membership provides the insurance subsidiaries with access to various low cost collateralized borrowings and funding agreements. While not a primary source of liquidity, the FHLB could provide the insurance subsidiaries with an additional source of liquidity, if needed. Refer to Note 11—Debt for further details.

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Parent Company Liquidity. An important source of Parent Company liquidity is the dividends from its insurance subsidiaries. These dividends are received throughout the year and are used by the Parent Company to pay dividends on common and preferred stock, interest and principal repayment requirements on Parent Company debt, and operating expenses of the Parent Company.

Year Ended December 31,
(Amounts in Thousands)
Projected 2022202120202019
Liquidity Sources:
Dividends from Subsidiaries$400,000$478,535$485,871$479,988
Excess Cash Flows285,000370,120387,606374,232

For more information on the restrictions on the payment of dividends by subsidiaries, see the Restrictions section of Note 12—Shareholders' Equity. Although these restrictions exist, dividend availability from subsidiaries historically has been more than sufficient for the cash flow needs of the Parent Company.

Additional sources of liquidity for the Parent Company are cash, intercompany receivables, intercompany borrowings, public debt markets, term loans, and a revolving credit facility. At December 31, 2021, the Parent Company had access to $119 million of invested cash, net intercompany receivables and other liquid assets. The credit facility is discussed below.

Short-Term Borrowings. An additional source of Parent Company liquidity is a revolving credit facility with a group of lenders which allows unsecured borrowings and stand-by letters of credit up to $750 million, which could be extended up to $1 billion. While Globe Life can request the extension, it is not guaranteed. Up to $250 million in letters of credit can be issued against the facility. The facility is further designated as a back-up line of credit for a commercial paper program under which commercial paper may be issued at any time, with total commercial paper outstanding not to exceed the facility maximum less any letters of credit issued. As of December 31, 2021, we had available $295 million of additional borrowing capacity under this facility, compared with $360 million a year earlier. Interest charged on the commercial paper program resembles variable rate debt due to its short term nature. Globe Life has consistently been able to issue commercial paper as needed during the three years ended December 31, 2021. As discussed in Note 11—Debt, on September 30, 2021, Globe Life amended the credit agreement dated August 24, 2020. The five-year credit agreement will now mature on September 30, 2026. As of December 31, 2021, the Parent Company was in full compliance with all covenants related to the aforementioned debt.

As a part of the credit facility, Globe Life has stand-by letters of credits. These letters are issued among our subsidiaries, one of which is an offshore captive reinsurer, and have no impact on company obligations as a whole. Any future regulatory changes that restrict the use of off-shore captive reinsurers might require Globe Life to obtain third-party financing, which could cause an insignificant increase in financing costs. On October 26, 2021, the letters of credit were amended to reduce the amount outstanding from $135 million as of December 31, 2020 to $125 million at December 31, 2021.

The Parent Company expects to have readily available funds for 2022 and the foreseeable future to conduct its operations and to maintain target capital ratios in the insurance subsidiaries through internally generated cash flow and the credit facility. In the unlikely event that more liquidity is needed, the Company could generate additional funds through multiple sources including, but not limited to, the issuance of debt, an additional short-term credit facility, and intercompany borrowing. Refer to Note 6—Commitments and Contingencies and the discussion surrounding the Company's obligations over the next five years.

As noted above, the Parent Company had access to $119 million of liquid assets available as of December 31, 2021. This liquidity is available to the Company in the event additional funds are needed to support the targeted capital levels within our insurance subsidiaries due to adverse impacts of COVID-19.

Consolidated Liquidity. Consolidated net cash inflows provided from continuing operations were $1.44 billion in 2021, compared with $1.48 billion in 2020. In addition to cash inflows from operations, our companies received proceeds from maturities, calls, and repayments of fixed maturities in the amount of $311 million in 2021, compared

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with $416 million in 2020. As noted under the caption Credit Facility in Note 11, the Parent Company has in place a revolving credit facility. The insurance companies have no additional outstanding credit facilities.

Cash and short-term investments were $161 million at the end of 2021 compared with $203 million at the end of 2020. In addition to these liquid assets, the entire $21.3 billion (fair value at December 31, 2021) portfolio of fixed income securities is available for sale in the event of an unexpected need. Approximately 97% of our fixed income securities are publicly traded, freely tradable under SEC Rule 144, or qualified for resale under SEC Rule 144A. We generally expect to hold fixed income securities to maturity, and even though these securities are classified as available for sale, we have the ability and intent to hold any securities until recovery or maturity. Our strong cash flows from operations, ongoing investment maturities, and credit line availability make any need to sell securities for liquidity highly unlikely.

Capital Resources. The Parent Company's capital structure consists of short-term debt (the commercial paper facility and current maturities of long-term debt), long-term debt, and shareholders’ equity.

Debt: The carrying value of the long-term debt was $1.5 billion at December 31, 2021, which decreased from $1.7 billion a year earlier. A complete analysis and description of long-term debt issues outstanding is presented in Note 11—Debt.

Subsidiary Capital: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has established a risk-based factor approach for determining threshold risk-based capital levels for all insurance companies. This approach was designed to assist the regulatory bodies in identifying companies that may require regulatory attention. A Risk-Based Capital (RBC) ratio is typically determined by dividing adjusted total statutory capital by the amount of risk-based capital determined using the NAIC’s factors. If a company’s RBC ratio approaches two times the RBC amount, the company must file a plan with the NAIC for improving their capital levels (this level is commonly referred to as “Company Action Level” RBC). Companies typically hold a multiple of the Company Action Level RBC depending on their particular business needs and risk profile.

Our goal is to maintain statutory capital within our insurance subsidiaries at levels necessary to support our current ratings. For 2021, Globe Life has targeted a consolidated Company Action Level RBC ratio of 300% to 320%. The Company concludes that this capital level is more than adequate and sufficient to support its current ratings, given the nature of its business and its risk profile. As of December 31, 2021, our consolidated Company Action Level RBC ratio was 315% compared with 309% in prior year.

In August 2021, the NAIC fully adopted new and expanded C-1 investment factors. The adoption of these factors resulted in higher amounts of required capital related to our investment portfolio. In addition to the expanded C-1 factors, additional capital was needed by the end of the year to support higher sales levels, growth of our in-force business, higher COVID-19 net life claims, and the acquisition of Beazley Benefits. The Parent Company is committed to maintaining the targeted consolidated RBC ratio at its insurance subsidiaries and has sufficient liquidity available to provide additional capital if necessary.

Shareholder's Equity: As noted under the caption Analysis of Share Purchases within this report, we have an ongoing share repurchase program.

Globe Life has continually increased the quarterly dividend on its common shares over the past three years.

Year Ended December 31,
Projected 2022202120202019
Quarterly dividend by annual year$0.2075$0.1975$0.1875$0.1725

Shareholders’ equity was $8.6 billion at December 31, 2021, compared with $8.8 billion at December 31, 2020, a decrease of $128 million or 1%. Since December 31, 2020, shareholders’ equity was reduced by $409 million due to after-tax unrealized losses in the fixed-maturity portfolio as interest rates increased over the period offset by $745 million of net income during this period. In addition, shareholders' equity was reduced by $455 million in share

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purchases under the repurchase program and an additional $86 million in share purchases to offset the dilution from stock option exercises.

We plan to use excess cash available at the Parent Company as efficiently as possible in the future. Possible uses of excess cash flow include, but are not limited to, share repurchases, acquisitions, increases in shareholder dividends, investment in securities, or repayment of short-term debt. We will determine the best use of excess cash after ensuring that targeted capital levels are maintained in our insurance subsidiaries. If market conditions are favorable, we currently expect that share repurchases will continue to be a primary use of those funds.

As discussed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies, the Company will adopt ASU 2018-12, Financial Services–Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts (LDTI), effective on January 1, 2023. The accounting adoption will have no economic impact on the cash flows of our business nor influence our business model of providing basic protection oriented products to the underserved and low to middle-income market. In addition, the adoption will not impact our capital management philosophies. It will, however, modify the timing of when profits emerge on our insurance policies. We are anticipating GAAP net income and net operating income to increase under the new standard primarily due to the significant reduction in DAC amortization in the near or intermediate term. With respect to equity, we anticipate a significant decrease as a result of the requirement to use current discount rates to remeasure the policy liabilities and record the offset through AOCI at adoption. Since current rates (upper-medium grade) are lower than the locked-in rates assumed in valuing our policy liabilities, we will have unrealized interest rate loss recognized through AOCI.

We maintain a significant available-for-sale fixed maturity portfolio to support our insurance policy liabilities. Current accounting guidance requires that we revalue our portfolio to fair market value at the end of each accounting period. The period-to-period changes in fair value, net of their associated impact on deferred acquisition costs and income tax, are reflected directly in shareholders’ equity. Changes in the fair value of the portfolio can result from changes in market rates.

While a majority of invested assets are revalued, accounting rules do not permit interest-bearing insurance policy liabilities to be valued at fair value in a consistent manner as that of assets, with changes in value applied directly to shareholders’ equity. Due to the size of our policy liabilities in relation to our shareholders’ equity, an inconsistency exists in measurement, which may have a material impact on the reported value of shareholders’ equity. Fluctuations in interest rates cause undue volatility in the period-to-period presentation of our shareholders’ equity, capital structure, and financial ratios. Due to the long-term nature of our fixed maturities and liabilities and the strong cash flows consistently generated by our insurance subsidiaries, we have the intent and ability to hold our securities to maturity. As such, we do not expect to incur losses due to fluctuations in market value of fixed maturities caused by market rate changes and temporarily illiquid markets. Accordingly, our management, credit rating agencies, lenders, many industry analysts, and certain other financial statement users prefer to remove the effect of this accounting rule when analyzing our balance sheet, capital structure, and financial ratios.

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The following table presents selected data related to our capital resources. Additionally, the table presents the effect of this accounting guidance on relevant line items, so that investors and other financial statement users may determine its impact on Globe Life's capital structure. Excluding the effect of unrealized gains and losses on the fixed maturity portfolio from shareholders' equity is considered non-GAAP. Below we include the reconciliation to GAAP.

Selected Financial Data

(Dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data)

At
December 31, 2021December 31, 2020December 31, 2019
GAAPEffect ofAccountingRuleRequiringRevaluation(1)GAAPEffect ofAccountingRuleRequiringRevaluation(1)GAAPEffect ofAccountingRuleRequiringRevaluation(1)
Fixed maturities$21,305,287$3,500,365$21,213,509$4,019,710$18,907,147$2,491,371
Deferred acquisition costs(2)4,914,728(4,327)4,595,444(5,955)4,341,941(7,488)
Total assets29,768,0483,496,03829,046,7314,013,75525,977,4602,483,883
Short-term debt479,644254,918298,738
Long-term debt1,546,4941,667,8861,348,988
Shareholders' equity8,642,8062,761,8708,771,0923,170,8667,294,3071,962,268
Book value per diluted share85.9727.4783.1930.0766.0217.76
Debt to capitalization(3)19.0%(6.6)%18.0%(7.6)%18.4%(5.2)%
Diluted shares outstanding100,535105,429110,494
Actual shares outstanding99,567103,797107,720

(1)Amount added to (deducted from) comprehensive income to produce the stated GAAP item, per accounting rule ASC 320-10-35-1.

(2)Includes the value of business acquired (VOBA).

(3)Globe Life's debt covenants require that the effect of this accounting rule be removed to determine this ratio. This ratio is computed by dividing total debt by the sum of total debt and shareholders’ equity.

Financial Strength Ratings. The financial strength of our major insurance subsidiaries is rated by Standard & Poor’s and A. M. Best. The following table presents these ratings for our five largest insurance subsidiaries at December 31, 2021.

Standard & Poor’sA.M. Best
Liberty National Life Insurance CompanyAA-A
Globe Life And Accident Insurance CompanyAA-A
United American Insurance CompanyAA-A
American Income Life Insurance CompanyAA-A
Family Heritage Life Insurance Company of AmericaNRA

A.M. Best states that it assigns an A (Excellent) rating to insurance companies that have, in its opinion, an excellent ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations.

The AA financial strength rating category is assigned by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (S&P) to those insurers which have very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments which differs from the highest-rated insurers only to a small degree. An insurer rated A has strong capacity to meet its financial commitments but it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than insurers in higher-rated categories. The plus sign (+) or minus sign (-) shows the relative standing within the major rating category.

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OTHER ITEMS

Litigation. For more information concerning litigation, please refer to Note 6—Commitments and Contingencies.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Application of Critical Accounting Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the application of accounting policies that often involve a significant degree of judgment. Management reviews these key estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of financial statements on a timely basis. If management determines that modifications are necessary due to current facts and circumstances, the Company’s results of operations and financial position as reported in the consolidated financial statements could possibly change significantly.

The following accounting policies are deemed critical to the preparation of the financial statements and include accounting estimates that management believes are most subjective or have complex judgments.

Future Policy Benefits. Due to the long-term nature of insurance contracts, our insurance companies are liable for policy benefit payments that will be made in the future. The liability for future policy benefits is determined by standard actuarial procedures common to the life insurance industry. The accounting policies for determining this liability are disclosed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies.

Approximately 90% of our liabilities for future policy benefits at December 31, 2021 were traditional insurance liabilities where the liability is determined as the present value of future benefits less the present value of the portion of the gross premium required to pay for such benefits. The assumptions used in estimating the future benefits for this portion of business are set at the time of contract issue. These assumptions are “locked in” and are not revised for the lifetime of the contracts, except where there is a premium deficiency, as defined in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies under the caption Future Policy Benefits. Otherwise, variability in the accrual of policy reserve liabilities after policy issuance is caused only by variability of the inventory of in force policies.

The remaining portion of liabilities for future policy benefits pertains to business accounted for as deposit business, where the recorded liability is the fund balance attributable to the benefit of policyholders as determined by the policy contract at the consolidated financial statement date. Accordingly, there are no assumptions used to determine the future policy benefit liability for deposit business.

Refer to Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies for discussion on the significant changes to future policy benefits with an effective date of January 1, 2023.

Deferred Acquisition Costs. Certain costs of acquiring new business are deferred and recorded as an asset. Deferred acquisition costs consist primarily of sales commissions and other underwriting costs such as advertising related to the successful issuance of a new insurance contract as indicated in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies under the caption Deferred Acquisition Costs in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Additionally, the cost of acquiring blocks of insurance business or insurance business through the purchase of other companies, known as the value of insurance acquired (VOBA), is included in deferred acquisition costs. Our policies for accounting for deferred acquisition costs and the associated amortization are reported under the same caption in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies.

Over 99% of our deferred acquisition costs at December 31, 2021 were related to traditional products and are being amortized over the premium-paying period in proportion to the present value of actual historic and estimated future gross premiums. The projection assumptions for this business are set at the time of contract issue. These assumptions are “locked-in” at that time and, except where there is a loss recognition issue, are not revised for the lifetime of the contracts. Absent a premium deficiency, variability in amortization after policy issuance is caused only by variability in premium volume. We have not recorded a deferred acquisition cost loss recognition event for assets related to this business for any period in the three years ended December 31, 2021.

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Less than 1% of deferred acquisition costs pertain to deposit business for which deferred acquisition costs are amortized over the estimated lives of the contracts.

Policy Claims and Other Benefits Payable. This liability consists of known benefits currently payable and an estimate of claims that have been incurred but not yet reported to us. The estimate of unreported claims is based on prior experience and is made after careful evaluation of all information available to us. However, the factors upon which these estimates are based can be subject to change from historical patterns. Factors involved include the litigation environment, regulatory mandates, and the introduction of policy types for which claim patterns are not well established, and medical trend rates and medical cost inflation as they affect our health claims. Changes in these estimates, if any, are reflected in the earnings of the period in which the adjustment is made. The Company concludes that the estimates used to produce the liability for claims and other benefits, including the estimate of unsubmitted claims, are the most appropriate under the circumstances. However, there is no certainty that the resulting stated liability will be our ultimate obligation. At this time, we do not expect any change in this estimate to have a material impact on earnings or financial position consistent with our historical experience. There were no significant changes in the claims process in the current year.

Valuation of Fixed Maturities. We hold a substantial investment in high-quality fixed maturities to provide for the funding of our future policy contractual obligations over long periods of time. While these securities are generally expected to be held to maturity, they are classified as available for sale and are sold from time to time to maximize risk-adjusted, capital-adjusted returns. We report this portfolio at fair value. Fair value is the price that we would expect to receive upon sale of the asset in an orderly transaction. The fair value of the fixed maturity portfolio is primarily affected by changes in interest rates in financial markets. Because of the size of our fixed maturity portfolio and the long average life, small changes in rates can have a significant effect on the portfolio and the reported financial position of the Company. This impact is disclosed in 100 basis point increments under the caption Market Risk Sensitivity in this report. However, as discussed under the caption Financial Condition in this report, the Company regards these unrealized fluctuations in value as having no meaningful impact on our actual financial condition and, as such, we remove them from consideration when viewing our financial position and financial ratios.

At times, the values of our fixed maturities can also be affected by illiquidity in the financial markets. Illiquidity would contribute to a spread widening, and accordingly to unrealized losses, on many securities that we would expect to be fully recoverable. Even though our fixed maturity portfolio is available for sale, we have the ability and intent to hold the securities until maturity as a result of our strong and stable cash flows generated from our insurance products. Considerable information concerning the policies, procedures, classification levels, and other relevant data concerning the valuation of our fixed maturity investments is presented in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and in Note 4—Investments under the captions Fair Value Measurements in both notes. There were no significant changes in the valuation process in the current year.

Investments: Allowance for Credit Losses. We continually monitor our investment portfolio for investments where fair value has declined below carrying value to determine if a credit loss event has occurred. When a credit event does occur, an allowance for credit loss is recorded and the corresponding provision is recognized in the Consolidated Income Statement in Realized Gains or Losses. Non-credit related fluctuations in the fair value are recorded in Other Comprehensive Income. The policies and procedures that we use to evaluate and account for allowance for credit losses are disclosed in Note 1—Significant Accounting Policies and the discussions under the captions Investments and Realized Gains and Losses in this report. While every effort is made to make the best estimate of status and value with the information available regarding an allowance for credit loss, it is difficult to predict the future prospects of a distressed or impaired security.

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Defined benefit pension plans. We maintain funded defined benefit plans covering most full-time employees. We also have an unfunded nonqualified defined benefit plan covering a limited number of officers. Our obligations under these plans are determined actuarially based on specified actuarial assumptions. In accordance with GAAP, an expense is recorded each year as these pension obligations grow due to the increase in the service period of employees and the interest cost associated with the passage of time. These obligations are offset, at least in part, by the growth in value of the assets in the funded plans. At December 31, 2021, our gross liability under these plans was $779 million, but was offset by assets of $598 million.

The actuarial assumptions used in determining our obligations/expenses for pensions include: employee mortality and turnover, retirement age, the expected return on plan assets, projected salary increases, and the discount rate at which future obligations could be settled. Additionally, a corridor approach is used to amortize any unrecognized gains or losses outside the corridor (the standard 10% of the greater of plan PBO and fair value assets) and have an amortization service period of approximately nine years. These assumptions have an important effect on the pension obligation. A decrease in the discount rate will cause an increase in the pension obligation. A decrease in projected salary increases will cause a decrease in this obligation. Small changes in assumptions may cause significant differences in reported results for these plans. For example, a sensitivity analysis is presented below for the impact of change in the discount rate and the long-term rate of return on assets assumed on our defined benefit pension plans expense for the year 2021 and projected benefit obligation as of December 31, 2021.

Pension Assumptions

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

AssumptionChange(1)Impact on ExpenseImpact on Projected Benefit Obligation
Discount Rate(2):
Increase25$(4,187)$(30,692)
Decrease(25)4,44232,660
Expected Return(3):
Increase25(1,333)
Decrease(25)1,333

(1)In basis points.

(2)The discount rate for determining the net periodic benefit cost was 2.92% for 2021. The discount rate used for determining the projected benefit obligation as of December 31, 2021 was 3.19%.

(3)The expected long-term return rate assumed was 6.67%, consistent with prior year. Management considers both historical and future yields to determine the expected return.

The Company determines mortality assumptions through the use of published mortality tables that reflect broad-based studies of mortality and published longevity improvement scales.

The criteria used to determine the primary assumptions are discussed in Note 9—Postretirement Benefits. While we have used our best efforts to determine the most reliable assumptions, given the information available from Company experience, economic data, independent consultants and other sources, we cannot be certain that actual results will be the same as expected. The assumptions are reviewed annually and revised, if necessary, based on more current information available to us. Note 9—Postretirement Benefits also contains information about pension plan assets, investment policies, and other related data. There were no significant changes in the assumptions in the current year.

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