ABIA Study: Insurance Sales Have Long Way to Go.

Banks sold an estimated $69.5 billion in insurance last year, an increase of 26% over 2001, according to a study conducted for the American Bankers Insurance Association (ABIA) by Regan Consulting of Atlanta and released at the association's recent annual conference in Atlanta.

The increase marked the third consecutive year of more than 20% growth in bank-sold insurance, a burgeoning market as illustrated by the record 571 bankers, insurers and technology vendors who packed the meeting's conference rooms and exhibit hall.

"The Study of Leading Banks in Insurance" found that 48 financial institutions derived close to 10% of their non-interest income from …