Vantaggi
This company has an outstanding reputation, among its employees, agents and customers. The newly appointed CEO, Theodore Mathas, is one of the smartest and most innovative in the industry. The leadership's caution and restraint in investing may seem dull to others but have proved to be very smart in the long-run. There are a good number of products and accounting practices that New York Life has steered clear of because they aren't suitable for new clients or the policyholders. Others should take note of the mutual business model as it emphasizes what's best for those policyowners, not the investors or shareholders.
Svantaggi
There are a lot of young, smart, hard-working and broke employees at this company. Though senior management is addressing the development/retention issue, a more open-door approach would benefit everyone. Individuals should be paid based on their merit, not according to who's "due" for a promotion. Huge disparity in pay between grade levels and slow advancement needlessly hurt the company's rep -- a shame because many employees want to stay with the company but either have to leave for better opportunities or resign themselves to a lengthy struggle.