Switzerland's biggest life insurer said group-wide premiums rose 3 percent to 13.81 billion Swiss francs (10.51 billion pounds), compared to 13.36 billion francs the year before. Fee and commission income rose 6 percent to 1.04 billion francs.

"With the results of the first three quarters we continue to be confident that we will meet our financial targets for 2017," Chief Executive Patrick Frost said in a statement on Wednesday.

Swiss Life has focussed on trimming costs and raising third-party asset management and investment income to offset sluggishness in its core life insurance business.

Swiss Life -- whose main markets include Switzerland, France and Germany -- has like other insurers been squeezed by low and negative interest rates.

In August, the group posted a larger-than-expected rise in half-year profit as growing real estate holdings helped increase income.

It does not give profit figures in its nine-month interim statement.

(Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; Editing by Michael Shields)