Insurance Company Ratings
The table below is a list of insurance company ratings. You can get detailed information about each company by clicking its name.
You can also receive free annuity quotes from these companies in one quick and easy report (you will not be contacted by an agent). To start, select your Age, Gender, and Income Start Date.
If you'd like a calculation covering yourself and a spouse, select your spouse's age and gender too.
Next, enter an Amount to Invest and click Get My Quote. Your quote appears instantly on the next page. If you have any questions about your quotes or annuities in general call 800-872-6684.
| Insurance Company Ratings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance Company | Customer Service | Major Rating Agencies | ||
| A.M.Best | S & P | Moody's | ||
| Allianz LIC of No. Amer. | (800) 950-5872 | A+ | AA | A1 |
| American Equity LIC | (888) 221-1234 | A- | A | – |
| American General LIC | (800) 424-4990 | A | A+ | A2 |
| American Life & Security Corp. | (402) 489-8266 | B++ | – | – |
| American National | (800) 252-9546 | A | A | – |
| Americo | (800) 231-0801 | A | – | – |
| Aspida | (866) 511-6910 | A- | – | – |
| Athene | (888) 266-8489 | A+ | A+ | A1 |
| Atlantic Coast Life Under review with negative implications | (844) 442-3847 | B++ u | – | – |
| Brighthouse Life Ins. Co. Affiliate of Metropolitan Life | (800) 882-1292 | A | A+ | A3 |
| CL Life | (800) 520-6162 | B++ | – | – |
| Clear Spring Life and Annuity Co. | (800) 990-7626 | A- | – | – |
| Delaware Life | (877) 253-2323 | A- | BBB+ | – |
| EquiTrust Life | (866) 598-3692 | B++ | BBB+ | – |
| Fidelity & Guaranty | (888) 513-8797 | A | A- | A3 |
| Fidelity & Guaranty NY (only available to residents of NYS) | (888) 513-8797 | A | A- | – |
| First Symetra National Life Ins. of NY (only available to residents of NYS) | (800) 599-5732 | A | A | – |
| Genworth Life Insurance Co. | (888) 436-9678 | C++ | – | – |
| Genworth Life NY | (888) 436-9678 | C++ | – | – |
| Guaranty Income LIC | (800) 535-8110 | A- | – | – |
| Guardian Insurance & Annuity Co. | (888) 482-7342 | A++ | AA+ | Aa2 |
| Integrity LIC Affiliate of Western & Southern | (800) 325-8583 | A+ | AA- | Aa3 |
| Investors Heritage | (800) 422-2011 | B++ | – | – |
| Jackson National | (800) 873-5654 | A | A | A2 |
| Kansas City Life | (800) 572-2467 | A- | – | – |
| Liberty Bankers Life | (800) 745-4927 | A- | – | – |
| Life Insurance Co. of the Southwest Member of the National Life Group | (800) 732-8939 | A+ | AA- | Aa3 |
| Lincoln National LIC | (888) 916-4900 | A | A+ | A2 |
| MassMutual Ascend | (800) 438-3398 | A++ | A+ | – |
| MassMutual Financial Group | (800) 272-2216 | A++ | AA+ | Aa3 |
| Metropolitan LIC (MetLife) | (800) 343-8496 | A+ | AA- | Aa3 |
| Midland National Life Affiliate of Sammons Financial | (877) 586-0244 | A+ | A+ | – |
| Minnesota Life Affiliate of Securian Financial | (833) 810-8260 | A+ | AA- | Aa3 |
| Nassau Life and Annuity Co. Affiliate of the Nassau Insurance Group | (800) 541-0171 | B++ | - | - |
| Nat'l Integrity LIC Affiliate of Western & Southern (only available to residents of NYS) | (800) 325-8583 | A+ | AA- | Aa3 |
| National Life Group | (800) 732-8939 | A+ | AA- | Aa3 |
| Nationwide | (800) 321-6064 | A+ | A+ | A1 |
| New York Life | (800) 762-6212 | A++ | AA+ | Aaa |
| North American Company for Life and Health Affiliate of Sammons Financial | (866) 322-7069 | A+ | A+ | – |
| Oceanview Life and Annuity Company | (888) 295-3815 | A | – | – |
| Oxford Life Insurance Company Under review with negative implications | (866) 641-9999 | A u | – | – |
| Pacific Life & Annuity Co. | (800) 722-2333 | A+ | AA- | Aa3 |
| Pacific Guardian LIC | (800) 367-5354 | A | A | - |
| Penn Mutual | (800) 523-0650 | A+ | A+ | Aa3 |
| Principal Life Insurance Co. | (866) 321-9648 | A+ | AA- | A1 |
| Protective Life | (800) 456-6330 | A+ | AA- | A1 |
| PRUCO Life Insurance Company | (888) 778-2888 | A+ | AA- | Aa3 |
| Reliance Standard | (800) 435-7775 | A++ | A+ | A2 |
| Sagicor Life Insurance Co. | (888) 724-4267 | A- | – | – |
| SBLI | (800) 694-7254 | A | A- | – |
| Securian Life Insurance Company | (833) 810-8260 | A+ | AA- | Aa3 |
| Sentinel Security Life Under review with negative implications | (800) 247-1423 | B++u | – | – |
| SILAC | (800) 352-5150 | B | – | – |
| The Standard Insurance Co. | (800) 378-4578 | A | A+ | A1 |
| Symetra | (800) 796-3872 | A | A | A1 |
| United of Omaha Affiliate of Mutual of Omaha | (800) 646-7592 | A+ | A+ | A1 |
| United States Life Ins. Co. of NY Affiliate of AIG | (800) 424-4990 | A | A+ | A2 |
| Ratings Modifiers: u - under review | ||||
How to Read Annuity Company Ratings
There are many things to consider when shopping for an annuity but one of the most important is the strength of the insurance company that stands behind it. There are currently over 2,000 insurance companies in the U.S that issue annuities so finding the one that will best meet your needs can be a challenge.
Researching the market is a great way to narrow down the list. We can help you with that. Our annuity rates and quotes section allows you to check annuity rates, get annuity quotes and more importantly, investigate insurance company ratings.
The letter ratings you see next to the company name is an opinion issued by one of the rating agencies which rank annuity and life insurance companies. While these insurance company ratings can be extremely helpful, you have to know what they mean before you can decide which insurer you can trust with your money.
Who Are These Rating Companies?
Currently there are three major rating agencies that rate the financial strength of the various insurance companies. A.M. Best is the one that shows up most often when comparing annuity quotes.
A.M. Best
Alfred M. Best founded A.M. Best in 1899. He had been working in the insurance industry since the age of 15, which gave him the expertise to run a company that issued reports on insurance companies. In 1906, the company started issuing insurance company ratings. A.M. Best does not offer guarantees with their ratings but they have been recognized as the leading rating agency in the marketplace.
When issuing a rating, A.M. Best examines an insurer's management, operating performance, as well as their balance sheet to get an overall picture of their financial strength. It then issues a report detailing what they discovered. These reports can be cumbersome to read so to make it easier for people to understand they also issue a letter grade.
Moody’s and S&P
The other two rating agencies are Moody’s and S&P. Insurers may not be rated by all three rating agencies as they must request and pay for these ratings. These two rating agencies assign letter grades as well.
Researching Complaints Against Insurers
Customer service is important with annuities, you want to be sure the phone will be answered when you have questions about your retirement income. Insurers are regulated by the state in which you reside so check your state insurance commissioners' site for complaint reports on any insurers you are considering.
Best's Credit Ratings reproduced herein appear under license from A.M. Best and do not constitute, either expressly or impliedly, an endorsement of (Licensee's publication or service) or its recommendations, formulas, criteria or comparisons to any other ratings, rating scales or rating organizations which are published or referenced herein. A.M. Best is not responsible for transcription errors made in presenting Best's Credit Ratings. Best's Credit Ratings are proprietary and may not be reproduced or distributed without the express written permission of A.M. Best Company.
A Best's Financial Strength Rating opinion addresses the relative ability of an insurer to meet its ongoing insurance obligations. It is not a warranty of a company's financial strength and ability to meet its obligations to policyholders. View our Important Notice: Best's Credit Ratings for a disclaimer notice and complete details at A.M.Best.com
| Rating Categories | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | A.M. Best | Standard & Poor's | Moody's |
| 1 | A++ Secure / Superior | AAA Extremely Strong | Aaa Exceptional |
| 2 | A+ Secure / Superior | AA+ Very Strong | Aa1, Aa2, Aa3 Excellent |
| 3 | A Secure / Excellent | AA Very Strong | A1, A2, A3 Good |
| 4 | A- Secure / Excellent | AA- Very Strong | Baa1, Baa2, Baa3 Adequate |
| 5 | B++ Secure / Very Good | A+ Strong | Ba1, Ba2, Ba3 Questionable |
| 6 | B+ Secure / Good | A Strong | B1, B2, B3 Poor |
| 7 | B Vulnerable / Fair | A- Strong | Caa Very Poor |
| 8 | B- Vulnerable / Fair | BBB+ Good | Ca Extremely Poor |
| 9 | C++ Vulnerable / Marginal | BBB Good | C Lowest |
| 10 | C+ Vulnerable / Marginal | BBB- Good | NR |
| 11 | C Vulnerable / Weak | BB+ Marginal | NR |
| 12 | C- Vulnerable / Weak | BB Marginal | NR |
| 13 | D Vulnerable / Poor | BB- Marginal | NR |
| 14 | E Vulnerable / Under State Supervision | B+ Weak | NR |
| 15 | F Vulnerable / In Liquidation | B Weak | NR |
| 16 | S Rating Suspended | B- Weak | NR |
| 17 | NR | CCC+ Very Weak | NR |
| 18 | NR | CCC Very Weak | NR |
| 19 | NR | CCC- Very Weak | NR |
| 20 | NR | CC Extremely Weak | NR |
| 21 | NR | R Regulatory Action | NR |
For details on each rating agency's methodology click the agency name link at the top of each column.
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Comments (10)
Bill
2018-10-03 10:58:13
I have a question about Comdex ratings which you don't show here. My bias is that it's worth giving up say $100/month in income to go with a product from a company which has the top Comdex score of 100. Am I overthinking the safety element?
Hersh Stern (ImmediateAnnuities.com)
2018-10-03 10:58:41
Hi Bill,
I don't believe you're overthinking but there are preference and perception components to agency ratings. It's somewhat of a gray area not often discussed.
Most buyers consider a combination of return (i.e., quote competitiveness) and financial safety when they select a company or companies to issue their annuities. I think this is a choice between relative values not absolutes.
In fact, many of our clients who made purchases greater than $100k split their premiums several times so the total amount at-risk with any one company was considerably below their state guarantee association's maximum coverage limit. This afforded them some latitude with regard to choosing companies with great but perhaps not stellar ratings.
You can read more about the state guarantee associations here:
https://www.immediateannuities.com/state-guaranty-associations/
It's also important to know that even if you selected only Comdex 100 level companies for your annuities, it would not be a 100% guarantee against one or more of those companies going into default. In the last 30 years, a few highest-rated S&P/Comdex triple-AAA companies did fail (e.g., Executive Life Insurance Co., Mutual Benefit Life Ins. Co., and even AIG recently), while during the same period numerous A or A+ rated companies performed much better during tough economic times. So all of this needs to be put in perspective.
Hersh
Barbara
2018-12-19 14:23:15
My mother died and left a non qualified fixed rate annuity to the family trust. The company is refusing to pay a lump sum death benefit and states that our only option is to continue payments until 2025. What can I do?
Hersh Stern (ImmediateAnnuities.com)
2018-12-19 14:24:05
I would recommend reaching out to the agent of record on the policy. It is their responsibility to help service the contract, and they should be able to explain your available options. If you don't have it already, you can call the insurance company the annuity was purchased through and ask for the agent's contact information.
-Hersh Stern
Karen
2019-06-20 11:16:36
Does a "-" mean you have not rated the company that received the "-"?
Hersh Stern (ImmediateAnnuities.com)
2019-06-20 11:17:39
We do not rate the companies ourselves, but independent ratings agencies do. If a company has "-" under their Moody's rating, then that particular insurance company has chosen not to pay Moody's for a rating. The insurance company might feel that their A.M. Best or S&P ratings are enough for the consumer to go on.
-Hersh
James D.
2023-04-27 18:45:14
This is a great list of annuity companies and it has me considering this route. Is this rating list updated, and how often is it updated? Thanks
Kyle
2023-04-28 10:39:34
Hi James,
Yes, our ratings list is always updated in real time. The companies' ratings do not change very often, but when they do, we're quick to update our database.
Please feel free to call at (800) 872-6684 if you have additional questions. We'll be very happy to help!
Best regards,
Kyle
Jim H.
2024-07-03 20:18:06
How often do you update the ratings info on this page?
Kyle
2024-07-05 08:07:33
Hi Jim,
We update this ratings page whenever we receive notice of a rating change to an insurance company, so we're essentially updating in real time.
Best regards,
Kyle