Prudential Life Insurance Review [Best and Worst about PruCo]
THE FINEST PRUDENTIAL LIFE INSURANCE REVIEW THAT YOU WILL EVER READ
Well, maybe it will be. We will let you be the judge at the end.
What we will do is guarantee it will be the only PruCo review with you in mind.
Specifically, how great is Prudential when you want life insurance and have heart problems?
WHERE PRUDENTIAL SHINES FOR LIFE INSURANCE AND CARDIOVASCULAR ISSUES
- Fantastic history and financial strength
- Broad life insurance product selection
- Very adept and familiar with high-risk underwriting. They use two broad underwriting manuals, and then overwrite their own criteria on top which can be more favorable to customers with certain health conditions.
- Great underwriting classes for sleep apnea, prostate cancer, smokeless tobacco, and marijuana use. Prudential is also aggressive on height/weight or body mass index (BMI)
- Favorable underwriting for criminal history, recent bankruptcies, or a bad motor vehicle record with too many traffic tickets.
WHERE WE FEEL PRUDENTIAL COULD IMPROVE
- More aggressive term product pricing and more liberal term conversion options. With the low interest rate environment we have been in for the last few years, Prudential has responded with price increases especially on their longer term and permanent policies.
- Faster file turn around time
- Better communication options with underwriters
In this review, you will find out about that and more. And we love Prudential, they are a strong company.
BUT IS PRUCO THE RIGHT COMPANY FOR YOU?
They certainly could be. To determine that though, you need the help of an unbiased underwriting expert. Get in touch with one today by hitting the button below or using the quote request form available on this page.
Here is a handy guide to this article, feel free to head directly to the section you need.
- Where Prudential Shines For Life Insurance and Cardiovascular Issues
- Where We Feel Prudential Could Improve
- But is PruCo the Right Company For You?
- Life Insurance Products Offered by Prudential
- Prudential Life Insurance for People with Heart Problems
- Prudential Life Insurance Financial Ratings
- Prudential Life Insurance Company History
- Prudential Life Insurance Customer Service
- Why Don’t We Send Every Life Insurance Case to Prudential?
- The Final Word on Prudential Life Insurance
LIFE INSURANCE PRODUCTS OFFERED BY PRUDENTIAL
Prudential offers many insurance products and services, and these products extend far beyond just life insurance.
Prudential’s Term Life Insurance is a good place to start if you are new to life insurance. In many ways, buying a term policy is similar to leasing a car. When you lease a car, there are typically a few lease periods you can choose from—and you make payments for that length of time.
At the end of your car lease, you stop making payments and return the car, or you can keep the car for an additional cost. Term policies work much the same way.
If we can say that term insurance is like leasing a car, then Guaranteed Universal Life (GUL) Insurance is more like buying a car. To put it simply, UL coverage is permanent life insurance designed to be there for the rest of your life instead of a set period of time.
Universal life insurance can also build cash value. To build cash value, you make payments beyond the cost of insurance. That money is placed into accounts that can grow over time.
PRUDENTIAL LIFE INSURANCE FOR PEOPLE WITH HEART PROBLEMS
Prudential literally wrote the book on life insurance for heart disease and other high-risk conditions. When other life insurance companies cannot handle the risk, PruCo has the underwriting expertise and the financial chops to make those policies happen.
We Have Sent The Following Heart Disease Cases To Pruco With Success
- Angina (chest pain)
- Cardiomegaly – It’s rare that we see an Athlete’s heart case, however, Prudential gets first to look.
- AV Blocks, Bundle Branch Blocks, Sick Sinus Syndrome – Really anything related to electrical problems, especially on the right side, Prudential is a strong choice.
- Angioplasty, Heart Catheterization, Stents, Coronary Artery Disease – We send major cases to PruCo. Minor cases can sometimes get better pricing elsewhere.
- Aortic valve surgery, Bicuspid Aortic Valves, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Mitral Valvuloplasty – We like Prudential in valve cases with manageable regurgitation
- Heart Attack, Myocardial Infarction – Prudential can handle more recent cases with good cardiac testing.
- Coronary Bypass Surgery – Prudential is strong on approving bypass surgery, especially for cases affecting less than three arteries.
- Atrial Septal Defects – For any small hole or tear in the septum, Prudential usually receives top billing.
PRUDENTIAL LIFE INSURANCE FINANCIAL RATINGS
One of the first things to consider about your future life insurance carrier is how financially strong they are. What is the likelihood that this company will be there to pay your claim when you die in 50 or 60 years?
Prudential scores high marks in this category, and their financial strength is supreme.
Financial Ratings By AM Best
In current and complete ratings of PruCo, AM Best gives Prudential an A+ (Superior) financial strength rating (FSR). They rated five of the nine Prudential branches.
AM Best issues this rating based on Prudential’s diverse business portfolio, earnings that reflect an exceptional market positioning, and proven long-term track record for successful business dealings.
Prudential holds offices worldwide, with the majority of its international operations in Japan. These holdings make up 50% of Prudential’s entire business.
In the United States, Prudential’s fastest growth is in the retirement market. AM Best also cites PruCo’s high annuity sales as an important factor in their diversity and success.
In terms of market competition, AM Best reports that Prudential life insurances out “leverages” much of their competition. Read the entire AM Best press release here.
Prudential Financial Ratings By Standard And Poors S&P
As of November 1, 2017, Standard and Poors (S&P) rates the branches of Prudential as follows:
PruCo Branch | Rating |
---|---|
The Prudential Insurance Company of America | AA- |
PRUCO Life Insurance Company | AA- |
PRUCO Life Insurance Company of New Jersey | AA- |
Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation | AA- |
Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company | AA- |
The Prudential Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (Prudential of Japan) | AA+ |
Gibraltar Life Insurance Company, Ltd. | AA+ |
The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd. | AA+ |
Prudential Life Insurance Co. of Taiwan, Inc. | AA+ |
Financial Ratings By Fitch
In their most current and complete ratings of PruCo, Fitch gives Prudential an AA- rating. They rated five of the nine Pru branches.
Financial Ratings By Moody’s
As of November 1, 2017, Moody’s rates the branches of Prudential as follows:
PruCo Branch | Rating |
---|---|
The Prudential Insurance Company of America | A1 |
PRUCO Life Insurance Company | A1 |
PRUCO Life Insurance Company of New Jersey | NR |
Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation | NR |
Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company | A1 |
The Prudential Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (Prudential of Japan) | NR |
Gibraltar Life Insurance Company, Ltd. | NR |
The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd. | NR |
Prudential Life Insurance Co. of Taiwan, Inc. | NR |
PRUDENTIAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY HISTORY
Founded by John Fairfield Dryden in Newark, NJ, in 1875, PruCo has been in business or over 140 years. Some of their first product offerings were industrial insurances that covered funeral expenses for people with low incomes.
In just ten years, Pru had sold over one-million insurance policies. In the early days of Prudential Life Insurance, premiums could be as low as three cents a week.
By the year 1885, PruCo had assets of $1.03 million. In 1805, just twenty years later, they increased their assets to over $100 million.
On December 13, 2001, Prudential Life Insurance made its initial public offering (IPO) and started trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol PRU.
Today, over one hundred smaller subsidiary companies compose Prudential. Combined, the total net worth of the life insurance in place is more than 4 trillion dollars as of the end of last year.
Through their locations across the globe, PruCo offers several insurance products and services including mutual funds, annuities, life insurance, retirement insurance, and investment management.
PRUDENTIAL LIFE INSURANCE CUSTOMER SERVICE
The Prudential review gets a little less straight forward when it comes to customer service.
Pru is the second-largest life insurance company in the United States (as measured by a number of assets). This number tells you that customers are happy with their service.
However, when you look up a PruCo review on the Better Business Bureau, you’ll see that Prudential Life Insurance is not a BBB accredited agency. BBB reports that Pru has “failed to respond to 11 complaints” and has “7 unresolved complaints” on file.
WHY DON’T WE SEND EVERY LIFE INSURANCE CASE TO PRUDENTIAL?
Prudential is a solid choice for life insurance, no matter who you ask in the business. I don’t think anyone can argue with their financial strength, process, or underwriting expertise.
While we are happy to work with Prudential, we are happier to work with you. And we have a responsibility to you as a client, not necessarily to Prudential.
The truth is, minor conditions can usually get better pricing elsewhere than Prudential. And that’s not a knock on PruCo, it’s just how these other companies price their risk. You see, some of these other companies price off of the “standard plus” tier when dealing with substandard risks, and that puts their rates 10 % – 15% lower than Prudential for certain cases.
We are also talking about term life insurance because most of our business is in term life insurance. When you move into the permanent life insurance space, the differences in rates start to narrow and we find Prudential is much more competitive
The big deal is this – the best company for you is the best company for us. We research every independent life insurance company and each case is unique. We only care about the company that is going to give you the best value for your life insurance and your family.
THE FINAL WORD ON PRUDENTIAL LIFE INSURANCE
Overall, The Prudential Life Insurance Company of America offers diverse insurance products and services. They have a track record for out-performing and out-earning other insurance companies.
If you’re looking for life insurance, Prudential is definitely a great choice. Enter your info into the calculator on your right and get your customized life insurance quote now!
Prudential Corporate Headquarters
Prudential Financial, Inc.
751 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102
Phone: (973) 802-6000
6 Comments
Keith Mickelsen
I have had Pruco for twenty years. Borrowed money against policy. Missed balloon payment date and they cancelled me, no reinstatement at all. They are thieves and predators to the elderly. Run from this company as fast as you can…
Jimmy McMillan
Sorry you had that experience Keith. We have a conservation team at our company for this very purpose, because we don't want anybody to lose a policy. Prudential may not be the best fit for you now, so give us a call and let's find you something better!
Vaughnie McNeil
Have 2 policies which evidently doesn’t mean anything .Because since I am retiring I am being punished by having to pay some outrageous price after paying on these policies for years can’t even remember how many.I would not recommend Prudential to anyone.
Jimmy McMillan
Hey Vaughnie. Pru is a very big player in the employee benefits market, and it sounds like you have some group policies and you are converting them over to individual policies. And you’re right: it does get very expensive sometimes and it doesn’t seem fair.
Depending on your health class, you may find a better value with a newer policy. Sometimes those employer group conversions are priced high to accept unhealthy people.
Good news? We have 60 other life insurance companies who would love your business. I’ve already sent you an email, reply and we can go over your real options.
Scott W Johnson
Nice article jimmy
Jimmy McMillan
Hey Scott, thanks! Coming from you that means a lot; I appreciate it.