Prudential Life Insurance Review 2022

Below, please see the primary points of comparison between life insurance carriers. Note that Prudential is widely known as the most lenient of the top term carriers for underwriting. 

Prudential Company History

Prudential, one of the most recognized names in America, was founded in Newark, New Jersey, in 1875, known as the Prudential Friendly Society. 

For more than a century, Prudential operated as a mutual life insurance company owned by its policyholders. However, it has since restructured to become a publicly-traded company, and PRU began trading on the NYSE in 2001.

Prudential was named the number one life/health insurer by Fortune magazine’s “Most Admired” list.

Prudential Financial Ratings

Prudential Financial has consistently demonstrated the strength to meet its ongoing obligations and conduct new business. Prudential Financial’s A.M. Best rating of A+ is significant, as A.M. Best is the most relied-on rating agency in the life insurance market. 

Additionally, it is worth noting that COMDEX is an insurance industry-specific rating.

Prudential Life Insurance Products

Term Essential®-This is Prudential’s best priced option.

PruLife®– Return of Premium

PruLife®-Universal Protector- Basic UL policy

PruLife® SUL Protector: Survivorship GUL policy

PruLife® -Essential UL: Cash value UL

PruLife® Founder’s Plus UL:  Indexed UL

PruLife® Index Advantage UL: Indexed UL with no lapse guarantee

Prudential Life Insurance Riders

Available Prudential term policy riders include:.

Available Prudential term policy riders include:.

Waiver of Premium

Accelerated Death Benefit

Childrens Rider

Accidental Death & Dismemberment

 Additionally there is a privilege to convert to permanent coverage without proof of insurability.  Conversion privileges vary with product.

Prudential Term Life Insurance Rates & Quotes

Prudential Life Insurance tends to be priced higher, sometimes significantly, than other carriers. However, this pricing is not “apples to apples.” Instead, Prudential’s pricing reflects a business model that welcomes more health risks, and this can be important to you if you are in less than perfect health. 

For instance, if Prudential rates a moderately overweight 53-year-old woman with sleep apnea as “standard Plus” while other “better priced” companies rate her as Table 2, the more expensive company becomes the cheapest. Take a look:

So as you can see in this example, the final price has just as much to do with the underwriting decision as it does with the rates you see on quote tools.

Prudential will often be “more expensive,” but sometimes, there is more to the story than meets the eye. 

Prudential Underwriting Highlights

Prudential has an extensive list of underwriting “sweet spots” Let’s take a look:

Medical Marijuana –  At Prudential Financial, medical marijuana use is rated solely on why it was prescribed. 

DUI’s- Prudential Applicants with an arrest and conviction for DUI are eligible for standard rates after three years

Sleep Apnea- Underwriting at Prudential for sleep apnea allows preferred rates possible with CPAP use.

Build (Age 60 and Over)- Expect to see a more lenient build chart at Pru for age 60 and older.

Elevated Liver Function – Prudential will look into an ELF lab rather than just rate or decline the policy.

Anxiety/Depression- Mood disorders are eligible for preferred plus with Prudential underwriting.

No Exam Life Insurance Options At Prudential Financial

Pru FastTrack 

FastTrack is the accelerated underwriting platform in use by Prudential. It uses the application questions and publicly available information to make a decision. 

This platform speeds the underwriting process considerably. However, it is only available for people, and Prudential will classify as Standard or better. 

Requiring a Standard rate class may defeat the purpose of using Prudential in the first place. After all, if you are in good health, you can use a better-priced carrier.

Prudential Customer Service

Prudential customer service has very mixed reviews, and the result is that it’s difficult to draw any conclusions.

The NAIC complaint report shows a spotless record for Prudential. However, “total Complaints” include only complaints that the respective state agreed with the complainant.

J.D. Power & Assoc. rank Prudential 3/5. The Better Business Bureau grades B- for Prudential.

Prudential Contact Information

Address:751 Broad Street

Newark, NJ 07102

Phone:(973) 802-6000

Web:https://www.prudential.com/personal

Prudential Financial: Final Thoughts

Prudential is a fantastic carrier. However, they have different strong points than other carriers, which is a consideration when choosing a company for your application. If you are high risk or health impaired, prudential is worth considering. However, price-conscious consumers in excellent health can often find better deals in the marketplace.

While Prudential may not be the best choice for a young, healthy woman, it may be more understanding of anxiety/depression medication or a previous DUI. In any case, where you have a question about your health class, the best advice is to speak with an experienced independent agent with access to a multitude of carriers.

Thank you for choosing Bequest Mutual Life Insurance to research Prudential Life Insurance. We hope it helped, and we hope you contact us with any questions.