Is American Life a Good Insurance Company?
Is American Life a Good Insurance Company?
Jason Stolz CLTC, CRPC, DIA, CAA
American Life & Security Corp. is a Lincoln, Nebraska annuity carrier that does not fit the profile of any other company in this review series. Founded in 1960 and strategically rebuilt in 2018 under new ownership by Vespoint — an insurance-focused investment and management firm — American Life operates as a technology-enabled, reinsurance-centric annuity provider that runs its operations on AWS cloud infrastructure and FAST Technologies administration software. It is a subsidiary of publicly traded Midwest Holding Inc. (NASDAQ: MDWT). The product lineup is deliberately narrow: two fixed indexed annuities (American Select and MaxGrowth 10), a multi-year guaranteed annuity (American Classic), and the American Fusion, a hybrid structure that combines a guaranteed compounding rate with an S&P 500 index bonus trigger — a product category the company calls a Multi-Year Guaranteed Index Annuity. American Life holds an AM Best B++ (Good) rating with a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb+” — upgraded from “bbb” following successful execution of the 2018 business plan — and a NAIC complaint ratio of exactly 0.00, meaning not a single regulatory complaint has been filed against the company in the most recent reporting period. As of January 2026 the company operates in 28 states and the District of Columbia, having expanded to Washington, Alaska, and New Hampshire in the prior two months alone. For buyers evaluating American Life, the central question is not whether the products are well-designed — they are — but whether the B++ issuing carrier is the right financial strength profile for a 10-year fixed indexed annuity commitment. At Diversified Insurance Brokers, Jason Stolz, CLTC, CRPC, DIA, CAA, evaluates American Life with the framework that question deserves: what the B++ rating means in practice, where American Life’s products are genuinely competitive, and how the company compares against the A-rated and A+-rated alternatives available in the same product categories.
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American Life & Security Corp. — At a Glance
| Evaluation Dimension | American Life Profile | What It Means for Buyers |
|---|---|---|
| AM Best Rating | B++ (Good) — ICR “bbb+” (upgraded); balance sheet strength “strong”; BCAR at strongest level; neutral business profile | Below the A- minimum most independent advisors recommend for annuity placements; “Good” is a passing grade, not a failure — but the gap to A-rated alternatives is real and meaningful for 10-year commitments |
| NAIC Complaint Ratio | 0.00 — zero complaints filed | Exceptional consumer experience signal; no other metric more directly reflects how actual policyholders experience the company’s operations; zero complaints is as clean as it gets |
| Structure & Ownership | Subsidiary of Midwest Holding Inc. (NASDAQ: MDWT); recapitalized 2018 by Vespoint; technology-enabled; AWS + FAST Technologies cloud infrastructure; reinsurance-centric business model | Publicly traded parent adds transparency; cloud-native administration is an operational strength; reinsurance model means credit risk is distributed — the relevant question is who the reinsurance partners are and their ratings |
| Products | American Select FIA (10-year, index-linked, Nasdaq-100 Intraday Elite 15% Index + S&P 500); MaxGrowth 10 FIA (10-year, accumulation focus, premium bonus); American Classic MYGA; American Fusion (5-year MYGIA — guaranteed rate + S&P 500 bonus trigger) | Four products only — deliberate focus; Fusion’s hybrid structure is a genuinely novel product design; all products emphasize principal protection with index-linked or guaranteed upside |
| Geographic Availability | 28 states + DC as of January 2026 — actively expanding; not yet available in roughly half of US states | Limited availability is the most immediate practical constraint for many buyers; confirm your state before any comparison or illustration request |
| Scale | ~$850 million annual premiums; 0.034% US annuity market share; rapidly growing but small relative to tier-1 annuity carriers | Small carrier; scale limitations are a component of the B++ rating assessment; growth trajectory is positive but the book is still being built relative to established A-rated competitors |
The B++ Rating: What It Means and When It Matters
AM Best B++ (Good) means American Life & Security Corp. has a good ability to meet its ongoing policyholder obligations — it is not a failing grade, and it does not indicate that the company is in financial difficulty. The BCAR (Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio) is assessed at the strongest level, meaning the risk-adjusted capitalization is actually strong relative to the company’s current obligations. What B++ does indicate is that American Life sits below the A- threshold that most independent financial advisors maintain as a minimum for recommending annuity products to clients. That threshold is not arbitrary. A-minus is where AM Best shifts from “adequate” to “excellent” balance sheet strength, where the business profile assessment moves from neutral to favorable, and where the combination of capital strength, operating performance, and business diversification crosses the line that most advisors treat as the floor for long-duration commitments. American Life’s B++ with “strong” balance sheet assessment and a neutral business profile reflects a growing company whose capital is solid for its current size but whose business profile has not yet developed the scale, diversification, and operating history depth of A-rated competitors. For a 10-year FIA commitment — which is the core of American Life’s product lineup — the gap between B++ and A- matters more than for a 3-year MYGA. A decade is a long time for a relatively small, recently-reconstituted carrier to prove out its reinsurance model, maintain pricing discipline, and grow without balance sheet disruption. That is not a prediction of failure — it is an accurate description of the uncertainty differential between a B++ and an A-rated carrier over a 10-year horizon. Our resource on state guaranty association protections covers the policyholder backstop that applies if a carrier cannot meet its obligations — important context for any B++ carrier evaluation, and our resource on what an AM Best rating means covers the full tier framework that contextualizes B++ relative to the broader carrier landscape.
The Products: Where American Life Is Genuinely Innovative
American Life’s most structurally distinctive product is the American Fusion — a 5-year Multi-Year Guaranteed Index Annuity that the company created as a category of its own. The Fusion offers a 5-year guaranteed compounding interest rate (the MYGA element) and the opportunity for an additional bonus payment if the S&P 500 Index reaches a defined performance threshold at the end of the 5-year term (the FIA element). The combination gives buyers the floor protection of a guaranteed rate alongside an upside participation trigger — without the typical FIA structure of annual index crediting, caps, and participation rates. Whether this structure performs better or worse than a conventional MYGA or FIA depends entirely on the guaranteed rate level, the trigger threshold, and the prevailing interest rate environment at contract end. The MaxGrowth 10 FIA is designed for clients who prioritize 10-year accumulation over liquidity — the product offers principal protection, index-linked growth potential, and a premium bonus, targeting buyers who want market-linked upside in a retirement-account structure without the downside exposure of direct equity investment. For buyers evaluating American Life’s FIA designs against A-rated alternatives, our product-level resources on the ClearSprings Vistar FIA, the Delaware Life Target Growth 10 FIA, and the F&G AccumulatorPlus FIA cover comparable accumulation-focused FIA designs from A- and A-rated issuers. For buyers specifically evaluating MYGA rates alongside American Life’s Classic MYGA, our American Gulf Anchor MYGA review covers another independent-channel MYGA design for rate and structure comparison. For buyers evaluating the bonus annuity market where American Life’s MaxGrowth premium bonus competes, our resource on the guaranteed 40% bonus retirement annuity covers the broader bonus FIA landscape that contextualizes how American Life’s premium bonus structure compares against the most competitive bonus designs available through A-rated carriers.
The Technology Model and Zero-Complaint Record
American Life’s 2018 strategic reimagining was not just a financial recapitalization — it was a fundamental restructuring of how the company operates. The move to AWS cloud infrastructure and the FAST Technologies policy administration platform gives American Life administrative capabilities that many larger, legacy-system carriers have struggled to match: faster application processing, real-time policy servicing, and data analytics that support more efficient underwriting and administration. The NAIC complaint ratio of 0.00 — zero regulatory complaints in the most recent reporting period — is the most direct evidence that this operational model is delivering on its promise. Zero complaints does not mean zero issues ever arise, but it does mean that whatever issues do arise are resolved before they escalate to state insurance regulators. That is an exceptional consumer experience signal for any carrier, and it is particularly notable for a smaller, rapidly-growing carrier that is simultaneously expanding into new states and launching new products. For buyers evaluating the real-world service experience of their annuity carrier alongside the financial strength question, the NAIC 0.00 and the operational model case for American Life are genuine positives that belong in the full evaluation. Our resource on getting a second opinion on your annuity quote covers the multi-carrier comparison process that ensures any American Life proposal is evaluated against the best available alternatives — A-rated and B++-rated — before a commitment is made. For the retirement income context most annuity buyers are navigating alongside the product decision, our resources on how long savings last in retirement, how long money lasts in retirement, and non-qualified annuity taxation cover the longevity risk and tax context that motivates most fixed annuity purchases. For Social Security coordination alongside an annuity strategy, our resources on the Social Security filing checklist, delayed retirement credits, leaving Social Security on the table, and Social Security income limits cover the claiming strategy that determines how much income an annuity needs to supplement.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Is American Life a Good Insurance Company?
What is American Life & Security Corp.’s AM Best rating and what does B++ mean for annuity buyers?
American Life & Security Corp. holds AM Best B++ (Good) with a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb+” — upgraded from “bbb” following the company’s successful execution of its post-2018 business plan. AM Best assesses the balance sheet strength as “strong” and the BCAR (Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio) at the strongest level, meaning the risk-adjusted capitalization is genuinely solid relative to current obligations. The business profile assessment is neutral — reflecting a smaller, still-scaling carrier that has not yet developed the market position breadth of larger competitors. B++ is a passing grade. It means American Life has a good ability to meet its policyholder obligations. What it is not is A- (Excellent) — the threshold most independent financial advisors use as the minimum for annuity placement recommendations. For a 5-year MYGA or American Fusion, the B++ rating represents a different risk profile than for a 10-year FIA commitment. The longer the surrender period, the more the issuing carrier’s financial permanence over that horizon matters. Buyers placing $100,000 or more in a 10-year FIA should weigh whether the rate differential between American Life and an A- or A-rated alternative justifies the financial strength differential. Our resource on state guaranty association protections covers the regulatory safety net that backs annuity contracts if a carrier becomes insolvent, and our resource on what an AM Best rating means covers the full tier framework.
What products does American Life & Security Corp. offer?
American Life’s product lineup is deliberately narrow — four products focused on fixed and fixed indexed annuities for retirement accumulation. The American Select is a 10-year fixed indexed annuity with index-linked growth potential tied to the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 Intraday Elite 15% Index (launched September 2025 through a partnership with Nasdaq Global Indexes). The MaxGrowth 10 is a 10-year FIA specifically designed for accumulation-focused clients who prioritize maximum growth over the contract term, including a premium bonus on initial deposit. The American Classic is a multi-year guaranteed annuity — a MYGA with a declared rate for a fixed term, suitable for conservative buyers who want principal protection and predictable growth without index mechanics. The American Fusion is American Life’s most structurally novel product: a 5-year Multi-Year Guaranteed Index Annuity (MYGIA) that combines a guaranteed compounding rate for the full term with a performance-based bonus payment if the S&P 500 reaches a defined threshold at the 5-year contract end. The Fusion was designed as a hybrid product category — offering MYGA-like certainty alongside FIA-like potential without the typical annual crediting and cap mechanics. All products emphasize principal protection from market losses. American Life does not offer life insurance, disability income, long-term care insurance, or income rider annuities with guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit designs. Buyers who need those products must use other carriers. For context on comparable FIA accumulation designs from A-rated carriers, our resource on the Delaware Life Target Growth 10 FIA covers a 10-year accumulation FIA from an A-rated issuer for direct comparison.
Is American Life available in my state?
As of January 2026, American Life & Security Corp. operates in 28 states and the District of Columbia. The company expanded to Washington and Alaska in January 2026, having added New Hampshire in December 2025. This rapid expansion reflects the company’s stated priority of geographic growth — but roughly half of US states are still not served. Not all products are available in all approved states; the American Classic MYGA was the initial product offered in Alaska, for example, while Washington received the full product suite. Product availability and specific terms also vary by state due to differing regulatory requirements. Before requesting an illustration or comparing rates, confirm that American Life is approved in your state and that the specific product you are evaluating is available there. The company maintains current state availability information at american-life.com. For buyers in states where American Life is not yet approved, our annuity rate comparison tools above cover A-rated and A+-rated MYGA and FIA alternatives available nationally.
What is the American Fusion MYGIA and how is it different from a conventional MYGA or FIA?
The American Fusion is a product category American Life calls a Multi-Year Guaranteed Index Annuity (MYGIA) — a structure that does not exist as a standard product type in the annuity market and was designed specifically by American Life to occupy the space between conventional MYGAs and FIAs. A conventional MYGA offers a declared interest rate guaranteed for the full contract term — simple and predictable, with no market linkage. A conventional FIA credits interest annually based on index performance, subject to caps, participation rates, or spreads — more complex, with principal protection but variable annual outcomes. The Fusion combines elements of both: the 5-year contract includes a fully guaranteed compounding interest rate for the entire term (the MYGA element), plus an additional bonus payment if the S&P 500 reaches a defined performance threshold at the end of year five (the FIA element). The bonus triggers only if the index meets the threshold — if it does not, the policyholder still receives the full guaranteed rate. This structure means the Fusion delivers a defined floor (the guaranteed rate) with a potential upside event (the bonus), rather than the annual variable crediting mechanics of a conventional FIA. Whether this design outperforms a conventional MYGA or FIA depends on the guaranteed rate offered, the bonus threshold, and market conditions at the 5-year mark. For buyers comparing the Fusion against a conventional MYGA, our resource on best MYGA annuity rates covers the current competitive MYGA market that contextualizes whether the Fusion’s guaranteed rate plus bonus potential is superior to a straightforward multi-year guaranteed rate from an A-rated carrier.
Why does American Life have a zero NAIC complaint ratio if it is only B++ rated?
The NAIC complaint ratio and the AM Best financial strength rating measure entirely different things. The NAIC complaint ratio measures how often state regulators receive formal policyholder complaints relative to the company’s market size — it is an operational and service quality metric. The AM Best FSR measures the company’s ability to meet its long-term financial obligations to policyholders — it is a financial strength and sustainability metric. American Life’s 0.00 NAIC complaint ratio reflects that its administration platform, customer service processes, and policy management capabilities are generating exceptional operational outcomes. The AWS-based cloud infrastructure and FAST Technologies platform appear to be delivering on the promise of frictionless policy servicing. The B++ AM Best rating reflects the financial picture — a strong but still-scaling balance sheet, a neutral business profile reflecting limited size and operational history compared to established carriers, and a reinsurance-dependent model that AM Best views as still maturing. Both data points are real and both belong in the evaluation. A buyer who weights service quality heavily can find genuine reassurance in the 0.00 NAIC ratio. A buyer who weights long-duration financial permanence heavily should weigh the B++ against A-rated alternatives. The right weighting depends on the contract term, the premium amount, and the buyer’s personal risk tolerance. Our resource on getting a second opinion on your annuity quote covers the multi-carrier comparison process that lets buyers see both the American Life offer and the best available A-rated alternatives side by side.
About the Author:
Jason Stolz, CLTC, CRPC, DIA, CAA and Chief Underwriter at Diversified Insurance Brokers (NPN 20471358), is a senior insurance and retirement professional with more than 25 years of real-world experience helping individuals, families, and business owners protect their income, assets, and long-term financial stability. As a long-time partner of the nationally licensed independent agency Diversified Insurance Brokers, Jason provides trusted guidance across multiple specialties—including fixed and indexed annuities, long-term care planning, personal and business disability insurance, life insurance solutions, Group Health, Travel Medical and Evacuation Insurance, and short-term health coverage. Diversified Insurance Brokers maintains active contracts with over 100 highly rated insurance carriers, ensuring clients have access to a broad and competitive marketplace.
His practical, education-first approach has earned recognition in publications such as VoyageATL, and contributions from his agency featured in Kiplinger and GoBankingRates— highlighting his commitment to financial clarity and client-focused planning. Drawing on deep product knowledge and years of hands-on field experience, Jason helps clients evaluate carriers, compare strategies, and build retirement and protection plans that are both secure and cost-efficient. Visitors who want to explore current annuity rates and compare options across multiple insurers can also use this annuity quote and comparison tool.
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Last Reviewed: June 12, 2026 |
Reviewed by: Jason Stolz, CLTC, CRPC, DIA, CAA
Chief Underwriter, Diversified Insurance Brokers, Inc. | NPN: 20471358 | Diversified Insurance Brokers, Inc. — Licensed in all 50 states
Fact Checked by: Tonia Pettitt, CMIP©
Medicare Specialist, Diversified Insurance Brokers, Inc. | NPN: 14374308 | Diversified Insurance Brokers, Inc. — Licensed in all 50 states
Editorial Standards: Diversified Insurance Brokers maintains rigorous editorial standards to ensure accuracy, clarity, and independence in all content. Learn more about our editorial standards and commitment to transparency.
