"George Adams" <g_adams27[at]hotmail.SPAMBGONE.com> wrote in message news:cgvhkh02t79[at]enews3.newsguy.com...
- quote -

IF all things were equal (and they are usually NOT), then
IMHO, the answer would be NO.
Cal Lester CLU

Thank you to everyone who responded to my question. I'm not able to make a
side-by-side comparison of the policies just yet (one of them hasn't arrived
yet, though I'm expecting it today or tomorrow), but you've given me some
good things to consider.

I guess for purposes of this question, I was mainly interested in knowing
how much weight to put behind a A++ vs an A+ rating. So, assuming all other
things being equal between the two policies, how much is that additional +
rating on the AIG policy worth? Specifically, is it worth the extra $40
year?

Thanks again!

Another thing to consider with the two policies you seem to have narrowed
your decision down to is whether or not either policy offers advanced death
benefits to help pay for long-term, expensive medical bills resulting from
*terminal* illness. Some policies allow you to take some of the death
benefit in advance to help defray the medical bills and alleviate the
financial burden of medical treatment prior to death.

There are other ways to deal with those bills, but as an option in the
policy you may want to give it some consideration.

-JSR

"BMS" <mcfarland[at]yahoo.com> wrote in message news:8guXc.66041$Fg5.47883[at]attbi_s53...
- quote -

A very GOOD question. Is it really apples & apples????

Not to belabor the point, but have you discussed this with
a PROFESSIONAL (any professional) ????

Cal Lester CLU

In article <cglmbs015op[at]enews4.newsguy.com> , George Adams
<g_adams27[at]hotmail.SPAMBGONE.com> wrote:

- quote -

The ratings today do not mean as much as the ratings when you need
to use the insurance. Companies change, and so do ratings. Your
job is to keep tabs on the company that you pick, and stay on top
of any ratings change. If a company gets in trouble, you have to
be ready and able to move some where else before you need to make
a claim. Perhaps you want to consider a shorter term with garanteed
renewability.

-john-

--
================================================== ==================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708 john[at]johnweeks.com
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ==================

Are the policies exactly the same? If so, I'd go with the cheaper.

One difference my be the convertibility to permanent life insurance, either
whole life or universal, and how that is done. It should be considered and
may make a difference.

"George Adams" <g_adams27[at]hotmail.SPAMBGONE.com> wrote in message
news:cglmbs015op[at]enews4.newsguy.com...
- quote -


======================================= MODERATOR'S COMMENT:
Please trim the post to which you respond.

I've narrowed down my 30-year term life insurance options to two companies
that will give me a decent rate given my health conditions. One (GE
Financial) ends up being $585/year, while the other (AIG American General)
is $625.

Their ratings are the following:

GE Financial: A+ (A.M. Best), AA- (S&P), Aa3 (Moody's)
AIG American General: A++ (A.M. Best), AAA (S&P), Aa3 (Moody's), AA+
(Fitch)

The financial difference between the two policies is $40/year. That's not
too bad, but still, I'd rather not spend money I don't have to. So my
question is, how much better a rating does AIG actually have over GE? I've
heard some folks say that (especially for a long 30-year policy) you really
shouldn't trust anyone rated below A++ by A.M Best . I've heard others who
say the difference between A+ and A++ is rather insignificant - it's just
quibbling over a really good company and a really, REALLY good company - and
that price should dictate between the two.

I don't know much about the insurance industry, but I understand that back
in the 90's a number of A+ rated companies (highest rating at the time)
nearly went bankrupt. That would seem to favor the argument that I should
consider the A++ company if it all financially possible. But on the other
hand, maybe things have improved since then, and/or maybe the A+ rating is
more "accurate" than it was back in the 90's? In which case, maybe A+ is,
for all intents and purposes, just as good as A++?

I'd really appreciate some advice! Thanks to all who can help.