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Securian Financial Life Insurance Underwriting

Three-tier ladder with a 36-month tobacco window at Preferred Select, a Mortality Credits substandard program, and a Table L substandard ceiling.

Top-two placement probability for the sample profile

35%Less competitive for the sample profile

Probability that 58-year-old male with BMI 29, treated hypertension (130/85 on 1 medication), father had an MI at age 62, total cholesterol 240, non-smoker lands in the two highest non-tobacco tiers at Securian Financial.

Field guideSecurian Field Underwriting Guide (with Mortality Credits supplement)
Version2021.04
Published2021-04
Product scopeAll product lines

Class Ladder

Securian Financial publishes the following underwriting classes. Class names differ across carriers; comparing top-tier placement requires normalizing to a common taxonomy.

Non-tobacco tiers (best to worst)
Tier 1Preferred Select
Tier 2Preferred
Tier 3Non-Tobacco Plus
Tier 4Non-Tobacco Standard
Tobacco tiers (best to worst)
Tier 1Tobacco Preferred
Tier 2Tobacco Standard
Substandard ceiling
Table L, equivalent to Table 12 (300 percent of standard)

Where Securian Financial Is Competitive

  • 36-month nicotine-free window at Preferred Select, shorter than the 60-month peer norm
  • Mortality Credits program gives a modest uplift on mild substandard cases
  • Three labeled non-tobacco tiers plus a Standard baseline cover the mid-range
  • Distinctive Non-Tobacco Plus label makes placement intent explicit

Where Securian Financial Is Stricter

  • Substandard ceiling at Table L (approximately 300 percent of standard) is tighter than the Table 16 industry norm
  • Private pilots without the IFR-plus-250-hour narrow exception cannot qualify for Preferred Select
  • Mortality Credits criteria require MVR, cotinine, and treatment-status data beyond standard profile capture
  • Senior UW adds ADL, mobility, and cognitive screening between ages 70 and 85

Distinctive Underwriting Rules

36-month tobacco-free window at Preferred Select

Securian accepts 36 months nicotine-free at Preferred Select, shorter than the 60-month rule at Symetra, Transamerica, Nationwide, and American National. This matches Mutual of Omaha, making those two carriers the natural shops for former smokers in the three-to-five year band.

Mortality Credits five-area substandard nudge

Securian's Mortality Credits program evaluates tobacco, family history, cholesterol, build, and driving record. Favorable performance across those factors can move mild substandard closer to Standard. Full criteria require MVR and cotinine data beyond what a routine profile captures, so the practical lift on average cases is subtle.

Table L substandard ceiling

Securian caps substandard at Table L, equivalent to Table 12 at about 300 percent of standard. Peer carriers using the same ceiling include LG America, Nationwide, and Mutual of Omaha. Severe impaired-risk cases decline earlier at Securian than at Table 16 carriers.

Who Securian Financial Tends to Fit

Best-fit profiles

  • Former smokers in the three-to-five year nicotine-free window
  • Mild substandard cases that benefit from Mortality Credits uplift
  • Near-preferred applicants who want a distinctive Non-Tobacco Plus landing zone

Less ideal profiles

  • Severe impaired-risk cases expected to rate above Table L
  • Private pilots without IFR plus 250-plus-hour exception criteria
  • Applicants who fail Mortality Credits across multiple areas

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Securian's preferred classes?

Securian publishes three non-tobacco classes (Preferred Select, Preferred, Non-Tobacco Plus) plus Non-Tobacco Standard, along with Tobacco Preferred and Tobacco Standard. Substandard runs through Table L.

Why is Securian's tobacco window shorter than peers?

Preferred Select at Securian allows former smokers with 36 months nicotine-free, where Symetra, Transamerica, and Nationwide require 60 months. This matches Mutual of Omaha, making those two the natural shops for three-to-five year cessation cases.

How does the Mortality Credits program work?

Mortality Credits evaluates tobacco, family history, cholesterol, build, and driving record. Favorable performance across those factors nudges mild substandard toward Standard. Detailed criteria require MVR and cotinine data, so the lift on routine profiles is subtle.

What is Securian's substandard ceiling?

Securian caps substandard at Table L, equivalent to Table 12 at approximately 300 percent of standard mortality. Severe impaired-risk cases decline at Securian earlier than at Table 16 carriers.

Source and Methodology

Underwriting rules on this page are derived from Securian Financial's publicly available Securian Field Underwriting Guide (with Mortality Credits supplement), published 2021-04. Guide version tracked as 2021.04. Top-two placement probability reflects the Lumis Life underwriting estimator applied to the sample profile; live estimates use the client's actual assessment inputs.

Real placement depends on medical records, paramedical exam labs, financial underwriting, and current carrier appetite. See the methodology page for the full approach, class taxonomy definitions, and update cadence. This page is informational and is not a quote, offer of insurance, or guarantee of placement.

Related Carriers

  • Mutual of Omaha (38% top-two for the sample profile)
  • MassMutual (32% top-two for the sample profile)
  • Equitable (44% top-two for the sample profile)
  • Back to the full 18-carrier comparison

Run a live estimate for your client

The Lumis Life dashboard runs the underwriting estimator against all eighteen carriers using the client's actual health profile from the longevity assessment. See where this carrier ranks for your specific case before routing an informal inquiry.

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JT

Jeff Ting, FSA, CFA

Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and CFA Charterholder. Jeff built Lumis Life to bring actuarial-grade longevity intelligence to financial advisors, bridging the gap between population mortality tables and individual client planning.

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