Corebridge Financial Life Insurance Review

Corebridge Financial may not be a household name, but it probably should be. Formerly part of AIG, Corebridge sells life insurance policies through American General Life and is one of the largest life insurers in the U.S.

In this review, we’ll cover:

• What policies does Corebridge offer
• Who should (and shouldn’t) consider them
• Why their no-exam program is hit-or-miss
• How their underwriting stacks up for high-risk applicants

In 2022, AIG rebranded its Life & Retirement division as Corebridge Financial. Policies are issued by:

• American General Life Insurance Company – most states
• The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, New York, only

As of early 2025, AIG still owns about 64% of Corebridge. Blackstone owns roughly 10%; the rest is publicly traded under the CRBG ticker.

• AM Best – A
• Moody’s – A2
• S&P – A+
• Fitch – A+

With over $393 billion in assets and 4.4 million policyholders, Corebridge is financially stable, but consumer satisfaction is mixed (more on that later).

Corebridge’s Select-A-Term is one of the most flexible term policies in the industry. Most companies offer 10-, 20-, and 30-year terms. Corebridge offers:

• Term lengths from 10 to 35 years
• One-year increments (e.g., 16, 18, 19 years)
• Coverage from $100,000+
• Issue ages: 20 to 80, depending on term length

Banner Life and Protective are the other companies that offer 35-year term, and these two companies offer up to 40-years.

Built-in riders and options:

• Terminal Illness Rider (included)
• Waiver of Premium
• Child Rider
• Accidental Death Benefit

Age	$250K (M/F)	$500K (M/F)	$1M (M/F)
35	$155 / $138	$237 / $202	$386 / $332
45	$303 / $249	$534 / $422	$993 / $779
55	$703 / $527	$1332 / $973	$2554 / $1859

These rates are often in the top 5–10 nationally, especially for healthier applicants.

Corebridge’s Quality of Life (QoL) Flex Term includes valuable accelerated benefit riders:

• Chronic Illness Rider – if you can’t perform 2+ ADLs
• Critical Illness Rider – covers heart attack, stroke, invasive cancer, organ transplant, ALS
• Terminal Illness Rider – access part of the death benefit if life expectancy is <12 months

Available for ages 20–59, face amounts from $100,000+, and terms up to 35 years.

Age	$500K (M/F)	$1M (M/F)
35	$263 / $225	$424 / $366
45	$585 / $464	$1083 / $851
55	$1451 / $1061	$2776 / $2023

QoL Flex Term costs more than Select-A-Term, but the added protection may be worth it. Transamerica is another company that offers living benefits.

Secure Lifetime GUL 3 is Corebridge’s permanent policy with lifetime death benefit guarantees—even if the policy’s cash value drops to zero.

• Face amounts from $100,000 (or $50K for ages 50–80)
• Issue ages: 18 to 80
• Policy loans and withdrawals are available
• Several riders, including:
  • Accelerated Access Solution (chronic illness)
  • Lifestyle Income Solution (retirement income)
  • Waiver of Monthly Deductions

This product is strong for estate planning, lifetime coverage, or supplemental retirement protection.

Other companies that offer GUL policies include:

• John Hancock
• United of Omaha
• Pacific Life
• Principal
• Prudential

Policies available include:

Designed for cash value accumulation. Good for clients focused on:

• Tax-advantaged retirement income
• College funding
• Flexible legacy planning

Key features:

• Face amounts: $50,000+
• Loans/withdrawals available after year 1
• Level or increasing death benefit options
• Multiple riders (terminal illness, waiver of premium, overloan protection)

This policy focuses more on value protection than growth. It has:

• Lower premiums
• Volatility-control indexing
• Early cash value access features

Both IUL products are fully illustrated. Corebridge competes well with Lincoln Financial Group, John Hancock, and Nationwide on accumulation potential.

Corebridge offers guaranteed issue whole life insurance with:

• No health questions
• No exam
• Coverage from $5,000–$25,000
• Ages 50 to 80
• Premiums stop at age 90
• Graded death benefit:
  • Years 1–2: Return of premiums + 10%
  • Year 3+: Full face amount

Like all GIWL policies, this is not ideal unless you’re uninsurable elsewhere. If you can qualify for underwritten coverage, there are better options.

Colonial Penn, TruStage, and Gerber Life are other companies that offer guaranteed issue policies.

There are some things that Corebridge does well with, and others that are not as good.

Corebridge offers real-time approvals on Select-A-Term and QoL policies via SimpliNow Choice. You choose between:

• Telemed interview – Scheduled call with a third party
• Electronic interview – Self-completed application online

If eligible, you may be approved and receive a policy within hours.

Important: In our experience, SimpliNow often declines healthy applicants for vague reasons. It’s not reliable for even slightly complex health profiles.

AU+ is Corebridge’s lab-free, no-exam underwriting program. Available for:

• Term: Ages 20–59, up to $1M
• GUL & IUL: Ages 18–59, up to $2M

Basic eligibility:

• BMI between 18.5 and 33
• BP under 155/92
• No DUIs, bankruptcies, or significant health history
• Not previously rated or declined

Over 60% of term applications now qualify for AU+, but the final decision may require labs or records.

Launched in 2024, Flex Points replaced the old Health Credits program. You can improve your rate by meeting four or more of these conditions:

• Normal A1C (<5.5), LDL, BP, BMI
• Clean cardiac workup or colonoscopy
• Strong NT-proBNP or CBC scores
• Favorable lab-based mortality score

These credits are automatically applied to help borderline cases qualify for better pricing.

Historically, Corebridge has been strong with high-risk underwriting, especially:

• Diabetes
• Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
• Asthma
• Sleep apnea
• Anxiety/mood disorders
• Seizures
• Thyroid cancer
• Melanoma in-situ

However, in 2024–2025, we’ve seen less aggressive offers for impaired risk. Some previously favorable niches (like heart disease) are now hit or miss.

• Private aviation
• Scuba diving
• Marijuana use
• Cigar smokers (may qualify for non-tobacco)

You’ll likely be declined if you have:

• Alzheimer’s or dementia
• COPD or advanced emphysema
• Cirrhosis or liver failure
• Kidney dialysis
• Alcohol abuse (past 2 years)
• Major medical testing has not been completed

If Corebridge won’t approve you, other carriers might. We’ll help you find out.

Corebridge also offers fixed and indexed annuities, including:

• American Pathway Fixed 5 & Fixed 7
• Tax-deferred growth
• Surrender periods from 5–7 years
• Optional Market Value Adjustment (MVA)
• Return of premium options

• Power Series (5, 7, 10-year terms)
• Tied to indexes like:
  • S&P 500
  • PIMCO Global Optima
  • ML Strategic Balanced Index
• Enhanced income rider available for confinement care

• Immediate or deferred income options
• Payout flexibility (life-only, refund, or period-certain)

Full annuity reviews are coming soon to RiskQuoter.

Corebridge Financial is a strong player in 2025, with flexible term options, competitive permanent products, and some underwriting strengths.

But it’s not for everyone. SimpliNow can be unreliable, and their customer service doesn’t always shine. We may recommend other insurers if you have a complex health history or want full digital buying.

We’ll compare Corebridge to 40+ top-rated carriers so you can make the best decision for your needs.

Get your free, no-pressure quote now.
We’ll run Corebridge side-by-side with the top life insurance companies and explain everything in plain English.