Guaranteed Universal Life Insurance from Symetra

We've compared and ranked the best guaranteed universal life companies for 2020. See where Symetra fits in.


Quick Summary: If paying a low price is your #1 concern, definitely take a look at Symetra. Their premiums are constantly among the lowest for GUL products. The company itself is not as strong as other competitors and you must pay extra for the return of premium option that is included free at other carriers.


About the Company - Symetra

symetra guaranteed universal life insurance review

Although they haven't been around as long as some of the old insurance companies, the Symetra Life Insurance company has made a name for itself in the past 60 years.

Backed by over 40 billion in assets and close to 2 million active customers, Symetra is owned by Sumitomo Life, one of the largest life insurance companies in Japan. 

All the major rating agencies agree, Symetra is on a strong financial footing and has a favorable outlook into the future. They receive good grades across the board which results in a favorable Comdex score of 79 which is a composite ranking of all grades. Compared to other carriers, they are a notch below the elite level but still considered strong and safe.

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What is Guaranteed Universal Life Insurance? (expand to learn more)

About the Symetra Guaranteed Universal Life Insurance Policy

Product Name

UL-G

Death Benefit

$1000,000 to No Maximum

ISSUE AGE

16 to 85

Coverage Length

To age 100, 105, or 120

Symetra Underwriting Secrets

The underwriting department at Symetra can be considered "fair" overall. They are not one of our main carriers for people dealing with health issues but they do have their niches and strengths where it could be the right fit.

The Good Life Rewards program may improve your health rating and lower the cost of premiums for those who qualify. Symetra provides "credits" for healthy lifestyle activities which may offset health other health impairments.

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The secret to finding the cheapest life insurance rates is applying at the company that will view you most favorably.  Just going with the one that shows the lowest rates can be a BAD idea and end up costing you more money.


Symetra underwriting is competitive and forgiving for the following situations:

  • Depression  
  • Elevated liver function tests
  • Sleep apnea
  • High cholesterol levels controlled by certain medications

Symetra may NOT be a good choice for:

  • Family history of cancer and other diseases
  • Blood pressure medications

Cost - Sample Rates

Sample Symetra guaranteed universal life insurance quotes:

50-year-old male at Preferred health class - pricing listed is per month

Death Benefit

to Age 100

to Age 105

to Age 120

$250,000

$203

$213

$225

$500,000

$379

$423

$446

$1,000,000

$767

$833

$904

48-year-old female at Preferred health class - pricing listed is per month

Death Benefit

to Age 100

to Age 105

to Age 120

$250,000

$164

$183

$186

$500,000

$314

$350

$357

$1,000,000

$602

$673

$688

Our custom quote tool on this page displays only guaranteed universal quotes so you can cut through the clutter. Please note that some carriers do not allow us to display their rates online. We will discuss if there are other options that might be a better fit.

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Pros

Some of the lowest priced premiums for GUL products.

The living benefits riders (Chronic and Terminal illness) allow for a higher portion of benefits to be accessed than most carriers.

Good Life Rewards program will help some people pay lower premiums by offsetting health concerns.

Cons

Still a strong company financially, but a level below others such as Prudential or Mutual of Omaha.

Must pay for the return of premium option, unlike some other carriers.

Extras, Options, and Flexibility

The Symetra life insurance company includes some riders in the standard policy and offers others to further enhance your policy based on needs.

Automatically Included at No Extra Cost

Terminal Illness Rider - Access up to 75% of the policy's death benefit with a $500,000 maximum advance. This can be used if the insured is diagnosed as terminally ill with less than 12 months to live.

Chronic Illness Rider - If the insured is unable to perform 2 of the 6 activities of daily living, up to 50% of the death benefit amount may be advanced while still living. There is a $500,000 maximum withdrawal.

Charitable Giving Benefit - Allocate 1% of policy face amount to the charity of choice by the policy-owner upon the death of the insured.

Additional Options - At a Cost

Customize you GUL policy even further with more choices:

Chronic Illness Plus Rider - Up to 100% of the policy death benefit can be accessed for a qualifying chronic illness. The base rider offers only 50%.

Return of Premium Rider - Receive back up to 100% of the premiums paid in if you decide that life insurance coverage is no longer needed. The rider must be chosen at issue of policy and options to exercise it are 90-day windows after the 20th and 25th policy anniversaries.

Some carriers, such as AIG or American National, include this option at no extra charge.

Accidental Death Benefit - Will provide an additional $250,000 or up to 3 times the policy's face amount (whichever is less) in the event that the death of the insured was accidental, such as a car crash.

Additional Term Rider - Add an additional 20 years of level term life insurance at any time without submitting to new underwriting or medical exam.

How To Make Sure You Choose the Right Universal Life Insurance Policy

The best advice I can give is to always work with an independent agent. If you call a company direct, they'll only push their products on you, and you save nothing. Rates are fixed by your state laws.

Life insurance is the ONLY thing we do. We know the ins and out of 60+ companies and can find you the lowest rates. Every. Single. Time.

To get started, fill out a quote request and we'll be in touch soon to help.

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No pressure or cost to use our help.

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Authors

  • Ty Stewart

    Ty Stewart is a founder and contributor of SimpleLifeInsure.com. He started researching and studying about life insurance when he got his first policy for his own family. He has been featured as a life insurance expert speaker at agent conventions and in top publications. As an independent licensed life insurance agent he has helped clients nationwide to secure affordable coverage while making the process simple.

  • Bennett Bier

    I’m Bennett Bier, owner, author and fact checker of Simple Life Insure. I believe working with a small independent broker offers consumers more personal attention and superior customer service. As an independent agent licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia I have access to many of the top A+ rated life insurance carriers. This lets me locate a plan that you will qualify for while saving you money at the same time. Over the years I have mastered the art of underwriting, getting approvals even for my highest risk clients. I’m also likely the person that will answer the phone when you call.