The issuer behind the guarantee.
An annuity guarantee is a promise from one company, sometimes lasting forty years. The product matters less than the balance sheet standing behind it.
| AM Best rating | A- (Excellent) |
|---|---|
| Issuing company | Security Benefit Life Insurance Company |
| Domiciled | Topeka, Kansas |
| Core market | Educators, 403(b), public employees |
| Notable product | Total Value Annuity (no-surrender FIA option) |
| Product categories | Fixed, fixed indexed, variable |
Checked against public sources on 19 August 2026. Ratings change without notice — a rating without a date is not a rating.
Three things to understand about Security Benefit.
A no-surrender-charge FIA is genuinely uncommon
Most fixed indexed annuities lock you in for seven to fourteen years. Security Benefit's Total Value Annuity has offered a no-surrender-charge configuration, which is rare enough in this market to be worth a specific look if liquidity is a priority. Expect the crediting terms to reflect that flexibility — you are trading upside for access.
The 403(b) history cuts both ways
Security Benefit's presence in school districts is long-established and gives it real distribution. It also means many educators hold these contracts because the product was available in the payroll plan, not because it was compared against alternatives. If you got here through a district plan, run the comparison you never ran.
A- deserves the same scrutiny here as anywhere
Security Benefit sits in AM Best's Excellent tier, one step below Superior. That is a sound rating. It is also a reason to check your state guaranty association limit, which matters more the further you sit from the top tier.
How to read any carrier.
Palm Wealth Capital publishes independent annuity research and education. No carrier pays for placement on this site. Nothing here is individualized investment, tax, or legal advice, and no page on this site is a recommendation to buy or avoid any contract. Annuity guarantees rely on the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
Holding a Security Benefit contract — or being shown one?
Send the illustration or statement. We will check Security Benefit’s current AM Best rating and outlook against the date on this page, read the surrender schedule and any market value adjustment, price the riders, and tell you what the guaranteed terms are rather than the illustrated ones. If the answer is that you don’t need it, that is the answer you get — there is nothing here for us to sell you.
Carriers buyers weigh against this one.
Evaluating an indexed contract from this carrier? Start with how participation rates, caps, and spreads work — the three numbers that decide what any index year actually credits.