Underwriting reference

Texas Life Insurance Underwriting & Quoted Rate Data

Most rate pages show you Preferred Plus and stop. This one shows what Texas applicants were actually offered all the way down to Table D — plus five anonymized placements where moving the file to a different carrier changed the price, and the underwriting notes behind those moves.

Compiled by Richard Parslow, Texas-licensed independent broker (NPN 20873424 · TX Lic #3076729). Quotes gathered March 2026.

Quoted monthly premiums by health class — including table ratings

Offered pricing on Texas-issued cases, March 2026. Table ratings add roughly 25% of standard mortality per table, which is why the jump from Preferred to Table D matters far more than the jump from Preferred Plus to Preferred.

Quoted monthly life insurance premiums in Texas by age, sex, health class, face amount, and carrier
Age	Sex	Tobacco / note	Class offered	Face	Product	Monthly	Carrier
28	F	No	Preferred Plus	$500,000	40-yr term	$31.50	Banner Life
28	F	No	Standard Plus	$500,000	40-yr term	$44.20	Banner Life
30	M	No	Preferred Plus	$500,000	20-yr term	$18.50	Banner Life
30	M	No	Standard	$500,000	20-yr term	$32.10	Banner Life
30	M	No	Table B (2)	$500,000	20-yr term	$48.25	Banner Life
36	F	Cannabis 3x/wk	Preferred Plus NT	$1,000,000	30-yr term	$58.00	Prudential
36	F	Cannabis 3x/wk	Standard Tobacco	$1,000,000	30-yr term	$165.00	Carrier A
38	M	Cigarettes	Preferred Tobacco	$750,000	30-yr term	$182.30	Prudential
38	M	Cigarettes	Standard Tobacco	$750,000	30-yr term	$215.40	Prudential
38	M	Cigarettes	Table B Tobacco	$750,000	30-yr term	$305.80	Prudential
41	F	No	Preferred Plus	$3,000,000	20-yr term	$142.50	Lincoln Financial
44	M	No (sleep apnea)	Preferred NT	$1,500,000	20-yr term	$104.00	Prudential
44	M	No (sleep apnea)	Table B NT	$1,500,000	20-yr term	$188.00	Banner Life
45	F	No	Preferred Plus	$1,000,000	20-yr term	$58.40	Protective Life
45	F	No	Preferred	$1,000,000	20-yr term	$74.15	Protective Life
45	F	No	Table B (2)	$1,000,000	20-yr term	$112.80	Protective Life
45	F	No	Table D (4)	$1,000,000	20-yr term	$168.50	Protective Life
50	M	No (Type 2 diabetes)	Standard Plus NT	$1,500,000	20-yr term	$215.00	Lincoln Financial
50	M	No (Type 2 diabetes)	Table C NT	$1,500,000	20-yr term	$380.00	Protective Life
52	M	No	Preferred Plus	$2,000,000	15-yr term	$185.30	Lincoln Financial
52	M	No	Standard Plus	$2,000,000	15-yr term	$265.90	Lincoln Financial
52	M	No	Table B (2)	$2,000,000	15-yr term	$395.40	Lincoln Financial
55	M	No (DUI <12 mo)	Table B (2)	$1,000,000	20-yr term	$312.00	Prudential
55	M	No (DUI <12 mo)	Declined	$1,000,000	20-yr term	—	Banner Life
62	M	No	Preferred	$1,000,000	Guaranteed UL	$385.20	Pacific Life
62	M	No	Standard	$1,000,000	Guaranteed UL	$510.60	Pacific Life
62	M	No	Table C (3)	$1,000,000	Guaranteed UL	$765.90	Pacific Life

What the spread actually costs

Take the 45-year-old female at $1M of 20-year term. Preferred Plus to Preferred is $58.40 to $74.15 — a 27% increase. Table B is $112.80 (up 93%) and Table D is $168.50 (up 188%). One health class is an annoyance; two table ratings is a different budget.

The cannabis row is the sharpest example of carrier choice beating shopping by price alone: the same 36-year-old pays $165.00 at a carrier that treats inhaled cannabis as tobacco and $58.00 at one that does not — $1,070 a year, or $32,100 across a 30-year term, decided entirely by where the file was submitted.

Five anonymized Texas placements

Client details are altered or removed; the underwriting facts, offers, and dollar outcomes are as they happened.

Moderate sleep apnea, rescued by CPAP telemetry

Profile: 44-year-old male software executive, Austin–Round Rock, $1.5M 20-year term.
The problem: Drop-ticket submission to Banner Life; the electronic health record pull surfaced obstructive sleep apnea with an initial AHI of 18 (moderate) and no recent compliance documentation.
What underwriting turned up: Banner issued Table B at $188.00/mo. We pulled 90 days of telemetric data straight from the CPAP manufacturer: 7.4 hours average nightly use, zero residual events, effective AHI 2.1, nocturnal SpO2 consistently above 94%.
What we placed: Re-shopped informally to Prudential, whose manual allows Preferred Non-Smoker for moderate OSA when compliance shows symptom eradication. Approved Preferred Non-Smoker at $104.00/mo.

Difference vs. the first offer: $84/mo · $1,008/yr · $20,160 over the term

Recreational cannabis rated as tobacco — then not

Profile: 36-year-old female commercial real estate broker, Dallas, $1M 30-year term.
The problem: Vaporized cannabis 2–3x/week, zero tobacco or nicotine history. The first carrier's rules treat every inhaled substance as tobacco equivalent.
What underwriting turned up: Urine screen returned positive for delta-9-THC metabolites; automatic reassignment to Standard Tobacco at $165.00/mo.
What we placed: Redirected to Prudential, which allows recreational use up to 3x/week at non-smoker classes when disclosed upfront with negative cotinine and a clean MVR. Approved Preferred Plus Non-Tobacco at $58.00/mo.

Difference vs. the first offer: $107/mo · $1,284/yr · $38,520 over the term

Mature-onset Type 2 diabetes: Table C to Standard Plus

Profile: 50-year-old male energy consultant, Houston, $1.5M term.
The problem: Type 2 diabetes diagnosed 24 months earlier, managed on 500 mg Metformin daily, BMI 31.2, A1c 6.6%.
What underwriting turned up: Protective Life stacked debits for build plus glycemia and returned Table C at $380.00/mo.
What we placed: Moved to Lincoln Financial, which has dedicated guidelines for age-50+ short-duration Type 2 diabetics on a single oral agent with A1c under 6.5% and no microvascular involvement. APS confirmed zero organ involvement; Standard Plus Non-Tobacco at $215.00/mo.

Difference vs. the first offer: $165/mo · $1,980/yr · $29,700 over the term

Single DUI 10 months old — placed, not postponed

Profile: 55-year-old male attorney, San Antonio, $1M 20-year term to satisfy a divorce decree.
The problem: MVR screening revealed one DUI conviction 10 months prior. Banner Life and Lincoln both postponed — each requires 24–36 months of clean driving first.
What underwriting turned up: No secondary reckless citations, no treatment history, no license suspension.
What we placed: Prudential's rule permits an applicant 21+ with a single DUI inside 12 months to be rated Table 2 rather than declined. Approved Table B Non-Smoker at $312.00/mo, placed in time to avoid defaulting on the court order.

Difference vs. the first offer: Coverage placed where two carriers offered none

Accelerated underwriting kick-out on a $3M file

Profile: 42-year-old female technology founder, Fort Worth, $3M 20-year term.
The problem: The fluidless engine flagged a low-dose SSRI for situational anxiety and upcoming business travel to South America and Southeast Asia, then kicked the file to full underwriting.
What underwriting turned up: Converted to a fully underwritten file: paramed exam, blood panel, micro-urinalysis, APS confirming psychiatric stability, plus a foreign travel questionnaire showing short stays in Tier-1 business hubs and no State Department warning zones.
What we placed: Pacific Life issued Preferred Plus Non-Smoker at $118.00/mo with no flat extra and no travel rider.

Difference vs. the first offer: Avoided flat extras of $2.50–$5.00 per thousand ($7,500–$15,000/yr)

Carrier underwriting notes

Where each carrier is lenient and where it punishes — the working notes behind carrier selection on a Texas file.

Banner Life (Legal & General America)

Accelerated underwriting: AppAssist fluidless to $2M, ages 20–60; Lab Lift extends to $4M for ages 20–50 with a full physical and bloodwork in the last 18 months. Decisions in 24–72 hours.
Build / BMI: Rigid charts — roughly BMI 27.5 max for Preferred Plus at younger ages. Generous on cardiovascular markers: treated cholesterol and controlled hypertension still reach Preferred Plus if BP stays at or under 135/85.
Diabetes & glycemia: A1c must sit below 5.7% for Preferred Plus. Any diagnosed diabetes drops to Standard or a table rating regardless of age.
Sleep apnea & CPAP: Compliance documentation required for moderate-to-severe OSA. Mild untreated cases can reach Standard; undocumented compliance lands Table B to Table D.
DUI lookback & MVR: Two-year minimum lookback for Standard, five years clean for Preferred.
Cannabis & nicotine testing: Smoked or vaped use is Tobacco. Occasional edibles may be considered non-tobacco by exception.
Quirks worth knowing: One of the few national carriers writing 40-year level term — strong for young homebuyers.

Protective Life

Accelerated underwriting: Velocity fluidless approvals to $1M, ages 18–60, in 24–72 hours. Manual files run 4–6 weeks.
Build / BMI: Forgiving — applicants 2 to 4 BMI points above typical industry caps still reach Preferred or Standard Plus.
Diabetes & glycemia: Controlled Type 2 with A1c up to 7.0% and no end-organ damage can hold Standard Non-Tobacco.
Sleep apnea & CPAP: Mild-to-moderate OSA on effective CPAP routinely reaches Preferred or Standard Plus.
DUI lookback & MVR: Three-year lookback for Standard, five years for Preferred.
Cannabis & nicotine testing: Rare-to-occasional use eligible for non-tobacco with negative nicotine/cotinine; frequent use defaults to Tobacco.
Quirks worth knowing: Mandatory NT-proBNP cardiac testing for ages 51–60 above $500k and everyone 61+; MCAS cognitive screen at 65+.

Prudential Financial

Accelerated underwriting: Accelerated processing up to $3M, with fast conversion to manual review on impaired files.
Build / BMI: Broad build tables that accommodate heavy or athletic frames without automatic table debits.
Diabetes & glycemia: A primary market for metabolic syndrome, adult-onset Type 2, and elevated liver enzymes.
Sleep apnea & CPAP: Documented CPAP compliance routinely reaches Preferred Non-Smoker; mild untreated OSA can still hold Standard.
DUI lookback & MVR: The outlier — one DUI within the past 12 months for an applicant 21+ can be rated Table 2 instead of declined or postponed.
Cannabis & nicotine testing: Up to 3x/week is eligible for non-smoker classes including Preferred Plus, if disclosed on the application with negative cotinine. Medical cannabis is judged on the underlying condition.
Quirks worth knowing: Strong for green-card and visa holders; smokeless tobacco users can reach Standard Plus Non-Smoker after 12 cigarette-free months.

Lincoln Financial Group

Accelerated underwriting: LincXpress targets Preferred and Preferred Plus, $100k–$2.5M, ages 18–60.
Build / BMI: Strict ceilings — BMI 32 for ages 60 and under, 33 for 61+, to hold a Preferred class.
Diabetes & glycemia: Explicit Preferred Non-Tobacco path for Type 2 diabetics 70+ when duration is under 3 years, diet or single oral agent, A1c at or under 6.4%.
Sleep apnea & CPAP: Well-controlled OSA with documented compliance reaches Standard Plus or Preferred depending on cardiovascular picture.
DUI lookback & MVR: Strict five-year lookback: any DUI or suspension blocks every Preferred class. Max three nonratable moving violations in three years.
Cannabis & nicotine testing: Occasional use (1–2x/month) at non-tobacco rates; frequent use triggers Tobacco or table ratings.
Quirks worth knowing: Disregards family history of cardiovascular disease entirely for applicants 70 and older.

Corebridge Financial (AIG)

Accelerated underwriting: Agile AU+ to $1M on term and GUL, $2M on IUL, ages 0–59, using automated MIB, Rx, and MVR pulls.
Build / BMI: Moderate charts — standard pricing for mild-to-moderate obesity when lipids and liver enzymes are normal.
Diabetes & glycemia: Favorable on chronic cardiovascular and vascular impairments; flexible during active pregnancy or with gestational diabetes history.
Sleep apnea & CPAP: Standard compliance verification; clean sleep studies on CPAP reach Standard Plus or Preferred.
DUI lookback & MVR: Three-year lookback for Standard, five years for Preferred.
Cannabis & nicotine testing: Edibles eligible for non-tobacco; frequent smoking defaults to Tobacco.
Quirks worth knowing: Strict on hazardous sports, private aviation, and scuba — flat extras and exclusion riders are common.

Pacific Life

Accelerated underwriting: PL Promise allows up to $3M fluidless for ages 18–60 at Standard or better, and up to $3M for ages 18–70 across all classes (including substandard) with a routine physical and bloodwork inside 12 months.
Build / BMI: Competitive build tables across every age bracket — often wins clients just outside a competitor's limit.
Diabetes & glycemia: Broad tolerance for controlled metabolic disorders and elevated lipids.
Sleep apnea & CPAP: Mild-to-moderate OSA at Preferred with documented compliance.
DUI lookback & MVR: Three-year lookback for Standard, five years for Preferred. A single DUI inside 12 months, or more than one in five years, is a decline.
Cannabis & nicotine testing: Occasional recreational use eligible for non-tobacco with negative cotinine. Declines applicants employed in the cannabis industry.
Quirks worth knowing: Among the fastest turnaround times on fully underwritten files; strong senior pricing at ages 60–70.

How to use this before you apply

Gather objective documentation first — 90-day CPAP telemetry, a current A1c panel, an MVR printout. Submitting a documented file to the right carrier beats fixing a bad offer later.
Expect an accelerated-underwriting kick-out if anything is unusual. A kick-out is not a decline; manual review is often where the better class comes from.
Match the impairment to the carrier before the application goes in. An adverse MIB entry follows you to the next carrier.

Premiums shown are offers made on specific Texas cases in March 2026 and are not a quote for your situation. Your own class and price depend on your full medical, financial, and driving record.

Want your profile shopped this way? Book a free 20-minute consult, or start with the Texas life insurance guide.