Be careful using these ratings. And not all insurance companies are rated. Weiss, however, doesn't charge insurers a fee and, according to a 1994 report by the General Accounting Office, rates most insurers. All agencies, moreover, cover the companies that together provide at least 50 percent of the insurance in this country. Even a high grade doesn't ensure lasting stability.
Companies can stumble quickly and without much warning.
Executive Life, Mutual Benefit, and Confederation Life Insurance all ran into trouble not long after receiving secure ratings from agencies. Your best course of action is to buy from an insurer that is given high marks by at least three of the raters. A.M. Best is the best known of the rating agencies, but Weiss is widely considered to be the toughest grader of the group. Your insurance agent should notify you when your insurer is downgraded. But if you have cash value accumulating in a policy, you should check the ratings periodically yourself and keep a sharp eye out for reports of ratings drops.