Protective Life (FRA:PV7) Quality Rank

Protective Life Corporation, a Delaware corporation was founded in 1907. A holding company, whose subsidiaries provide financial services through the production, distribution, and administration of insurance and investment products. The Company's operating segments are Life Marketing, Acquisitions, Annuities, Stable Value Products, Asset Protection and Corporate and Other. The Life Marketing segment markets universal life, variable universal life, bank-owned life insurance and level premium term insurance products on a national basis mainly through networks of independent insurance agents and brokers, stockbrokers, and independent marketing organizations. The Acquisitions segment focuses on acquiring, converting, and servicing policies acquired from other companies. The segment's main focus is on life insurance policies and annuity products that were sold to individuals. The Annuities segment markets fixed and variable annuity products. These products are mainly sold through broker-dealers, but are also sold through financial institutions and independent agents and brokers. The Stable Value Products segment sells fixed and floating rate funding agreements directly to the trustees of municipal bond proceeds, money market funds, bank trust departments, and other institutional investors. The segment also issues funding agreements to the Federal Home Loan Bank and markets guaranteed investment contracts (GICs) to 401(k) and other qualified retirement savings plans. The Asset Protection segment mainly markets extended service contracts and credit life and disability insurance to protect consumers' investments in automobiles, watercraft, and recreational vehicles. In addition, the segment markets a guaranteed asset protection product and an inventory protection product. The Company has an additional segment referred to as Corporate and Other which earnings from several non-strategic or runoff lines of business, various investment-related transactions, the operations of several small subsidiaries, and the repurchase of non-recourse funding obligations. The Company encounters competition in all lines of business from other insurance companies, many of which have greater financial resources and higher ratings than the Company and which might have a greater market share, offer products, services or features, assume a greater level of risk, have lower operating or financing costs, or have different profitability expectations than the Company. The Company also faces competition from other providers of financial services. The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to government regulation in each of the states in which it conducts business.