Americo Eagle Select Review (2026): Eagle Select 1, 2 and 3 Explained

Eagle Select is Americo’s final expense whole life line. There’s no medical exam, the electronic application gives an instant decision, and it comes in three versions: Eagle Select 1 and 2 pay a level benefit from day one, up to $40,000, and Eagle Select 3 is a graded version for tougher health histories. It’s best for adults 40 to 85 who want a quick, paperless decision. It’s especially worth a look for smokers, because Americo’s Quit Smoking Advantage can start qualifying smokers at non-smoker rates.

We’re an independent agency, not Americo. We place Eagle Select and compare it against our other carriers before recommending it. For the company’s financial strength and full lineup, see our Americo carrier review.

At a glance

	Eagle Select 1	Eagle Select 2	Eagle Select 3
Issue ages	40–85	40–85	40–75
Coverage	$5,000–$40,000	$5,000–$40,000	$5,000–$25,000
Death benefit	Level, from day one	Level, from day one	Graded in years 1–2; 100% from year 3
Rate classes	Nonsmoker / smoker, by sex	Nonsmoker / smoker, by sex	By sex only
Quit Smoking Advantage	Yes	Yes	No
Accelerated benefit rider	Included at no extra cost	Included at no extra cost	Not listed
Optional riders	Accidental death; child and grandchild term	Accidental death; child and grandchild term	Child and grandchild term
How you apply	Instant-decision e-application; policy delivered electronically	Same	Same
Medical exam	None	None	None

Americo is authorized in Washington, D.C. and every state except New York. Some benefits vary by state.

Eagle Select 1 and 2: the level plans

On Americo’s product summary, Eagle Select 1 and 2 have the same core specs: a level death benefit for the life of the policy, coverage from $5,000 to $40,000, and issue ages 40 to 85 for nonsmokers and smokers alike. Which one you’re offered comes out of the underwriting decision.

Three details stand out:

• It starts at age 40. Many final expense plans don’t start until 45 or 50.
• Smokers can apply all the way to 85, the same ages as nonsmokers.
• An accelerated benefit rider is built in. Americo’s agent guide describes it as letting you take an advance of up to half the death benefit, capped at $15,000, if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness and given 12 months or less to live (24 months in a few states). State rules vary.

The optional child and grandchild term rider can cover children or grandchildren up to age 25, at up to $5,000 each or the policy’s face amount, whichever is lower.

Eagle Select 3: the graded plan

Eagle Select 3 is the fallback when your health answers rule out the level versions. It issues from age 40 to 75, with $5,000 to $25,000 of coverage. The benefit is graded in the first two years and pays 100% of the face amount from year three.

Americo’s summary sheet doesn’t spell out the year-one and year-two payout. Before you buy, we’ll show you the exact schedule in your state’s policy, because that schedule is what your family would actually receive.

Two honest limits: Select 3 stops at 75 (several competitors issue graded coverage to 80 or 85), and it doesn’t include the Quit Smoking Advantage or the accelerated benefit rider.

The Quit Smoking Advantage

On Eagle Select 1 and 2, qualifying smokers can be issued at non-smoker rates. Few final expense carriers offer anything like it, and it can make a big difference over the life of the policy.

It does come with a test. You need to show Americo you’ve stopped using nicotine within a set period. If you don’t, the default is that your death benefit drops later in the policy. We break down the exact mechanics, including your options if you don’t quit, on our quitting smoking page. If you smoke and have no plans to stop, read life insurance for smokers too.

Health questions, in plain English

Americo decides using the health questions printed on your state’s application, plus a prescription-history check and a review of your MIB record (a shared database of past insurance applications). Your answers need to match what those checks show. Americo’s agent guides also use a height-and-weight chart.

Unlike some carriers, Americo doesn’t publish a condition-by-condition chart for Eagle Select in the agent materials we work from. The questions live on the state application. So before you apply, we go through them with you to find out whether you’re likely to land in a level version or in Select 3.

For example, we check:

• Lung history and any oxygen use (COPD)
• Heart events and how long ago they happened (heart attack history)
• Cancer treatment dates (cancer history)
• Diabetes medications and complications (type 2 diabetes)

If you’re over 75 and don’t qualify for a level version, Select 3 isn’t an option. That’s when another carrier’s graded or guaranteed plan becomes the backstop.

Pros and cons

What we like

• Issue ages start at 40, and smokers can apply up to 85
• Level, day-one coverage up to $40,000
• The Quit Smoking Advantage, which is rare in this market
• An accelerated benefit rider included at no extra cost on the level versions
• A fast, paperless process with an instant-decision e-application and electronic policy delivery

What to weigh

• The graded version tops out at age 75 and $25,000
• The graded payout schedule isn’t on the summary sheet, so ask to see it
• No published condition chart, so it’s harder to predict your tier without a pre-screen
• The Quit Smoking Advantage cuts your benefit by default if you don’t quit
• Not available in New York, and the $40,000 maximum is below some competitors

How it compares

• Mutual of Omaha Living Promise: level coverage up to $50,000 for ages 45–85, with graded coverage to age 80.
• Transamerica FE Express: also decides instantly, using your medical records, and goes up to $100,000 through age 75.
• American Amicable Senior Choice: graded and return-of-premium plans to age 85, with published lookback windows.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between Eagle Select 1, 2 and 3?

Select 1 and 2 are level plans: full benefit from day one, ages 40–85, $5,000 to $40,000, with the Quit Smoking Advantage. Select 3 is the graded plan for tougher health histories: ages 40–75, $5,000 to $25,000, full benefit from year three.

Does Americo Eagle Select have a waiting period?

Not on Eagle Select 1 or 2, which pay the full benefit from day one. Eagle Select 3 has a graded benefit in the first two years and pays 100% from year three.

Can smokers get non-smoker rates with Americo?

On Eagle Select 1 and 2, qualifying smokers can start at non-smoker rates through the Quit Smoking Advantage. You must later show you’ve quit, or the policy changes. Our quit-smoking guide explains how.

Does Eagle Select require a medical exam?

No. The decision comes from your health answers, a prescription-history check and an MIB review, usually in minutes through the e-application.

Is Eagle Select available in my state?

Americo is authorized in D.C. and every state except New York, though some benefits vary by state. We’ll confirm what’s available where you live.

Get a straight answer first

Eagle Select is a strong fit for some people and the wrong one for others. A quick pre-screen tells you which. We’ll compare it against our other carriers and show you the tier you’re likely to get. Compare quotes or call 586-343-1505.

Sources: Americo, Final Expense Products at a Glance (form 09-051-4, 11/24; agent use, americo.com); Americo, Eagle Premier Series Agent Guide (form 13-178-7, 10/18; agent use), for the underwriting process and the rider descriptions (rider series 2146 and 2194, which Eagle Select also uses).

Verified October 2026. Guidelines change; carriers make final decisions.