DALLAS, TX – November 9, 2026 – At DG Life Group, the best life insurance depends on the person applying for it. Age, health history, what the money needs to do and how long it needs to last decide which policy fits, and each carrier weighs those facts its own way. Independent Dallas broker Dev Gaymes, licensed since 2012, has published a casebook of 39 applications he placed in 2026 that shows how much the choice of carrier can change the outcome.
Seven of the 39 applicants were declined or postponed by the first carrier to review them. All seven were later approved elsewhere, six at Standard and one at Table 4. Twenty-one ended with a better result than the first offer on record, and five who had been offered only a graded death benefit received day-one coverage at another carrier. The median time from submitted application to carrier decision was four days. The casebook covers completed placements Gaymes chose to record, so it shows how cases were placed rather than the odds of approval.
“People ask me which company has the best life insurance, and the answer depends on who is applying,” said Gaymes, who began his career as a captive agent. “Two carriers can read the same medical records and come back two tables apart.”
In one 2026 case, an applicant with diabetes was offered Table 2 by the first carrier and approved at Standard by the second, with a decision in three days. Another applicant, with a high body mass index, was declined by most carriers, offered Table 6 by one and placed at Table 4 with another. That class sets the price. On one carrier’s rates, a 45-year-old man buying $500,000 of 20-year term pays $45.05 a month at Preferred Plus and $213.28 at Table 6 (Texas, non-tobacco, quoted September 2026, illustrative, not a quote).
“Clients often assume diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, a past heart attack or stroke, or a poor driving record rules out coverage that starts on day one,” Gaymes said. “None of those rules it out on its own. Answer each question as it’s worded, and never change a medication to get a better rate.”
The product changes the price as well. For the same 45-year-old man, $500,000 of coverage cost $53.23 a month as 20-year term, $303.88 as an indexed universal life policy built for protection and $785.93 as whole life (Texas, Preferred non-tobacco, quoted September 13, 2026, illustrative, not a quote). Term covers a set number of years, usually while a family depends on an income. Whole life and indexed universal life are designed to last for life, which is why they cost more.
Final expense whole life, the smaller policies bought to cover funeral costs, has its own trade-off. Gaymes says these policies put everyone who qualifies for level coverage into one price class that full underwriting would split from Preferred to Table 4, so healthy applicants pay more than they need to. He advises healthy people who want permanent coverage to apply with full underwriting first. Graded death benefits, which pay less than the full amount for a death from illness in the early years, are a final expense feature; a term applicant is approved, rated or declined.
In one client case, a 57-year-old man with stage 2 kidney disease had been declined or offered only graded coverage capped at $25,000. He was approved the same day for $50,000 of level coverage with no waiting period.
DG Life Group charges clients no fee. The issuing carrier pays a commission, which varies by carrier and product, and Gaymes discloses it on request. “No broker can promise you the lowest rate available anywhere,” he said. “I compare more than 30 carriers so you can see the range, and I’ll tell you when a product isn’t right for you.”
The full casebook, with decision times and outcomes for all 39 cases, is at https://www.dglifegroup.com/life-insurance-casebook.
Rates are illustrative, not quotes. Actual premiums depend on age, health, underwriting class and carrier. Case outcomes describe past placements and do not predict any individual result.
About DG Life Group
DG Life Group LLC, founded in 2023, is an independent life insurance brokerage in Dallas, Texas. It helps families and business owners compare term, whole life, indexed universal life, final expense, long-term care and annuity options from more than 30 A-rated carriers. Its mission is to show each client how different carriers price their situation, and to say plainly when a product is not the right fit. Founder Dev Gaymes has been a licensed insurance producer since 2012 (NPN 16654074), and the firm is a member of the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
Media ContactCompany Name: DG Life GroupContact Person: Dev GaymesEmail: Send EmailPhone: 2149897704Address:6060 N Central Expy Ste 500 City: DallasState: TexasCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://www.dglifegroup.com
