Securian Financial, the US insurance and retirement products provider, has enhanced its VUL Defender variable universal life insurance product, combining greater cash value potential and investment flexibility with improvements to underwriting, digital capabilities and policy servicing.

The enhancements come as insurers look to modernise product offerings and customer experiences in response to changing policyholder needs. Securian is encouraging financial professionals to reconsider traditional assumptions about life expectancy and assess whether clients’ protection strategies can accommodate longer lives.

VUL Defender offers more than 75 investment allocation options, with no investment allocation restrictions when the NLGA is added. Optional protection for terminal illness, chronic illness and long-term care provides further flexibility, while improvements to underwriting, digital capabilities and servicing are intended to make the product easier for advisers and their clients to manage.

The product was originally launched in 2015 with a focus on providing a competitive guaranteed death benefit. The latest update builds on that proposition, combining long-term protection with greater investment choice and stronger cash value potential.

Although the announcement does not detail new AI features, the improvements to underwriting and digital servicing reflect the wider technology-driven shift in insurance towards more streamlined processes and better adviser experiences. For insurers, digital tools can help reduce administrative friction and support more efficient policy servicing, although the company has not attributed these particular enhancements to AI.

Securian Financial serves more than 23 million customers across the US and Canada through partnerships with employers, financial professionals and affinity groups. The company has operated for more than 145 years and provides insurance and retirement products to individuals, families and businesses.

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