AM Best Assigns Issue Credit Rating to The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company?s New Surplus Notes

BY Business Wire | CORPORATE | 05/30/25 04:56 PM EDT

OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has assigned a Long-Term Issue Credit Rating (Long-Term IR) of ?aa? (Superior) to the $1 billion, 6.17% surplus notes, due 2055, issued by The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (Northwestern Mutual) (Milwaukee, WI). The outlook assigned to this Credit Rating (rating) is stable.

The proceeds from the surplus notes offering will be used for general corporate purposes. The newly issued surplus notes will remain subordinated to policyowner liabilities. Financial leverage and interest coverage are expected to remain within AM Best?s guidelines for the assigned rating. The existing ratings of Northwestern Mutual continue to reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its very strong operating performance, very favorable business profile and very strong enterprise risk management.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best?s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best?s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best?s Credit Ratings, Best?s Performance Assessments, Best?s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best?s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright ? 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Source: AM Best

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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