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Life insurance gives your family a financial safety net if you pass away. While affordable term insurance is the best choice for many people, others prefer the investment potential and lifelong coverage that more expensive permanent life insurance provides.
We found that the best life insurance company overall is Nationwide because of its generous no-exam policies, solid financial strength, admirable customer satisfaction ratings, and three living benefit riders included with most plans at no extra cost. For our life insurance ratings, we evaluated 88 life insurance carriers on 55 criteria that cover policy types and features, financial stability, ease of application, customer satisfaction, and costs.
In the company information below, we mention NAIC complaint index scores. The NAIC complaint index is a tool in which the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) shows whether a company has received more or fewer complaints than other insurers, after adjusting for market share.
11 Best Term, Whole, and No-Exam Life Insurance Companies for July 2024
- Best Overall: Nationwide
- Best Term Life Insurance: Protective
- Best Convertible Term Life Insurance: MassMutual
- Best Return-of-Premium Term: Mutual of Omaha
- Great Traditional Insurer: Guardian
- Best for Military: USAA
- Great for Dividends and No-Medical Exam Life Insurance: Penn Mutual
- Cheapest Term Premiums: Banner by Legal & General
- Best for Customer Satisfaction: State Farm Life Insurance
- Best Whole Life Insurance: New York Life
- Largest Life Insurance Company: Northwestern Mutual
Compare life insurance quotes with our partner Covr Financial from multiple providers before buying.
Best Overall : Nationwide
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- AM Best Rating: AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. A
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
For the most personalized quote experience, call Nationwide directly at 844-457-7984. And if you're over 50 or in poor health, it's best to work with a licensed agent.
Three living benefits included with most policies, generous no-exam requirements, strong financials, and satisfied customers make Nationwide our top pick.
No-exam life insurance available to very healthy applicants
Low NAIC complaint index
Living benefits included on most policies
Allows credit card payments
No live chat available
Nationwide is a financially stable life insurance company that's been in business for nearly a century. It offers a wide range of life insurance policies that may be available without a medical exam and with fast approval. It's also our top pick for best whole life insurance companies, best no-medical-exam life insurance companies, and best life insurance companies for people over 50.
The company garnered an A (Excellent) financial stability rating from AM Best and few complaints relative to its size, based on the average number over the past three years. It boasts no-exam life insurance for healthy applicants, a wide range of policy types and riders, and, for most policies, three accelerated death benefit riders at no upfront cost for chronic, critical, and terminal illnesses. This is a rare offering among the insurance companies we considered. Nationwide's host of exceptional features puts it squarely at the top of our list of best companies for life insurance.
Nationwide's life and annuity products are issued by Nationwide Life Insurance Company or Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio. The company known today as Nationwide was founded in 1926 as Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.
Nationwide offers term policies as well as traditional whole life insurance, universal life insurance (UL), variable universal life insurance (VUL), and indexed universal life insurance (IUL).
- Guaranteed Level Term
- Whole Life 100 and 20Pay Whole Life
- Simplified Whole Life
- No-Lapse Guarantee UL II (universal life insurance)
- VUL Accumulator (variable life insurance)
- VUL Protector
- VUL Protector II
- Advisory VUL
- IUL Accumulator II 2020 (indexed universal life insurance)
- IUL Protector II 2020
- Survivorship IUL 2020
Nationwide's indexed policies let you participate in stock market gains, but without direct market exposure. Cash value growth is tied to the S&P 500, NASDAQ-100, and/or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Though not as risky as variable universal life insurance, these policies are complex and can still lose value when market gains aren’t enough to offset policy expenses.
Term pricing
Although plan prices and coverage differ depending on your ZIP code, we found on average that a healthy 40-year-old female would pay $26.25 per month for a $250,000 30-year term policy, which is in the middle of the pack compared to other insurers we researched.
Depending on your policy, you may have access to the following:
- Chronic illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Critical illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Terminal illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Long-term care accelerated death benefit rider
- Accidental death benefit rider
- Children's term insurance rider
- Guaranteed insurability benefit rider
- Waiver of premium riders
- Return of premium riders
- Overloan lapse protection rider
Best Term Life Insurance : Protective
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- AM Best Rating: AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. A
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Protective is our choice for top term life insurance because its term life insurance policies are the most affordable of all insurers we reviewed (tied with Banner), and it offers terms of up to 40 years, which is uncommon.
Lowest pricing along with Banner among 91 companies
Offers term coverage for up to 40 years
Allows credit card payments
Offers no-medical-exam coverage
Ranked 18th out of 22 companies for customer satisfaction in J.D. Power's life insurance study
Protective has the cheapest term life coverage of all the companies we reviewed (along with Banner). Its competitive rates and policy options make it our pick for best term life insurance company, most affordable life insurance company, and best life insurance companies for young adults.
Protective offers longer-than-average term policies and it received fewer complaints than expected for a company of its size over the past three years. The company also offers generous child riders on its policies, which makes it a good life insurance company for children.
However, Protective did not rank well in J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study, coming in at #18 out of 22 companies. This is an indication that you may have issues with Protective's customer service, as J.D. Power rankings are based on five factors: communication; interaction; price; product offerings; and statements.
Founded in 1907, Protective Life is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, and has offices in the Greater Cincinnati area and St. Louis, Missouri.
Protective offers term, whole life, universal life, variable universal life, and indexed universal life insurance policies.
- Protective Classic Choice Term
- Non-Participating Whole Life
- Custom Choice Universal Life (UL)
- Advantage Choice UL
- Lifetime Assurance UL
- Executive UL
- Strategic Objectives II VUL (variable universal life insurance)
- Indexed Choice UL
Term Pricing
A healthy 40-year-old female would pay $22.88 per month for a $250,000 30-year term policy. Your pricing and coverage will vary depending on your state, age, and the coverage you choose.
- Accidental death benefit rider
- Accelerated death benefit rider (for chronic, critcal, or terminal illnesses)
- Disability income rider
- Children’s term rider
- Waiver of premium rider
- Guaranteed insurability rider
- Term insurance rider
Best Convertible Term Life Insurance : MassMutual
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- AM Best Rating: AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. A++
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
MassMutual stands out because unlike some competitors, many of its term policies can be converted to any type of permanent policy. The company is top-ranked for financial strength, has paid dividends every year since 1869, has few complaints, and has a wide selection of policies.
Rated A++ for financial stability
Long history of paying dividends
Few complaints relative to its size
Liberal term conversion options
Few accelerated benefit riders included at no cost
Doesn’t accept credit card payments
MassMutual stands out for a number of reasons. It has an A++ (Superior) financial rating from AM Best. This is the highest rating a company can receive and indicates a “superior” ability to pay claims. MassMutual’s dividend-paying history also adds to its clout: Every year since 1869, eligible policyholders have received life insurance dividends. In 2024, MassMutual plans to pay $2.2 billion in dividends, which is its largest payout ever. Plus, the company has received far fewer complaints than expected for a company of its size, according to the NAIC, and offers a wide range of policy types.
It’s worth noting that many MassMutual term policies can convert to any of MassMutual’s permanent life policies. This is important because some companies limit the types of policies you can convert your term policy into. (Convertible term life insurance allows you to exchange some or all of your term coverage for permanent without having to re-qualify for life insurance.)
MassMutual was founded in 1851 in Springfield, Massachusetts and has offices in Boston and New York City. In October 2023, it announced a pilot program in which new term life policyholders could earn cash incentives of up to 5% of their annual policy premiums by using an app to track their physical activity and sleep data.
MassMutual offers term life insurance, whole life insurance, universal life insurance, and variable universal life insurance.
- MassMutual Term
- Whole Life 100
- Whole Life 65
- Whole Life 10/15/20-Pay
- Whole Life High Early Cash Value (HECV)
- Survivorship Whole Life 100
MassMutual’s whole-life policyholders are eligible to receive annual dividends based on the company’s financial performance. Dividends can be used to increase the death benefit or cash value, or pay premiums.
- Universal Life (UL) Guard
- Survivorship Universal Life (SUL) Guard
- Apex VUL (variable universal life insurance)
Some universal life insurance policies can be structured like term coverage, where the coverage is designed to remain in effect for a fixed period of time.
Term pricing
Our research shows on average across several ZIP codes, a healthy 40-year-old female would pay $27.26 per month for a $250,000 30-year MassMutual term policy.
- Guaranteed insurability rider
- Waiver of premium rider
- Terminal illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Long-term care accelerated death benefit rider
- Chronic illness accelerated death benefit rider
Best Return-of-Premium Term : Mutual of Omaha
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- AM Best Rating: AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. A+
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Mutual of Omaha is the top company we reviewed that offers return-of-premium (ROP) term life insurance. We like that it has a wide range of riders, and most policies include at least two living benefits.
Many plans with living benefits
Wide range of riders available
Guaranteed issue options
Return of premium term available
Online applications unavailable for term policies
At no upfront cost, Mutual of Omaha includes three accelerated benefit riders on its Term Life Express and IUL Express policies (for critical, chronic, and terminal illnesses), and most other policies include two of these benefits. Accelerated benefit riders add flexibility to a life insurance policy by letting you tap the death benefit early if you have a qualifying illness.
Plus the company offers at least two uncommon features: a disability income rider and a return of premium benefit on select term policies (both for an extra cost). With return of premium (ROP) term life insurance, you can receive up to 100% of premiums back if you outlive the term. Only 11 of the 91 life insurance companies we reviewed make this type of coverage available. Mutual of Omaha is also our top pick for the best burial insurance companies.
The aptly named Mutual of Omaha is based in Omaha, Nebraska, and was founded in 1909. It has locations in 42 states.
Mutual of Omaha and two other members of its group entered a settlement with the Labor Department in September 2023 after an investigation into claim denials for employee-sponsored life insurance plans. The probe found that subsidiary United of Omaha, and that company's subsidiary, Companion Life Insurance, had accepted premiums for five years without getting proof that applicants were insurable. When participants died, United would often deny claims on the grounds that it had never received the insurability evidence. The company has reprocessed such claims dating back to February 2018 and changed this practice.
- Term Life Answers
- Term Life Express
- AccumUL Answers (universal life insurance)
- Income Advantage IUL (index universal life insurance)
- Life Protection Advantage IUL
- IUL Express
- Children’s Whole Life Insurance
- Guaranteed Whole Life Insurance
Term Pricing
A healthy 40-year-old female would pay $28.38 per month for a $250,000 30-year term policy.
Chronic, critical, and terminal illness riders are included free of charge on Mutual of Omaha’s Term Life Express and IUL Express policies. Most other policies include chronic and terminal illness riders at no additional cost.
- Critical illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Terminal illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Chronic illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Accidental death benefit rider
- Dependent children's rider
- Guaranteed insurability benefit rider
- Waiver of premium rider
- Disability income rider
- Long-term care rider
Great Traditional Insurer : Guardian
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- AM Best Rating: AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. A++
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Guardian received an exceptionally low number of customer complaints, has an A++ (Superior) financial strength rating, and pays dividends to eligible policyholders.
Low NAIC complaint index
Receives an A++ for financial stability
Whole life policies are eligible for dividends
Online application and claim filing not available
Credit card payments not accepted
Along with MassMutual and New York Life, Guardian is one of only nine companies we reviewed to earn a top financial strength rating of A++ from AM Best, reflecting superior financial stability. Also like MassMutual and New York Life, Guardian offers dividends to eligible whole-life policyholders and announced its largest dividend payment ever for 2024. The payout totals $2.2 billion. For these reasons, it ranked highly among the best whole life insurance companies, best life insurance companies for people over 50, and best senior life insurance companies.
Guardian Life received an excellent NAIC index over the past three years, indicating it has fewer complaints with the NAIC than expected for a company of its size. Additionally, the company offers no-exam policies to eligible applicants. But if you’re seeking a streamlined online experience, Guardian falls short. It doesn’t offer an online application process (without an agent), online claim filing, or credit card payments, and information on its individual product offerings is hard to find, making it difficult when comparing life insurance plans.
Guardian was founded in 1860 in New York City, and its headquarters are still there. It has four main business hubs in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Holmdel, New Jersey; Hudson Yards in New York City, and Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
- Guardian Level Term
- Guardian Level Premium Whole Life
- Limited Pay Whole Life
- Guaranteed Universal Life
- Variable Universal Life Insurance
Term Pricing
A healthy 40-year-old female would pay $27.47 per month for a $250,000 30-year term policy. Your pricing will depend on your ZIP code, age, and coverage, among other things.
- Waiver of premium rider
- Accidental death benefit rider
- Term conversion rider
- Terminal illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Long-term care accelerated death benefit rider
- Chronic illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Paid-up additions (PUA) rider
Best for Military : USAA
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- AM Best Rating: AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. A++
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
USAA offers military-specific benefits that cover you during war and pay out if you become injured in the line of duty.
Severe injury benefits
Add to your term coverage without taking another exam
Included term conversion rider
A++ AM Best rating
Doesn’t take credit card payments
No-exam coverage options are limited
What makes USAA a solid choice for military families are its military-specific riders. Level Term V policies include a severe injury rider that pays out $25,000 for specific injuries incurred during military service. USAA also offers guaranteed insurability riders at no additional cost that give you the option to increase coverage after leaving the military (and without having to prove insurability) or if you experience certain life events, like having a child. Level Term policies also include a conversion option that allows you to convert to permanent coverage without a medical exam or questions after you've had your term policy for at least one year.
The drawbacks are that USAA life insurance does not accept credit card payments and has limited no-medical-exam options. USAA sells Mutual of Omaha's guaranteed issue whole life policies that have a minimum age of 45 and a coverage maximum of just $25,000.
USAA's life insurance and annuities products are provided by USAA Life Insurance Company in San Antonio, Texas and in New York by USAA Life Insurance Company of New York, which is in Highland Falls, New York.
USAA was started in 1922 by 25 Army officers who began insuring each other's cars.
- Level Term
- Essential Term
- Simplified Whole Life
- Guaranteed Issue Whole Life (via Mutual of Omaha)
- Universal Life Insurance (via John Hancock)
Term Pricing
A healthy 40-year-old female would pay $26.86 per month for a $250,000 30-year term policy.
- Guaranteed insurability rider
- Term life-event option rider
- Life event option rider
- Child rider
- Waiver of premium rider
- Terminal illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Military Severe Injury Benefit Rider
- Military Future Insurability Rider
Great for Dividends and No-Medical Exam Life Insurance : Penn Mutual
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- AM Best Rating: AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. A+
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Penn Mutual has paid dividends for nearly 175 years and offers up to $7.5 million in coverage for no-medical-exam life insurance to eligible applicants—the highest limit we've seen.
Strong dividend-paying history
High coverage no-medical-exam life insurance
5th-lowest pricing among 91 companies
Excellent NAIC customer complaint index
Limited website information
Quotes not available on the website
Penn Mutual is a well-established insurer with superior financial strength and an impressive track record of customer satisfaction. It has the longest dividend-paying history of companies on this list and announced that it plans to pay eligible policyholders $200 million in dividends in 2024, which is a record payout.
Penn Mutual is also an excellent choice for those with high-coverage needs. The company offers $7.5 million in coverage to very healthy applicants up to age 65 without a medical exam. This is the highest no-exam limit we've seen, and the highest age limit we've seen for no-exam policies, which is why it's a top pick for:
- Best no-medical-exam life insurance companies (best for high coverage)
- Best whole life insurance companies (best for dividends)
But Penn Mutual doesn't just cater to those looking for high coverage or permanent policies. Its quotes for term coverage were the fourth most affordable of the 32 companies we collected quotes for. That said, the company does not make term quotes available on its website. For details and to apply for any type of coverage, you'll need to get in touch with an agent.
Penn Mutual was founded in 1847 in Philadelphia. Today, the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company is based in Horsham, Pennsylvania.
- Guaranteed Convertible Term
- Protection Non-Convertible Term
- One-Year Term
- Guaranteed Whole Life II
- Protection Whole Life
- Survivorship Whole Life
- Guaranteed Protection UL (universal life insurance)
- Protection UL
- Diversified Advantage Variable Universal Life (VUL)
- Protection VUL
- Accumulation VUL
- Survivorship Protection VUL
- Accumulation Indexed Universal Life (IUL)
- Survivorship IUL
Term Pricing
A healthy 40-year-old female would pay $23.92 per month for a $250,000 30-year term policy.
- Guaranteed increase option (guaranteed insurability rider)
- Additional insured term insurance rider
- Children's term rider
- Disability waiver of premium rider
- Disability completion benefit rider
- Terminal illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Chronic illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Accidental death benefit rider
- Overloan protection benefit rider
- Supplemental term insurance rider
Cheapest Term Premiums : Banner by Legal & General
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- AM Best Rating: AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. A+
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
Banner's term premiums were tied for the lowest with Protective, and Banner offers terms up to 40 years.
Tied with Protective for lowest pricing
40-year terms available
Generous term conversion period
Online application available
Excellent NAIC customer complaint index
Few policy types available
Limited riders
Banner, along with Protective, is an excellent choice if you're looking for the cheapest term life insurance. Banner is also one of only two companies that offer 40-year term policies (Protective is the other). Additionally, Banner boasts generous term conversion options—you can convert your term policy through the end of the level-premium period or until you turn 70, whichever happens first. This is important because some companies limit the conversion period to the first 10 years of the policy.
While there's a lot to like about Banner, it doesn't offer many policy options—just term and universal life policies. It also doesn't offer as many riders to customize policies as some of its competitors.
Banner was founded as GELICO in 1949 and has been part of Legal & General Group since 1981. Banner Life Insurance Company is located in Frederick, Maryland. Legal & General was founded in 1836 in London, where it is still headquartered.
- OPTerm
- Life Step UL (universal life insurance)
Term Pricing
While your pricing will depend on factors such as your age, state, and coverage amount, our research showed a healthy 40-year-old female would pay $22.89 per month for a $250,000 30-year term policy.
- Child rider
- Term life riders (stackable coverage)
- Terminal illness accelerated death benefit rider
Best for Customer Satisfaction : State Farm Life Insurance
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- AM Best Rating: AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. A++
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
State Farm has earned the #1 spot in J.D. Power's customer satisfaction rankings for life insurance for the past four years.
Superior financial stability
Scored first for customer service by J. D. Power
Whole life policies can earn dividends
Bundling discounts may be available
Fourth-worst for pricing
Limited coverage for no-medical-exam life insurance
State Farm is our pick for the best life insurance provider for customer satisfaction because it ranked #1 in J.D. Power's U.S. Individual Life Insurance studies for 2023, as well as 2022, 2021, and 2020. The studies measured consumer experiences with the largest life insurance companies nationwide. Plus, State Farm boasts an A++ (Superior) rating for financial strength from AM Best, which is the highest rating possible.
The company is also one of our:
- best whole life insurance companies
- best burial life insurance companies
- best return-of-premium (ROP) term life insurance companies
If you're looking for a whole life policy that pays dividends, State Farm offers one. Plus, you may be able to save on your premium by bundling life insurance coverage with another State Farm coverage, such as auto. However, the company's term policies are priced high compared to our review of 32 life insurance companies offering term quotes online. If you don't have the best medical history and are in the market for life insurance without a medical exam, you may want to look elsewhere. At present, the most coverage you can get with State Farm without a medical exam is $50,000.
State Farm is based in Bloomington, Illinois. The first State Farm Life policy was sold in 1929 to the company founder, George J. Mercherle, for $2,000.
In November 2023, State Farm agreed to a $325 million settlement for a class action suit in which the plaintiffs said the company deducted too much for cost-of-insurance charges for flexible premium adjustable whole life and universal policies. This followed an August 2023 $65 million settlement of a different class action lawsuit making similar allegations related to universal life insurance policies.
- Select Term Life
- Return of Premium Life
- Instant Answer Term
- Limited Pay Whole Life
- Single Premium Whole Life
- Universal Life
- Survivorship Universal Life
- Joint Universal Life
- Final Expense (called $10,000 Whole Life in New York State)
Term Pricing
A healthy 40-year-old female would pay $35.24 per month for a $250,000 30-year term policy, which is one of the highest rates we've seen. Your coverage will depend on your ZIP code, age, health, gender, and coverage.
- Guaranteed insurability rider
- Family coverage rider
- Waiver of premium rider
- Flexible care benefit rider (long-term care rider)
- Select term rider
- Level term rider
Best Whole Life Insurance : New York Life
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- AM Best Rating: AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. A++
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
New York Life is the second-largest life insurance company, according to the latest available NAIC data, and has been paying dividends to eligible whole life policyholders every year for the past 169 years.
A++ (Superior) AM Best rating
Long history of paying dividends
Some policies available to applicants up to 90 years old
Broad selection of riders
Can’t get too many policy details online without contacting an agent
Online quotes and applications not available
New York Life earns an A++ (Superior) AM Best rating and receives very few customer complaints. It also issues whole life policies to eligible 90-year-old applicants. Its stellar reputation and financial stability are two reasons it's top-ranked in our best life insurance companies for seniors and best whole life insurance companies reviews.
We also like that New York Life has paid dividends for 169 consecutive years. In 2024, it plans to pay $2.2 billion in dividends, which is the largest payout in company history.
The company offers term, whole life, and universal life policies, including variable universal life (VUL) insurance, plus a diverse mix of riders and options for life insurance plan customization. Among these are living benefits riders and a Spouse’s Paid-Up Purchase Option (SPPO). The SPPO is an uncommon offering that lets the spouse of the insured person use the death benefit to purchase a fully paid-up life insurance policy on their own life (without medical underwriting) upon their spouse's passing.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to locate policy-specific information on the website. If you have questions or want a quote, you’ll need to provide your name and number and wait for an agent to contact you.
New York Life was founded in New York City and is still headquartered there. Founded in 1845, it is the oldest company on this list
- Level Premium Term
- Yearly Renewable Term
- Whole Life Insurance
- Custom Whole Life Insurance
- Secure Wealth Plus (whole life)
- Universal Life Insurance
- Custom Guarantee Universal Life
- Variable Universal Life Accumulator II
- Market Wealth Plus (variable life)
No pricing information is available online. To get a quote, you'll need to request a call from an agent.
- Spouse’s paid-up insurance purchase option (SPPO)
- Guaranteed insurability rider
- Child term rider
- Disability waiver of premium rider
- Disability income rider
- Accidental death benefit rider
- Terminal illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Long-term care accelerated death benefit rider
- Chronic illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Critical illness accelerated death benefit rider
- Paid-up additions (PUA) rider
- Money-back option rider
Largest Life Insurance Company : Northwestern Mutual
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- AM Best Rating: AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. A++
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
Northwestern Mutual is the largest life insurance company in the country with 7.20% market share, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Established in 1857, it has stellar financial ratings across multiple rating agencies and offers a wide selection of life insurance plans.
Highest financial strength ratings
Long dividend-paying history
One of the best NAIC complaint indexes
Largest insurance company, nationwide
Must work with a financial advisor to buy a policy
Poor digital experience that lacks details about policies
Northwestern Mutual ticks all the boxes for financial stability: it boasts the highest financial strength ratings from AM Best (A++), Moody's (Aaa), and Fitch (AAA), and it's stood the test of time. The company has been in business since 1857, weathering numerous financial storms, and has paid eligible policyholders dividends for over 150 years.
Northwestern Mutual is on track to pay $7.3 billion in dividends to eligible policyholders in 2024. Not only is this its largest payout ever, it's also the largest overall dividend payment of all companies on this list. Dividends are a key feature of some of the best whole life insurance companies.
Plus, Northwestern Mutual had the second-lowest NAIC complaint index among the 91 companies we analyzed, meaning the company has an incredibly low rate of complaints relative to its size. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do without an agent at Northwestern Mutual. Policy details are lacking online so you'll need to contact the company for specifics. It's primarily because of the company's lack of transparency and self-serve options that it didn't score higher in our review.
Northwestern Mutual is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Read the full Northwestern Mutual life insurance review.
- Term life
- Whole life
- Universal life
Few details about plans or pricing are available online. To get more information or request a quote, you'll need to call the company.
- Waiver of premium rider
- Guaranteed insurability rider
- Long-term care rider
Compare the 11 Best Term, Whole, and No-Exam Life Insurance Companies for July 2024
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AM Best Rating
AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations.
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The Bottom Line
You can't go wrong with Nationwide, which is a financially strong company with a wide range of policies that you may not need a medical exam for (though you'll score a better rate if you're healthy and get a medical exam). Most policies include three living benefit riders—a rare benefit—so if they appeal to you, Nationwide may be your best bet.
If you're set on getting a term life insurance policy from one of the top-rated life insurance companies, check out Protective. It rises above most competitors—just be aware that its customer satisfaction ratings are low. Also consider MassMutual for convertible term policies and Mutual of Omaha for return-of-premium policies. Banner is another favorite, and its term pricing is on par with Protective's, but it comes with limited rider options.
Shoppers for whole life insurance should pay attention to New York Life, our all-around favorite for that kind of policy, and Penn Mutual, which excels when it comes to dividends.
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What Are the Types of Life Insurance?
Life insurance can be divided into two main types: term and permanent, or cash value life insurance. Term life insurance policies only provide coverage for a certain period of time, such as 30 years. Permanent insurance is designed to offer coverage for your entire life. Two common types of permanent life insurance include whole life and universal life.
Term life insurance is often the easiest to buy: If you're healthy and under 50, you could get a 20-year term policy online in minutes. But if you need a permanent policy that will cover you for your entire life, you're 50 or older, or are in poor health, be prepared to speak to an agent and for a longer application process (which may include a medical exam).
Here are the main types of life insurance, which we'll go over in more depth below:
- Term life insurance
- Whole life insurance
- Universal life insurance
- Indexed universal life insurance
- Variable universal life and variable life insurance
- Burial (final expense) insurance
- No-medical-exam life insurance
What Is Term Life Insurance?
This is the most affordable type of life insurance coverage because it lasts for a limited period of time—usually 10 to 30 years. The best term life insurance policies allow you to convert your policy into permanent coverage before the term expires. Most term life policies also allow you to renew coverage annually once the term expires. But the premium will increase annually based on your current age; if you want coverage longer than the duration of your term policy, it's best to convert to whole life instead of renewing.
| Best Term Life Insurance Companies | |
|---|---|
| Protective | Best Overall |
| Banner by Legal & General | Best for Cheap Insurance |
| Mutual of Omaha | Best for Living Benefits |
| MassMutual | Best for Financial Stability |
What Is Whole Life Insurance?
Whole life insurance is more expensive than term life insurance and even universal life insurance (another form of permanent coverage) because it guarantees the death benefit and cash value for life, as long as you pay the premiums. This is why it's an ideal solution when you need rock-solid permanent coverage and can afford the premiums. Some whole life insurance policies offered by mutual companies also pay dividends.
"After getting engaged in 2019, I decided to get life insurance so that my partner would be covered if anything ever happened to me. I chose a whole life policy after reviewing all of the types because I liked the idea of being fully covered until death and not just until a certain age (like you get with a term policy). The ability to access the cash value in the future, if I ever needed or wanted it, also appealed to me. Now, years later, I simply pay my premium every January and can live my life knowing my partner will be financially secure if something ever happens to me."
—Hilarey Gould, Editorial Director for Financial Products and Services at Investopedia
| Best Whole Life Insurance Companies | |
|---|---|
| New York Life | Best Overall |
| Nationwide | Best for Living Benefits |
| Guardian | Best for High Issue Age |
| MassMutual | Best Traditional Insurer |
| Mutual of Omaha | Best for Burial Insurance |
| Penn Mutual | Best for Dividends |
| State Farm | Best for Customer Satisfaction |
| Northwestern Mutual | Best for Financial Stability |
What Is Universal Life Insurance (UL)?
Universal life is similar to whole life insurance, but it has flexible premiums, a flexible death benefit, and interest that is credited to the cash value based on current interest rates, which vary. So, unlike with whole life insurance, you don’t know in advance how much the cash value will be worth in the future.
UL is more affordable than whole life, but you may need to increase your premium payment in the future if the cash value doesn't perform as expected and/or you don't make sufficient premium payments.
Most permanent policies have a surrender period, during which time you’ll pay a surrender charge for withdrawing from the cash value or canceling the policy. Ask how long the surrender period is on any cash value life insurance you might buy.
What Is Indexed Universal Life Insurance (IUL)?
Indexed universal life insurance policies have a cash value account that can earn interest by tracking a stock market index selected by the insurer, such as the Nasdaq-100 or the Standard & Poor's 500. You may also have a fixed-rate account and can choose how much you want to go into each account. Although the interest rate derived from the equity index account can fluctuate, the policy does offer an interest rate guarantee, which limits your losses. It also may cap your gains.
IUL policies can be attractive if you want the potential for stock market gains but want to avoid losses. Just be aware that if the index doesn’t perform well enough, interest credited could be insufficient to keep up with policy expenses and your premium could increase.
What Are Variable Universal Life (VUL) and Variable Life Insurance?
These are the riskiest types of coverage because you invest the cash value component directly in the stock market via subaccounts, which are very similar to mutual funds. The difference between variable life and VUL is that VUL has a flexible death benefit and flexible premiums, while those things are fixed in a variable universal life insurance policy.
While variable life products can be a tax-advantaged way to invest in the stock market, the cash value is not protected from market losses. This means if your investments underperform, you could be required to increase premium payments or the policy could lapse. What's more, variable policies that lapse may result in severe tax consequences.
What Is Burial Insurance (aka, Final Expense)
Burial insurance policies are whole life policies designed for older applicants in poor health, and they don't require a medical exam. As a result, these policies are the most expensive, relative to the amount of coverage. But their death benefits can be quite low, such as $5,000-$10,000, which means the premiums may seem more affordable than those of policies with bigger benefits.
What Is No-Medical-Exam Life Insurance?
No-exam insurance refers to any life insurance policy you can apply for without taking a medical exam, including burial insurance. Instead of an exam, you may answer health questions or have a phone interview, and the insurance company may check your medical and other records. Guaranteed issue life insurance doesn't even require those steps. It's sometimes referred to as "no questions life insurance."
If you qualify for a no-exam policy, you can get it within a few days, or sometimes instantly online. But note that if you're healthy, you're probably better off getting a policy that requires an exam because the rate will be cheaper.
| Best No-Medical-Exam Life Insurance Companies | |
|---|---|
| Nationwide | Best Overall |
| Guardian | Best for Financial Stability |
| Penn Mutual | Best for High Coverage |
| Pacific Life Insurance | Fewest Complaints |
Which Type of Life Insurance Is Right for You?
With so many kinds of life insurance, it can be hard to figure out which one to choose. It helps to start by thinking about what you want the policy for and who you want to benefit. For example, do you want life insurance for a set period of time mainly to help replace your income for your family if you die during your earning years? Is it so you can create an inheritance for your heirs? Or do you just want to cover your funeral expenses?
Other factors to consider:
- What you're eligible for: Your age, lifestyle, and medical history could preclude you from some types of insurance.
- Your budget: Monthly premiums vary a lot depending on the type of coverage you choose, with term life being the most affordable.
- Whether you want to build cash value: If you want a tax-free investment component that you can withdraw or borrow from while you're alive, you'll want a permanent policy.
- How much control you want over your cash value's growth: Do you want a fixed rate of return you can count on? Then whole life is best. If you prefer that your cash value is pegged to market interest rates, universal may be your answer. And if you want to control the cash value growth with hands-on investing in a portfolio of subaccounts, variable life insurance could be best.
How to Choose the Best Life Insurance Company
If you get group life insurance through your employer, you usually don't have a choice of providers. But if you want more coverage, or you don't have an employer-provided plan, you'll need to buy it on your own.
To choose the right life insurance company for you, consider financial strength, customer complaints, customer satisfaction, available policy types, available and included riders, and ease of application. Then, collect quotes among your top picks and compare life insurance rates. Doing this homework will ensure that when you buy life insurance, you've chosen a company that offers the life insurance options that suit your needs and will be there when your family needs it.
- Check out the company's financial strength: You want a company that will be in business long enough to pay out your death benefit. So, look at AM Best ratings for financial stability. A++ and A+ ratings are considered “Superior,” while A and A- are considered “Excellent.” Other agencies also rate insurance companies, including Moody's, Fitch, Standard & Poor's, and Demotech.
- Look for a company with relatively few customer complaints: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) uses customer complaints to create the NAIC complaint index, which indicates whether a company received more or fewer complaints than expected, based on its market share. An index lower than 1 indicates the company received fewer complaints than expected, while a number over 1 means it got more than expected. The higher the index, the more customers complain, and vice versa.
- Investigate other measures of customer satisfaction: Not all companies are ranked for customer satisfaction, but check sources like J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Individual Life Insurance and Individual Annuities study to see if companies you’re considering are. At a glance, you can see how a company ranks compared to others when it comes to customer satisfaction.
- See if the company offers the kind of insurance you want: If you know which type of insurance you need, make sure each company you’re considering offers it. But note that a whole life policy with one company can be very different from a whole life policy with another. Though policies between companies might have the same name, each company tries to make its product stand out. Make sure their efforts suit your needs.
- Don't forget to research available and included riders: This is a major way that same-named policies can differ. For example, a universal life policy with one company might include a generous accelerated death benefit rider at no cost, while a UL policy with another company may not. Or a term policy with one company may allow you to convert it to permanent coverage, while a term policy with another company may not. Research riders to know what you’re paying for.
- Consider companies that make applying easy: Sometimes the biggest barrier to buying life insurance is the application process. And often, it’s better to get some coverage in place—especially if you have dependents—than it is to find the absolute best coverage you can. If you’re too busy for a medical exam, look for companies that don’t require one.
If you’re healthy, choose a company that requires a medical exam or offers an accelerated underwriting process (meaning, the company will examine your medical history but won't require an exam). This means the insurance company will take your health conditions into consideration, which could significantly reduce your life insurance cost.
How Much Does Life Insurance Cost on Average?
Term life insurance can cost as little as $13 per month, on average, for a $250,000 30-year policy for a healthy 25-year-old. Or, the same policy could cost around $400 for a 65-year-old smoker. The monthly cost of whole life insurance for the same amount of coverage is over $100 per month for a healthy 25-year-old and almost $1,000 for a 65-year-old smoker.
Life insurance companies determine how much you'll pay through the application process, during which they consider factors such as your age, health, occupation, and location. Older applicants and those in poor health pay the most for life insurance, which is why it often makes sense to apply while you're younger and healthier.
| Average Life Insurance Cost Per Month ($250,000, 30-year term policy) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Company | 25 years old (average) | 40 years old (average) | 55 years old (average) |
| Nationwide | $20.89 | $28.88 | $99.97 |
| MassMutual | $18.15 | $29.58 | $122.46 |
| Protective | $16.06 | $25.66 | $107.12 |
| Banner | $16.07 | $25.71 | $107.91 |
| Mutual of Omaha | $19.68 | $31.39 | $137.39 |
| Guardian | $19.53 | $31.65 | $110.49 |
| USAA | $20.82 | $30.09 | N/A |
| Lincoln Financial | $17.25 | $26.36 | $114.05 |
| Penn Mutual | $16.78 | $26.48 | $110.38 |
| Transamerica | $16.99 | $35.70 | $128.68 |
*Life insurance quotes above are examples only and were collected for 30-year $250,000 term life insurance policies for non-smoking males and females ages 25, 40, and 55 in excellent health.
Life Insurance News
Bestow, Sproutt, and Haven Life bow out: Several newer companies that focused on using technology to simplify the life insurance buying process are leaving or have left the consumer market. Bestow Life Insurance Company is being bought by Sammons Financial Group, pending a regulatory hearing in Iowa that was scheduled for May 28, 2024, according to trade publication Coverager. Going forward, Bestow will concentrate on providing a technology platform to life insurance and annuities companies.
It's the latest in a batch of insurance startups to face headwinds with the consumer life insurance market. Israeli startup Sproutt declared insolvency on May 8. In 2023, the company, which was founded in 2017, shifted its focus to offering agents a quoting platform.
And as of Jan. 12, 2024, you can no longer buy a new policy from Haven. The company's parent, MassMutual, has always issued and managed Haven's policies, and that will continue once the Haven brand is discontinued this year.
Many Americans don't think they have enough life insurance: 42% of Americans say they need life insurance or they need more coverage, according to the 2024 Insurance Barometer Study by LIMRA, which stands for the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association. The top reason cited for not having enough coverage was cost, but 78% of respondents overestimated the cost of basic term coverage. The largest groups saying they don't have enough coverage include Gen Z and Millenials, women, and Black and Hispanic people.
Why You Should Trust Our Expert Insurance Reviewers
Investopedia collected data points related to dozens of criteria that are important when choosing life insurance, across 88 companies. We used this data to review each company for financial stability, customer satisfaction, coverage options, cost, and other features to provide unbiased, comprehensive reviews that can help you make the right decision.
Investopedia launched in 1999, and has been helping readers find the best life insurance companies since 2020. We are dedicated to helping you find the right life insurance provider for your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What Is Life Insurance and How Does It Work?
Life insurance is a contract in which you agree to make payments to the insurance company while you are alive. In return the insurance company guarantees it will pay a sum of money to your beneficiaries when you die.
Term life insurance only lasts for a certain amount of time—for example, 20 years. If you don't die during that time, your beneficiaries get nothing.
Permanent life insurance, such as whole life or universal life, lasts your whole life—but the premiums are much higher than for term life. Permanent life insurance also has a cash value component, which is kind of like a savings account that you can withdraw from or take loans against while you're alive.
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What Does Life Insurance Cover and Not Cover?
Life insurance covers death from natural causes, illness, accidents, suicide, and homicide if you pass away while the policy is in force. The money is paid out tax-free, and beneficiaries can use it for whatever purpose they choose.
Insurers may deny a claim in certain circumstances—for instance, if a beneficiary is involved in the homicide of the insured. They also often exclude coverage for death by suicide if it happens within a certain period, such within the first two years of a policy. Some providers deny claims for deaths caused by risky activities such as skydiving as well.
Finally, beneficiaries may not get a payout if you lie or omit information on your application, or if you don't keep up with payments for the policy.
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What Is the Most Reputable Life Insurance Company?
All of the companies in our list of the best life insurance companies have strong reputations. Nationwide, our number one pick, has been around for nearly 100 years, has an excellent financial strength rating from AM Best, and few customer complaints. MassMutual has an even better AM Best rating (Superior) and has paid dividends every year since 1869. State Farm also stands out because it consistently tops J.D. Power consumer satisfaction surveys.
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Do I Need Life Insurance?
Not everyone needs life insurance. If you have enough money to pay for your final expenses and you don't have dependents, you don't really need it.
But certain other groups of people can benefit from having life insurance. If you have a spouse or children, you may want life insurance so that they can continue to have the same quality of life once they no longer have your income stream. You may want it to ensure your children have money for college, too.
Homeowners should have enough insurance to pay off the mortgage. And business owners are advised to get life insurance to clear business debts and help any remaining owners ensure business continuity.
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What Is the Downside of Life Insurance?
The main downside of life insurance is the cost. Your policy will charge you monthly premiums, which are another expense for your budget. The price depends on your age, health, lifestyle, and the amount of coverage you buy. If you stop paying, you lose your coverage.
Another downside of life insurance is that you might pay these costs without getting anything back. Temporary term life insurance policies have a set expiration date. If you live past the expiration date, your coverage ends. In other words, you’ve paid for life insurance without getting any payout for your heirs. Finally, you must qualify to buy life insurance. You will owe a larger premium if you have health issues or risky hobbies. If the insurance company decides these risks are too high, you might be denied the chance to buy a policy.
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How Can You Get Cheap Life Insurance?
Life insurance costs are largely influenced by the type of coverage you get, and your age and health when you buy the policy. You can get a more affordable life insurance policy if you choose term life insurance over permanent. You'll only get coverage for a set amount of years, but that may be all you need. Buy the policy as soon as you need it instead of waiting, because rates are better for younger applicants. If you're healthy, you're better off getting a policy that requires a life insurance medical exam, as those policies offer better rates for healthy applicants. And finally, skip add-on benefits known as riders that you don't need.
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What Happens if I Outlive My Term Life Insurance Policy?
If you outlive your term life insurance policy, your coverage ends. Term life insurance is temporary life insurance. It only lasts a set period, such as five or 20 years. If you live past this point, you lose your coverage. However, you may have some options to stay covered past the end of the term.
First, some insurers allow you to renew and extend your term life insurance without a medical exam. The price will be higher when you renew than when you first bought the term life insurance because you will be older. You may also be able to convert your temporary term life insurance into a permanent policy with no expiration date. Finally, you could try applying for a brand-new policy. If you don’t use one of these three options, you will no longer have life insurance after outliving your term policy.
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Companies We Reviewed
We researched and reviewed 88 companies to find the best 12 companies you see above on this list. Below are the companies we researched, along with links to individual company reviews to help you learn more before making a decision. Those that didn't make our list may have had fewer policy types and features, worse financial stability ratings, lower customer experience ratings, fewer riders and living benefits, or higher rates.
AAA Life Insurance, AARP Life Insurance, Aflac Life Insurance, AIG Life Insurance, Allianz Life Insurance, Allstate Life Insurance, American Amicable Life Insurance, American Fidelity Life Insurance, American Heritage Life Insurance, American Income Life Insurance, American National Life Insurance,Americo Life Insurance, Ameritas Life Insurance, Assurity Life Insurance, Bankers Life Insurance, Banner Life Insurance, Bestow Life Insurance, Boston Mutual Life Insurance, Brighthouse Life Insurance, Cincinnati Life Insurance, TruStage Life Insurance, Colonial Life Insurance, Colonial Penn Life Insurance, Columbian Financial Group Life Insurance, Columbus Life Insurance, Combined Life Insurance, Companion Life Insurance, Equitable Life Insurance, Erie Life Insurance, Ethos Life Insurance, Farm Bureau Life Insurance, Farmers Life Insurance, Fidelity Life Insurance, Foresters Life Insurance, Forethought Life Insurance, Freedom Life Insurance, Gerber Life Insurance, Globe Life Insurance, Guardian Life Insurance, Haven Life Insurance, John Hancock Life Insurance, Kansas City Life Insurance, Kemper Life Insurance, Ladder Life Insurance, Lafayette Life Insurance, Liberty National Life Insurance, Lincoln Financial Life Insurance, Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance, Lumico Life Insurance, ManhattanLife Insurance, MassMutual Life Insurance, MetLife Insurance, Midland National Life Insurance, Minnesota Life Insurance, Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance, National Life Insurance, Nationwide Life Insurance, New Era Life Insurance, New York Life Insurance, North American Life Insurance, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance, Ohio National Life Insurance, Pacific Life Insurance, Pan American Life Insurance, Penn Mutual Life Insurance, Physicians Mutual Life Insurance, Primerica Life Insurance, Principal Life Insurance, Protective Life Insurance, Prudential Life Insurance, Reliance Standard Life Insurance, Sagicor Life Insurance, SBLI Life Insurance, Securian Life Insurance, Senior Life Insurance, Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance, The Standard Life Insurance, State Farm Life Insurance, Sun Life Insurance, Symetra Life Insurance, Texas Life Insurance, The Hartford Life Insurance, Thrivent Life Insurance, Transamerica Life Insurance, United Life Insurance, Unum Life Insurance, USAA Life Insurance, Voya Life Insurance, Western & Southern Life Insurance
How We Chose the Best Life Insurance Companies
In order to compile our list of the best life insurance companies, we developed a comprehensive life insurance methodology. We started off by researching what consumers want from life insurance companies, and for that, we looked to third-party consumer studies, including J.D. Power’s 2022 Individual Life Insurance and Annuities studies and the 2022 Insurance Barometer Study, by Life Happens and LIMRA.
With those findings in mind, we spent three months digging up information about more than 55 features on 88 life insurance companies, including ratings for financial strength by AM Best, customer satisfaction, and individual customer complaints reported to insurance state commissioners and recorded by the NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners). We also considered years in business, cost, online tools, no-medical-exam options, policy types and features, and available riders.
NAIC Methodology: We considered each company's NAIC complaint index for its life insurance business by averaging those NAIC complaint index values over the three years (2021, 2020, and 2019).
Our review process gave preference to companies with superior financial stability, few customer complaints, and a robust suite of products and resources. In particular, we valued online quoting and application tools, transparent pricing, and no-exam policy options. Companies received ratings boosts if customer service was accessible via features like live chat. We ranked each company according to the following categories and weights:
- Policy types and features: 21%
- Financial stability: 17%
- Application process: 16%
- Customer satisfaction ratings: 15%
- Customer service: 14%
- Riders and living benefits: 9%
- Cost: 8%
Costs were evaluated by collecting term life insurance quotes for 25-, 40-, and 55-year-old male and female non-smokers in excellent health for 30-year $250,000 term life policies. We used Compulife data available through Term4sale.com.
We compared individual offerings between companies by delving deeper into product specifics, including maximum coverage amounts, maximum issue ages, included riders (in particular, the number and type of living benefits available at no upfront cost) , and product-specific application processes. We used this research to determine the best companies for different products, consumer groups, and use cases.
Of the companies we considered, those with the greatest financial stability, fewest complaints, lowest cost, most generous benefits, easiest application process, most generous no-medical-exam options, and widest available features scored the highest across categories.
Guide to Life Insurance
- What is life insurance?
- How does life insurance work?
- Is life insurance worth it?
- Types of life insurance
- Term vs. whole life insurance
- How much life insurance do you need?
- How to choose life insurance
- How to buy life insurance
- Best Life Insurance for Seniors
- Best Life Insurance Companies for People Over 50
- Best Whole Life Insurance Companies
- Best Universal Life Insurance Companies
- Best Children’s Life Insurance Companies
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