Best Life Insurance Companies: 2018
Insure.com’s annual analysis that identifies the best life insurance companies found that Lincoln National, Allstate and Metropolitan Life (MetLife) earned the top three spots, respectively, based on responses from current policyholders who rated carriers on four customer satisfaction metrics.
Life insurance companies with the most market share in the nation were ranked based on the ratings from surveyed policyholders in the categories of:
- Value for price
- Customer service
- Usefulness and ease-of-use of its website and mobile apps
- If would recommend
Unlike evaluations you might find elsewhere, Insure.com's Best Insurance Companies is the result of a survey of 3,160 current customers – people just like you. We believe it to be the most comprehensive, assessment available and a useful guide to help you find the best life insurance company for your needs quickly and easily.
The Top 5 Life Insurance Companies
| Rank | Company Name | Overall Score (Out of 100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. Life Insurance | 89.02 |
| 2 | Allstate Life Insurance | 88.68 |
| 3 | Metlife Life Insurance | 88.01 |
| 4 | MassMutual Life Insurance | 88.00 |
| 5 | Transamerica Life Insurance | 87.82 |
While everyone loves a bargain, price was overshadowed by service when surveyed policyholders were asked to leave feedback. When customers described their home insurance company, the overwhelming majority commented about how the company treated them and how responsive the company was in answering questions about coverage and about features of the coverage. It’s not that price wasn’t mentioned, but rather that it wasn’t the chief reason policyholders liked – or disliked-- their insurer.
You’ll see in the table below how each company scored overall, as well as on each metric, in Insure.com’s Best Life Insurance Companies ranking. To see all the comments for each company, as well as detailed information on each company’s coverage and discounts, visit our company pages by clicking on the logo in the table below.
Company |
Score |
Value For Price | Customer Service | Website and Apps | Customers Who Recommend | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
89.02
out of 100 |
89 |
90 |
82 |
94%
| Learn More | |
|
|
88.68
out of 100 |
88 |
90 |
84 |
91%
| Learn More | |
|
|
88.01
out of 100 |
88 |
88 |
85 |
85%
| Learn More | |
|
|
88.00
out of 100 |
88 |
88 |
85 |
91%
| Learn More | |
|
|
87.82
out of 100 |
88 |
88 |
87 |
93%
| Learn More | |
|
|
87.39
out of 100 |
87 |
88 |
86 |
89%
| Learn More | |
|
|
87.36
out of 100 |
86 |
89 |
83 |
85%
| Learn More | |
|
|
87.33
out of 100 |
87 |
89 |
84 |
83%
| Learn More | |
|
|
87.16
out of 100 |
89 |
86 |
81 |
80%
| Learn More | |
|
|
86.93
out of 100 |
86 |
89 |
83 |
84%
| Learn More | |
|
|
85.69
out of 100 |
84 |
88 |
85 |
93%
| Learn More | |
|
|
85.24
out of 100 |
85 |
86 |
82 |
84%
| Learn More | |
|
|
85.22
out of 100 |
85 |
86 |
86 |
80%
| Learn More | |
|
|
84.72
out of 100 |
85 |
85 |
81 |
79%
| Learn More | |
|
|
83.00
out of 100 |
82 |
85 |
80 |
79%
| Learn More |
Here are what some policyholders had to say when asked to make a comment about their experience (you can see all comments for each company by clicking on the logo in the table above):
1. Lincoln National
- They treat you like a person not a robot. Plus, you speak to real people when you call. And they work with you to get the most out of your coverage, when it is needed.
- They cover people with illnesses like diabetes.
- Will listen to your needs and then they will offer most reasonable premiums.
Good to know:
Lincoln National has competitive rates for those with health conditions. It also has life insurance policies with accelerated benefit riders (ABRs) that let policyholders use their policies to pay for care for chronic illness, terminal illness, and long-term care. Some may view it even as a retirement account for their care. The rider lets you tap into your life insurance, while still leaving your loved ones with the remaining life insurance benefits.
Bottom line:
Lincoln National ranks No. 1 overall, and also on the individual metrics of customer service satisfaction, price and the percentage of people who would recommend it. It offers term, universal, variable universal policies and policies with a long-term care component with a range of riders you can add to customize your policy.
2. Allstate
- Cares for the needs of its customers and has an excellent staff trained to answer the concerns of customers.
- I have had nothing but good experiences with my life insurance company. They are kind, caring, and very detailed when discussing your plans with you. They show that they care, and are always willing to answer any questions you send their way. They also seem to always be available.
- Great rates, website and customer service.
Good to know:
Allstate’s website can quickly connect to you one of i many local agents nationwide, if you prefer to discuss coverage needs in person. Allstate provides one-stop insurance shopping, as you can also buy home and auto protection and the website has a variety of tools, such as “LifeTrek,” that help you decide how much coverage you need.
Bottom line:
Allstate ranked second overall, and second for customer service, and fifth for price, but was still less than one point beyond the No. 1 spot for those categories.
3. MetLife
- Have been with them over 30 years and never a problem at all with any of the reps we have dealt with. Easy to reach, and good solid products at competitive prices, so that is why I would recommend them.
- The website teaches me about other investment opportunities as well as letting me keep track of my own whole life payments.
- They do an amazing job of being proactive and making sure customers are well informed about their policy.
Good to know:
For those ages 45 to 75, MetLife offers a Final Expense Whole Life Insurance policy, also known as guaranteed acceptance life insurance, as it doesn’t require a medical exam or questionnaire, and is sold online or over the phone. This policy builds cash value and its premiums never increase.
Bottom line:
MetLife ranked third overall and for price, fifth on usefulness of its website and apps, and landed in the middle of the pack at eighth for customer service and seventh for those who’d recommend it.
Here is how insurance companies ranked when data were analyzed by age and region.
Best life insurance companies by age
- Best life insurance companies for millennials:
- Lincoln
- Allstate
- State Farm
- Best life insurance companies for Gen X:
- Voya
- Allstate
- Transamerica
- Best life insurance companies for Baby Boomers:
- Gerber Life
- Global Life
- MassMutual
Best life insurance companies by region
- Best life insurance companies for Northeast region:
- New York Life
- Gerber
- AAA Life
- Best life insurance companies for Midwest region:
- Voya
- Lincoln National
- Transamerica
- Best life insurance companies for South region:
- AAA Life
- Allstate
- Lincoln National
- Best life insurance companies for West regeion:
- Lincoln National
- MetLife
- Gerber Life
Agree with our findings? Disagree? Join the conversation by sharing your own experience with your car insurance provider in the commenting forum below.
Note that this is an independent editorial analysis devoid of affiliations or partnerships of any kind– companies did not pay to be included. Finally, the A.M. Best financial ratings represent an assessment of an insurer's ability to meet its financial obligations to policyholders, and are separate from the editorial ranking.
Insure.com commissioned Op4G to survey more than 3,100 insurance customers nationwide in December 2017. The survey collected customer ratings for 20 leading companies in the auto category and 15 leading companies in each of the home, health and life categories. Only current customers of the insurers on our lists were surveyed, and the survey was not open to the general public on the Insure.com website.
Auto, home and health insurers were ranked according to a weighted 6-point measurement of the following factors: customer service, claims processing, value for price, website/apps and would recommend and would renew. Life insurers were rated on a weighted 4-point measurement on customer service, value for price, website/apps and would recommend. Weighted measurements were derived from surveyed policyholders’ historical rank of prioritization of these factors. Overall score shown out two decimals, individual ranking scores (claims, etc.) shown without decimals; however, we used additional precision to assign rankings.
The A.M. Best ratings, discounts and coverage options noted in the survey do not affect the scores, but are provided as a supplementary resource.
Insure.com makes these ratings freely available via this site. The views and opinions expressed by users do not reflect the views and opinions of Insure.com. Insure.com expressly disclaims any and all liability in connection with the ratings.
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