Nupur Gambhir is an insurance expert and managing editor of Insure.com. She specializes in life and health insurance content, and has experience as a marketing consultant.
Scott Nyerges is an insurance expert and managing editor, insurance. Previously, he was a senior insurance editor and content strategist at U.S. News & World Report, and worked for Consumer Reports, MSN and Cheapism.com.
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Northwestern Mutual ranks No. 1 overall for 2026, earning the highest score in our review at 4.64 out of 5. This high ranking reflects consistently strong service, product offerings, and long-term reliability. Customers report smooth daily interactions, dependable billing, and easy access to support when needed.
Northwestern Mutual also stands out for loyalty. It has one of the highest renewal rates in the survey, indicating that customers tend to remain with the company year after year. That level of consistency can matter when you’re looking for a policy you plan to keep for decades.
Northwestern Mutual’s survey results reflect a company that delivers steady, dependable support across every stage of owning a policy. Customer service satisfaction sits at 70%, and once you have coverage in place, the experience gets even smoother — 81% of policyholders rate both ease of accessing documents and policy offerings highly, and 80% say billing is simple to manage.
These numbers point to a company that stays reliable after the policy is purchased. For most people, that means fewer hassles, clearer service interactions, and confidence that your coverage will be easy to manage over time.
Here’s how Northwestern Mutual compares to its competitors:
Northwestern Mutual earns exceptionally strong loyalty scores, which is often the truest measure of long-term satisfaction. Some 91% of customers say they would recommend the company, while 96% consider it trustworthy, and an unmatched 100% plan to renew their policy. These are among the highest in the entire ranking.
For someone choosing a long-term policy, these scores highlight a company that keeps its promises. High trust and near-universal renewal intent indicate that most policyholders feel confident in staying with Northwestern Mutual year after year, which can make a significant difference when your coverage is intended to last for decades.
Northwestern Mutual scores consistently well across life stages. Younger adults report the highest satisfaction, reflecting reliability, strong financial backing, and clarity around long-term coverage. Middle-aged buyers also rate the company highly, suggesting policies work well across major life milestones.
Northwestern Mutual offers a range of products that work for both short-term needs and long-term financial planning. These include:
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Methodology
In 2025, Insure.com surveyed more than 2,000 insurance consumers through independent research firm Dynata. Customers named their life insurer and rated it on customer satisfaction, ease of service, policy offerings, billing, and their experience across different applicant types (seniors, middle-aged adults, young adults, people with pre-existing conditions, people who are overweight, and people who prefer no-exam coverage). We also asked whether they planned to keep their policy, would recommend their insurer, and trusted their insurer.
For insurers with enough survey responses, we added:
With guidance from Prof. David Marlett, Ph.D., Managing Director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State University, we applied the following weights to determine each company’s final score:
Each insurer received a rating between 0.5 and 5 stars, with 5 stars representing the highest performance.