When your family depends on your income, term life insurance is meant to offer protection. Terms typically last between 10 and 30 years. Your beneficiaries won't get a death benefit if you pass away outside the term and haven't renewed or converted the policy. Term life insurance can be an efficient way to address your life insurance needs. It can be used to supplement a permanent policy during peak earning years because it is significantly more affordable than permanent life insurance. We took pricing, the availability of online tools, and the application process into account when assessing term life insurance providers. Additionally, we only endorsed businesses with solid financial standing and no significant customer service issues. Our top picks for term life insurance providers are listed below.
Top Term Life Insurance Providers:
- Protective is best overall.
- Nationwide is the best for customer satisfaction.
- Mutual of Omaha offers the best living benefits.
- Banner is best for low-cost term insurance.
- Haven Life offers the best same-day coverage.
- MassMutual is the most stable financial option.
MOST OPTIMAL
Protective
Cons and BenefitsPros
- Offers some of the most affordable prices in the sector.
- provides term protection for up to 40 years
- Application available online
- Credit cards are among the payment options.
Cons
- J.D.'s Power ranking is poor.
Why We Selected It
In the market, Protective offers some of the most affordable rates for term insurance. It had rates that were tied for the lowest among the 32 term companies for which we obtained quotes. Additionally, Protective offers 40 years of coverage with the option to convert to a permanent policy without a medical exam, whereas most companies only offer a 30-year maximum term. Since not all applications call for a medical exam, you can request a quote and apply online. You might even receive a decision the same day. Your beneficiaries can also submit online claims. Protective has outstanding financial strength ratings, earning the second-highest grade from AM Best, an A+ (Superior). 1 Additionally, even though Protective's J.D. Power ranking is below average, the company received fewer NAIC complaints over the past three years than was predicted, given its market share.CUSTOMER SATISFACTION BEST
Nationwide
Cons and BenefitsPros
- Ranked second by J.D. Power for customer satisfaction
- Almost no complaints
- Applications are accessible online
- Accepts credit cards
- $5 million in coverage without a medical exam
Cons
- Term policies at a fair price
FOR LIVING BENEFITS, THE BEST
Converse of Omaha
Cons and BenefitsPros
- Included were three no-cost living benefit riders.
- One of the few insurance companies that provide a disability income rider
- Live chat customer service is offered.
- Provides term life insurance with a return of premium.
Cons
- To apply, you must speak with an agent.
- More grievances than leading competitors
FOR CHEAP TERM INSURANCE, THE BEST
Banner
Cons and BenefitsPros
- provides the least expensive term life insurance available in the market, tied with Protective
- Can you use term riders to ladder your coverage?
- The NAIC receives very few consumer complaints.
- terms up to forty years
Cons
- Not able to be paid with credit cards
SAME-DAY COVERAGE IS BEST
Harbor Life
Cons and BenefitsPros
- Online application and quote process that is the quick and easy
- live chat
- Some policies come with discounts and free subscriptions.
- Almost no complaints
Cons
- The age limit for this issue is 64.
- $500,000 maximum for no-medical-exam coverage
- Policies cannot be changed.
FINANCIAL STABILITY: BEST
MassMutual
Cons and BenefitsPros
- AM Best's highest financial strength rating
- The NAIC receives very few consumer complaints.
- There are numerous ways to change your term policy.
- Specific candidates might be eligible for no-medical-exam coverage.
Cons
- Not accepting credit card payments
- Compared to some other providers, it includes fewer living benefits.
Final Conclusion
Because of its affordable rates, accessible 40-year terms, and online tools, Protective Life stood out among the life insurance companies we reviewed the most for term coverage. Protective was closely followed by Banner, another excellent value option that provides 40-year term insurance. Haven offers a simple application process for those who don't require a convertible policy. Still, Mutual of Omaha or Nationwide is better suited for those who want various customization options. Additionally, we always turn to Nationwide for top-notch customer support. MassMutual and Haven also have the best financial strength rating currently available. Which company is the best for you will depend on your preferences and needs, but they are all top-notch options for term insurance. When comparing quotes, make sure to take into account the benefits that are included, such as living benefits and convertibility.Information on Education
The Procedure for Term Life Insurance
You can choose the death benefit you want and the term length, such as 10, 20, or 30 years when applying for term life insurance. The cost of the premiums usually remains constant throughout the term. Still, depending on your current age, you may have the option to continue your insurance after the term has ended. Additionally, many policies let you change your term policy to a permanent one before the term is up. However, your term policy will expire, and your coverage will end if you don't convert the policy or renew it. If you outlive the term of some policies, referred to as the return of premium policies, you may receive some or all of the premiums you paid back, but these are uncommon and can be expensive. Permanent insurance is comparatively more expensive than term insurance. This is so that coverage won't expire before you reach old age when life insurance premiums tend to skyrocket. Term life insurance is typically a great way to address a temporary life insurance need, such as protecting your income for your expanding family, due to its affordability.Life Insurance: Term vs. Whole
Whole life insurance, as opposed to term life insurance, is intended to cover you forever. Premiums are significantly more expensive as a result. With whole life insurance, you pay a set premium for a certain number of years or your entire life, and regardless of when you pass away, will pay out your beneficiaries. Additionally, cash value, which you might be able to borrow against or withdraw from, is built up by whole life insurance. Some companies that offer whole life insurance also pay dividends, lowering policy costs or raising the cash value and death benefit. Like whole life insurance, which has adjustable premiums and an adjustable death benefit, universal life insurance is another kind of permanent insurance.What Is Life Insurance Without a Medical Exam?
No-medical-exam Life insurance is life insurance that is underwritten without a physical examination or any laboratory testing. Instead, these policies may use your responses to in-depth medical and health-related questions, a review of your prescription history, driving history, and other records, as well as answers, to determine how much to charge you for the policy. It might seem like an invasion of privacy. Still, the more information you provide during the no-medical-exam coverage application process, the better your chances are of receiving a better rate. This is so that insurance companies can raise your premium to make up for the risk that unknowable information adds to their business. Guaranteed issue policies are the priciest no-exam policies, which don't call for a health checkup. Pricing for these policies is more comparable to the price of traditionally underwritten policies because accelerated underwriting is more thorough and occasionally includes a tele-interview. On the other hand, simplified issue life insurance is slightly more affordable and determines insurability using a limited number of health-related questions.How We Selected the Top Life Insurance Providers
The 2021 Insurance Barometer Study by Life Happens and LIMRA, and the 2021 U.S. Life Insurance New Business Study, conducted by J.D. Power, were among the third-party consumer studies we looked into to determine the best life insurance companies for seniors. Based on those conclusions, we chose and gathered more than 50 data points on 91 life insurance companies, including ratings for financial strength, customer satisfaction, and customer complaints, as well as details about years in operation, online tools, no-exam options, policy types and features, maximum issue age, and available riders. Prioritized companies with easy application processes, low premiums, convertibility, renewability, and extended coverage terms. We gave preference to businesses that provided online quoting and application tools, transparent pricing, and choices for no-medical-exam policies. Businesses that offer live chat and accept credit card payments saw rating increases used the following categories and weights to rank each company:- 40 percent: Application simplicity
- 20%: Features of the policy
- A cost of 20%
- 20%: Features that improve customer service