Finding the best life insurance company involves weighing customer service, financial strength and price. Hundreds of life insurance companies compete for your business, often selling very similar products, so it’s smart to get life insurance quotes from at least a few companies.
Our calculations show that Northwestern Mutual is the best life insurance company among 23 large companies we scored. Many others are also worthy of consideration, and several on our Top 20 list scored within a fraction of a point of one another. (Full methodology below.)
The best life insurance companies
| Company | NerdWallet composite score (300-point max; methodology below) | Consumer complaint rating (100-point max) | A.M. Best financial strength rating (A++ is best) | J.D. Power customer satisfaction score (850-point max) | Start comparing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Northwestern Mutual | 277.2 | 97 | A++ | 802 | |
| 2. Pacific Life | 273.8 | 98 | A+ | 808 | |
| 3. Guardian Life | 273.6 | 94 | A++ | 796 | |
| 4. MassMutual | 272.7 | 94 | A++ | 787 | |
| 5. State Farm Life | 272.3 | 87 | A++ | 853 | |
| 6. Ameriprise (Riversource) | 270 | 96 | A+ | 790 | |
| 7. Penn Mutual | 269.8 | 96 | A+ | 788 | |
| 8. Nationwide | 269.6 | 94 | A+ | 806 | |
| 9. Principal Financial | 266.5 | 93 | A+ | 785 | |
| 10. New York Life | 264.2 | 86 | A++ | 782 | |
| 11. Lincoln Financial | 261.1 | 88 | A+ | 781 | |
| 12. Minnesota Life (Securian) | 259.7 | 87 | A+ | 777 | |
| 13. John Hancock | 257.3 | 86 | A+ | 763 | |
| 14. AXA Equitable | 255.1 | 88 | A | 771 | |
| 15. Brighthouse Financial (formerly MetLife) | 253.2 | 82 | A | 812 | |
| 16. Prudential | 247.7 | 75 | A+ | 777 | |
| 17. Voya | 245.8 | 81 | A | 748 | |
| 18. Midland National (Sammons) | 242.5 | 73 | A+ | 745 | |
| 19. Primerica | 240.4 | 70 | A+ | 754 | |
| 20. Protective | 226.4 | 54 | A+ | 774 |
The best life insurance companies
| Company | NerdWallet composite score (300-point max; methodology below) | Start comparing |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northwestern Mutual | 277.2 | |
| 2. Pacific Life Pacific Life | 273.8 | |
| 3. Guardian Life | 273.6 | |
| 4. MassMutual | 272.7 | |
| 5. State Farm Life | 272.3 | |
| 6. Ameriprise (Riversource) | 270 | |
| 7. Penn Mutual | 269.8 | |
| 8. Nationwide | 269.6 | |
| 9. Principal Financial | 266.5 | |
| 10. New York Life | 264.2 | |
| 11. Lincoln Financial | 261.1 | |
| 12. Minnesota Life (Securian) | 259.7 | |
| 13. John Hancock | 257.3 | |
| 14. AXA Equitable | 255.1 | |
| 15. Brighthouse Financial (formerly MetLife) | 253.2 | |
| 16. Prudential | 247.7 | |
| 17. Voya | 245.8 | |
| 18. Midland National (Sammons) | 242.5 | |
| 19. Primerica | 240.4 | |
| 20. Protective | 226.4 |
The best life insurance companies
| Company | NerdWallet composite score (300-point max; methodology below) | Start comparing |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northwestern Mutual | 277.2 | |
| 2. Pacific Life Pacific Life | 273.8 | |
| 3. Guardian Life | 273.6 | |
| 4. MassMutual | 272.7 | |
| 5. State Farm Life | 272.3 | |
| 6. Ameriprise (Riversource) | 270 | |
| 7. Penn Mutual | 269.8 | |
| 8. Nationwide | 269.6 | |
| 9. Principal Financial | 266.5 | |
| 10. New York Life | 264.2 | |
| 11. Lincoln Financial | 261.1 | |
| 12. Minnesota Life (Securian) | 259.7 | |
| 13. John Hancock | 257.3 | |
| 14. AXA Equitable | 255.1 | |
| 15. Brighthouse Financial (formerly MetLife) | 253.2 | |
| 16. Prudential | 247.7 | |
| 17. Voya | 245.8 | |
| 18. Midland National (Sammons) | 242.5 | |
| 19. Primerica | 240.4 | |
| 20. Protective | 226.4 |
How to choose the best life insurance company for you
Look at customer satisfaction scores: Other customers’ experience can help you decide whether you want to do business with a company. You can get clues about a company’s reputation through:
- Scores from J.D. Power. The independent ratings firm publishes customer satisfaction scores for two dozen of the largest life insurers each year.
- Complaints filed against the company with state regulators.
Consider financial strength: Financial strength is especially important for life insurance companies because you’ll want a company that can pay claims many years down the road. Financial strength ratings are available through ratings agencies such as A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. We don’t recommend considering insurers with an A.M. Best rating of B or lower.
Get prices: The cost of coverage varies among companies. It’s smart to get quotes from at least a few insurance companies.
Evaluate product selection: Although many companies sell similar policies, some focus more on certain products, such as whole life insurance, or on certain customers, such as seniors. Knowing generally the type of life insurance you want to buy will help you narrow the choices. You can learn more about the product offerings of life insurance companies listed by clicking on the NerdWallet reviews.
