John Hancock
Bottom line: John Hancock's health-focused approach to life insurance makes it stand out from the competition.- Healthy living discounts and rewards.
- Long list of riders available.
- Generous policy limits.
- No online quotes.
- Doesn’t offer whole life insurance.
- No email or live chat options for customer service.
Why trust NerdWallet
1,413 life insurance rates sets collected.
441 life insurers analyzed by our team of experts.
185 policies assessed.
Dive deeper: Ratings methodology for life insurance.
NerdWallet's life insurance content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in life insurance. We follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure the content on our site is accurate and fair so you can make financial decisions with confidence and choose the products that work best for you.
About John Hancock life insurance
John Hancock earned 4 stars out of 5 for overall performance. One of the largest life insurance companies in the U.S., John Hancock offers term and permanent life insurance. The company is unique for its wellness programs, Vitality and Aspire. The former rewards healthy behavior with Amazon.com discounts, free subscriptions and savings on fresh produce, while the latter gives people living with diabetes resources to lead healthier, more active lifestyles.
But John Hancock doesn’t support online quotes, so you’ll need to contact an advisor to start the application process.
Pros
- Healthy living discounts and rewards.
- Long list of riders available.
- Generous policy limits.
Cons
- No online quotes.
- Doesn’t offer whole life insurance.
- No email or live chat options for customer service.
» MORE: Compare life insurance quotes
John Hancock life insurance policies
John Hancock sells both term and permanent life insurance. To get a quote or apply for a policy, you’ll need to contact an advisor through the site.
Term life insurance. If you’re in the market for a temporary policy, John Hancock offers term life insurance lasting 10, 15, 20 or 30 years. You can get $250,000 to $65 million in coverage and in some cases, you won’t be asked to take a medical exam.
Permanent life insurance. John Hancock sells universal life insurance, variable universal life insurance and indexed universal life insurance, with coverage ranging from $50,000 to $65 million. These policies last your whole life, and they build cash value over time at different interest rates. Once you’ve accumulated enough cash value, you can begin to borrow against your policy.
Wellness-based programs
John Hancock has two wellness-based programs that can be added to any life insurance policy:
Vitality. When you buy a policy, you can enroll in Vitality Go, which works by tracking your data from a wearable device like a Fitbit. As you reach specific health goals, like walking a certain number of steps per day, the insurer will reward you with discounts on sites like REI as well as grocery store savings.
You can also sign up to Vitality Plus for a fee. Along with offering discounts and gift cards, this program allows you to save up to 25% on your annual premium as you make progress with your wellness goals.
Aspire. John Hancock’s Aspire program is designed for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. It gives you access to a diabetes management app and health coaching, and rewards you for exercising regularly and eating healthily with a premium discount of up to 25%.
John Hancock life insurance riders
Depending on your policy and where you live, you can customize your coverage with these riders:
Cash value enhancement.
Critical illness benefit.
Chronic illness.
Disability payment of specified premium.
Estate preservation.
Healthy engagement (Vitality Plus).
Overloan protection.
Policy split option.
John Hancock complaints and customer satisfaction
Over three years, John Hancock has drawn fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators for a company of its size, according to NerdWallet’s analysis of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
John Hancock ranked No. 11 out of 21 companies in J.D. Power's 2024 U.S. Life Insurance Study for overall customer satisfaction.
» MORE: Best life insurance companies
John Hancock life insurance rates
Below are monthly rates for a 20-year, $500,000 term life insurance policy from John Hancock. These are sample rates for a nonsmoking man and woman in excellent health — the final quote you’re offered will depend on factors like your age, health, lifestyle, occupation and driving record.
Age | Monthly rate - man | Monthly rate - woman |
|---|---|---|
20 | $22.75 | $16.67 |
30 | $24.96 | $20 |
40 | $43.71 | $35.75 |
50 | $101.29 | $74.63 |
60 | $268.29 | $195.71 |
Source: Direct from insurer. Rates reflect the super preferred class and were generated on 11/5/24. | ||
How John Hancock compares to other insurers
John Hancock | AARP | Prudential | |
|---|---|---|---|
Star rating | |||
Financial strength | Exceptional. | Exceptional. | Exceptional. |
NAIC complaints | Fewer than expected. | Fewer than expected. | Fewer than expected. |
J.D. Power ranking | #11 out of 21. | N/A. | #17 out of 21. |
Policy types offered | Term & permanent. | Term, permanent & no-exam. | Term, permanent & no-exam. |
Read full reviews |
More about John Hancock
You can manage your policy, make payments and update your life insurance beneficiaries by logging into the online portal.
In addition to life insurance, John Hancock offers other financial products and services, such as:
College savings plans.
Investment management, including socially responsible investment plans.
Retirement advice.
How to contact John Hancock
John Hancock can be reached by:
Phone: Call 800-732-5543 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. For claims, call 888-887-2739.
Email: No customer service email available.
Live chat: Not available.
- How we review life insurance companies
In our life insurance reviews, our editorial team considers the customer and the insurer. These are some of the factors we take into account:
Policies offered. There are many types of life insurance on the market, and they fall into three key categories:
Term life insurance offers temporary coverage and a guaranteed payout if the policyholder dies during the term.
Permanent life insurance typically lasts a lifetime and builds cash value that can be borrowed against in the future.
No-exam life insurance issues coverage without the need for a medical exam.
Financial strength. We use AM Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s long-term financial stability and ability to pay claims. For life insurance, NerdWallet typically recommends considering insurers with ratings of A- or higher. Here’s the breakdown:
Exceptional: A+, A++.
Strong: A-, A.
Moderate: B, B+.
Complaints. These ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The best life insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints.
Buy online. This indicates whether an insurer allows you to apply for and buy a policy completely online.
Dive deeper: Ratings methodology for life insurance
Life insurance buying guide
Before you start comparing companies, choose the type of life insurance you want, such as term or whole life. Decide which life insurance riders, if any, you want the policy to include. Calculate how much life insurance you need and how long you want the coverage to last. Check that the insurers you’re considering offer the coverage you’re looking for.
When comparing rates, be sure the quotes are for the same amount of coverage over the same period of time. It’s also important to make sure the policy’s medical requirements match your needs. For example, if you want to skip the life insurance medical exam but don’t mind answering health questions, confirm that the application process for each policy you're comparing aligns with that.
Price may not be the biggest driver behind your decision to buy. Look at the number of consumer complaints each company receives, as high numbers can be a red flag about the quality of service.
For more guidance, see our life insurance buying guide.
Article sources
NerdWallet writers are subject matter authorities who use primary, trustworthy sources to inform their work, including peer-reviewed studies, government websites, academic research and interviews with industry experts. All content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet's high standards for journalism by reading our editorial guidelines.
- 1.J.D. Power. J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study. Accessed Feb 6, 2025.
Life insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s life insurance ratings are based on consumer experience, complaint index scores from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for individual life insurance, and weighted averages of financial strength ratings, which indicate a company’s ability to pay future claims. Within the consumer experience category, we consider ease of communication and website transparency, which looks at the depth of policy details available online. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Insurer complaints methodology
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2021-2023. To assess how insurers compare with one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.
