Male
$30 /month
Female
$26 /month
Nationwide offers lots of information online and provides plenty of life insurance options, making it a strong choice for many life insurance buyers.
Rating Breakdown
Financial strength rating
Exceptional
Online purchase
Yes
NAIC complaints
Fewer than expected
Policies offered
Term, permanent & no-exam
A good fit for Nationwide customers looking for discounts on bundling insurance policies.
Check out our list of the cheapest life insurance companies if you’re a young adult looking for better rates.
About Nationwide life insurance
Nationwide caters to many shoppers, offering term, whole and universal life insurance. The company stands out for financial stability and a relatively low rate of complaints, and its website is helpful for people researching coverage.
Nationwide life insurance earned 4.7 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer experience, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and financial strength ratings.
» MORE: Best life insurance companies
Where Nationwide life insurance stands out
Nationwide covers most of the bases for life insurance with term, whole, and universal policies as well as offering several riders to customize coverage. You may also be eligible to receive discounts from Nationwide if you’re bundling life insurance with a home and auto insurance policy.
Where Nationwide life insurance falls short
Nationwide’s term life rates can be a little steep for younger adults. And although Nationwide does a solid job of making their online experience pleasant and informative, you can’t buy all policies online.
Nationwide life insurance policies
Term life insurance. Nationwide offers coverage in 10-, 15-, 20- or 30-year terms, and most policies can be converted to permanent life insurance before a deadline. Available riders include an accelerated death benefit, which allows you to withdraw a portion of your policy's payout early if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness. Nationwide also offers a waiver of premium rider, which pauses your premium payments if you become disabled and can’t work.
Whole life insurance. Nationwide’s whole life insurance coverage starts at $10,000. You can choose to pay off the policy within the first 20 years or pay premiums until you turn 100. The company offers a child life rider to cover all your children under your policy, and an accidental death benefit rider to increase the payout if you die in an accident.
Universal life insurance. Nationwide’s lineup includes guaranteed universal life insurance, which is an affordable option that builds a little cash value, and indexed universal life insurance, where the cash value growth is tied to an index like the S&P 500. The company also sells a survivorship policy, a type of joint life insurance that covers two people, typically spouses.
You might be able to add an overloan protection rider to your coverage. This prevents your policy from lapsing if you borrow against the life insurance cash value and the loan exceeds the account total.
» MORE: Compare life insurance quotes
Nationwide sample life insurance rates
Below are monthly rates for a 20-year, $500,000 term life insurance policy from Nationwide. 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 | $39.17 | $30.42 |
30 | $21.67 | $18.75 |
40 | $30.42 | $25.83 |
50 | $73.75 | $55 |
60 | $238.33 | $167.92 |
Source: Direct from insurer. Rates reflect the super preferred class and were valid as of 11/7/25. | ||
Nationwide customer complaints and satisfaction
A strong sign of consumer satisfaction is how many people complain about their insurance company to state agencies. Over three years, Nationwide has drawn fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators for a company of its size, according to a NerdWallet analysis of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Nationwide ranked No. 3 out of 22 companies in J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Life Insurance Study for overall customer satisfaction.
How Nationwide’s customer experience stacks up
The company’s website includes detailed information about each policy, offering downloadable PDFs on most products. You can get a quote, apply and purchase term life insurance online. For permanent life insurance policies, you can schedule a call with a Nationwide representative.
The company’s mobile app allows policyholders to view coverage details, including cash value. Some policyholders can also view billing details and make payments, although Nationwide doesn’t support changing your policy’s beneficiaries online.
How Nationwide compares to other insurers
Nationwide | State Farm | Farmers | |
|---|---|---|---|
Star rating | |||
Financial strength | Exceptional. | Exceptional. | Strong. |
NAIC complaints | Fewer than expected. | Fewer than expected. | Close to expected. |
J.D. Power ranking | #3 out of 22. | #2 out of 22. | N/A. |
Policy types offered | Term, permanent. | Term, permanent. | Term, permanent, no-exam. |
Online experience | Can get a quote and file a claim online. | Can get a quote online. | Can get a quote and file a claim online. |
Transparency on website | Above average. | Above average. | Above average. |
Best for | N/A. | Return-of-premium life insurance. Burial insurance. Life insurance in your 40s and 50s. | N/A. |
Read full reviews |
More about Nationwide life insurance
Nationwide is a Fortune 100 company that sells a full range of financial products across the country. The list includes these types of insurance:
How to contact Nationwide
Nationwide can be reached by:
Phone: Call 800-848-6331 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Email: Fill out the form on Nationwide’s contact page.
Live chat: Not available.
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 2025 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study. Accessed Dec 17, 2025.
How we rate the best life insurance companies
✅ 445 life insurers reviewed
📝 210 policies assessed
🔢 1,515 data points analyzed
📊 Star rating categories
When NerdWallet evaluates life insurance companies, our editorial team considers the insurer's strengths and weaknesses, as well as the things that matter most to customers buying a long-term financial product. We then weigh these factors carefully:
💰 Financial strength (35%). We use AM Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s financial stability and ability to pay claims far into the future. The top life insurance companies have an exceptional financial strength rating of A+ or A++ (Superior).
🗣️ Consumer complaints (35%). Our top-rated life insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators over a three-year period, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners — so you can expect a smoother customer experience.
☎️ Consumer experience (20%). Insurers who allow consumers to contact them by email, phone and live chat earn the highest scores. The same goes for insurers who support online quotes, beneficiary changes and claims.
👀 Transparency (10%). Our methodology gives higher scores to transparent insurers who clearly display information about their policy options, coverage amounts and term lengths (if applicable) on their site.
⭐ What our star ratings mean
Companies with 5 stars are exceptional, with strong financials, diverse policy lineups and great reputations for customer service.
Companies with 4.5 stars are excellent, with solid financials and policy offerings, and good customer service track records.
Companies with 4.0 stars are good, and potentially great for people looking for niche coverage options.
Companies with 3.5 stars or fewer could do better in certain categories, like financial strength and customer complaints.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for our star ratings or our reviews. Read more about our life insurance ratings methodology and editorial guidelines.
