Pacific Life Insurance
- Rated 4.5 stars out of 5 by NerdWallet.
- Ranked above average in J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction study for life insurance.
- Offers a wide range of life insurance policies.
Founded in California in 1868, Pacific Life offers life insurance, annuities and investment products to individuals and businesses. Pacific Life sells term life insurance and a broad selection of permanent policies, including life insurance with long-term care benefits. Pacific Life also sells indexed universal life insurance, a type of permanent policy. Life insurance quotes are not available through Pacific Life’s website.
Why you can trust NerdWallet: Our writers and editors 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. Here is a list of our partners and here’s how we make money.
Pacific Life insurance
Pacific Life earned 4.5 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.
Based on these ratings, Pacific Life is among NerdWallet’s Best Life Insurance Companies.
» MORE: Compare life insurance quotes
Pacific Life insurance pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Drew significantly fewer complaints than expected to state regulators for a company of its size. | Select policies are not available in New York. |
| Ranked above average in J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction study for life insurance. | Quotes are not available online. |
Pacific Life insurance policies
Life insurance products vary by state, but Pacific Life generally offers:
Term life insurance. There are two types of term life insurance policies to choose from. With the company’s Promise Term, you can convert all or some of your death benefit to a new universal life insurance policy at any point before you are 70 years old. Policies are available in 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- or 30-year terms, and you can customize your coverage with various riders such as an accelerated death benefit. The company’s Elite Term lets you convert your policy to a cash value life insurance policy up to 10 years after its start date. It is available in 10-, 20- and 30-year terms.
Universal, variable universal and indexed universal life insurance. Pacific Life is a top U.S. seller of indexed universal life insurance. A wide selection is available, including survivorship insurance, which covers two people — typically a couple — under one policy. The death benefit is paid after both people die.
Life insurance with long-term care benefits. These policies can help you pay for long-term care, should you need it. The death benefit is reduced if the policy is used to pay for long-term care. If no long-term care benefits are drawn, the policy pays the full death benefit.
Whole life insurance for businesses. Pacific Life also offers whole life insurance, but only through workplace plans.
Pacific Life customer complaints and satisfaction
Over three years, Pacific Life has drawn significantly fewer complaints to state regulators than expected for a company of its size, according to a NerdWallet analysis of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Additionally, Pacific Life ranked #4 out of 21 companies in J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Life Insurance Study for overall customer satisfaction.
More about Pacific Life insurance
You can download consumer guides on almost all Pacific Life policies via the company’s website. Payments for policies can be made online. You can also access and download life insurance forms to make adjustments to your policy, such as changing a beneficiary or updating your address.
Pacific Life sells other products and services, including annuities, mutual funds and commercial real estate investments.
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.
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.
