National Life Group’s term and permanent policies have generous living benefits, but you’ll have to work with an agent to get a quote.
Rating Breakdown
Financial strength rating
Exceptional
Online purchase
No
NAIC complaints
Fewer than expected
Policies offered
Term & permanent
A good fit for people who want convertible term policies with living benefits and don’t mind having to work with an agent.
About National Life Group Life Insurance
National Life Group offers term, whole and universal life insurance, and many policies have generous living benefits. However, you’ll need to connect with an agent to get a quote or buy a policy.
National Life Group 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.
» MORE: Best life insurance companies
Where National Life Group stands out
National Life Group offers a variety of life insurance policies, including some that can earn dividends based on the company’s financial performance. Many of its policies have built-in living benefits, such as riders that can pay out a portion of your policy if you’re diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another chronic or critical illness.
Where National Life Group falls short
Although National Life Group does have a mobile app and online portal for existing policyholders, there’s no option to get a quote or apply for coverage online. You’ll have to speak directly with a National Life Group agent to learn more or apply for a policy.
More Nerdy Perspective
Most life insurers have riders to cover terminal illness, and some extend that to critical illnesses that affect your way of life. National Life Group is unique for offering a rider that specifically kicks in if you receive an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. This may be reassuring for those with a family history of the disease who want the peace of mind that comes with that extra coverage.
National Life Group life insurance policies
Term life insurance. National Life Group offers term life insurance lasting 1, 10, 15, 20 or 30 years, with coverage starting at $100,000. These policies are open to applicants ages 18 to 85 and can be converted to permanent life insurance before a deadline.
Whole life insurance. The company’s whole life insurance policies start at $50,000 and are open to applicants up to 85 years old. Since National Life Group is a mutual life insurance company, whole life policyholders are eligible to earn dividends.
Universal life insurance. National Life Group offers several types of universal life insurance policies that build cash value at either a fixed or variable rate. Some of its indexed universal life policies offer a minimum guaranteed interest rate of around 1%.
» MORE: Compare life insurance quotes
National Life Group sample life insurance rates
Below are monthly rates for a 20-year, $500,000 term life insurance policy from National Life Group. 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 | $18.04 |
30 | $22.44 | $19.80 |
40 | $34.76 | $30.80 |
50 | $86.24 | $82.92 |
60 | $249.04 | $169.84 |
Source: Direct from insurer. Rates reflect the best non-tobacco risk class and were generated on 10/23/25. | ||
National Life Group 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, National Life Group 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.
National Life Group ranked No. 7 out of 22 companies for customer satisfaction in J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study.
- What Reddit users say about National Life Group
Reddit is an online forum where users share their thoughts in “threads” on various topics. The popular site includes plenty of discussion on financial subjects like life insurance, so we sifted through Reddit forums to get a pulse check on how users feel about insurers. People post anonymously, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances.
Most mentions of National Life Group on Reddit were positive, with users praising the insurer’s living benefits. Redditors who commented about National Life Group’s permanent life insurance tended to criticize indexed universal life insurance in general and not the company specifically. In at least one case, National Life Group was mentioned in association with a lawsuit about misleading IUL policy information, but other Redditors were quick to point out this is a common problem.
What it’s like to apply for a policy with National Life Group
National Life Group doesn’t allow you to get a quote or apply for life insurance online. If you don’t want to call, you can fill out a form online and an agent will contact you instead.
How National Life Group’s customer experience stacks up
National Life Group has a life insurance section on its website that offers basic information about the types of life insurance they sell, but no policy-specific details. To learn more, you’ll have to fill out a form with your email, phone number and zip code and a financial professional from National Life Group will contact you.
When we called the insurer, the automated menu didn’t offer a way to ask general questions. We were on hold for about three minutes before speaking to a company rep who couldn’t answer our questions about coverage. We were told to fill out the contact form online and an agent would call us.
National Life Group has a mobile app for policyholders where you can see policy details and make payments. The app receives mostly positive feedback and is well-rated in both Apple’s App Store and on Google Play.
How National Life Group compares to other insurers
National Life Group | Mutual of Omaha | Prudential | |
|---|---|---|---|
Star rating | 4.5NerdWallet rating | ||
Financial strength | Exceptional. | Exceptional. | Exceptional. |
NAIC complaints | Fewer than expected. | Close to expected. | Close to expected. |
J.D. Power ranking | #7 out of 22. | #1 out of 22. | #12 out of 22. |
Policy types offered | Term, permanent. | Term, permanent, no-exam. | Term, permanent, no-exam. |
Online experience | Can manage your policy online. | Can get a quote and buy some policies online, as well as change beneficiaries and file a claim. | Can apply for a policy, change beneficiaries and file a claim online. |
Transparency on website | Average. | Above average. | Above average. |
Best for | N/A. | ||
Read full reviews |
More about National Life Group
Based in Montpelier, Vermont, National Life Group also sells group life insurance and annuities.
How to contact National Life Group
National Life Group can be reached by:
Phone: Call 800-732-8939 during business hours.
Email: Send a message to LifeCustomerService@NationalLife.com.
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.
