Male
$24 /month
Female
$28 /month
Brighthouse Financial stands out for offering life insurance with long-term care, but you can’t buy any of its policies online.
Rating Breakdown
Financial strength rating
Strong
Online purchase
No
NAIC complaints
Close to expected
Policies offered
Permanent
Choose one of our best life insurance companies for 2026 if you’re not interested in combining life insurance with long-term care.
About Brighthouse Financial life insurance
Brighthouse Financial sells a hybrid indexed universal life insurance policy, and you’ll need to work with a representative to get one. If you’re seeking a simple term life policy, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Brighthouse Financial earned 4.1 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 Brighthouse Financial life insurance stands out
If you’re in the market for a policy that addresses long-term care and life insurance needs in the same policy, Brighthouse’s hybrid policy could be of interest to you. The company has strong financials and provides full policy details on its website.
Where Brighthouse Financial life insurance falls short
Brighthouse Financial focuses on one type of life insurance, so its options are extremely limited. It also doesn’t support online quotes or purchases.
Brighthouse Financial life insurance policies
Indexed universal life insurance. Brighthouse Financial sells an indexed universal life insurance policy called SmartGuard Plus. The cash value growth is linked to an index, like the S&P 500, and the insurer guarantees distribution payments after ten years.
Life insurance and long-term care. The company also offers a hybrid indexed universal life insurance policy called SmartCare. With this product, you can use part of the policy’s death benefit while you’re alive to pay for long-term care expenses.
» MORE: Compare life insurance quotes
Brighthouse Financial 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, Brighthouse FInancial has drawn close to 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.
Brighthouse Financial ranked No. 16 out of 22 companies for customer satisfaction in J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study.
- What Reddit users say about Brighthouse Financial
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.
Comments on Reddit about Brighthouse Financial are mixed. While some say it’s a reputable company that shouldn’t have issues paying a life insurance death benefit in the future, several commenters complain about its customer service.
How Brighthouse Financial customer experience stacks up
Brighthouse Financial provides policy details and brochures for its life insurance products online. But while the site is easy to navigate, you won’t be able to get a quote or buy a policy online. Brighthouse Financial says you’ll have to connect with a financial professional to learn more.
Policyholders can manage their coverage online by creating an account, though Brighthouse Financial doesn’t have an app. You can make one-time premium payments online without logging into an account.
How Brighthouse Financial compares to other insurers
Brighthouse Financial | Equitable | Farmers | |
|---|---|---|---|
Star rating | |||
Financial strength | Strong. | Strong. | Strong. |
NAIC complaints | Close to expected. | Close to expected. | Close to expected. |
J.D. Power ranking | #16 out of 22. | #22 out of 22. | N/A. |
Policy types offered | Permanent. | Term, permanent. | Term, permanent, no-exam. |
Online experience | Can manage policies online. | Can change beneficiaries online. | Can get a quote and file a claim online. |
Transparency on website | Above average. | Above average. | Above average. |
Read full reviews |
More about Brighthouse Financial
Established by MetLife in 2017, Brighthouse Financial sells life insurance and annuities to individuals. In contrast, MetLife focuses primarily on employee benefits.
In addition to life insurance, Brighthouse Financial offers index-linked, income, variable, fixed indexed and fixed-rate annuities.
How to contact Brighthouse Financial
Brighthouse Financial can be reached by:
Phone: Call 800-882-1292 on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET and a representative will direct you to the best department.
Email: No customer service email available.
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.
