Thrivent Life Insurance Review 2026

Thrivent sells a variety of term and permanent life insurance and has superior financial strength and a low number of consumer complaints. But you must be a Christian or the spouse of a Christian to become a Thrivent member and buy its life insurance.

Thrivent earned 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, Thrivent earned a spot on our best term life insurance and best life insurance for veterans lists for 2026.

» MORE: Best life insurance companies

Where Thrivent stands out

Thrivent offers joint policies for spouses or business partners and several hybrid policies that combine different types of insurance, like long-term care. Additionally, Thrivent is a mutual company which means certain policyholders may be eligible to receive dividends.

Where Thrivent falls short

Thrivent serves a niche audience. You must be a Christian or the spouse of a Christian to become a Thrivent member and buy its life insurance. You’ll be asked to attest to your faith (or your spouse’s) in your membership application.

Term life insurance. Thrivent offers term life insurance lasting 10, 15, 20 or 30 years with coverage starting at $100,000. Age eligibility depends on where you live and the length of the term. You can convert a term policy into any of the permanent life insurance options below.

Whole life insurance. Thrivent sells several whole life insurance policies, all of which accumulate cash value and offer essentially lifelong coverage.

• Whole Life Insurance. This policy has a few payment options. You can pay a level premium until you reach age 95, or make higher payments for a set amount of time, such as for the first 10 years of the policy. You can also choose to pay a single lump-sum premium. Minimum coverage amounts start at either $10,000 or $100,000, depending on your life insurance risk class.

• Whole Life Plus Term Protection. This hybrid policy includes whole life coverage plus extra term insurance that expires after a set period of time. You may be interested in this policy if you want a certain amount of lifelong coverage but have financial obligations with a set end point, such as a mortgage. The policy is open to people between 18 and 75, with a starting value of $25,000.

• Survivor Whole Life Insurance. This joint policy is designed to cover two people, such as spouses or business partners. The death benefit is paid when the second person dies. Coverage is available to those aged 18 to 90, with amounts starting at $100,000.

Universal life insurance. Thrivent’s universal life insurance is open to applicants up to 85 years old, and features flexible premiums and an adjustable death benefit. Coverage amounts start at $50,000 for adults or $25,000 (in most states) for those under 18.

Variable universal life insurance. When you buy variable universal life insurance, you can choose how you want to invest your policy's cash value. Coverage is permanent as long as you maintain enough cash value. Thrivent’s variable universal life policy is available to applicants up to age 80, with a minimum coverage amount of $100,000 for adults or $25,000 (in most states) for those under 18.

Long-term care insurance. Thrivent offers a hybrid policy called CareForward that combines long-term care coverage with life insurance.

Thrivent life insurance riders

All Thrivent life insurance policies include an accelerated death benefit rider, which allows you to access part of your death benefit early if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Other life insurance riders you may be able to add to your policy include:

• Guaranteed purchase option. Lets you buy another life insurance policy without a medical exam.

• Guaranteed increase option. Gives you the opportunity to raise the coverage amount on your existing policy without an exam.

• Waiver of premium for disability. Allows you to stop paying your policy premiums without losing your coverage if you become disabled.

• Paid-up additions. Enables you to build cash value within your whole life policy faster by investing your dividends back into your policy.

• Insurance split option benefit. Lets you split your joint life insurance policy into two separate policies in the case of a divorce or business dissolution.

» MORE: Compare life insurance quotes

Below are monthly rates for a 20-year, $500,000 term life insurance policy from Thrivent. 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.

A strong sign of consumer satisfaction is how many people complain about their insurance company to state agencies. Over three years, Thrivent 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.

How Thrivent’s customer experience stacks up

Thrivent’s website is easy to navigate, with general information about the various types of life insurance the organization offers. However, there are few specifics about Thrivent’s policies, such as which riders are available or how much coverage you can buy. The site does include links to find a financial advisor who can help answer these questions.

We called Thrivent’s customer service number to get more information about its term life insurance product. After navigating the automated menu, we were connected with a live representative within a minute. When we asked a couple of specific coverage questions, the rep offered basic answers but said we’d need to contact a financial advisor for more details.

Thrivent’s highly rated mobile app is available for iPhone and Android. You can use it to view your policies, pay bills and contact your financial advisor.

What it’s like to apply for a policy with Thrivent

You can get a quick online quote for term life insurance with Thrivent, but you’ll need to work with a financial advisor to finish your application or to buy any other type of life insurance.

Clicking “Get a free quote” on Thrivent’s main life insurance page takes you to a form in which you enter your contact details. The company says someone will get in touch with you. If you want to go through the quote process online, visit the term life insurance page and click “get a free term life quote.”

Screenshot captured by our editorial team on November 4, 2025.

The quote process asks standard questions, like which state you live in, your height and weight, your nicotine use, your income and when you were born. Thrivent will then suggest a coverage amount and term length.

If you want to get a price estimate or buy a permanent life policy, you’ll need to schedule a call or request an email from a representative.

Screenshot captured by our editorial team on November 4, 2025.

Thrivent was founded in 1902 as a Lutheran organization and is now a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society serving Christian consumers. The organization also promotes social responsibility, providing resources to help its members volunteer in their communities or make charitable donations.

As a member-owned organization, Thrivent pays out a portion of its profits to clients in the form of dividends. In 2026, the company will pay $590 million in dividends and policy benefits, the highest annual payout in its history[1].

In addition to life insurance, Thrivent offers:

• Disability insurance.

• Standalone long-term care insurance.

• Annuities.

• Investment and banking products.

Thrivent can be reached by:

• Phone: Call 800-847-4836 on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT. 

• Email: Fill out the form on Thrivent’s contact page.

• Live chat: Not available.