10 Best Life Insurance Companies in 2025


Protective Insurance, Nationwide, and Ethos are some of the best life insurance companies today. The best option depends on what you're looking for. 

Find out if you're overpaying for life insurance below.

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Life insurance provides financial protection for your loved ones after you're gone, covering expenses like funeral costs, outstanding debts and ongoing living expenses. Choosing the right policy ensures your family gets adequate coverage at a price that fits your budget without leaving gaps in protection or paying for unnecessary features. We analyzed rates, coverage options and customer satisfaction scores from major insurers to help you find the best life insurance company for your needs.

The best life insurance companies are:

  • Protective Insurance: Best Overall
  • Nationwide: Best Coverage Options
  • Ethos: Best No-Exam Life Insurance
  • Guardian Life: Best Customer Experience
  • Gerber Life: Best Life Insurance for Children
  • North American: Best Whole and Universal Life Insurance
  • SBLI: Cheapest Life Insurance
  • Cincinnati Life: Best Rider Options
  • Transamerica: Best Age Range
  • Legal & General: Best Term Life Insurance
Compare Life Insurance Rates

Ensure you're getting the best rate for your insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.

Compare the Best Life Insurance Companies

Overall, Protective Insurance is the best life insurance company. The ideal provider for you depends on your needs and goals. Below are the top life insurance companies by category to help you decide.

Why Trust Us?

Best For
Company
Avg. Monthly Rate
Ages Supported (Term)
Policy Options
Overall MoneyGeek Score

Overall

Protective Insurance

$37 (F), $44 (M)

20-80

Term, Whole, Universal, IUL

4.8

Coverage Options

Nationwide

$45 (F), $56 (M)

18-55

Term, Whole, Universal, IUL, No-Exam

4.8

No-Exam

Ethos

$54 (F), $72 (M)

18-69

Term, Whole, IUL, No-Exam

4.7

Customer Experience

Guardian Life

$40 (F), $51 (M)

18-75

Term, Whole, Universal

4.7

Children

Gerber Life

$47 (F), $53 (M)

18-70

Term, Whole, No-Exam

4.7

Whole & Universal

North American

$35 (F), $43 (M)

18-60

Term, Whole, Universal, IUL

4.6

Affordability

SBLI

$37 (F), $48 (M)

18-75

Term, Whole

4.6

Rider Options

Cincinnati Life

$40 (F), $49 (M)

0-75

Term, Whole, Universal, No-Exam

4.6

Age Range

Transamerica

$37 (F), $46 (M)

18-85

Term, Whole, Universal, IUL

4.6

Term

Legal & General

$38 (F), $47 (M)

20-75

Term, Whole, Universal, IUL

4.5

* Rates shown are estimates based on a 40-year old with average weight and height, non-smoker, average health, 20-year term, and $500,000 coverage. Actual rates may vary by state, health profile, and insurer underwriting. Contact insurers directly for personalized quotes.

Company Image
Protective

Best Life Insurance Overall

MoneyGeek Rating
4.8/ 5
5/5Affordability
4.7/5Customer Experience
4.4/5Coverage Points
  • Avg. Monthly Rate

    $37 (F), $44 (M)
  • Ages Supported (Term)

    20-80
  • Policy Options

    Term, Whole, Universal, IUL
Company Image
Nationwide

Best Coverage Options

MoneyGeek Rating
4.8/ 5
4.9/5Affordability
4.9/5Customer Experience
4.3/5Coverage Points
  • Avg. Monthly Rate

    $45 (F), $56 (M)
  • Ages Supported (Term)

    18-55
  • Policy Options

    Term, Whole, Universal, IUL, No-Exam
Company Image
Ethos

Best No-Exam Life Insurance

MoneyGeek Rating
4.7/ 5
4.5/5Affordability
5/5Customer Experience
5/5Coverage Points
  • Avg. Monthly Rate

    $54 (F), $72 (M)
  • Ages Supported (Term)

    18-69
  • Policy Options

    Term, Whole, IUL, No-Exam
Company Image
Guardian Life

Best Customer Experience

MoneyGeek Rating
4.7/ 5
4.8/5Affordability
4.9/5Customer Experience
4/5Coverage Points
  • Avg. Monthly Rate

    $40 (F), $51 (M)
  • Ages Supported (Term)

    18-75
  • Policy Options

    Term, Whole, Universal
Company Image
Gerber

Best Life Insurance for Children

MoneyGeek Rating
4.7/ 5
4.6/5Affordability
4.9/5Customer Experience
4.3/5Coverage Points
  • Avg. Monthly Rate

    $47 (F), $53 (M)
  • Ages Supported (Term)

    18-70
  • Policy Options

    Term, Whole, No-Exam
Company Image
North American

Best Whole & Universal Life Insurance

MoneyGeek Rating
4.6/ 5
4.8/5Affordability
4.7/5Customer Experience
3.8/5Coverage Points
  • Avg. Monthly Rate

    $35 (F), $43 (M)
  • Ages Supported (Term)

    18-60
  • Policy Options

    Term, Whole, Universal, IUL
Company Image
SBLI

Cheapest Life Insurance

MoneyGeek Rating
4.6/ 5
4.8/5Affordability
4.7/5Customer Experience
3.7/5Coverage Points
  • Avg. Monthly Rate

    $37 (F), $48 (M)
  • Ages Supported (Term)

    18-75
  • Policy Options

    Term, Whole
Company Image
Cincinnati Insurance

Best Rider Options

MoneyGeek Rating
4.6/ 5
4.9/5Affordability
4.5/5Customer Experience
3.9/5Coverage Points
  • Avg. Monthly Rate

    $40 (F), $49 (M)
  • Ages Supported (Term)

    0-75
  • Policy Options

    Term, Whole, Universal, No-Exam
Company Image
Transamerica

Best Age Range

MoneyGeek Rating
4.6/ 5
5/5Affordability
3.9/5Customer Experience
4.7/5Coverage Points
  • Avg. Monthly Rate

    $37 (F), $46 (M)
  • Ages Supported (Term)

    18-85
  • Policy Options

    Term, Whole, Universal, IUL
Company Image
Legal & General

Best Term Life Insurance

MoneyGeek Rating
4.5/ 5
4.4/5Affordability
4.8/5Customer Experience
4.3/5Coverage Points
  • Avg. Monthly Rate

    $38 (F) $47 (M)
  • Ages Supported (Term)

    20-75
  • Policy Options

    Term, Whole, Universal, IUL

Explore the best life insurance companies by category:

How Does Life Insurance Work?

Understanding how life insurance works helps you choose a policy that suits your needs. You pay premiums monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or yearly to keep your coverage active. In return, the insurer pays your beneficiaries a death benefit if you pass away while the policy is in effect.

Most policies include a two-year contestability period when the insurer may review claims more closely. After that, your coverage stays valid as long as you continue paying your premiums.

Types of Life Insurance

Your life insurance choice affects your family's financial future.

  • Term Life Insurance: Term policies last 10 to 30 years and cost less than permanent coverage. They work well for temporary needs like paying off a mortgage or covering children until they're independent. Term policies build no cash value and coverage ends when the term expires. You receive no payout if you outlive the policy.
  • Whole Life Insurance: This option covers you for life and builds cash value over time. This permanent coverage combines death benefit protection with a savings component you can borrow against or withdraw from.
  • Universal Life Insurance: Choose this one if you want the ability to adjust your premiums and death benefits as your finances change. The policy builds cash value that you can use to pay premiums or borrow against. This type of coverage is ideal for people who want flexibility to modify their policy over time.
  • No-Exam Life Insurance: No-exam policies provide immediate coverage without medical testing. You'll pay higher premiums due to the increased risk to insurers, but you can get coverage quickly.

Compare quotes from multiple insurers to find coverage that fits your budget and needs.

How to Get the Best Life Insurance

Choosing a life insurance policy requires weighing your coverage needs against your budget. Our buying guide helps you find the right policy for your situation.

  • Determine how much coverage you need. Calculate how much your family would need to cover debts, replace lost income and maintain their standard of living after your death.
  • Compare quotes from multiple insurers. Compare life insurance quotes from at least three to five companies to find competitive rates for your coverage needs and budget.
  • Choose between term and permanent life insurance. Term life costs less and covers you for a specific period, while permanent life builds cash value and protects you for your whole life but costs significantly more.
  • Check financial strength ratings. Review life insurance company financial strength ratings from AM Best, Moody's or Standard & Poor's to ensure the company can pay claims decades from now when your beneficiaries need the money.
  • Understand the underwriting process. Most life insurance providers require a medical exam, health questionnaire and review of your medical records, though some offer simplified or no-exam policies at higher premiums.
  • Explore rider options. Your basic life insurance policy will cover the death benefit, but you can add on extras, called riders, that protect you in specific situations. Some common riders include accelerated death benefits for terminal illness, waiver of premium for disability, accidental death benefits, and child coverage riders.

How Much Does Life Insurance Cost?

Life insurance costs vary by coverage amount and buyer profile. The average rate ranges from $33 to $148 for a 40-year-old nonsmoker with average weight and health level. Use the table below to compare average rates for different profiles and term lengths.

Data filtered by:
Male
$500,000
No
Average
Average
10 years$33$382
15 years$43$494
20 years$53$606
25 years$70$840
30 years$87$1,000
35 years$101$1,216
40 years$148$1,777

*The rates above are based on quotes for 40-year-old nonsmokers with an average health rating. The base coverage amount is $500,000.

Compare Life Insurance Rates

Ensure you’re getting the best rate for your life insurance. Compare quotes from top providers to find the most affordable coverage available.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We answer frequently asked questions to help you find the company offering the best life insurance and learn how to ensure you get the right coverage for your needs.

Is term life insurance or whole life insurance better?

How does the life insurance medical exam process work?

Can I convert my term life insurance to permanent coverage?

Is life insurance taxable?

Can I cancel my life insurance policy?

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Our Ratings Methodology

Shopping for life insurance can feel overwhelming, because companies market similar products with confusing terminology and wildly different prices. You need clarity on which insurers deliver value, not just flashy marketing promises. That's why we built a scoring system that cuts through the noise to identify companies that balance affordability with reliability.

Why Trust MoneyGeek?

We reviewed 1,488 life insurance quotes and combined them with customer reviews, financial ratings and coverage details to find the best companies for different types of buyers.

How We Score Life Insurance Companies

MoneyGeek rates life insurance providers based on three important factors. Each company receives a score out of 100 points:

  • Affordability (50%): How each insurer’s premium rates compare to others in the market.
  • Customer Experience (30%): The quality of service, claims handling and overall satisfaction drawn from customer feedback and industry research.
  • Coverage Options (20%): The variety and flexibility of available policies, including riders and customization features to suit different needs.

Our Sample Customer Profile

We used the following standard profile to collect quotes:

  • 40-year-old male
  • Nonsmoker
  • 5 feet, 9 inches tall, 160 pounds
  • Average health rating

We used this profile for all premium comparisons unless noted otherwise. We also collected quotes for different ages, genders, health ratings and locations to see how rates vary. This revealed pricing trends across term lengths and coverage amounts and showed which companies offer the best value for each customer type.

Related Pages

More Life Insurance Company Reviews

About Mark Fitzpatrick


Mark Fitzpatrick headshot

Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, is MoneyGeek's resident Personal Finance Expert. With over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, he conducts original research and creates tailored content for all types of buyers. His insights have been featured in publications like CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!

He writes about economics and insurance, breaking down complex topics so people know what they're buying.


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