Best Family Life Insurance Companies (2024)

Life insurance is a tool that provides financial security to those who rely on you. The right life insurance company offers a variety of coverage options, affordable pricing, and a strong customer satisfaction record. Here is our list of the best options for you.

Best Family Life Insurance Companies

Best Family Life Insurance Companies

Best Family Life Insurance Companies

  • Our Top Picks
  • State Farm
  • Northwestern Mutual
  • MassMutual
  • Prudential
  • Transamerica
  • Banner Life
  • Bestow
  • See More (4)
  • Final Verdict

  • Compare the Best Family Life Insurance Companies

  • FAQs

  • Methodology

Best Overall : State Farm

Best Family Life Insurance Companies (1)

  • AM Best Rating: A++
  • Plans: Term, Whole, Universal
  • Issue Ages: Up to 85 for some policies

Why We Chose It

State Farmoffers a specifically branded “family life insurance” plan with many features and options. According to a study by J.D. Power, State Farm ranks highest among individual life insurance providers for customer satisfaction, which also helped place it on our list of best life insurance companies.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Has a defined family life insurance policy

  • Extremely well-rated

  • Convertible child coverage through age 25

Cons

  • Not available in all states

  • Must purchase through an agent

Overview

Since 1929, State Farm has been providing life insurance to families. In 2022, the company received the top spot in the J.D. Power U.S. Life Insurance Study and an A++ superior rating from AM Best. The family life insurance policy offered by State Farm allows policyholders to purchase a combination of term and/or whole-life insurance that covers immediate family members under the same policy.

State Farm’s Select Term rider offers term life coverage in 10-, 20-, and 30-year options starting at $100,000 that can be later converted to permanent coverage. A Child Term rider protects your children with coverage up to $20,000 through age 25 and can be converted to permanent coverage once they reach adulthood.

You can get a quote for term coverage online through State Farm’s website. However, you’ll need to work directly with an agent to get quotes for other types of coverage or to purchase a policy. Policies, features and riders may not be available in all states.

Read our full State Farm life insurance review

Best for Whole Life Policies : Northwestern Mutual

Best Family Life Insurance Companies (2)

  • AM Best Rating: A++
  • Plans: Term, Whole, Universal
  • Issue Ages: Up to 80

Why We Chose It

Offering a range of life insurance options, including term, whole, universal, and blended plans, Northwestern Mutual is our best choice for whole life insurance coverage that protects your family’s short- and long-term needs.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Wide variety of plan options to choose from

  • Excellent ratings

  • Has a strong history of high dividend payouts

Cons

  • Most applicants require a medical exam

  • Online information is limited

  • You’ll need to purchase through an agent

Overview

Northwestern Mutual offers a variety of life insurance policies. The company earns our top nod for whole life insurance, offering families customized plans based on their unique needs and premium preferences. Northwestern Mutual holds an A++ superior rating through AM Best and ranks fourth in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Life Insurance Study.

You can choose from whole-life policies that last throughout your life and benefits such as premiums that never increase, successfully protecting your spouse and children with secure coverage well into retirement.Northwestern Mutual’s customizable life insurance products blend whole and term coverage to meet long-and short-term needs.

The website has an online life insurance needs calculator, and many applicants will need a medical exam to buy a policy that can be completed through an approved financial advisor.All policies are eligible to receive dividends through Northwestern Mutual, with an estimated $6.8 billion expected to be paid in 2023.

Read our full Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Review.

Best for Term Policies : MassMutual

Best Family Life Insurance Companies (3)

  • AM Best Rating: A++
  • Plans: Term, whole, universal
  • Issue Ages:

Why We Chose It

MassMutual is our top choice for the best term policies for family life insurance coverage, offering convertible term coverage and guaranteed premiums (in fact, its convertible term coverage earned it a place on our list of best life insurance companies).

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Helpful online coverage calculators

  • Term coverage is convertible

Cons

  • Some policies may require a medical exam

  • No child rider available

  • Most policies must be purchased through a financial professional

Overview

MassMutual provides flexible life insurance products that protect your family with up to $10 million in coverage through term, whole, universal, and variable life policies. MassMutual ranked above-average in the 2022 J.D. Power U.S. Life Insurance Study, coming in at 9th place among 21 carriers, and holds an A++ superior rating from AM Best.

Term life policies from MassMutual are available in 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-year options convertible into whole-life coverage. In some cases, you’ll be eligible for term conversion credits that can be applied to your new permanent policy’s premiums. Policies must be purchased through a financial professional, and insurance applicants may be required to a paramedical exam to secure a policy.

Read our full MassMutual Life Insurance Review.

Best Child Rider Option : Prudential

Best Family Life Insurance Companies (4)

  • AM Best Rating: A+
  • Plans: Term, Universal
  • Issue Ages: Rider through age 25

Why We Chose It

With a child rider offering up to $100,000 in protection through age 25, Prudential is our pick for the best child rider option.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Various universal policy types offered

  • Child protection rider

  • Term policies offer conversion privilege, some with premium credits

Cons

  • Personal contact information is required for online term quotes

  • Coverage must be purchased through an agent

  • Average consumer satisfaction ratings

Overview

Prudential provides term life, universal life, indexed universal life, variable universal life, survivorship universal life, and survivorship variable life policies. The coverage options vary, and not all products are offered in every state. Prudential earned an A+ excellent financial strength rating from AM Best but ranked 11th out of 21 in the 2022 J.D. Power U.S. Life Insurance Study.

You can protect your family through survivorship policies, disability protection, and a child rider for $10,000 to $100,000 in coverage under age 25 that is added to a parent’s term or whole-life policy. Other policy riders include waiver of premium, accidental death, estate protection, overloan protection, living needs benefits, and chronic and terminal illness benefit.

You can obtain an online quote for term life coverage through Prudential’s website, but you must speak with an agent to secure a policy.

Read our full Prudential Life Insurance Review.

Best Affordable Option : Transamerica

Best Family Life Insurance Companies (5)

  • AM Best Rating: A
  • Plans: Term, Whole, Universal, Final Expense
  • Issue Ages:

Why We Chose It

Offering online quotes and an interactive policy-builder tool, Transamerica makes buying life insurance easy for your family and provides some of the most affordable options.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Many plans to choose from

  • Online quotes available

  • Options for coverage with no medical exam

  • Interactive online tool to help you build the right policy

Cons

  • Some policies not available in New York

  • Policies must be purchased through an agent

Overview

Offering affordable family life insurance coverage, Transamerica earns our top recommendation. This carrier provides reliable coverage with various policy options, high coverage limits, and online tools. You can buy term life, whole life, universal life, indexed universal life, or final expense insurance coverage. AM Best rates Transamerica’s financial strength as A or excellent.

Transamerica offers term coverage in amounts starting from $25,000 and exceeding $10 million or more. No medical exam is required for qualified applicants seeking $2 million in coverage or less. Term policies come with 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-year options. Online quotes are available for some policy types, though you’ll need to purchase coverage through an agent. These term policies are not offered in New York.

Read our full Transamerica Life Insurance Review.

Best for Young Families : Banner Life

Best Family Life Insurance Companies (6)

  • AM Best Rating: A+
  • Plans: Term, Universal
  • Issue Ages:

Why We Chose It

Our choice for the best life insurance for young families is Banner Life, offered under the umbrella of Legal & General America, with coverage of up to $10 million and terms up to 40 years. Supplemental coverage can be added to 20 of those years to benefit the needs of young families.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Terms up to 40 years

  • Preferred underwriting is available even with a family history of cancer

  • Online quotes offered

Cons

  • Whole life coverage not offered

  • Policies must be purchased through agent

Overview

Offering term coverage up to 40 years, Legal & General America is our top pick for younger families. Via William Penn Life Insurance in New York and Banner Life elsewhere, Legal & General America protects customers with a family history of cancer, those with treated conditions like hypertension or high cholesterol, and former smokers. Legal & General America holds an A+ superior financial strength rating from AM Best.

Term life insurance ranges from $100,000 to $10 million in coverage. Additional policy riders include a child rider that protects your kids until they reach age 25, a waiver of premium, an accelerated death benefit, a supplemental term rider, and a partial surrender benefit. Term policies include an annual fee of $90. Quotes are available online, but you must work with an agent to secure a policy.

Read our full Banner Life Insurance Review.

Best for Ease of Signing Up : Bestow

Best Family Life Insurance Companies (7)

  • AM Best Rating: A+
  • Plans: Term
  • Issue Ages: 18 to 60

Why We Chose It

Bestow earns our nod for the easy application process, with quotes in seconds and the ability to buy a no-medical-exam term policy online in minutes.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • 100% online process

  • Get quotes in seconds and buy a policy in minutes

  • 30-day money back guarantee

  • No medical exams required

Cons

  • Maximum of $1.5 million in coverage

  • Not available in New York

Overview

Bestow was founded in Dallas in 2017. Most of its term life policies sold before January 2023 are written by North American Company for Life and Health Insurance, which holds as A+ rating from AM Best via Sammons Financial Group. Most of the policies sold after that date are written Bestow Life Insurance Company.

The company offers term life insurance up to $1.5 million without medical exams with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Applicants between 18 and 60 can obtain an online quote in seconds and immediately purchase the policy online. Bestow does not offer whole or universal life products, but 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30-year terms are available. Additional riders are unavailable, and coverage is not provided in New York.

Read our full Bestow life insurance review.

Final Verdict

With many options in the competitive family life insurance market, our overall top choice is State Farm. This insurer offers a variety of plans and holds the highest financial stability rating. For a quick turnaround with almost immediate coverage, we chose Bestow for its easy online quote and policy underwriting. Banner Life offers a 40-year term for young families, written under its umbrella company, Legal & General America.

Compare the Best Family Life Insurance Companies

Family Life Insurance CompanyWhy We Picked ItKey Benefit
State FarmBest OverallLarge range of products and high financial stability rating
Northwestern MutualBest for Whole Life PolicyBlended plans up to age 80
MassMutualBest for Term PolicyGuaranteed premiums and convertible term policies plus an option for immediate coverage through an online provider
PrudentialBest for Child RiderUp to $100,000 in protection for children up to age 25
TransamericaBest Affordable OptionOnline quotes with an interactive policy-builder tool to focus on your basic needs
Banner LifeBest for Young FamiliesHigh coverages are offered for up to 40 years
BestowBest for Ease of Signing UpOnline quotes and immediate policy execution.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Family Life Insurance?

Family life insurance ensures financial security with coverage that protects the entire family and can be accomplished through a branded family life insurance product, covering each family member under the umbrella of one policy. You can also create your family life insurance policy by blending a mixture of term or whole-life coverage with added riders.

Who Needs Family Life Insurance?

Family life insurance can offer peace of mind for your entire family, knowing that financial protection is in place no matter what happens to you or your loved ones if your family is impacted by the loss of you or your spouse.

What Does Family Life Insurance Cost?

The most affordable family life insurance coverage usually has spousal and child riders added to an existing term life policy. These riders are added to a policy for just a few dollars a month, depending on the coverage limits chosen. The cost of any life insurance policy is dictated by several factors, including the insured’s age, health, gender, location, medical history, family history, and the level of coverage desired. Term coverage is significantly more affordable than permanent or whole-life policies.

Methodology

To choose the best family life insurance providers and policies, we compared the coverage offered by over 15 companies.We considered factors such as price and product availability, coverage limits, benefits and features, and long- and short-term protection options. We looked at how these companies make buying personalized life insurance for your family’s unique needs and affordability. We also considered the financial strength ratings of each of the carriers, as well as consumer and trusted third-party ratings.

Best Family Life Insurance Companies (8)

Article Sources

Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in oureditorial policy.

  1. J.D. Power. "2022 U.S. Individual Life Insurance & Individual Annuity Studies."

  2. AM Best. “AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and Its Subsidiaries.”

  3. State Farm. "Why Buy Life Insurance."

  4. AM Best. “Northwestern Mutual Group.”

  5. Northwestern Mutual. "Northwestern Mutual to Deliver Record-Breaking $6.8 Billion in Dividends to Policyowners."

  6. AM Best. "Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.”

  7. MassMutual. "Term Life Insurance."

  8. Prudential Financial. “Children’s Protection Rider Highlighter,” Page 1.

  9. Prudential Financial. “Ratings.”

  10. Prudential Financial. “Life Insurance Riders.”

  11. Transamerica. “Financial Strength.”

  12. Transamerica. "Term Life Insurance."

  13. Legal & General America. "Life Insurance: Term Quote."

  14. Legal & General America. “Field Guide for Life Insurance Underwriting,” Page 4.

  15. Legal & General America. “Financial Strength.”

  16. Legal & General America. "Legal Disclaimers."

  17. Bestow. “FAQ,” click “Bestow Basics” and then “Who Issues the Policies that Bestow Sells.”

  18. Bestow. “Newsroom.”

  19. Bestow. “Term Life Insurance.”

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Best Family Life Insurance Companies (2024)

FAQs

Which company is best for family insurance? ›

List Of Top 10 Family Health Insurance In India 2024
Insurance CompanyFamily Health PlanClaim Settlement Ratio 2021-22
Reliance GeneralHealth Infinity98.65%
HDFC ErgoHDFC ERGO Optima Secure98.49%
Liberty GeneralLiberty Health Connect97.30%
United India InsuranceFamily Medicare Policy97.25%
6 more rows

Who has the best life insurance policies for families? ›

  • Best Family Life Insurance Overall: State Farm »
  • Best for Children: Mutual of Omaha »
  • Best for Seniors: New York Life »
  • Best for Low-income Families: Mass Mutual »
  • Best for Term Life Insurance: Bestow »
  • Best for Whole Life Insurance: State Farm »
  • Best for Universal Life Insurance: State Farm »

Who is the most trustworthy life insurance company? ›

Top life insurance companies
CompanyBest forAM Best Financial Strength Rating
NationwideCustomer satisfactionA+ (Superior)
Northwestern MutualUniversal life insuranceA++ (Superior)
PrudentialPolicy personalizationA+ (Superior)
State FarmTerm life insuranceA++ (Superior)
3 more rows

Is family life insurance worth it? ›

Family life insurance plans can protect your dependents from financial stress in the event that you are not around, while also offering you peace of mind in knowing that your loved ones will be able to do things like pay the mortgage or cover college tuition costs in your absence.

What is the number one insurance company in the US? ›

State Farm is the nation's largest car insurance company, accounting for 16.8% of all auto policies sold.

What are the top 5 health insurance companies? ›

The five largest health insurance companies are UnitedHealth Group, Anthem, Kaiser Permanente, Ambetter and Humana. Currently insured?

How much life insurance should a family have? ›

A common rule of thumb is at least 6% of your gross income plus 1% for each dependent. A stay-at-home parent should get enough life insurance to cover the costs incurred by the family if anything should happen to them.

What is the best age to get life insurance? ›

Choosing the Right Coverage for Your Age

If you can fit the monthly premium into your budget, your 20s are the best time to buy affordable term life insurance coverage.

How much does the average family pay for life insurance? ›

Average life insurance cost by state
StateAverage Annual Life Insurance PremiumAverage Monthly Premium
California$668$56
Colorado$645$54
Connecticut$724$60
Delaware$657$55
47 more rows
May 23, 2023

What is the #1 life insurance company? ›

Pacific Life's variable universal life insurance earned top marks in our analysis. We found that it has highly reliable illustrations for its VUL policies and very competitive costs. We also like that its VUL policies can build cash value relatively quickly. Very cost-competitive for most cash value policies.

What is the number one trusted life insurance company? ›

Pacific Life is the best life insurance company of 2024, based on our analysis. The best life insurance companies offer a range of policies, including term and permanent coverage. Several companies in our rating offer life insurance policies without a medical exam.

Which is better, term or whole life insurance? ›

If you only need coverage for a few years while your children are growing up, for example, then term life insurance may be the right choice. But if you want lifetime coverage and the ability to build cash value, then consider whole life insurance.

At what point is life insurance not worth it? ›

Life insurance may not be worth if you have no dependents, if you have a tight budget, or if you have other plans for providing for them after your death.

What is the main disadvantage of life insurance? ›

Too expensive for old people

Hence, as you age and if you develop a medical condition, then the insurance company will charge more premium since it will consider you to be a more-risk individual.

Is there life insurance that covers the whole family? ›

In some cases, the person serving as the family's main source of income has permanent coverage — whole life insurance, for example — while a term policy covers other family members, including spouses, parents and children.

What is the best health insurance company to go with? ›

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield. : Best all-around policies.
  • Kaiser Permanente. : Lowest average deductible.
  • Aetna. : Lowest premiums.
  • Oscar. : Excellent plan options.
  • Cigna. : Excellent value.
Apr 8, 2024

Is family insurance cheaper than individual? ›

Family plans usually have higher monthly costs for coverage, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums.

Which insurance is best for health? ›

List of best health insurance plans in India for 2024
Best health insurance plans in India - 2024Entry age (Min-Max)
Aditya Birla Group Activ Health Plan18 years and above
Niva Bupa Health Plus18-60 years
Bajaj Allianz Health Guard Insurance PlanAge (adults): 18-65 years Age (dependent children): 91 days to 25 years
1 more row

Why is family health insurance so expensive? ›

Administrative Overhead: Health insurers often have substantial administrative overhead, including marketing, underwriting, and claims processing. These costs are passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums, which can contribute to overall healthcare expenditure.

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