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Reviews.com rates Protective Life insurance a 4.2 out of 5 based on riders, financial strength, customer satisfaction, and more.
Protective Life offers term, whole, and universal life insurance policies.
Protective Life offers up to to $50,000,000 in coverage for term life insurance policies.
Protective Life Insurance isn’t the most well-known life insurance company, but it’s a good one to consider when shopping for life insurance coverage. It offers a handful of life insurance policies with high coverage limits, plus customers can build a customized policy with its variety of riders.
In our Protective Life Insurance review, we evaluated the company based on important criteria, like policy options, affordability, financial strength, and overall customer satisfaction. We also compared Protective Life to a few of its main competitors to find out where the company stands out, and where it falls short.
Protective Life Insurance Overview
Reviews.com Score:
4.2
In business since:
1907
AM Best: AM Best rates insurance providers creditworthiness. Ratings are based on the provider’s ability to follow through with a payout when a consumer files a claim.
A+
J.D. Power: J.D. Power scores are based on surveys for customer satisfaction and product quality.
754*
Protective Life Insurance has its pros and cons, but overall, it’s a great choice for life insurance.
AM Best rates Protective Life insurance as financially strong with an A+ rating. However, Protective scored below average in J.D. Power’s 2020 U.S. Life Insurance Study — but on the plus side, the company has much fewer than average company complaints per the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Company Complaint Index, scoring a 0.33.
In terms of coverage options, you’ll find the basics like term, whole, and universal life insurance. However, the company stands out for its unique custom universal life insurance policy. You can also build a personalized policy by taking advantage of Protective’s riders.
PROS
Many different riders for customizationProtective Life offers a long list of riders that allow for building a customized policy.
Flexible universal life insurance optionYou can purchase custom choice universal life insurance, which has low premiums and adjustable coverage.
Coverage is available nationwideProtective Life sells life insurance policies in all 50 states.
Affordable term life insuranceAccording to Protective’s website, its term life insurance policies cost up to 43% less than competitors.
CONS
Below average customer satisfaction ratingProtective Life scored below average for overall customer satisfaction in J.D. Power’s 2020 U.S. Life Insurance Study.
Doesn’t offer dividend policiesBecause Protective Life is not a mutual company, policyholders don’t have the opportunity to receive dividends.
No option to buy coverage onlineIn order to purchase a policy from Protective, customers are required to work directly with an agent.
Prudential Life Insurance Highlights
Coverage & Riders
Customer Experience
Before You Buy
Protective Life’s insurance policies won’t break the bank. You can purchase a term life insurance policy for as low as $7.82 per month for $100,000 in coverage, and the company claims that its term policies cost as much as 43% less than other carriers. On the other hand, whole life and universal life insurance tend to be more expensive. Protective Life sells term, whole, and three different universal policies. Under its Protective Custom Choice UL customers can pay a low monthly premium and have the flexibility to adjust coverage limits later in life.
Policyholders can customize their coverage with the following riders:
Accidental death benefit
Accelerated death benefit
Waiver of premium
Disability income
Guaranteed insurability
Term insurance
Children’s term insurance
Protective Life is rated 754 out of 1,000 for overall customer satisfaction in J.D. Power’s 2020 U.S. Life Insurance Study, which is slightly below the industry average of 763. However, the company has fewer than average company complaints as reported by NAIC, with a score of 0.33, compared to the industry average of 1.0.
In order to get coverage through Protective Life Insurance, you will probably have to take a medical exam. Also note that you can apply for a term life insurance quote online, but to buy any type of policy, you will need to work with an agent.
Protective Life’s term life insurance is available with term lengths of 10 to 40 years, with $100,000 to $50 million in coverage. This is a great option for young, healthy individuals and families who want affordable life insurance. Term life insurance has a tax-free death benefit, level premiums, and when the term ends, you can convert to a permanent policy without taking a medical exam. You can get a life insurance quote on Protective’s website by providing some basic health information.
Whole life insurance from Protective Life has level premiums, a guaranteed death benefit, and builds cash value overtime with a fixed rate. Whole life insurance is a good option for people who want coverage for their lifetime, and want the ability to leave money to family members, contribute to an estate, or pay for end-of-life expenses. To get a quote for whole life insurance, you’ll need to contact a Protective Life agent.
The Protective Custom Choice UL policy is a universal life insurance product that has some term life insurance components. This policy provides coverage over a 10-, 20-, or 30-year period, but after your term ends, you’ll still retain some coverage as long as you continue to pay the premiums. The beauty of the Protective Custom Choice UL policy is that you can adjust your coverage limit during the term, while still having the option to convert to a permanent policy.
Variable universal life insurance from Protective is a good option for people who want to use their life insurance policy as an investment vehicle. The policy’s cash value grows tax-free in the stock market, and once the cash value reaches a certain balance, you can borrow the money as a personal loan or use it to lower your premiums. The biggest downside to variable universal life insurance is that you could potentially lose cash value based on poor market performance.
Indexed universal life insurance is very similar to variable universal life insurance, and is only recommended for people who are comfortable with investing. Your cash value grows in an index fund, and you can use that money in a variety of ways once the account accumulates enough in value. With indexed universal life insurance from Protective, policyholders have the option to put the cash value in a fixed account or an indexed account, which come with varying levels of risk.
Protective Life Insurance vs. The Competition
Provider
Reviews.com Score
J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction*
AM Best
Available Policies
Protective Life
4.2
754
A+
Term Whole Protective Custom Choice UL Indexed universal Variable universal
Compared to Protective Life, Globe is lacking in terms of policy options and riders available. Globe doesn’t offer universal life insurance, and the company only advertises three riders on its website, compared to Protective’s seven riders. However, J.D. Power rated Globe Life as the second-best life insurance provider for overall customer satisfaction, which is a big advantage of Protective Life’s below-average rating.
Protective Life vs. Northwestern Mutual
Protective Life and Northwestern Mutual have some similarities. They both sell term, whole, and universal life insurance policies, plus, both companies emphasize affordable term life insurance coverage. Overall, we found that Northwestern Mutual’s website was lacking vital information about its policies, and felt like Protective Life had better online resources. In terms of third-party ratings, however, Northwestern Mutual has much better J.D. Power customer satisfaction, scoring a 790 out of 1,000, compared to Protective Life’s 754.
Protective Life vs. Liberty Mutual
Comparing Protective Life and Liberty Mutual is tricky, because Protective owns Liberty Mutual’s individual life insurance division. However, Liberty Mutual and Protective Life don’t have the same offerings. For example, Liberty Mutual doesn’t sell universal life insurance, and Protective Life doesn’t sell simplified issue insurance, which is an option through Liberty Mutual. We also found that Liberty Mutual has much lower coverage limits than Protective Life.
Yes, Protective Life Insurance is a legit company. The company has great financial strength, fewer than average company complaints, a long list of riders, and a good range of policies that will meet a variety of needs.
Protective Life is a subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, but it operates as its own entity. Over the years, Protective has acquired a few different insurance businesses, including West Coast Life and Liberty Life.
Protective Life doesn’t specify whether you can cash out your policy before death. We recommend speaking to an agent to find out if this is an option for the type of policy you have.
Methodology
We evaluated Protective Life insurance based on riders, coverage, resources, financial strength and customer satisfaction to determine Reviews.com scores and create our best life insurance reviews. To compare life insurance companies with other providers across the board, we calculate each Reviews.com score based on the following:
Number of Riders: The more riders a life insurance company has, the higher it scores in our Reviews.com methodology.
Financial Stability: Reviews.com utilized AM Best ratings to assign a score based on each life insurance company’s financial stability.
Coverage: Life insurance companies scored higher if customers can convert term to whole and if they offered multiple options under different types of life insurance policies.
Resources: Reviews.com compared website functionality for life insurance companies based on ability to receive online quotes, submit online claims, and read information on different policies available.
Elizabeth Rivelli is an insurance writer for Reviews.com. Over the last year, she has covered insurance providers, best policies, industry trends and more. Elizabeth has been featured in The Simple Dollar, Bankrate and Coverage.com, among others. She holds a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. The Best Term Life Insurance Companies is Elizabeth’s favorite review on Reviews.com.
