Primerica Life Insurance Review 2024
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Primerica
on Nerdwallet
Financial strength rating
Online purchase
NAIC complaints
Policies offered
on Nerdwallet
Primerica
Financial strength rating
Online purchase
NAIC complaints
Policies offered
Primerica recruits people to sell its policies, encouraging these new insurance agents to start by selling to family members, friends and co-workers and encouraging them to join the business. Primerica agents also make money based on sales by agents they recruit, which is known as multilevel marketing, or MLM.
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Primerica life insurance rating
Primerica earned 3.5 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.
» MORE: Best life insurance companies
Primerica life insurance policies
Term life insurance. Primerica sells term life insurance nationwide, though you’ll need to contact a representative to apply for or buy a policy. In most states, you can choose a policy lasting 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35 years. Primerica issues policies worth as little as $15,000, with an unlimited maximum coverage amount for qualifying applicants.
The insurer offers a range of add-ons, like a waiver of premium rider that pauses your premiums if you become disabled and cannot work. The accelerated death benefit rider typically allows you to access up to 40% or $250,000 of the death benefit (whichever is lower) if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness. If you also have a disability waiver of premium rider, you may be able to access up to 70% or $400,000 of your policy’s payout while you’re alive.
Primerica customer complaints and satisfaction
Over three years, Primerica 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.
Primerica ranked No. 14 out of 22 companies for customer satisfaction in J.D. Power's 2023 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study.
What it’s like to apply for a policy with Primerica
There’s no way to apply for a policy online with Primerica. Instead, the website encourages you to reach out to a representative near you to discuss your options. You can filter down to the neighborhood in some states, and get phone and email details for agents in the area.
How Primerica’s customer experience stacks up
Primerica’s site may initially be a little confusing to navigate for visitors seeking life insurance. The top of the homepage emphasizes a “financial education guide,” and you need to scroll down a bit to get a link to the company’s term life insurance page. You can also find a link to this page in the top navigation bar under “Solutions,” which may not be the most intuitive term for insurance shoppers.
Screenshot captured by our editorial team on October 9, 2024.
The term life insurance page outlines life insurance basics but relatively few specifics about Primerica’s policies. For example, there’s no information about which riders might be available or how much your premiums might be. However, there are multiple buttons inviting you to contact a representative, who would be able to provide more details.
When we tried calling Primerica directly to get details about its policies, we weren’t able to get a human on the phone because we didn’t have a policy number. The customer service line is designed for people who are already Primerica policyholders. If you’re a prospective customer looking for information, you’ll need to call a local representative.
The MyPrimerica mobile app is available for Apple and Android devices. You can use it to manage your life insurance policy, including making payments and changing beneficiaries. You can also view your policy documents and get contact information for your Primerica representative.
Primerica doesn’t have a live chat function.
Where Primerica stands out
Primerica is one of the biggest sellers of term life insurance in the U.S. It also offers a complimentary “financial needs analysis” to help its customers figure out how much life insurance to buy.
» MORE: Largest life insurance companies
Where Primerica falls short
Be aware that Primerica uses a multilevel marketing structure for sales. Its agents are not employees, but rather independent contractors. For context, most other companies sell their products through full-time agents who make a career in life insurance sales.
Because of Primerica’s sales strategy, you may find friends or family members pitching the products. Your personal connection with these salespeople could create extra pressure to buy from Primerica, and perhaps pressure later to become a part-time Primerica agent. But it’s always a good idea to compare options and prices from several companies before committing to a personal finance product.
More about Primerica
Primerica offers additional financial products and services through its partners, such as auto insurance and homeowners insurance.
The company also offers investment accounts like annuities and education savings plans, as well as prepaid legal and identity theft services provided by third parties.
How to contact Primerica
Primerica can be reached by:
Phone: Call 800-257-4725 for policy information, changes or cancellations. To file a claim, call 888-893-9858 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Email: For general policy inquiries, send a message to [email protected]. For claims, email [email protected].
Live chat: Not available.
Life insurance buying guide
Before you start comparing companies, choose the type of life insurance you want, such as term or whole life. Decide which life insurance riders, if any, you want the policy to include. Calculate how much life insurance you need and how long you want the coverage to last. Check that the insurers you’re considering offer the coverage you’re looking for.
When comparing rates, be sure the quotes are for the same amount of coverage over the same period of time. It’s also important to make sure the policy’s medical requirements match your needs. For example, if you want to skip the life insurance medical exam but don’t mind answering health questions, confirm that the application process for each policy you're comparing aligns with that.
Price may not be the biggest driver behind your decision to buy. Look at the number of consumer complaints each company receives, as high numbers can be a red flag about the quality of service.
For more guidance, see our life insurance buying guide.
Methodology
Life insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s life insurance ratings are based on consumer experience, complaint index scores from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for individual life insurance, and weighted averages of financial strength ratings, which indicate a company’s ability to pay future claims. Within the consumer experience category, we consider ease of communication and website transparency, which looks at the depth of policy details available online. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Insurer complaints methodology
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2020-2022. To assess how insurers compare with one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.
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