Best Family Life Insurance of 2025
For families facing an uncertain financial future following the death of a parent, family life insurance offers a crucial safety net, providing stability for surviving spouses and children. Based on our analysis of term life insurance policies, Corebridge, Pacific Life, Protective, and Symetra stand out as top providers.
Summary: Top Family Life Insurance Companies
- Corebridge: Great for choices of term lengths
- Pacific Life: Best cost for $1 million term life
- Protective: Great for long level term lengths
- Symetra: Best for term life rates
Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor
We analyzed the cost, guaranteed renewability options, and conversion features of term life insurance policies. Our editorial team is committed to providing unbiased ratings and information. Advertisers do not influence our ratings. More information about our editorial guidelines and methodology is available below.
Corebridge
- Forbes Advisor Rating: 5.0
- Our Expert Take: We’re impressed by the range of term lengths offered by Corebridge. We also found that Corebridge’s Select-a-Term policy generally has very competitive rates and think it will appeal to families looking for the most affordable term life insurance.
- Policy Name: Select-a-Term
- Average Cost Per Year (20-year, $250,000 policy, age 40): $192
- Level Term Lengths Available: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35 years
Pros:
- Low term life insurance rates.
- 35-year term length available, which could be appealing to buyers with young children.
- Buyers can customize a term length in which to lock in rates, anywhere from 10 to 35 years, such as 18 years.
Cons:
- High customer complaint ratio for issues like claim handling delays, billing issues, and surrender problems.
Policy Details:
- Life insurance riders: Accidental death benefit rider, child life insurance rider, waiver of premium rider
- Minimum face amount: $100,000
Pacific Life
- Forbes Advisor Rating: 5.0
- Our Expert Take: We scored Pacific Life highly across the board due to its low rates and superior coverage features. It also stood out for its pricing on $1 million term life insurance.
- Policy Name: PL Promise Term
- Average Cost Per Year (20-year, $250,000 policy, age 40): $191
- Level Term Lengths Available: 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years
Pros:
- Low term life insurance costs among the companies we analyzed.
- Offers especially low rates for $1 million term life insurance.
- High maximum coverage amount of over $10 million, which is helpful for families who want life insurance for income replacement.
- The policy is guaranteed renewable until age 95.
Cons:
- If you choose to convert the term life policy to a permanent policy, you’re limited to a universal life insurance policy.
Policy Details:
- Life insurance riders: Accelerated death benefit rider, children’s term life insurance rider, disability waiver of premium rider
- Minimum face amount: $50,000
Protective
- Forbes Advisor Rating: 5.0
- Our Expert Take: Protective’s Classic Choice term life policy is worth consideration for its low rates and superior choices of level term lengths during which you lock in the rate.
- Policy Name: Classic Choice Term
- Average Cost Per Year (20-year, $250,000 policy, age 40): $191
- Level Term Lengths Available: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 years
Pros:
- Level term lengths include 35- and 40-year choices, which can be valuable for families with young children who want to lock in rates for a long period.
- The policy can be renewed until age 95 (although at higher rates every year after the level term period ends).
- Choice of up to 8 permanent life insurance policies from Protective if you choose to convert the term life to a permanent policy.
Cons:
- Protective has tighter restrictions than many competitors for its accelerated death benefit: You can access only 60% or $1 million (whichever is less) of the death benefit if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness. And you must have a life expectancy of no more than six months to use the feature, while many competitors require 12 months or longer.
Policy Details:
- Life insurance riders: Accelerated death benefit rider, children’s term life rider, accidental death rider, waiver of premium rider, income provider option for endorsement rider
- Minimum face amount: $100,000
Symetra
- Forbes Advisor Rating: 5.0
- Our Expert Take: We picked Symetra because it had the lowest average term life insurance rates in our analysis, making it a top option for family life insurance.
- Policy Name: SwiftTerm
- Average Cost Per Year (20-year, $250,000 policy, age 40): $191
- Level Term Lengths Available: 10, 15, 20 or 30 years
Pros:
- Best term life rates in our analysis.
- Can be purchased online and with instant approval if you’re young and healthy.
- The policy can be renewed until age 95 (although at a higher cost each year after the level term period).
Cons:
- Maximum face amount of $3 million is lower than many competitors and may not be enough for families who want a high amount for income replacement.
- As a relatively young company (founded in 1957), Symetra doesn’t have a long track record of demonstrating its ability to pay claims.
- If you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness, the accelerated death benefit money available is only up to $500,000 (or 75% of your death benefit, whichever is less).
Policy Details:
- Life insurance riders: Accelerated death benefit rider, accidental death benefit rider, children’s term life insurance rider, waiver of premium rider
- Minimum face amount: $100,000
What Is Family Life Insurance?
Family life insurance is a broad term describing life insurance policies or riders that cover a family’s needs. It is not a single type of policy.
Buyers have various options, including term and permanent policies. Term life insurance is generally the best option for families.
What Type of Life Insurance Is Best for a Family?
Term life insurance often provides the best solution for families, particularly those with young children. A level term life insurance policy allows you to secure a rate for a set period, offering financial predictability.
Families can choose a term length that aligns with their financial priorities. Such policies also come with several rider options, providing flexibility.
Who Needs Family Life Insurance?
Family life insurance is a must-have for those with families who depend on each other financially. It provides a safety net for loved ones following a death, and with proper planning, it also can help financially if another family member dies.
Reasons to buy family life insurance include:
- Paying off a significant debt, such as a mortgage.
- Covering funeral expenses.
- Planning to have children soon.
- Paying for children’s college expenses.
- Leaving an inheritance to children.
- Covering a stay-at-home parent.
How Much Does Family Life Insurance Cost?
Family life insurance can range from $154 to $347 annually—depending on the term length and company—for a $500,000 term life policy for a male age 30, based on our analysis. For females the same age, it can cost between $129 and $290 a year.
Term life insurance is much more affordable than other policy types, such as whole life insurance.
Here are examples of term life insurance costs for the companies that scored highest in our analysis of the best family life insurance. Rates are based on buyers who are in excellent health. Once you buy a term life policy, you lock in the rate for the level term period, such as 20 years.
Annual Term Life Insurance Rates for a 30-Year-Old Male, $500,000 Policy
Annual Term Life Rates for a 30-Year-Old Male, $1 Million Policy
Annual Term Life Rates for a 30-Year-Old Female, $500,000 Policy
Annual Term Life Rates for a 30-Year-Old Female, $1 Million Policy
What Factors Affect the Cost of Family Life Insurance?
Several factors influence term life insurance rates. These include:
- Age, Gender, and Occupation: These basics help insurance companies determine your life expectancy.
- Health: Your overall health, including height, weight, prescriptions, medical conditions, smoking status, substance abuse history, and the health history of your parents and siblings also help insurers predict your life expectancy. Your life insurance medical exam results (if required) will also be assessed.
- Driving Record: Life insurers often consider infractions on your driving record, such as DUIs and reckless driving, which increase risk.
- Criminal Record: Major felonies and multiple felonies will often result in a decline.
- Risky Hobbies: Risky hobbies like aviation and scuba diving can lead to higher rates or even a decline.
- Credit and Finances: Life insurers sometimes use risk scores that consider credit and public records such as bankruptcies.
Life Insurance for Couples
If you need insurance for a couple, consider these options.
- Supplemental life insurance: If your employer offers supplemental life insurance for your spouse, this can be a cost-effective way to cover a spouse or legal partner.
- Joint life insurance: This type of life insurance insures two people under one policy, usually resulting in lower premiums than two separate policies. But joint life insurance only pays one death benefit: It pays out to beneficiaries after the second surviving policyholder dies.
- Separate life insurance policies: Each person would get their own individual life insurance policy.
- Spousal life insurance rider: This is a rider that provides a death benefit if your spouse or legal partner passes away, as long as you are still alive.
Life Insurance for Children
There are typically two ways to get life insurance for a child. In both cases, the parent is the policyholder.
- Child life insurance policy: This is a separate life insurance policy for a child.
- Child term life insurance rider: This is a rider you can add when you buy your own life insurance policy that pays out a death benefit if your child dies.
Life Insurance Riders for Families
When purchasing life insurance, you can add coverage for your family by considering several life insurance riders.
- Children’s term life insurance rider: Pays out a death benefit upon the death of a child.
- Family income benefit rider: Provides a monthly payment to your beneficiaries in addition to the death benefit after you die.
- Guaranteed insurability rider: If your family circumstances change, such as marriage or having a child, this rider allows you to purchase additional coverage without a medical exam.
- Spouse life insurance rider: Added to your own policy but pays out a death benefit upon the death of a spouse, as long as you are still living.
- Waiver of premium rider: If you are the main income earner in your family and become disabled and unable to work, this rider covers your premiums until you can return to work, helping to avoid the loss of important life insurance.
Expert Tips
Expert advice from insurance professionals:
- Ashlee Valentine, Insurance Editor:
- Make a Family Financial Plan: “A life insurance purchase works best as part of a broader financial plan. Having a clear financial plan will help you identify how much family life insurance you need and whether term life insurance is the best option. I suggest working with a trusted financial advisor who can help you put all the pieces of your financial puzzle together.”
- Amy Danise, Insurance Managing Editor:
- Consider Family Life Insurance Needs: “Many people underestimate how much life insurance they need so I recommend careful consideration of your family’s needs before purchasing a policy.”
- Penny Gusner, Insurance Senior Writer:
- Compare Life Insurance Quotes: “I strongly suggest shopping around. Life insurance quotes are free, and by comparing multiple quotes you’ll get a sense of what a good price is.”
Methodology
To find the best family life insurance, we focused on term life insurance, which is the most affordable coverage for families. We used our own research and data provided by AccuQuote, a national online life insurance agency.
We evaluated 20 companies on these measurements:
- Cost (80% of score): We scored costs based on each company’s rates for 30- and 40-year-old men and women for 10, 20 and 30 terms and for coverage amounts of $250,000, $500,000, $1 million and $2 million.
- Guaranteed renewability (10% of score): Companies earned points if their term life policies can be renewed at the end of the level term period.
- Term life conversion (10% of score): Companies earned points if their term life policies can be converted to permanent life insurance.
Family Life Insurance Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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What does a family life insurance policy offer?
Family life insurance offers a payout if you pass away, known as the death benefit. Your life insurance beneficiary can use the death benefit for any financial need.
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Can you buy life insurance on a family member?
You can buy life insurance on a family member, such as a spouse if you have insurable interest in the person.
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Can I buy life insurance on my husband in secret?
You can’t buy life insurance on someone else in secret, including a husband. The person being insured will need to sign the life insurance application and, depending on the policy and company, may need to complete a life insurance medical exam.
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Does every family member need to take a medical exam?
If you’re buying a children’s term life insurance rider or spouse rider, they do not need to take a life insurance medical exam.
