Worst & Best Life Insurance Companies by Complaints
16 companies ranked by complaint ratio for life insurance. Higher ratio = more complaints relative to industry average.
Which life insurance company has the most complaints?
Among the 16 life insurance insurers PlainInsurer tracks, Globe Life has the highest NAIC complaint index (1.87, about 3.3× the market median of 0.57).
Which has the fewest?
Northwestern Mutual Life has the lowest NAIC complaint index among life insurance insurers PlainInsurer tracks (0.23, about 60% below the market median of 0.57).
The life insurance segment tracked on PlainInsurer covers 16 companies reporting NAIC Market Conduct Annual Statement data for the 2026 reporting year. Across the ranked set, 8 companies earned a reputation grade of A (very few complaints relative to size), 4 landed in the B tier, and 0 carry an F grade (significantly above-average complaints). Life Insurance complaint ratios differ from other insurance lines because life insurance complaints tend to concentrate around beneficiary disputes, contestability-period denials, and policy-lapse issues.
Ranking by average complaint ratio, where lower is better, lets consumers see how each insurer performs relative to its peers in the same line, rather than comparing a national auto writer against a regional life insurer. Complaint ratios are normalized by premium volume so that larger insurers are not penalized for writing more policies; the ratio compares complaints received against the share of premiums each company wrote nationally.
Practical takeaway for shoppers: the life insurance ranking is one of several data points that should inform a purchase. It does not capture price, coverage breadth, discount eligibility, local agent quality, or financial strength (which A.M. Best and S&P rate separately). The rankings do show which insurers consistently generate more regulatory complaints per dollar of premium, a meaningful proxy for how disputes are handled when claims go wrong. For line-specific disputes, your state Department of Insurance accepts complaints directly; national context lives in the NAIC complaint database. This page is not financial, legal, or insurance advice, always verify current rates, coverage terms, and carrier availability directly before purchasing.
| # | Insurer | Grade | Avg Complaint Ratio | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Globe Life Globe Life | D | 1.87 +87% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 2 | Primerica Life Insurance Primerica | D | 1.67 +67% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 3 | Transamerica Life Aegon | C | 1.12 +12% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 4 | Unum Life Unum | C | 0.93 -7% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 5 | MetLife MetLife | B | 0.89 -11% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 6 | John Hancock Life Manulife | B | 0.74 -26% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 7 | Prudential Financial Prudential | B | 0.67 -33% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 8 | Nationwide Life Nationwide | B | 0.58 -42% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 9 | Lincoln National Life Lincoln National | A | 0.56 -44% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 10 | Principal Financial Principal | A | 0.48 -52% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 11 | TIAA Life TIAA | A | 0.43 -57% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 12 | Mutual of Omaha Mutual of Omaha | A | 0.42 -58% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 13 | New York Life New York Life | A | 0.31 -69% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 14 | Guardian Life Guardian | A | 0.29 -71% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 15 | MassMutual MassMutual | A | 0.28 -72% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 16 | Northwestern Mutual Life Northwestern Mutual | A | 0.23 -77% vs. avg
| 50 |
Frequently asked questions
Which life insurance company has the most complaints?
Among the 16 life insurance insurers PlainInsurer tracks, Globe Life has the highest NAIC complaint index (1.87, about 3.3× the market median of 0.57).
Which life insurance company has the fewest complaints?
Northwestern Mutual Life has the lowest NAIC complaint index among life insurance insurers PlainInsurer tracks (0.23, about 60% below the market median of 0.57).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.