Author Archive

Website - http://www.thehartford.com
Located – Hartford, CT
Phone - 1-860-547-5000
Employees – 31,000
Revenue (bil.) – $25.91
Description - When choosing life insurance, you might find yourself having a heart-to-hart conversation with Hartford Life. As the life insurance arm of , The Hartford Financial Services Group, Hartford Life provides retail and institutional investment products such as annuities, mutual funds, and private placement life insurance. Hartford Life also provides life insurance for wealth protection, accumulation, and transfer, and offers group benefits, as well as fixed and variable annuity products via international operations. The company also operates through subsidiary Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company.

Source: http://www.hoovers.com

Reviews & Ratings

hwz1’s Full Review of Hartford Life Insurance Group

I am a financial advisor with one of the largest firms in the world and one of our products is life insurance. No, we are not an insurance company, but we offer the products of 11 insurance companies. In other words, we are not pressured to sell our own product. We have the option of selling any the products that any of the 11 companies offer and the pay out is virtually the same from each company. Hence, we use the product that we deem to be the best. Out of the 11, I have found that Hartford is the best.

I work primarily as a stockbroker, but I also do a decent amount of insurance business. I have been to the presentations of all 11 companies that we use and have met with all of the regional sales managers from the various companies. Hence, I feel I have a pretty good idea of which company offers a good product and which company is willing to go the extra mile to meet my clients demands. Yes, I am licensed to sell insurance, but selling life insurance is a complicated business and is one that I think you need an in depth knowledge of in order to sell effectively. 

As a financial advisor/stockbroker, I have a good knowledge of the insurance business. However, I will readily admit that I am not an expert. I simply do not enough business in the insurance segment to call myself an expert and that is why I part of the reason I utilize Hartford Life.

I have had three instances where I have had complicated cases that I would not have been able to do a good job with. Ok, I might have been able to do a good job, but I would have had to put everything else on hold for quite awhile while working on the situation. My job does not permit me that type of freedom. After the first case and numerous phone calls to the companies we use for our insurance purposes, I found that Hartford Life was the only one willing to send a regional representative out on short notice. 

Why is this important? Well, the regional rep has been through the wars and has seen it all. The regional rep knows the in’s and out’s of any type of insurance product and how it will benefit the client. Additionally, the regional rep can put together schedules that can be explained and followed in an easy manner. I can assure you that this is important. Usually, the schedules that are put together will confuse the advisor until they have done quite a few. So, the advantage of having someone who can explain the schedules to clients who may not be as informed in the field is beneficial to both the client and the advisor.

In all three of my meetings I was able to make a phone call and have our rep available on short notice. I cannot do this with the other companies that we use. And, I cannot stress how much this means to me and to the clients. 

When it comes to the actual product, Hartford Life is as good as any other Life Insurance company. It is difficult to distinguish between products when it comes to life insurance. The bottom line to me is to have someone who can explain the product and explain it well. Hartford is the only company that we use that does this. They are the only company that provides the personalized attention that clients really want. And, I am not just talking about huge policies.

I would recommend Hartford Life to anyone who is looking for life insurance or annuities. The products are not easy to understand and to me the most important aspect when considering an insurance product is the customer service. In other words, a company that can help the client understand the product is the best in the end. Hartford Life is the best I have found at doing this.

hwz1’s Full Review of Hartford Life Insurance Group

Life Insurance is not the most pleasant topic around, but at some point in time most of us need to think about it. When you do think about Life Insurance you might as well take the time to think about a firm that will do what they can help you in every way possible.

Before I tell you why I would pick Hartford Life I should tell you a little about me. I am a Financial Advisor who is also a registered Life Insurance agent. I do not sell a lot of Life Insurance, but when I do I have many options to choose from. My compensation is the virtually the same regardless of which company’s policy I choose to sell. However, i rarely stray from selling Hartford Life’s product.

To begin with, the regional representatives recently paid a trip to our office and told us what is new with the product. Ok, I thought, this will be quite boring. I was wrong. The company decided that after many complaints from advisors and clients that they would make the application process much easier. Hmmm, what a novel idea, but would it actually be easier? The answer was a resounding yes.

What Hartford has done is provide space for the simple, yet pertinent information- name, date of birth, address, etc. Yes, that is all that you will fill in on the form. The rest of the process- health, lifestyle, and personal information- is done through a phone call to the company. I know, big deal, right. I can assure you that it is a big deal since the old forms and the forms that most companies present can result in many frustrating moments regardless of how many times you fill them out.

Another idea that the Hartford is pushing is having regional agents come out for more complicated cases. In other words, you can meet with your advisor/agent and a regional agent if you please. The company has really begun to focus on customer service and it shows. For instance, Hartford will be buying me lunch twice this week as they teach us more about their products and how to make sure we get clients matched up with the correct policy.

Finally, the products themselves are top notch and the company is financially in excellent position. Why do I mention the company’s financial standing? For the simple reason that you want to be with a company that is financially healthy in the event you have a need. A financially insolvent company can not only be difficult to deal with, but they can also leave you hanging when it comes to paying out a claim. Although this is not a common occurrance, it can and has happened.

Hartford Life has excellent products in both Term Life Insurance and Variable Universal Life. The term policies are simply policies that expire after a set number of years and do not involve any of the bells and whistles that are involved with variable universal. On the other hand, the variable product will permit the owner to invest the cash value of the policy in a mutual fund and the policy will last indefinitely. 

What product is correct for you? Sorry, but that is not a question I can answer. Usually the guidelines involve your needs. If you are looking for additional insurance while putting a child through school I would look at term. If you are young and willing to allow your cash value to grow, I would suggest the variable product. Both of the products are competitively priced and have excellent track records.

Now for the negatives: If you are a smoker or over the age of 50 (they will write policies until you reach the age of 60) it will be more difficult to get insured through Hartford Life than other companies. One way that the company stays in such excellent financial shape is that they do not take on as much risk as other companies. Hence, the difficulty in getting coverage through Hartford. If you can get coverage through Hartford and are older or smoke, you will pay a pretty penny.

In summary, Hartford Life is the product that I sell my clients. I am familiar with the product and they have an excellent product. Additionally, the company goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to customer service. 

moneyguys’s Full Review of Hartford Life Insurance Group

The Hartford also manages 457 deferred investment plans for various municipalities. These programs are actually variable rate annuities and the value is based on “shares of shares” (derivatives of derivatives) of funds such as Janus Twenty. As such, the Hartford 457 investor does not actually own any shares of anything but the variable rate annuity. I finally got that in writing from a vice president but it took god knows how much effort. Public employees(other than teachers and librarians who can invest in qualified 403b plans) are not eligible for qualified plans such as a 401k, so there is no alternative if one wishes to invest before taxes. 

That being said, their system of security will not permit a participant access to his or her account without a company generated password. No other investment house requires this for general information. Access to an individual account, yes I can understand this but daily asset values should be freely available to investors. I have tried working with the company to make this happen, and have received contradictory reasons why it is not done (different municipalities are charged different service rates, etc). 

I have recommended a two tiered security system; lower level to access the daily values for a given municipality’s plane and a higher level with a personally generated PIN number for the individual. This is done by virtually every other investment house. I have been treated, not by all Hartford personnel but by some managers as misinformed, ignorant, not familiar with the insurance business and it has been inferred that I am a liar. The lower echelons really try to help. Unfortunately, even at the vice president level, the information both written and verbal was inconsistent and contradictory. If I did not have it in print I would not say this. 

Another City Employee had requested that his asset allocation be revised. Months passed without anything being done by Hartford, despite letters and telephone calls. I recommended a letter to the New York State Insurance Division. I do not know if this was the catalyst, but his problem has been resolved.

I cannot remove any of my contributions until I retire, or if I die. Then they can be accessed. One of the recommended methods of withdrawal is a variable annuity. Ask any non-commissioned financial planner what he or she thinks of this method. Hartford has all of us invested in the 457 by the short hairs and they know it. I have become frustrated over this situation. By the way, until March 1 of this year the information at the general level was available on the Hartford site without the need of a PIN number. 

In closing, I would like to state for the reader that I have qualifications as a Financial Planner and this makes the situation doubly frustrating. As one representative from Hartford said “If only you were one of our registered brokers, we could give you access to that information.” Not likely. I’m fee only….Don’t like the commission principle that turns 100,000 into 92,000 overnight.

Source: http://www.epinions.com

Website - http://www.aflac.com
Located - Columbus, GA
Phone - 1-800-992-3522
Employees - 8,292
Revenue (bil.) – $16.6
Description - Aflac’s clients may not welcome accidents and illness any more than a visit from Gilbert Gottfried, but at least their coverage will keep them from financial ruin. Aflac (whose popular ads feature a valiant duck voiced by comedian Gottfried) sells supplemental health and life insurance policies that cover special conditions, primarily cancer. It is one of the largest sellers of supplemental insurance in the US and is an industry leader in Japan’s cancer-insurance market (with 14 million policies in force). Aflac, which is marketed through and is an acronym for American Family Life Assurance Company, sells policies that pay cash benefits for hospital confinement, emergency treatment, and medical appliances.

Source: http://www.hoovers.com

Reviews & Ratings

ksteven’s Full Review of Aflac Life Insurance Company

I purchased Aflac insurance when our medical went down and Aflac Family insurance was approximately the same price per month as our medical insurance went down. Our daughter had just started gymnastics, and I was just waiting for a broken arm or leg. However, our first claim was when my husband tore his achilles tendon while playing in a softball tournament. They were very easy to work with and pay out very quickly. We have also made a claim when our son fell and had to have stitches in his head. They also pay once a year for a wellness checkup ($60 I believe).

JonsGirl’s Full Review of Aflac Life Insurance Company

Aflac, the insurance company no one should live without.  The insurance company that pays you and not your doctors or hospital.  For about a dollar a day you can have the peace of mind in knowing that if something should happen……such as an accident that keeps you from working you will have money to pay your bills, buy groceries…………live.  If you are diagnosed with cancer you will receive cash to take care of your family when you are too sick to work……………an insurance company that will make sure you are taken care of when you can’t do it for yourself.   Aflac………the insurance company no one should live with out.

jgogo’s Full Review of Aflac Life Insurance Company

AFLAC has very good programs that are affordable and they can tailor things to meet your specific needs.  The representatives are friendly and helpful in choosing a plan best suited for your needs.  What plans do they have? Well they have extended insurance plans if you are sick and need to take time off from work, all at reasonable monthly premiums.

I was having  a baby and my policy covered two weeks with full pay and an additional  two weeks since I had a C-section.  Great coverage, and they paid it out promptly.

The representatives are knowledgeable about their products and do  not try to sell you something you do not need,and they explain everything in detail.

Quack Quack for AFLAC! 

Source: http://www.viewpoints.com

Website - http://www.aigag.com
Located – Houston, TX
Phone - 1-800-231-3655
Employees – 11,300
Sales (mil.) – $2,147.5
Description - A-ten-schun! AIG American General is top brass among US life insurance and financial services firms. It is the marketing name for the domestic life insurance companies and affiliates group of parent firm American International Group. AIG American General offers clients a variety of products to build their nest eggs, including fixed and variable annuities. Life insurance offerings include individual and group policies for families, businesses, and educational institutions. Other products include accident and health insurance and worksite benefits programs. After approaching insolvency, parent firm AIG has announced that it will sell all of its US life insurance operations, including AIG American General.

Source: http://www.hoovers.com

Reviews & Ratings

Christine’s Full Review of American General Life Insurance Group

“Easy dealings with American General.”

American General gives excellent service to its customers, at least as far as my experiences go. I got a life insurance policy with American General and I am always notified immediately regarding any changes or news. When I made changes to the beneficiaries of my policy, I had no trouble making the changes at all. American General was very responsive to my request and I was notified the minute my changes were implemented. The cost is acceptable for what I am paying for and I know that my family will be financially taken care of if anything should happen to me. I like American General because they treat my requests with respect: they honor every demand I make timely, and I know that if my family ever has to deal with my death, they won’t have a financial headache to deal with too. That really is a load off my mind.

J. Hotaling’s Full Review of American General Life Insurance Group

“Thankful for American General.”

My husband and I decided to get life insurance to protect our financial future in the awful event that something happened to one of us – we got our insurance through American General. Last year my husband passed away suddenly and, as you can imagine, I was emotionally distraught for quite some time. American General assisted me and they were very kind to me in my time of need. My husband always handled all of the financial responsibilities and dealt with all the paperwork so I was really unsure of what to do or how to go about claiming. The team is polite, courteous and I am eternally thankful for their kindness. They could have made a hard time more difficult but they didn’t. Through a simple process I was able to get the life insurance monies I was due and I got to use the money to offset the loss of income due to my husband’s death. American General took a load of worries off my mind.

Anonymous’s Full Review of American General Life Insurance Group

“American General Is Fantastic.”

American General is fantastic in all of its dealings. I always get any kind of letters about renewals or payments immediately and they are not mysteriously lost in the mail somewhere. The claims processing is equally excellent: I know this first hand because I was in a collision in 2007. The driver of the other vehicle was at fault for the accident, I had several witnesses, and the driver was ticketed for unsafe driving practices. When I filed a claim, American General was extremely helpful and they did not unduly punish me for the fault of another driver. The process was fast and professional and I was reimbursed for all the damages on my car. I wouldn’t dream of canceling my insurance with American General no matter how enticing another offer may seem. Even if I had to pay a little more money for a quality service on getting now I would continue to do so because quite frankly, you can’t put a dollar sign on quality service.

Source: http://www.insuranceusa.com

Website - http://www.prudential.com
Located – Newark, NJ
Phone - 1-800-346-3778
Employees - 40,703
Revenue (bil.) - $34.4
Description - Prudential Financial wants to make sure its position near the top of the life insurance summit is set in stone. Prudential, known for its Rock of Gibraltar logo, is one of the largest US life insurers (along with MetLife) and one of the largest insurers worldwide. The firm is perhaps best known for its individual life insurance, though it also sells group life, long-term care, and disability insurance. Prudential also offers investment products and services, including asset management services, mutual funds, and retirement services. Other lines include a national real estate brokerage franchise and relocation services.

Source: http://www.hoovers.com

Reviews & Ratings

buttercupfreebies’s Full Review of Prudential Financial Life Insurance Group

“Rock Solid Prudential Protection.”

A few year’s ago my husband and I took out some life insurance with Prudential.It provides our children with the protection needed to ease the financial burden of our death.After looking at many different plans we decided on Prudential because of the coverage.Life insurance is something that everyone should think about having for your loved ones protection. After losing my dad three years ago,it has took a toll on our family by him not having life insurance.It is unbelievable the cost for funerals today.I decided then that I never wanted my children to have this burden of paying the cost of our death.I know that insurance can be very costly no matter what plan you get but,it is worth it for your children or loved ones. Prudential offers many plans that are worth checking out.It is one of the largest life insurance companies in the United States.They offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, property and casualty insurance, mutual funds, annuities, pension and retirement related investments and administration, asset management, securities brokerage, and real estate and relocation.We are very pleased with Prudential and our coverage.I highly recommend Prudential for all your insurance needs.

mtrenck’s Full Review of Prudential Financial Life Insurance Group

“Good Pricing, Helpful Agents, and a New Twist on Term Life Insurance.”

When my wife and I had our first kid back in July we (among other things) reevaluated our financial needs and our current life insurance. After determining that my wife needed to up her term life insurance we started shopping around online for the best prices and the best options. About four weeks later we’ve completed our application process and have received her policy from Prudential. While I certainly hope I’ll never have to actually use the policy, I’m definitely confident that we made the right choice with life insurance. Searching through Google we made a list of the various insurance agencies that provided what we wanted. Our biggest requirement was instant online quotes because we didn’t want to have to deal with 100′s of different sales people. Surfing over towards prudential.com provided us the opportunity to enter basic information about my wife and our insurance needs and a generic monthly premium was generated. For a 30 year $350K policy, Prudential was definitely the cheapest policy we found online. The one problem with Prudential’s website was that it seemed to block us out if we tried to “play” with the numbers… meaning if we tried to generate three or four quotes from the same computer we received an error message saying we should contact an agent. Once we had settled on a particular plan we thought we were interested in and had gotten hooked by the quoted price we were instructed that we needed to meet with an agent. Although I would have preferred to complete the entire process without meeting an agent, this turned out to actually work in our benefit. We were contacted by an agent the next morning and setup a meeting at our convenience.

Prudential’s independent agent met with us at our house. He was very flexible with his schedule and made it clear we could meet anywhere and at anytime that was convenient for us. When he arrived the agent was very professional, knowledgeable, and was able to offer us many options that we didn’t even know about. What makes Prudential very unique compared to some other insurance companies are the various options they have. Most of us are probably used to the two basic insurance plans – whole life and term life. Prudential offers a few twists on these plans which makes them a bit more favorable. One such option is their “Return of Premium” rider which, in a nutshell, returns the total amount we’ve paid after the policy expires. Think of this as giving Prudential a 0% loan for 30 years. To me, this is a win-win situation for me. God forbid something happens to my wife, my son and I will be financially protected. If we are fortunate enough not to use the policy, we will receive the total amount of what we paid in the year 2038. After meeting with the agent and learning about our different options we again settled on a plan that would fit our needs. One plan and price available to us was the exact same as what was quoted online, although we ended up purchasing a different, more expensive policy. The next step in the process was a phone consult performed by an independant third party and my wife. This took approximately 15 minutes and was completed in the privacy of our home. Following the phone consultation my wife met with a porta-medic who obtained a blood and urine sample along with height and weight. Once again, completed in our home. About a week later our agent called us and advised that everything had checked out okay, the plan had been approved and that he would meet with us to deliver the policy. I thought this was a little unusual and wasn’t sure why the policy couldn’t have just been mailed out. This is our first experience with any of Prudential’s products or financial options. We are happy with the pricing and service we have received and highly recommend Prudential to anyone looking into life insurance.

The Bottom Line: With many insurance options to fit a variety of needs, Prudential is setting the bar higher for most other insurance companies.

lordplayer’s Full Review of Prudential Financial Life Insurance Group
The Bottom Line: Trust them enough to have all my family insured with them even after I left the company.     I represented Prudential once when I was in the insurance industry. I can honestly say that Prudential as far as their life insurance policy goes…it’s one of the better one and more affordable one too. They have excellent policies ranging from Term to Variable Universal Life. Before you chose an insurance company, you need to check their financial ratings through AM Best, Moodys, and SP. Even though I no longer worked for Prudential, my wife, parents, siblings, and myself is insured through Prudential.         

Life insurance is a not a one policy fits all and should be discuss with a very experience agent who has been in the field for a few years. Insurance is a tough industry and there are high rate of turnovers no matter which company you are insured with. Your policy will still be there but your agent may not because it’s an extremely high turn over rate especially its a commission based industry. 

Prudential have a very extensive training programs with their agents. Their software is top notch and extremely detailed. A life insurance seminar between you and your Prudential agent may last as long as an hour and a half due to their thorough interviews. It’s really up to you to decide how much information you want from your agent. Overall, I am extremely happy with their rates, policies, and company.

Source: http://www.epinions.com

Website - http://www.principal.com
Located – Des Moines, IA
Phone - 1-800-986-3343
Employees - 16,585
Revenue (bil.) – $9.007
Description - Ah, the circle of life. For a child in elementary school, avoiding the principal is paramount. However, folks looking toward retirement may actually seek out The Principal. Principal Financial Group (or The Principal) is the umbrella organization for a variety of financial service providers that offer pension products and services (the company is a top administrator of employer-sponsored retirement plans), mutual funds, annuities, and investment advice. Its insurance segment provides group and individual life, health, disability, dental, and vision coverage. To compete with banks encroaching on the company’s territory and to maximize customer asset retention, subsidiary Principal Bank offers online banking.

Source: http://www.hoovers.com

Reviews & Ratings

Source: http://www.insuranceusa.com

William’s Full Review of Principal Financial  Life Insurance Group

From 8 years i have been an happy customer of Principal Financial Insurance’s Life Insurance Policy. The services offered by the company to its customers were really appreciable. Agents and employees were always among the best in the insurance industry as they respond to their customers needs in a very fast manner. In addition to this the company provides the flexibility of choosing their own insurance plan for its customers.

AnderSon’s Full Review of Principal Financial  Life Insurance Group

I found that Principal Financial insurance company is one of the best service providers in the insurance industry.It provided me with good low-cost insurance and insurance policies to keep the family safe.Principal Financial insurance provided me the policies which offers reliable services which are very convenient to me.I feel,Principal Financial life and Health insurance provides better services than any other insurance companies. I am thankful to Principal Financial.

strong>Hanson’s Full Review of Principal Financial  Life Insurance Group

strong>If you are looking for retirement solutions, life and health insurance, business continuation and the like, then Principal Financial will be the best for you. I have been a member of Principal Financial insurance company since last two years. They provide low-cost insurance to safeguard your family. According to me Principal Financial provides better services than any other insurance service. I am really glad to be part of Principal Financial and I suggest my friends to go for it if they are seriously looking for some investment in an insurance company.

Source: http://www.principalfinancial.topinsurance.org

Website - http://www.genworth.com
Located - Richmond, VA
Phone - 1-888-436-9678
Employees – 6,300
Revenue (mil.) – $9,948
Description - What’s a Genworth? Insurance and investment specialist Genworth might ask what your life or your nest egg is worth. Genworth specializes in long-term care insurance, as well as life insurance, retirement investments, and private mortgage insurance. The company also offers a variety of payment protection insurance products in international markets. Genworth focuses its retirement investment products, including individual and group annuities and mutual funds, on affluent individuals. Genworth serves over 15 million customers in 25 countries; its products are sold through independent distributors and financial advisors.

Source: http://www.hoovers.com

Reviews & Ratings

Director in Richmond, VA’s Full Review of Genworth Financial Life Insurance Group

Growing company, lots of encouragement, not your typical insurance company. You can really have an impact here. It is an amazing culture of change, and I think the IPO had a lot to do with that. You get the stability of a long-standing Fortune 500 company, with the freedom and flexibility of a startup.

Senior Finance Analyst in Richmond, VA’s Full Review of Genworth Financial Life Insurance Group

Richmond is a great place to live in and raise family. Genworth is better than many competitors. Benefits are good and every one knows every one as it’s not a huge company. Something is always on and management is not stingy.

Source: http://www.glassdoor.com

jennywasa5’s Full Review of Genworth Financial Life Insurance Group

I got my term life insurance from Genworth. They offer very attractive rates for short term periods of coverage. I got a nice 10 year term for until my wife and I pay off our mortgage on our house.

Source: http://www.filife.com

Website - http://www.unum.com
Located - Chattanooga, Tennessee
Phone – 1-800-421-0344
Employees – 10,000
Revenue – $10,519,900,000
Description - Unum Group (formerly UnumProvident) is a top disability insurer in the US and the UK. The company offers individual and group short-term and long-term disability insurance, as well as life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. Specialty coverage offerings include long-term care, cancer, and travel insurance. US subsidiaries include Unum Life Insurance Company of America, Provident Life and Accident, First Unum Life, Colonial Life & Accident Insurance, and The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company. The company operates as Unum Limited in the UK. Unum’s products are sold through field sales agents and independent brokers.

Source: http://www.hoovers.com

Reviews & Ratings

Account Consultant in Fort Lauderdale, FL’s Full Review of Unum Life Insurance Group

“A solid company with a great track record.”

Diversity of the products offered (from an insurance perspective). The brand name also helps as Unum is one of the premier Life/Disability carriers in the nation. Our benefits package is also stellar. Another plus is that management seems to have a great track record which is important (especially in these economic times).

Systems Consultant in Portland, ME’s Full Review of Unum Life Insurance Group

“I’ve had an excellent experience at Unum.”

Work/Life Balance, Unum is a very established and solid company. I am proud to work for them and many others that I’ve talked to are proud too. There are Information Technology employees that have worked there for over 30 years and love it there. That is rare. Even though it is a huge company, I don’t feel like I’m just another number.

Disability Benefit Specialist in Worcester, MA’s Full Review of Unum Life Insurance Group

“Better than most places.”

The benefits package is very generous and the amount of paid time off is substantial even for entry level job title. The people that work there are good people and there is an easy balance with work and leizure. The benefit package is very good and I think anyone would be hard pressed to find any sort of benefit package that tops the one that they provide their employees. The company encourages people to take different jobs within the company which can prove to be beneficial for anyone that bores doing one job for too long and it also is looked as a managerial development tool.

Source: http://www.glassdoor.com

Website - http://www.zurich.com
Located – Zurich, Switzerland
Phone - +41-44-625-25-25
Employees – 60,000
Revenue (mil.) – $47,472
Description - It’s a wonder anyone would leave Zürich, nestled as it is in the beautiful Swiss Alps. But the business interests of Zurich Financial Services (Zurich) have crossed the mountains and spread to all but cover the globe. Serving approximately 170 countries worldwide, the company is a leading provider of general corporate insurance. Focused on markets in Europe and North America, the company’s General Insurance segment offers property/casualty and specialty insurance, while its Life Insurance segment offers life insurance, annuities, and other investment policies. The company was founded in 1872.

Source: http://www.hoovers.com

Reviews & Ratings

Saxguy’s Full Review of Zurich Life Insurance Group

After a business degree and an MBA, I always figured that I would build my assets outside of insurance policy and I would provide for my untimely death (if it had happened) through term insurance. 

There are two basic types of life insurance. Whole life has an investment component in addition to the death benefit component. Whole life policies have fixed premiums. They do provide a nice buildup of emergency money for those who are not able to save and invest elsewhere. Term insurance has only the death benefit component. It is quite inexpensive when the policyholder is young and healthy, and more expensive as the policyholder ages and becomes infirm. 

I had always figured I could invest money better than the modest whole life return. So, for me, it was no choice. 

I got the maximum term insurance available through my professional organizations, the American Institute of CPAs and the Illinois CPA Society. Still, when I was offered a chance to buy an additional $500,000 in term life for 20 years for a fixed fee, I jumped at it. Online quotations were not available at the time, but I checked around and I got a decent price from Zurich-Kemper, a major insurer. 

Maybe I am over insured. But my son was in middle school at the time, my wife is retired due to disability, and I wanted to make sure that if something did happen, the house would be paid off and there would be enough money left over for whatever happened. 

The application process was easy. I gave the agent my medical history and they sent a paramedic who weighed me, took my vital signs and a blood sample. 

In the last 8 years, there have been no issues with the insurance. I can pay semi-annually or annually. Customer service answers the phone during the few times I have needed them. This insurance has provided an extra layer of security. 

At this point in my life, I am much less insurable. My weight is up and I’ve had a couple of heart attack scares, which were false alarms. I’ve lived within our means and saved and invested carefully, with good success, even with a blip in the markets in the last week and a half. 

So, I am really glad I bought the term insurance at the time. I recommend term insurance as an option and Zurich Kemper as a vendor. 

Thanks for reading. God bless!

rhall’s Full Review of Zurich Life Insurance Group

Dealing with many businesses today can be a battle, PacBell likes to have it’s customers wait at least 30 minutes before speaking to someone who is no help at all – it’s difficult to find companies that still place value on customer service as if it was conceded years ago. 

Zurich Kemper I must credit for efficiency and a streamlined process. In search of life insurance after the birth of our son I visited www.insweb.com which provided excellent tools to help you find your way: 

1) A Coverage Calculator: The insweb.com tool allows you to input all the variables you need and spits out the likely coverage you should get. After discussion my wife and I considered the tool to be a little loaded towards selling higher value policies but it provides a good starting point to consider. Just take it with a pinch of salt and think over what do I really need. 

If you work in the life insurance sector do you know if this calculator is slightly loaded to overquote? Try it out and add a comment. 

2) Quote Comparisons: By far the best tool on insweb.com was the ability to quickly compare quotes from half a dozen companies. 

Using the quote comparer it quickly became apparent that Zurich life was about 10% more competitive than any other company. Looking into financial asset backing Zurich has $19bn I believe and does not appear to be making up for any obvious deficiencies by quoting so low. 

I’d be interested to know from anyone in the life insurance industry if perhaps this comparison calculator is in any way loaded to favour a particular company. 

After submitting the quote within 24 hours an insurance agent from term.com called us back confirming the information. Then you get put into the Zurich Life process. 

I can be hard to get hold of by phone but Zurich made at least 2 calls to get ahold of me and provided a reference number so they could quickly refer to my quote. As it happened I couldn’t find this when the time came but their system found my record equally fast based on my social security number. 

They then do a phone interview lasting probably 30 minutes deluging you with what must be a standard array of personal questions. 

One high-point, perhaps common to life insurance providers, is that they scheduled a medical but the medical can be done at your home out of hours – so you can fit it into even the most tight schedule. 

All in all Zurich has lived up to it’s Swiss name and gone through a very smooth process.

Source: http://www.epinions.com

Website - http://www.nmfn.com
Located – Milwaukee, WI
Phone - 414-271-1444
Employees – 5,500
Revenue (bil.) - $21.4
Description- Even The Quiet Company has to toot its own horn. As one of the largest US life insurers, Northwestern Mutual Life holds more than $1 trillion in individual policies in force. Northwestern Mutual’s 7,000 agents and financial professionals sell a lineup of life, disability, long-term care, and health insurance. It also offers retirement products, including fixed and variable annuities and mutual funds to a clientele of small businesses and prosperous individuals. Other lines of business include institutional asset manager Frank Russell Company, known for the Russell 2000 stock index, and brokerage and trust services through its investment services and wealth management subsidiaries.

Source: http://www.hoovers.com

Reviews & Ratings

nghiemr’s Full Review of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Any one who is serious about their financial planning should consider looking at the products and services that Northwestern Mutual Life makes available. NML provides more than just life insurance; other products include disability insurance, annuities, long term care, and investment services. 

This Milwaukee-based corporation owns Robert W. Baird (a brokerage company for stocks, mutual funds, etc), the Frank Russell Company (a leader in institutional investments – your company’s retirement fund might include some Russell funds), and is in the process of acquiring a trust company to complete it’s mission of providing extensive services to its clientele. Northwestern Mutual’s services are extensive, but because this epinion is located in the life insurance section, I will focus on what Northwestern Mutual (aka “NML”) is best known for…life insurance.

As a policy owner, you want to know that in 20, 50, or however many years from now, NML will still be around when you need to access your cash values, or when your beneficiaries need to make a claim on your death. NML has been around for 143 years, is currently the 5th largest life insurance company in the U.S., with nearly $80 billion in assets, and has always received the highest ratings from the four major independent rating services: A.M. Best, Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Duff and Phelps. These high ratings are based on NML’s excellent financial strength, low operating expenses, high persistency (ability to keep its policyholders for the long term), and low mortality rates (somewhat strict acceptance of risk of it’s insureds, which helps keeps claims down, and therefore, expenses down). NML has also been one of Fortune magazine’s “Most Admired” corporations for over 17 years, a distinction given to it by industry peers.

If you’re already a policyholder, your first encounter with this company was probably through a Northwestern Mutual Life agent, who you probably know personally, or was referred to by a family member, friend, or co-worker. NML does not make a practice of encouraging business through cold calls. It’s a business of building long term relationships, and what better way of doing that then to make sure that clients trust their agents enough to divulge their complete financial situation. In turn, agents are given enough information to come up with proper solutions to their clients’ needs. 

NML definitely provides its agents with continuous training opportunities to keep up with changes in the industry, and new solutions to age-old survivor income, debt coverage, or wealth accumulation needs. Maybe that’s why Sales & Marketing Management magazine’s annual survey ranks NML has having the best sales force in the life insurance industry.

Underwriting includes everything from the moment you sign the application or take the medical exam, to the moment your policy is approved. If you’re healthy, underwriting will be a breeze. If you’re not, be prepared for possible painful scrutiny of your medical history. 

Compared to other life insurance companies, NML has stricter medical requirements. Based on your age and amount of coverage applied for, another company might only ask that you complete an exam conducted by a paramed who only asks general health questions and takes blood/urine samples, but NML might require a real M.D. to complete your exam, collect blood/urine samples, AND run an EKG. 

In addition, the company will probably request your medical records from your doctor(s). The process may seem painful, but once you are an actual policyholder, you’ll truly appreciate the extra scrutiny. Scrunity means NML is trying to keep it’s risk and expenses as low as possible by insuring the best of the best. 

I hate to say it, but most of NML’s clientele is of the “upper echelon” –individuals with high net worths, high income, who hold high-level executive positions. Many top CEO’s, well-known athletes, and entertainers have policies with NML that are used for estate planning, wealth accumulation, or other business needs. They’re quality products, and you get what you pay for in service, but unfortunately – NML insurance is probably not the most affordable life insurance for the average person. 

Two of NML’s most popular policies include Variable CompLife and Term 75. Variable Comp Life is a permanent whole life policy in which additional premiums (beyond the cost of the death benefit itself) are invested into various Northwestern Mutual Series Funds or Russell Insurance Funds. This product is often used to supplement retirement planning, education planning, or to fund a trust. Term 75 (formerly Term 70) is one of NML’s most widely held term products. It provides coverage until age 75, and can be converted to a permanent insurance policy at any time until age 60 without further underwriting. 

These are just two examples of the approximately 17 types of life insurance plans that NML has to offer. Also, on April 3rd, NML introduced it’s new RS series of term insurance, making rates on various term products less expensive. On a side note, NML insurance products are sold exclusively through NML agents, meaning NML agents can sell NML products and other companies’ products, but no agents from other companies can ever sell NML products. 

It’s no question that Northwestern Mutual Life is a reputable company, with the financial security to come through for its insureds when their life insurance needs arise. It is probably one of the last of the better “mutual” companies (owned by policyholders, who receive NML’s very competitive 8.8% dividend), as more and more life insurance companies move towards stockholder ownership. If you can afford it, don’t hesitate to look into Northwestern Mutual Life for your financial planning needs. Nevertheless, you can’t afford to NOT do any planning at all.

doglover’s Full Review of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Northwestern Mutual Life has been ranked as Fortune Magazine’s “Most Admired Insurance Company” for 15 years in a row (statistics from year ending 1998 since I do not have their 1999 annual report yet). They are at the top of all major ratings services, and their sales force is rated by Sales & Marketing Managementmagazine as the”Best Life Insurance Sales Force”. They must be good because they sold me a life insurance policy when I had just graduated from college at 24. I had no children, not married, so why was I buying a life insurance policy?

Mission Statement of Northwestern created in 1888:

The ambition of The Northwestern has been less to be large than to be safe, its aim is to rank first in benefits to policyowners rather than first in size. Valuing quality above quantity has made The Northwestern pre-eminently the Policyowner’s Company… 

1.) I have already listed their stellar reputation above. They also believe in quality over quantity, as stated in their mission statement, which I also strongly believe in.

2.) They are a mutual company which means you are a stockholder in the company, with full voting rights on the board of directors, and the best part, dividends distributes every year. 

3.) They promised that if I bought a whole life policy with them, that my cash value increases would be higher than what I paid in to it. I am here to tell you that over the years they have exceeded the projected estimates where my yearly dividend is twice my yearly expense. The dividends are used to increase the cash value and coverage so that has risen very nicely as well. 

4.) I can borrow on my accumulated cash value at a low interest rate. The cash value is the amount which the insurance company will pay in cash if the owner voluntarily terminates a life insurance policy. This already has accumulated to more than I have paid into it.

5.) The insurance amount is deducted automatically monthly from my bank account so it is hardly noticeable.

6.) There is a waiver of premium benefit that continues in force without payment of premiums in the event that the insured is disabled.

7.) I had the option to buy term insurance but since I did not have children I did not see the reason to throw away money on a policy that only paid up if I died.

I know you all are expecting me to say something wrong with this company but I honestly cannot come up with anything. I have always admired them and they practice what they preach, “The Quiet Company”, send me earnings statements at the end of the year, ask me to vote for board of directors once a year, and do not bother me for the rest of the year. That’s a company that I stay with.
hwz1’s Full Review of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company 

Yeah, yeah, more boring insurance reviews. However, I would urge you to read this one since I am involved in the industry, do not work for Northwestern, but would consider them the best in the industry. Here is why: First of all, they truly are the quiet company. Many insurance companies will secure you as a client and subsequently try to sell you numerous other products. Let’s say you buy a life insurance policy from another company. I can fell fairly confident in saying that you will shortly thereafter receive a call to discuss Long Term Care or Disability Insurance. Not with Northwestern. They are truly a quiet company when it comes to soliciting business. Now, this may not be the best thing for the company’s bottom line (Although, financially they are in great shape), but for the client’s piece of mind it does wonders.   
Secondly, the agents are smart. Yes, agents at other companies may also be intelligent, but I was impressed by how they got me as a client when I was way too young to know a thing about life insurance. Essentially, what they did was show my parent’s (Who also had a policy with the company) how beneficial it would for me to have a policy shortly after I was born. The benefit? Simple, I pay $23 a year for my coverage. The agents will never make a killing this way, but they will make long term clients and they will also do fairly well if they continue to get the children of existing clients.

Thirdly, the company does not believe in nepotism. Yeah, I know, what does that have to do with insurance? Well, in our local office the manager recently retired and everyone who did not know the company thought that his son would take over- you are essentially an independent contractor and, hence, can hire along the lines that play out within your office. However, people did not realize that the son had transferred to another office months previously. He transfered because he wants the top job at an office, but he knew the nepotism policy and, therefore, knew he would never get the job in Lancaster. I feel this is important from the standpoint of getting new blood in the position and removing any bad blood from the position (Not an issue with the local office). Additionally, you can find new ideas when new management comes aboard. 

Fourthly, the company has excellent products. In another few years my policy will be paid off. Additionally, the cash value has been invested smartly and has grown considerably over the years. Just like with my other insurance epinions, I would suggest a variable universal product or term insurance. Variable life insurance will provide growth and is an excellent policy for a youngster. Term insurance, on the other hand, does not provide cash value and ends after a fixed period. However, term has a lot of uses the most important of which might be the need for additional insurance while raising a family. What I mean is you may need extra coverage during this period since the bills will be greater and a loss of a parent who is working could/would be devastating. Hence, the need to take out a term policy that ends after a certain period. The key is that the policy ends after a certain period and is much cheaper than any other type of life insurance. 

In addition to the excellent products, the agents are intelligent. I have had a number of questions and have always received answers promptly. Trust me when I say that the business can be confusing and difficult and that getting a correct and quick answer is very beneficial. Yes, the agents for Northwestern have an excellent idea of what they are talking about and I cannot say that about every agent who is in the business. 

In summary, I would recommend Northwestern to anyone who is looking to purchase life insurance. The agents are intelligent, the product is excellent, and the company can be counted on to come through when you need them to. I am a financial advisor (Yes, I do sell Insurance, but not for Northwestern) and can say with confidence that Northwestern is the class of the Insurance field. Give them a shot and you will not be disappointed.Source: http://www.epinions.com

Website - http://www.massmutual.com
Located – Springfield, MA
Phone – 1-800-272-2216
Employees - 12,146
Revenue (bil.) – $24.863
Description- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance (MassMutual) is the flagship firm of the MassMutual Financial Group, a global organization of companies that provide financial services including life insurance, annuities, money management, and retirement planning. Founded in 1851, MassMutual’s clients include individuals and businesses. The company also offers disability income insurance, long-term care insurance, structured settlement annuities, and trust services (through The MassMutual Trust Company). Other subsidiaries include OppenheimerFunds (mutual funds), Babson Capital Management (investor services), Baring Asset Management, and Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors (real estate investment management).

Source: http://www.hoovers.com

Reviews & Ratings

Anonymous’s Full Review of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company

I bought disability insurance from MassMutual over twenty years ago. I had two major heart reconstructions leading to partial disability. While the process of getting approved for benefits was frustrating, the company honored my claim and has been very helpful since then. For example, because my condition will not change, they no longer required monthly reports from my M.D. In addition, they have been very helpful in answering questions about my benefits. I would recommend MassMutual to any friend.

Anonymous’s Full Review of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company

Sales and service have been done with the utmost in professionalism.

Anonymous’s Full Review of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company

I never lose sleep.

Source: http://www.freeadvice.com