Today, Life Insurance carriers face 2 big risks:
1. Lack of Awareness
There is a lack of awareness among consumers tied to the need and value of supplemental life insurance, beyond what may be granted by their employer. Progression through various life stages and events may leave these consumers inadequately covered with their employer’s life insurance benefit. In the wake of rising inflation and financial challenges, many small to medium employers are phasing out life insurance coverage as an employee benefit. For customers who lose this benefit or don’t have it to begin with, how can life insurance carriers educate new and existing customers on the value of purchasing a policy that will properly cover them?
2. Loss of Control of Their Brand Reputation:
Regardless of the distribution model, the policy holder’s experience is critical to brand reputation and ability to grow. If an agent, broker, or advisor is managing the service experience for a policy, the insurer’s brand reputation is being put into their hands. Customers are not evaluating the advisor’s brand, they are evaluating the brand that is attached to their policy. In order to ensure that your Company is being represented properly, you need to understand the policy holder’s experience on servicing the needs of the customer throughout the life of a policy.
To overcome these challenges, life insurance carriers need to know their end customers.
The Solution
The JD Power Individual Life Insurance Study helps insurers answer these strategic questions that can help them better understand policyholders, expand their portfolio, and increase customer satisfaction:
- Regardless of distribution model, what is the service experience for a policyholder?
- How do service experiences differ depending on the distribution model?
- Which Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should an insurer be focused on for their specific distribution model?
- For customers with an agent/advisor, what is their perspective of that agent/advisor?
- How do customers feel about an insurer’s brand?
- How do different demographics feel about their life insurance coverage?
- What is the shopping experience for an insurer’s brand and competitor brands?
The JD Power Individual Life Insurance Study helps insurers answer these strategic questions that can help them better understand policyholders, expand their portfolio, and increase customer satisfaction:
- Regardless of distribution model, what is the service experience for a policyholder?
- How do service experiences differ depending on the distribution model?
- Which Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should an insurer be focused on for their specific distribution model?
- For customers with an agent/advisor, what is their perspective of that agent/advisor?
- How do customers feel about an insurer’s brand?
- How do different demographics feel about their life insurance coverage?
- What is the shopping experience for an insurer’s brand and competitor brands?
Benefits
Why subscribe?
A subscription to this study will answer the strategic questions above which life insurance carriers can use to:
- Inform acquisition and retention strategies
- Identify key areas for performance improvement
- Support their distribution network for the benefit of the policyholder
Why subscribe?
A subscription to this study will answer the strategic questions above which life insurance carriers can use to:
- Inform acquisition and retention strategies
- Identify key areas for performance improvement
- Support their distribution network for the benefit of the policyholder
Experiences Explored
The study measures overall customer satisfaction based on performance across eight dimensions:
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Product offerings
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Problem resolution
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Service availability
-
Digital channels
-
People
-
Value for the price
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Trust
-
Ease of doing business
The study measures overall customer satisfaction based on performance across eight dimensions:
-
Product offerings
-
Problem resolution
-
Service availability
-
Digital channels
-
People
-
Value for the price
-
Trust
-
Ease of doing business
Key Dates
2025 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study Milestones
Field Start: July 2024
Publish: October 1, 2025
Press Release: October 9, 2025
2026 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study Milestones
Field Start: July 2025
Wave 1 Publish: April 7, 2026
Wave 2 Publish: October 1, 2026
Press Release: October 8, 2026
2025 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study Milestones
Field Start: July 2024
Publish: October 1, 2025
Press Release: October 9, 2025
2026 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study Milestones
Field Start: July 2025
Wave 1 Publish: April 7, 2026
Wave 2 Publish: October 1, 2026
Press Release: October 8, 2026
Press Release & Award Information
JD Power issues national press releases highlighting key findings and top-to-bottom rankings from award-eligible studies. The brand(s) that rank highest in each award-eligible segment and meet predetermined award criteria will have the opportunity to enter into a licensing agreement through the JD Power Awards Program, which requires subscribing to the study as a prerequisite. Learn More
Read the latest press release:
U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study Press Release
See how our Awards make an impact:
U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study Award Information
Brands that rank above the industry average for their segment and subscribe to the study earn the opportunity to commission a JD Power Performance Report, a customized, client-commissioned report that highlights this above-average performance. Learn More
JD Power issues national press releases highlighting key findings and top-to-bottom rankings from award-eligible studies. The brand(s) that rank highest in each award-eligible segment and meet predetermined award criteria will have the opportunity to enter into a licensing agreement through the JD Power Awards Program, which requires subscribing to the study as a prerequisite. Learn More
Read the latest press release:
U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study Press Release
See how our Awards make an impact:
U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study Award Information
Brands that rank above the industry average for their segment and subscribe to the study earn the opportunity to commission a JD Power Performance Report, a customized, client-commissioned report that highlights this above-average performance. Learn More
Profiled Brands
2025 Brands Targeted to be Profiled
(final profiled list available upon study publication)
- Brighthouse Financial
- Corebridge Financial
- Equitable
- Globe Life
- Guardian Life
- John Hancock
- Lincoln Financial Group
- MassMutual
- MetLife
- Midland National Life
- Mutual of Omaha
- National Life Group
- Nationwide
- New York Life
- Northwestern Mutual
- Pacific Life
- PennMutual
- Primerica
- Protective Life
- Prudential
- Securian
- State Farm
- Transamerica (AEGON)
2026 Brands Targeted to be Profiled
(final profiled list available upon study publication)
- Brighthouse Financial
- Corebridge Financial
- Equitable
- Globe Life
- Guardian Life
- John Hancock
- Lincoln Financial Group
- MassMutual
- Midland National Life
- Mutual of Omaha
- National Life Group
- Nationwide
- New York Life
- Northwestern Mutual
- Pacific Life
- PennMutual
- Primerica
- Principal
- Protective Life
- Prudential
- Securian
- State Farm
- Transamerica (AEGON)
(Updated 7/8/2025)
Make decisions with confidence
Subscribers to this study have full access to benchmark reporting, competitor analysis, and more with PowerSource.
Subscribers to this study have full access to benchmark reporting, competitor analysis, and more with PowerSource.
Insurance Insights
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JD Power studies, products, and services are available for purchase. If you’re interested in subscribing to a JD Power study or becoming a client, please fill out the form, and we'll be in touch. Questions? Click here to find the answers to frequently asked questions.
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JD Power studies, products, and services are available for purchase. If you’re interested in subscribing to a JD Power study or becoming a client, please fill out the form, and we'll be in touch. Questions? Click here to find the answers to frequently asked questions.
If you’ve received a JD Power survey and have questions or comments, please contact us here.
For all other inquiries, you can contact us here.