Deciding what the top ten life insurance companies in the United States are depends on what kind of criteria you're using. Are you going by price, reliability, flexibility, or financial backing? Depending on what kind of plan you want, the top ten insurance companies will change. Some companies offer better rates on one policy, but not on another. However, here's one group's ranking for the best life insurance companies, based on the volume of their sales. Popularity is one way of determining how good a company is, since people do tell one another about the best and worst deals.

Largest Life Insurance Companies in the United States

MetLife ranked the highest in 2006, followed by Prudential Financial. After that came New York Life Insurance, TIAA-CREF, and Massachusetts Mutual Life insurance. Northwestern Mutual came in at number six, AFLAC at number seven, and Genworth Financial at number eight. Unum Group and Principal Financial rounded out the list at positions nine and ten.

By 2009 those figures for the top 10 largest life insurance companies in the United States (based on sales) had changed to:

1/ Metlife - $41.1 billion
2/ New York Life Insurance - $34 billion
3/ Prudential Financial - $32.7 billion
4/ TIAA-CREF - $26.3 billion
5/ Massachusetts Mutual - $25.4 billion
6/ Northwestern Mutual - $21.6 billion
7/ AFLAC - $18.3 billion
8/ Unum Group - $10.1 billion
9/ Guardian Life - $10 billion
10/ Lincoln National - $9.1 billion

And by 2010 the top ten biggest life insurance companies in the US (again based on sales revenue) was as follows:

1/ MetLife - $52.7 billion
2/ Prudential Financial - $38.41
3/ New York Life Insurance - $34.94
4/ TIAA-CREF - $32.22
5/ Massachusetts Mutal Life Insurance - $25.64
6/ Northwestern Mutual - $23.38
7/ Aflac - $20.73
8/ Lincoln National - $10.41
9/ Unum Group - $10.19
10/ Genworth Financial - $10.08

(Put your zip code in the box above right now to get a quick life quote from the biggest life insurance companies in the USA)

One interesting thing to note is the general rise in the sales revenue between 2009 and 2010, despite difficult economic times.

While this doesn't tell you much about their plan offerings, it does tell you about the volume of life insurance that these companies sell, and might be useful in helping you choose between two policies.

All these companies have a sound financial backing and can be relied upon to pay the death benefit in the event of the worst case scenario, which is re-assuring. It is after all good to know that your life insurance company can take care of your family when you can't. Some life insurance companies are on shaky financial ground, and you never know when they will be unable to support you, but that is not true of the largest insurance companies.

Choosing a company from this list means that you're getting a company that many people like, and that has a solid history of providing life insurance. It doesn't guarantee that you'll be getting the best rates for the type of policy you want, or that your coverage will be exactly what you need.

So for that you will still have to carefully examine your options and get individual quotes to find out what is the best fit for your circumstances. (You can get a quote at the top of this page).

Don't feel bound by this top ten list as your only place to shop. It just tells you which companies have the best financial status right now. There are many companies not on this list that might provide a better plan for you, depending on your exact circumstances. However, if you're trying to choose between two companies with similar plans and prices, this top ten list could help you make that decision.

If you are interested in the top life insurance companies in particular States, then we have compiled comprehensive resources on many of the different states. You can also get carefully selected life insurance quotes for your particular state on those pages.

Largest Life Insurance Companies By State

If you scroll down on these pages you will see the top ten life insurance company lists for that particular state.

You can also get a life insurance quote for your particular state by putting in your zipcode at the top of the page.

(Note - If your state isn't listed below you can still read a comprehensive guide to life insurance in your state by clicking on the links on the right. It is simply that we haven't yet compiled a top ten list of the life insurance companies in that state. We have however compiled numerous other state-specific resources which you will find useful)

1/ California - Top Ten Life Insurance Companies in California

2/ Idaho - Top Ten Life Insurance Companies in Idaho

3/ Illinois - Top Ten Life Insurance Companies in Illinois

4/ Michigan - Top Ten Life Insurance Companies in Michigan

5/ Minnestota - Top Ten Largest Life Insurance Companies in Minnesota

6/ South Dakota - Top Ten Largest Life Insurance Companies in South Dakota

7/ Tennessee - Top Ten Largest Life Insurance Companies in Tennessee

8/ Texas - Top Ten Largest Life Insurance Companies in Texas

9/ Utah - Top Ten Largest Life Insurance Companies in Utah

10/ Virginia - Top Ten Largest Life Insurance Companies in Virginia

11/ Washington - Top Ten Largest Life Insurance Companies in Washington

12/ Wisconsin - Top Ten Largest Life Insurance Companies in Wisconsin

Life insurance is an important way to protect your family if the worst happens. Choosing a popular company that sells a lot of insurance and has a good financial backing is one way to know that they're secure. But no matter what method you use to find the best life insurance plan to cover you, be sure to shop carefully and research thoroughly before picking a plan. That way, you'll know for sure that you are getting the very best life insurance policy for your family, budget, and circumstances.

 

---