Liberty Mutual Life Insurance Review [2023]

Life insurance is meant to make life easy. Shopping for it is often not.

If you are wondering about shopping for life insurance, this review look at the types of term life insurance offered by the company, as well as other policies.

We’ll be taking you through the ABCs of Liberty Mutual life insurance, including information on the company’s ratings and how to get quotes.

How do average rates compare with other top companies?

This table compares rates for a 20-year, $100,000 term life policy to the average premium charged by the top 10 life insurance companies in the country for the same policy.

As you can see, Liberty Mutual insurance policies tend to be more expensive no matter your gender or whether you smoke.

The gap only increases as the policyholder ages, to more than twice as much in some cases.

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What types of coverage are offered?

When deciding what type of life insurance to buy, consider your life stage, how long you’ll need coverage, and whether you want the opportunity to build the cash value of your policy.

Let’s take a closer look at the different types of policies.

What types of life insurance coverage policies are offered? 

Each type of life insurance has its own advantages, with the primary benefit of term life insurance being its affordability. However, permanent policies can be advantageous if you’re looking at life insurance as an investment.

Liberty Mutual sells a wide range of term and whole life policies, both simplified issues and fully underwritten.

Simplified issue plans don’t require a comprehensive medical exam and are not fully underwritten, so the application process for them is expedited.

However, they may also be more expensive, and in order to qualify, you must meet certain criteria.

How does term life insurance & passport term work?

There are various types of term life insurance options. The insurer’s Passport series policies are issued for terms ranging from 10-30 years.

They’re available for people as young as 18 years old, but the cutoff age decreases as the term increases.

So, while a 70-year-old would be able to buy a 10-year policy, anyone over 50 would be ineligible for a 30-year policy.

The Passport series policies carry a minimum face amount of $250,001 (maximum $1 million) and a minimum annual premium of $150, which increases each year.

• The death benefit will never be less than the guaranteed amount agreed upon at the time of purchase.
• You can’t borrow from these policies, nor do they earn interest.

The Passport series is offered through the simplified issue process. The primary difference in policies is the minimum face value of $50,000 and a maximum of $250,000.

It does, however, have a built-in conversion guarantee, meaning that you can convert one to a permanent policy without further evidence of insurability.

Liberty’s living benefit is an accelerated death benefit rider that’s automatically added to the Passport policies at no additional charge. This enables the policyholder to receive cash advances against the death benefit if they’re later diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Other riders available for an additional fee include:

Term policies are what most people think of when they think of life insurance, but there are other options, too. Let’s look at the insurer’s permanent policies.

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What is whole life insurance?

A popular alternative to term insurance is permanent life insurance, which lasts the lifetime of the policyholder.

Whole life is a type of permanent life insurance that offers financial benefits during the policyholder’s lifetime, which is beneficial for those wondering how life insurance can preserve retirement savings.

Whole life insurance includes fixed premiums that don’t increase over time and a guaranteed death benefit.

Your age at purchase will determine the maximum death benefit available to you. These plans are available for people ranging in age from 15 days to 90 years.

The most popular whole life product is the straightforward Liberty Series Whole Life™ policy.

With this plan, you’ll pay premiums until age 100. These policies have a minimum face value of $15,000 and a $250,000 maximum up to age.

They offer two variations on this basic policy. The chart below summarizes them.

The insurer also offers a stand-alone policy called the Liberty Series Estate Maximizer Next Generation®. This is essentially whole life insurance you purchase with a single payment.

The insurance is then yours for your lifetime. This Liberty Mutual whole life insurance plan is primarily of benefit in estate planning.

The variation in the payoff time frame can affect how you’re able to use the investment, or whether it would be financially wise to access any of the funds while still living.

A financial advisor can help you decide which best suits your needs.

What factors affect your life insurance rates?

A 2018 Life Happens study found that half of all consumers reported being more likely to buy life insurance if they could buy it without a medical exam.

Consumer demand is pushing the industry in that direction, and the insurer’s large offering of simplified-issue products reflects that.

However, underwriting remains a key factor in determining how much you’ll pay for a life insurance policy in most cases.

Underwriting is the way an insurance company assesses your chances of early death. The higher the risk you’re considered, the higher your premium.

It’s important to be honest with the underwriter. Any dishonesty is considered fraud and will invalidate the policy.

Demographics are traits we categorized by for statistical purposes, such as age, gender, and marital status.

Let’s look more closely at the most common factors underwriters consider.

How does age play a role?

Increasing age is still the best predictor of death, so the older you are when you purchase a life insurance policy, the higher your rate will be.

This is also something to consider when shopping for Liberty Mutual term life insurance, as your rates will be higher each time you renew or repurchase it.

For example, the same 20-year, $500,000 contract that would cost a 25-year-old non-smoking man $45.45 a month would cost that same man $123.75 if he were 45 years old.

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How does gender play a role?

On average worldwide, women live about six years longer than men. This is reflected in their slightly lower premiums.

Traditionally, transgender or non-binary people have had some difficulty getting life insurance, primarily because a lack of research led insurers to act conservatively.

In the absence of real data to help them assess where such individuals fall in regard to mortality rates and risk, insurers often accepted only the gender an applicant was assigned at birth.

That is slowly changing, though. As more information becomes available, some companies’ approaches are evolving.

If you’re in this situation, it’s important to find a well-versed insurance agent or financial professional you trust to guide you through the process with up-to-the-minute information.

What about the customer’s current health & family medical history?

Statistically, the better health you’re in, the longer you’ll live and the lower your life insurance premiums will be.

When you buy life insurance, one of the first things you’ll be asked to do is complete a health and family medical history form.

Insurance companies want to know if your family suffers from any health issues such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes that you may be genetically predisposed to getting, too. Learn more about how family history affects your life insurance rates here.

Many policies require a thorough medical exam, including blood work. Underwriters may also request consent to access your medical records.

It’s important to be upfront about your health. Underwriters may compare your answers to the information available to them in public prescription and Medical Information Bureau records.

What is the MIB?

The Medical Information Bureau (MIB) tracks health information relevant to life insurers. If you want to know what’s included in your record, you can request a copy of it from the agency.

High-Risk Occupations

Insurance companies consider all the factors that could negatively impact your life expectancy. Some jobs such as police work, piloting, and mining seem obviously high-risk.

But the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that people working in construction, roofing, and logging are also prone to relatively high numbers of work-related fatalities.

High-Risk Habits

You might think of a paragliding or rock climbing hobby as high-risk, and the insurance companies would agree with you.

Smoking and tobacco use remain among the most common high-risk behaviors, but insurers also consider less obvious risks.

Smoking marijuana is often looked at as equal to tobacco use by insurance companies, and they’ll test for it, so it’s important to be upfront about that as well.

Underwriters may ask about your travel habits and will often look at your credit history and driving record.

Veteran or Active Military Status

Being in any branch of the military complicates the process of getting life insurance. Sometimes, policies will contain exclusion clauses that apply to service members.

For example, war zone exclusions are common. Some insurance companies won’t sell military personnel life insurance at all, though there are some companies specifically designed for them.

Veterans may also suffer service-related health problems that will impact their eligibility or rates. This is something to discuss with your agent or advisor.

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How do you get the best life insurance rates?

An unaffiliated financial advisor can help you decide what types of insurance would best suit your needs.

The advisor or agent will ask about your risk factors to estimate how much an insurer will raise your price above base premiums.

Base premiums are largely established using three factors: mortality, projected interest, and the company’s expenses.

Although the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is promoting model laws that would create more national consistency in insurance premiums, base premium rates currently vary from state to state.

To get the best rates available:

1. Buy earlier in life: Age is the number one factor affecting policy rates; the younger you are when you buy a policy, the better your price will be.
   • For example, a 20-year, $500,000 policy with Liberty Mutual for a 30-year-old female non-smoker averages around $442.8‬0 a year, while the same policy will cost $761.4‬0 if she’s 40. That 10-year age difference results in a 72 percent increase.
2. Manage risk factors within your control: Stop smoking. Many companies require you to be tobacco-free for a year or more before you’re considered a non-smoker.
   • Losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help, too.
3. Pay your premiums on time.

Not paying your premiums on time will negatively impact your future rate, especially if your policy is canceled for non-payment.

What are the credit and consumer ratings?

Third-party ratings offer a snapshot of Liberty Mutual’s financial strength, predicted stability, and the quality of its customer service.

A.M. Best

A.M. Best has been providing credit ratings for insurance companies since 1899 and measures the financial strength of insurance companies over time.

Liberty Mutual’s rating of A was reaffirmed in May 2019 for the 12th consecutive year, showing its excellent ability to meet its obligations to policyholders.

In addition, A.M. Best predicts a stable outlook for the foreseeable future.

Better Business Bureau (BBB)

The insurer has been accredited by the BBB since 1931. It currently holds an A rating, indicating that the BBB believes they act in an exemplary manner towards its customers.

Moody’s

The first credit rating agency in the United States, Moody’s provides credit scores for corporations based on a cross-analysis of factors such as previous performance.

The insurer scores an A2 (Good), meaning that while it’s a reliable business with good financial security, some factors suggest the potential for difficulty sometime in the future.

The outlook for this rating is stable.

Standard & Poor’s (S&P)

Standard & Poor’s A rating indicates that the agency believes them to be strong financially but is more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than insurers with higher ratings.

NAIC Complaint Index

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) gathers statistics about consumer complaints on insurers and publishes those numbers online.

The NAIC website allows you to compare the numbers and subjects of complaints made against insurance companies. The complaint index operates around a midpoint of 1.00.

Both individual life insurance and group life index is 0.00.

This illustrates a significantly smaller-than-expected rate of complaints in the life insurance area, despite higher-than-expected ratings as a business overall.

How do you shop for life insurance?

The first step is to learn the basics of what life insurance is and what it can do.

Many people have life insurance through their employer, but that’s usually for a minimal amount and typically ends when employment ends.

It’s common for people to decide that they need an additional policy to ensure their loved ones are cared for in the event of their death.

A financial professional will help you determine exactly how much coverage will meet your specific needs. Some of the costs people use life insurance to cover after their loved one dies include:

• Funeral expenses
• Medical bills
• Mortgage balances
• Personal loans

It can also cover things like credit card debt.

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Who should buy life insurance?

Short answer — almost everyone. Parents, especially, appreciate the peace of mind life insurance gives them that, if the unthinkable happens, their children will be taken care of financially.

Even if you don’t have children, life insurance can be a worthwhile investment. A life insurance policy helps cover funeral expenses and any outstanding debts you leave behind.

If you’re living the single life with no spouse or kids, a life insurance policy can protect anyone who co-signed a loan with you, such as parents co-signing a student loan or first mortgage.

For married people, funeral expenses and medical bills can strain a couple’s budget. But a life insurance policy can pay those, too. And of course, when you have children, the expenses in life increase.

People may often need life insurance estate planning to cover the basic expenses.

What life insurance programs are offered?

The website has a page called “Life Insurance Resources.” Here you can:

• Contact local agents
• Complete service forms
• Download documentation for variable universal life policyholders

There are no purely informative pages about life insurance on the site.

How do you cancel your policy? 

There are many reasons you may need to cancel your life insurance policy.

Your financial situation may have changed leaving you unable to afford the premiums or in need of the money, you’ll receive upon closing it.

Or you may be ready to switch companies and purchase a different policy. Or you may no longer need the extra life insurance policy if you get divorced.

You typically won’t receive a refund of any premiums. A possible exception is if you pre-paid on a term policy, that amount may be refunded.

Before canceling your policy, read through it thoroughly.

You’ll want to check for any early termination fees associated with your policy, and, for universal policies, look at whether you can retrieve the cash value.

The policy may tell you if you can expect to have any premium payment amounts returned.

Because the process and associated fees for policy cancellation vary according to the laws in your state, they ask that you call Policyholder Services.

Liberty Mutual life insurance phone number is 1 (800) 451-7065, you can reach them Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.

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How do you make a life insurance claim?

In the unfortunate event that you need to make a claim against a policy, it will be easier with the necessary information.

At a minimum, you’ll need:

• The full name, date of birth, and state of residence of the insured
• The life insurance policy number, if known
• The name of the person reporting the claim and their relationship to the deceased/insured

If possible, have the following paperwork handy:

• Social Security numbers for both the insured and the beneficiary, and date of death.
• A final death certificate for the insured. The CDC has an interactive tool to find that information.

You should also have an idea of how you want to receive the disbursement amount (e.g. routing and account numbers).

They can be reached at 1 (800) 451-7065 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. The online claim option is for home and auto, not life.

The customer service representative will take the information you have and send you the appropriate forms.

Can you get quotes online?

You can get a quote online in a matter of moments.

First, visit libertymutual.com

• This option is only available for Passport Term Life products.
  Do not click on the blue “Get Free Quote” box. It will take you to a page for condo, home, renters, and Liberty Mutual auto insurance quotes, but not life.

Then, select “Shop Insurance” from the dropdown menu. Make sure you choose “Personal Insurance” on the very top menu.

After that, Click “Life” under “Other Insurance.” This is the third column to the right on the dropdown menu.

Your next step will be to click “get quote.” This is the only link that takes you directly to the form for life insurance.

You should see the form, with an option to calculate coverage. This will help you determine how much life insurance you need if you don’t already know. Then, fill out the form.

Click the green box to see your quote. After you click “Forward to an Agent,” one will call you shortly to get your application finalized.

If you want to look at different amounts of coverage or compare terms, you can choose to change your requested coverage.

What are some pros & cons?

As with all major purchases, it’s important to look at the positives and negatives of a life insurance product.

The business was originally created as a provider of worker’s compensation insurance in July 1912.

The business quickly grew, expanding into auto insurance in 1918 and continuing to grow from there.

Today, the insurer provides a wide variety of insurance services, covering areas from flood insurance to pet insurance.

The business expanded into international markets in 1973, but its headquarters remains in Boston, MA.

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What is the insurer’s market share?

Life insurance is just one of many types of insurance they offered. The following chart compares its market share in this specific area to the top 10 insurers.

The company saw a drop from $1.9 billion in direct premiums written in 2016 to just $55.25 million in 2018.

In January 2018, the business announced it would sell its life insurance and disability division to Lincoln National Insurance. Thus far, the business name remains the same.

The company says of this transition:

​Effective May 1, 2018, Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston (“Liberty Life”) became part of Lincoln Financial Group upon completion of a purchase and sale agreement between Liberty Mutual and The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (a Lincoln Financial Group company).

The ownership change does not change the terms and benefits of life insurance or annuity policy contracts issued by Liberty Life.

Liberty Mutual life insurance is distributed by​​ Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston and sold through the Liberty Mutual website and Liberty Mutual Insurance brokers.

Does their future look strong? 

Following Liberty Life Insurance Company’s relatively recent transfer of the backing for its life insurance products, the financial future of the life insurance division is currently in a state of flux.

Despite this, the business’s overall trend is for continued growth, as the major credit agencies’ ratings indicate.

How strong is the company’s online presence?

Liberty Mutual Insurance has a strong online presence, with a well-developed, accessible webpage and a variety of social media accounts.

Liberty Mutual is active on both Facebook and Twitter, as well as on Instagram.

Facebook is a viable way to communicate with Liberty Mutual, too. A representative typically replies within moments and a bot is available during off-business hours.

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Liberty Mutual’s Commercials

Liberty Mutual’s commercials are everywhere and usually promote its auto insurance. The duo of LiMu Emu and Doug are recognizable, as are the “boardwalk” commercials.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecLMTgAWsqs

Despite the focus on car insurance, these commercials are Liberty Mutual’s main method of promoting all of its insurance lines.

Liberty Mutual car insurance quotes are available online as well.

Is the insurer involved in the community?

Liberty Mutual makes a point of contributing to the communities in which it’s active. The business has three main issues to which it dedicates both money and hours: accessibility, homelessness, and education.

The business boasts donations of $52 million and 2.6 million hours to various organizations through the Liberty Mutual Foundation.

Liberty Mutual’s Employees

Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston has 173 employees across all of its corporate locations in addition to 50,000 agents across the United States.

While 55% of employees would recommend the company to a friend, often citing the work/life balance as a huge plus, there have also been some complaints about middle management.

Liberty Mutual receives a 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Annual Scorecard on LGBTQ Workplace Equality in both 2018 and 2019.

The company also received two awards from Forbes in 2018 — America’s Best Employers for Women and the Best Employers for New Grads awards.

Pros

• Liberty Mutual is a well-known, financially strong company.
• All life policies are available through a simplified issue process, which is uncommon with whole life insurance.

Cons

• Liberty Mutual life insurance policies are among the most expensive on the market.
• Liberty life insurance resources are limited.

If you’re looking for Liberty Mutual auto quotes or home quotes, they’re easy to find as the company’s main focus is on automobile and home insurance.

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What are Liberty Mutual’s life insurance policies?

Liberty Mutual life insurance policies are significantly more expensive than average, so comparison shopping is key.

Life insurance is a relatively small part of this large business. This is most evident in the limited accessibility for life insurance services through the website and apps.

However, the company’s simplified issue process is promising, and if it continues to develop that and integrate it more into the company’s online presence, that would offset some of the disadvantages.

The business is proactive in hiring diversely and contributing in big ways to the communities where it’s active.

There’s a lot to admire in the approach to philanthropy.

Liberty Mutual FAQs: Liberty Mutual Life Insurance Reviews

Below are some commonly asked questions about life insurance with Liberty Mutual.

Is Liberty Mutual available in all 50 states?

Yes, but certain aspects of the policies may differ from place to place. For example, the Liberty Mutual death and dismemberment benefit is limited to death only in New York.

Can I buy a policy without a medical exam?

Yes, they offer all of its life insurance policies with a simplified issue option. Agents ask a short series of medical questions and do limited underwriting for these policies.

Not everyone will qualify for these and the premiums are higher than for traditionally underwritten policies.

Will marijuana use disqualify me for Liberty Mutual policies?

Not necessarily. Each situation is evaluated on an individual basis. Liberty Mutual may offer marijuana users its standard smoker rates because of the associated health risks.

And the underwriter may want additional information about the underlying health conditions being treated with medicinal marijuana.

Will the face value of my policy continue to grow if I borrow funds from it?

Yes, but the cash value amount that earns interest will be reduced by the amount of the withdrawal or loan.

Do death benefits go through probate?

If the named beneficiaries are available to receive the life insurance benefit payout, policies don’t need to go through probate.

Will I be taxed on money I withdraw from a Liberty Mutual permanent policy?

Generally, withdrawals and loans from the cash value of a policy aren’t taxable.

There are a few exceptions, so it’s important to consult with a tax professional beforehand to ensure you won’t be liable for any taxes.

 

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