Hero Background

American Amicable Review: Costs, Customer Reviews & More

Updated on Feb 14, 2025 • 9 min read

American Amicable Life Insurance offers several final expense insurance policies aimed towards seniors like their low-cost Senior Choice final expense insurance plans. With over 110 years of service in the life insurance industry, they provide multiple simplified life insurance policies

American Amicable is a strong choice for seniors, but did you know they are one of the most smoker-friendly life insurance providers? Tobacco users are typically penalized by providers and required to pay higher rates, but thanks to American Amicable life insurance’s simplified underwriting guidelines, smokers are often eligible for non-smoker rates.

If you’re interested in American Amicable Life Insurance, call Final Expense Benefits at (866) 786-0725, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Check our free online pricing tool for quote estimates.

What Is The American Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas?

American Amicable Life Insurance Company started as the Amicable Life Insurance Company (ALICO) in 1910. The ALICO headquarters has been an iconic part of the Waco, Texas, skyline ever since and is now a national historic landmark.

In 1965, Amicable and the American Life Insurance Company merged to become the current American Amicable Life Insurance Company. In 2010, the Canadian insurer Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services, Inc., acquired American Amicable.

Vintage photo depicting Waco, Texas, skyline in early 1900s with American Amicable building.

This acquisition brought even more financial backing and trustworthiness to American Amicable. Forbes named American Amicable one of their top life insurance providers for 2025.

American Amicable Life Insurance Coverage Options

American Amicable offers a wide range of life insurance options. Their Senior Choice final expense insurance stands out as a strong, simple choice for seniors.

Final Expense Insurance: American Amicable Senior Choice

Final expense insurance is a type of whole life insurance focused on covering funerals and other end-of-life expenses. It’s a low-cost way for seniors to get coverage tailored to their needs.

American Amicable offers a selection of final expense plans called Senior Choice. Each Senior Choice plan gives lifetime coverage at a locked-in rate (as long as premiums are paid), cash value growth, and customizable coverage terms. Senior Choice policies have a wide age range, accepting applicants 50-85. Death benefit payouts range from $2,500 to $50,000.

American Amicable offers three Senior Choice final expense policies:

  • Senior Choice Immediate
    Senior Choice Immediate offers coverage with no waiting period and the lowest rates of the Senior Choice policies. Applicants don’t need to take a medical exam but do need to be in good health per American Amicable’s health questionnaire. Underwriting guidelines for this policy are relatively lenient and smokers may qualify if they are healthy. 
  • Senior Choice Graded
    Senior Choice Graded is a modified life insurance policy with a two-year death benefit waiting period. If the policyholder dies within the policy’s first two years, beneficiaries won’t immediately receive the full death benefit payout but are eligible for the full payout after the waiting period. Like most graded policies, Senior Choice Graded accepts applicants at a near-guaranteed rate regardless of medical condition. The graded policy can be a good choice if you have a major preexisting medical condition, such as cancer, COPD, or Dementia, but rates are pricier than the Immediate policy.
  • Senior Choice Return-of-Premium (ROP)
    Similar to the graded policy, The ROP policy is a simplified-issue policy that accepts most applicants with a two-year waiting period. After the waiting period, beneficiaries can receive the policy’s normal death benefit plus the total value of paid premiums with 10% interest. ROP charges the highest monthly premium rate of the Senior Choice final expense policies.

Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance is typically used to replace income in case of death. Less expensive than whole life plans, term life provides coverage for designated periods. With stricter underwriting requirements, term life is often best for younger people seeking temporary protection for their loved ones.

American Amicable’s term life insurance coverage ranges from $25,000 to $250,000 in 10, 15, 20, and 30-year terms. When terms end, policyholders can renew American Amicable term life coverage with a new rate until age 95.

Universal Life Insurance

Universal life insurance is similar to whole life, offering long-term coverage, but with additional flexibility. Policyholders can adjust the policy’s monthly premium and death benefit within set limits throughout the policy’s life, instead of staying locked in from the policy’s start.

American Amicable’s two universal life insurance policies are industry-standard. They both have simplified underwriting guidelines, but it’s better to go with final expense insurance in most cases.

Universal life insurance could be a good choice if you expect your income to vary over time, but it’s often better to choose a simpler policy. Universal life policies can get confusing due to varying premiums and cash value.

Other American Amicable Life Insurance Benefits

Several other life insurance benefits are available with American Amicable, such as specialized plans and life insurance riders.

American Amicable Specialized Life Insurance Policies

American Amicable offers two specialized insurance products with coverage that works slightly differently from typical life insurance: Home Protector and Financial Lifeline.

Home Protector is a term life insurance plan with 15, 20, 25, and 30-year terms and a simplified application process. Applicants are eligible if they have an active mortgage and pay a reduced premium rate compared to American Amicable’s other term life policies.

Financial Lifeline is a modified whole life policy that pays a portion of the premiums into a tax-deferred annuity that pays alongside the death benefit. This annuity grows in value at a stronger rate than whole life insurance cash value typically does and provides a larger payout.

American Amicable Life Insurance Riders

Life insurance riders provide optional extra coverage to policies, typically at an additional cost. American Amicable offers several riders; some are included in their policies at no extra cost. American Amicable Life Insurance riders include:

  • Critical Illness Rider
    The critical illness rider pays the full death benefit if the policyholder is diagnosed with a critical medical condition like cancer or a heart attack.
  • Disability Income Rider
    If the policyholder becomes totally and permanently disabled, this rider can waive premium charges to protect their income.
  • Terminal Illness Rider
    This rider allows policyholders to access a portion of their death benefit early if diagnosed with a terminal illness.
  • Children’s / Grandchildren’s Insurance Agreement Rider
    Offers coverage for children that can be converted into a permanent policy without additional proof of insurability, like a medical questionnaire.
  • Accidental Death Rider
    This rider is included at no extra cost with each of American Amicable’s Senior Choice final expense policies. It pays an additional death benefit if the policyholder dies in an accident.

How Much Does American Amicable Life Insurance Cost?

American Amicable Life Insurance offers rates competitive with other final expense insurance providers. The Graded and ROP policies’ rates are higher than those of the Immediate Plan but are comparable to other modified insurance policies.

Below are sample rates for a non-smoking applicant with no preexisting conditions for the Senior Choice Immediate, Senior Choice Graded, and Senior Choice ROP policies with a $10,000 death benefit:

Company Male
50y/o
Female
50y/o
Male
60y/o
Female
60y/o
Male
70y/o
Female
70y/o
Male
80y/o
Female
80y/o
Immediate
$32
$27
$47
$38
$79
$60
$156
$119
Graded
$38
$30
$59
$46
$105
$79
$226
$163
ROP
$44
$36
$68
$57
$120
$99
$242
$182

These figures are estimates only, based on a $10,000 final expense insurance policy with no applicant pre-existing conditions.​

If you’re interested in an American Amicable final expense plan, call Final Expense Benefits at (866) 786-0725 to learn more.

American Amicable Life Insurance Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Fast application process

American Amicable’s simplified life insurance guidelines mean your application is quick and could be approved on the same day.

  • Online payment

American Amicable offers online premium payment.

  • Excellent provider for smokers

Tobacco users are often eligible for much less expensive rates with American Amicable Life Insurance than with other providers.

  • Flexible underwriting

American Amicable underwriting accepts many applicants who may not be eligible with other providers, including people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Cons

  • Pricier modified plans

As with most modified life insurance, American Amicable’s options are significantly pricier than their normal plans. 

  • Mixed online reviews

Some customer reviews online mention claim payment issues and difficulty canceling policies that are no longer needed.

American Amicable Reviews: Third-Party Rating Services

AM Best Rating

AM Best is a third-party agency that assesses insurance companies’ credit and ability to fulfill financial obligations. Their American Amicable rating is currently A-.

This high AM Best rating indicates they believe American Amicable has a strong financial basis.

NAIC Rating

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) records customer complaints against life insurance providers on their yearly complaint index, with the goal of protecting consumers. Their scale ranges from 0 to 10. 1 is the average customer complaint rating; companies should aim to be rated below 1.

The NAIC’s American Amicable rating is currently 1.66. This indicates American Amicable receives customer complaints slightly more often than the NAIC’s national average, but this score is far from being atypically high.

BBB Rating

The BBB is a third-party rating service that rates companies’ trustworthiness and ability to successfully resolve customer complaints. They also offer complaint resolution services.

The American Amicable rating on the BBB is currently A-. They’re also BBB-accredited, which means the BBB believes they provide exemplary ability to resolve complaints.

American Amicable Reviews: Customer Ratings

Nathan D

5/5

Dealing with multiple insurance companies I’ve found that American Amicable is one of the easiest and smoothest carriers to deal with on a regular basis. Highly Recommend working with them.

Smiling man profile picture

Cody W

San Francisco, CA

5/5

Great company for my Final Expense Life Insurance to keep my family protected. They have great support and good pricing. Highly recommend using American Amicable for all Life Insurance needs.

Caleb S

Jacksonville, NC

5/5

I’ve held policies now with 4 different companies and American Amicable was by far the easiest, fastest and most respectful of them all. I called to cancel a policy with them once and their response was “yes sir. That is cancelled effective immediately and we will be here when you return” which I did return after a horrible experience with Lumico. American Amicable’s customer service is legendary and I’ve seen how they take care of families. I’m a customer for life or until I find someone as good as these guys which has proven to be quite the challenge so far.

Our American Amicable Review & Final Thoughts

If you are a tobacco user, American Amicable Life Insurance is a great option thanks to forgiving underwriting. American Amicable is much less expensive for smokers than other providers and occasional smokers are often eligible for non-tobacco rates.

Even for non-tobacco users, American Amicable Senior Choice’s final expense insurance is competitive with other providers. Their immediate benefit plan is a standout because it doesn’t require a medical exam and offers immediate coverage. The simplified-issue policies are industry-standard choices for modified plans.

At Final Expense Benefits, we can help you find a plan that is not only affordable but also gives you and your loved ones the coverage you need. 

Call our talented agents Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. at (866) 786-0725 or check out our free online quoting tool for a personalized estimate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is American Amicable legit?

American Amicable is a legitimate life insurance provider with over 110 years of providing excellent life insurance policies. They offer final expense insurance, term life, and universal life insurance.

Where is American Amicable located?

American Amicable is headquartered in their historic high-rise office building in Waco, Texas.

Who owns American Amicable Life Insurance?

American Amicable is owned by Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services, a large Canadian insurance company that acquired them in 2010.

Does American Amicable require a medical exam for life insurance?

Most American Amicable life insurance policies don’t require medical exams to qualify. Many also have forgiving underwriting that often approves higher-risk applicants, like smokers or people with preexisting medical conditions.

What is American Amicable Senior Choice?

American Amicable Senior Choice is a catalog of final expense insurance policies available for seniors ages 50-85. These policies range from immediate coverage with inexpensive rates to simplified-issue modified policies ideal for people with preexisting medical conditions.