Primerica Life Insurance Guide | Term and Only Term

Our Complete Primerica Life Insurance Guide

Last Updated December 3, 2024

Easy Navigation

     Primerica life insurance, a medley of companies and underwriters, has provided insurance coverage to Americans for over 50 years, but what does this mean for you? We don’t particularly care how long you’ve been providing insurance, rather we care about your claim services, customer relations, and ability to provide adequate and complete coverage to those in need.

    Below, we detail what we find regarding Primerica Life Insurance. 

The Origin Of Primerica Life Insurance Burial Insurance

     Primerica’s origin is a collective group of companies acquiring and requiring each other until finally culminating to create the Primerica we are familiar with today. Starting in 1980, just 3 years after the first company in this chain of command was created, A.L. Williams entered a contract with Boston-based MILICO, beginning a chain of events ultimately leading to the company/companies going public in 1983 where the company was listed under the symbol, ALWC. After merging with American Can Company in 1983, the group of companies and their subsidiaries would rebrand to the Primerica we’re familiar with. Primerica online would again, continue to be acquired/reacquired throughout the years to where it stands today. Primerica Life Insurance products boast over 16 billion in assets, over 100,000 employees, and nearly a billion in claims paid in 2021.

Notable Developments

1977: A.L. Williams is founded (first parent company of the chain)

1980: A.L. Williams and MILICO form a joint contract. 

1983: Company is listed under ALWC on the NASDAQ after going public. 

1983: Joint venture finalizes a merger with American Can Company. 

1986: Triangle industries purchases American Can Company, and the other two as a result.

1987: American Can changes their name to the Primerica we’re familiar with today. 

1988: Sanford Weill’s commercial credit acquired Primerica for $1.54 billion, retaining the name. 

1993: Primerica acquires Travelers Insurance Corporation. 

2008: Deal was finalized to sell Primerica for 7 billion, but was voided for undisclosed reasons. 

2020: Primerica pays out over 1.7 billion in claims during the covid-19 pandemic.

Your Coverage Options With Primerica Life Insurance

     Primerica Life Insurance technically only has one form of insurance, with that being term insurance. Although they have multiple forms of term life insurance, it ultimately boils down to the same parent policy.

Primerica Term Life Insurance

    Standard Coverage, or “pure” life insurance.  Generally, you’re provided with a term, such as 20 years for example, wherein you’re guaranteed payment as stated by the death benefit if the policyholder dies within the stated term.  If alive at the end of term, one may renew for an additional term, or convert the existing coverage to permanent coverage.  The perks of this coverage involve the introductory price point, which is generally the most budget-friendly option for the relative amount of coverage received.  Depending on if it’s simplified or guaranteed, This form of insurance usually requires a medical examination.

Primerica Term Now Insurance

    Term now is Primerica’s no medical exam life insurance option offering customers coverage maximums of up to $250,000 (or $300,000 for those under the age of 45). Their Term Now policy utilizes an optimized data compilation system to gauge your qualifications and to insure you faster.

Primerica Custom Advantage Insurance

    The Custom Advantage Term policy is meant for those that seek very large coverage amounts.  Maximums can reach up to $5,000,000 in coverage and involves a more rigorous underwriting procedure compared to the other term policies.

Best $10,000 Burial Insurance Companies

     If you’re looking for a policy with $10,000 in coverage that remains instated throughout the remainder of your life at the premium you locked in at, then we’d like to recommend a few names that may be of interest to you and your wallet.

Company 50 y/o Male 50 y/o Female 60 y/o Male 60 y/o Female 70 y/o Male 70 y/o Female
$49
$39
$74
$59
$107
$85
$58
$49
$76
$60
$127
$96
$44
$34
$64
$47
$110
$78
$51
$43
$64
$53
$119
$88
$82
$56
$101
$79
$158
$119

These figures were obtained from the NFDA and are estimates only. For a detailed quote, please contact an agent. 

Primerica Life Insurance Funeral Insurance

     Final expense insurance is the type of insurance that’s in place to cover the funeral costs after your passing. While final expense coverage is generally used to cover funeral/burial costs, one may use the funds in any way desired. Final expense coverage usually exists as a simplified issue plan, meaning that you are approved regardless of any previous medical conditions, 99% of the time. The premiums are also generally low (depending on the condition of the applicant) and whole life, meaning that your rate does not change within the span of your lifetime.

     Additionally, these plans can coexist with Medicaid, depending on your total assets. If said assets are too high to qualify, one may withdraw and use these funds to purchase additional coverage or what have you, maximizing your beneficiaries’ payout. Surprisingly, Primerica online does not offer any whole life policy or any form of final expense insurance, choosing only to procure their term products. 

Is Primerica Life Insurance A Legitimate Life Insurance Company?

Absolutely.

      Without question, Primerica Life Insurance is a legitimate company.  They boast an A+ rating as surveyed by AM’s best, as well as over a billion in coverage paid in the year 2022. They also specialize in term insurance, furthering their skill set in this area and differentiating them from other like-minded term policies. The question at hand now becomes, is Primerica Life Insurance worth your time and money?  They may serve a purpose for your circumstance, depending on said circumstance, but overall unless you need a term policy with a maximum of $5,000,000 it’s hard to justify this option. 

Primerica Life Insurance Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Few complaints, as outlined by their NAIC rating. The rating given to Primerica online was just 0.35, which is honestly a really good sign when mapping out your options, as this indicates far less (recorded) customer complaints then the average insurance company may face.
  • Superior financial strength. An A+ from AM’s best indicates a very solid track record regarding the timely payment of claims.

Cons

  • No online quote tool. Most of the time, insurance providers/brokerages will detail their homepage with a quote tool to loosely give you an idea what to expect when applying for insurance through said company. The fact that Primerica online just doesn’t have one is just surprising considering it is 2022.
  • Lack of information. No online quote tool aside, there is still a lack of information regarding what your policy might entail when qualifying with primerica online – no term lengths, coverage maximums, etc.
  • Low JD power ranking. Scoring 18 out of 21 companies is not a great sign, implying they were in the bottom 3.

Ratings For Credit And Customer Service Satisfaction

A.M. Best Rating

    They utilize a rating, similar to the letter ratings placed on restaurants, meant to help you discern their overall quality. This letter ranking varies from A+ to F, similar to a scholastic grading system, and this organization is overseen by the chief insurance regulators regarding any US-affiliated territory. The rating itself is determined by a variety of different factors, such as performance, management, financial flexibility, shareholder safety, etc.

     The rating given to Primerica only was an A+, as of 2021. This indicates just one level below perfect financial accuracy.

NAIC Rating

     The NAIC, or The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, is a regulation standard support organization based in America meant to add credibility to insurance companies. Essentially, the goal of this organization is to protect consumers and to mandate that insurers deliver on their promises made. The rating used within the NAIC, involves a numerical value usually ranging from 1 – 10. One implies average customer complaints, where anything above this is above average, and so on.

     As of 2023, Primerica online scored a 0.35 indicating almost 3x less complaints than the industry standard of 1.0.

J.D Power

     JD Power ratings are essentially nationwide surveys that allow consumers an unbiased opinion regarding what other consumers say about said company. Generally, these surveys take a group of companies, usually around 21, and rate the companies in relation to each other. This is done either through focus groups, paid calls, or what have you. JD Power spends large sums of money annually simply on data specifically for this reason.

     Primerica online was ranked 18th out of the 21 companies surveyed in its group, implying an overall low amount of customer satisfaction despite the NAIC rating being so low. 

Primerica Reviews

Primerica is very untrustworthy, they lie, don’t keep your policy honest. I had been paying off a policy for a little bit over a year going on two years. My son got killed and they’re not wanting to release my funds for paying me out for my son's death! I’ve tried to call millions of workers and they all hung up in my face and even blocked my number from the call in system. I wouldn’t recommend this company to anybody. They’re snotty & always lying. Xavier Banks is very unprofessional.
Portrait of senior woman
Chantelia B. ✓
Bakersfield, CA ⭐
My wife and I opened an account with Primerica a little over a year ago. Due to some unfortunate events we had to close our account. It has been a nightmare working with them to close down our account and get refunded. It's been over a month now and they are still working on closing our accounts and refunding what's left. They are quick to take out money from your account, and they do it on the dot every month, but they are extremely slow and reluctant to refund you. My wife has been on the phone with them twice and they still have not fully refunded us. Do not do business with this firm. They don't care about you. I would give a -5 stars if I could.
portrait senior man
Brandon J. ✓
Spanish Fork, UT ⭐
Lack of communication. Lack of sympathy. Lack of professionalism. Inexperienced. Lack of accountability. Lose documents sent in by you even if they are certified mail. Your paperwork sits on their desk for weeks!!!! Worst company EVER!!!
Middle aged woman in spring cafe
Patricia M. ✓
Laredo, TX ⭐

Our Review and Final Thoughts

     The niche this company fills is exactly that – niche.  We’d argue that you would be able to find the coverage you need, even with an extreme maximum somewhere else. Unless you need $5,000,000 in coverage or have family members involved with Primerica life insurance, there is no reason to recommend this carrier over other like-minded carriers.  We at Final Expense Benefits partner with over 20 carriers, with:    Being some of the ones that stand out among the crowd. Reduce the stress involved with life insurance and let us do all of the heavy lifting for you. You can reach us at 1 (866) 311-4338, and we’re open from 9-5, Monday through Friday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, as they paid 1.7 billion in claims related to covid-19 in 2020 alone. 

Is Primerica online a pyramid scheme?

No they are not, although the ethics of their pricing and relations, that’s another story. 

How do primerica agents get paid?

They are paid on a commission basis only, potentially providing strife in customer relations as a result.

How are primerica reviews?

According to the NAIC, not bad, but when you go online, it tells somewhat of a different story. 

What does Dave Ramsey say about primerica online?

As per his twitter, he does not endorse primerica as the cost of their insurance is high. 

Sources