If you're shopping for life insurance, then you are likely aware that there are a few important factors that you need to keep in mind as you move forward in your search. One key criterion certainly is to ensure that you will have enough coverage. This is because you don't want your loved ones or beneficiaries to fall short when it comes to paying final expenses, paying off debt, moving ahead with living expenses, or fulfilling whatever the purpose what for obtaining the policy.
But there is another factor that life insurance shoppers should also closely consider as they make their coverage decision. That is the company that they buy their policy from. This is because you will want to ensure that the insurance carrier is strong and stable from a financial standpoint and that it will be financially able to pay out a claim if or when that time should come.
One large and well-respected insurer that has been in the industry for more than 150 years and that has a positive reputation for paying out its policyholder claims is John Hancock Life Insurance Company. The company lands it self in our honorable mention section of our list for the best life insurance companies in the USA.
The History of John Hancock Life Insurance Company
John Hancock Life Insurance Company was initially founded in 1862. The name, John Hancock that was chosen by the company's four-person founders was done so in order to show that the company stood for both commitment and integrity.
Throughout the years, this insurer has grown into one of the largest and strongest financial services firms in the country – and it currently stands as a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial firm that has operations in the U.S., Canada, and in Asia.
John Hancock Life Insurance Company Review
John Hancock Life Insurance Company is a very well known and recognized brand throughout the U.S., and in other areas of the world. In fact, according to a GKF Brand Tracking Study, the company holds top-tier brand awareness ranking with an estimated 87 percent of U.S. consumers.
The company has customers in 22 countries and territories throughout the world. In addition to offering financial and insurance products and services, John Hancock also focuses on making a difference in the communities in which it serves, as well as for the environment.
Throughout the years, the company has won numerous awards and accolades, including being named one of America's Greatest Brands by members of the American Brands Council, and one of the most recognized names in the U.S., with a 95% awareness among consumers, according to the Roper Starch Worldwide and Plan-it Marketing. John Hancock has also been placed on the list of the 100 Most Powerful Corporate, Media and Product Brands of the 20th Century by the New York Times in 1999.
For those who have a financial or insurance product with John Hancock, the customer service reps are easy to contact. The company offers a form center directly on its website, so quick access to forms is easily available. Also, assistance from a customer service rep can be attained via a toll-free phone line, as well as via email. Reps are segmented out by product type for faster access.
Financial Strength of John Hancock
John Hancock is extremely strong and stable financially, and as of year-end 2015, the company had net income of approximately $255 million. The total insurance premiums and deposits as of that same time period were $15.4 million. Also, the company held assets under management of just over $388 billion.
Due to its healthy financial position, as well as its positive reputation for paying out its policyholder claims, John Hancock is very highly rated by the insurer rating agencies. These ratings include the following:
- A+ from A.M. Best – Superior (the second highest out of a total of 13 ratings)
- AA- from Fitch Ratings – Very Strong (the fourth highest out of a total of 19 ratings)
- A1 from Moody's – Low credit risk (the fifth highest out of a total of 21 ratings)
- AA- from Standard and Poor's – Very strong (the 4th highest out of 21 total ratings)
Also, this insurer has been an accredited company with the BBB (the Better Business Bureau) since August 2, 1996, and it has been provided with the grade of an A+. This is on a grading scale of between A+ and F.
Throughout the past three years, John Hancock Life Insurance Company has closed a total of 70 complaints through the Better Business Bureau, and 17 of those have been closed over the past year.
Of the total 70 complaints, 59 of those centered on problems with the company's products or services, another 6 of those had to do with the company's billing / collection issues, three
centered on delivery issues, and two were on issues with the company's advertising / sales practices.
Products Offered Through John Hancock Life Insurance Company
As one of the leading life insurance providers in the nation, John Hancock offers a wide variety of life insurance coverage to choose from. These include the following:
Term Life Insurance
Term life insurance is considered to be the cheapest form of life insurance and a basic type of coverage that offers just pure death benefit protection. There is no cash value account associated with term life insurance. For this reason, term insurance is oftentimes more affordable than permanent insurance protection.
With term life insurance, the coverage remains in force for a certain amount of time. John Hancock offers several variations of term life insurance. Some of these provide the ability to convert the policy over to a permanent insurance product, within certain guidelines.
Permanent Life Insurance
With a permanent life insurance policy, there is death benefit protection, along with a cash value component in the policy. The cash component allows the policyholder to build up a nice tax-deferred savings within the policy. This means that there will be no tax due on the growth of these funds unless or until the funds are withdrawn.
There are several types of permanent life insurance to choose from. John Hancock Life Insurance Company offers the following types:
- Universal Life Insurance – With universal life insurance, the policyholder has death benefit coverage and cash value. These policies are in that the policyholder may choose – within certain guidelines – how much of his or her premium dollars will go into the death benefit and how much will go into the cash value account. This means that the universal life policy can essentially change with policy holders changing needs over time. In addition, the amount and the frequency of the policy holder's premium may also be able to be adjusted over time.
- Indexed Universal Life Insurance – Indexed universal life insurance is another type of permanent life insurance coverage that provides both a death benefit and a cash value component. Here, the cash value account is linked to the performance of an underlying market index. This means that the growth of the funds in this account have the opportunity to grow with the upswings of this market index. However, if there is a market downturn, the funds in the account will not lose value. This is because the policy does not participate directly in the market. Here, too, the funds are allowed to grow on a tax-deferred basis. This can allow the funds to grow and compound faster than those in a taxable account over time. Also, policyholders have the flexibility to change between different premium allocation options as their needs change over the lifetime of owning this type of policy.
- Variable Universal Life Insurance – Another type of permanent coverage, variable universal life insurance, provides a death benefit, along with flexible premium payments, and the ability to build cash value over time. This type of policy allows the policyholder to accumulate cash value by choosing from a number of different investment options across different risk categories. Because of this, the cash has the opportunity to grow a great deal. There is, however, more risk in this type of policy, too. Therefore, with a variable type of policy, it is important to consider that the policy's account value will vary based on the performance of the investment options that are selected, as they are not guaranteed. Funds can, however, be transferred among the different options within the cash account, typically without penalty or charge.
Each of the above types of life insurance policy will also offer a corresponding survivorship plan that covers an insured and one other person, such as a spouse, partner, or business partner. This can make the policy more cost-effective than purchasing two separate life insurance policies.
Other Products Offered Via John Hancock
John Hancock offers numerous other products in addition to life insurance. These include:
Annuities
For those who are approaching retirement, an annuity can provide a way to produce an ongoing stream of guaranteed lifetime income that will last throughout an individual's life – regardless of how long they live.
John Hancock Life Insurance Company offers a wide range of different types of annuities to choose from, such as both fixed and variable annuities. This can allow customers to obtain the annuity that best fits their specific needs.
Long-Term Care Insurance
As people are living so much longer today than ever before, the need for long-term care services has risen substantially. This case, however, is expensive. In some areas of the country, it is over $100,000 per year. Long-term care insurance can help in covering this cost.
John Hancock offers several different options of long-term care insurance. The company also offers individual coverage, as well as coverage for groups and associations – which can provide a discount on the policy's premium.
Investments
John Hancock offers investments such as asset management and financial planning for various short- and long-term goals.
College Savings
College savings plans can help individuals and families to save for the high cost of a college education. John Hancock offers 529 college savings plans, as well as other options for this type of savings.
401(k) Plans
John Hancock also offers 401(k) plans via its retirement planning services area. In partnership with plan consultants and financial advisers, the company helps with designing and building plans that are specifically suited for a company's needs.
How to Get the Best Quotes on Life Insurance Coverage
In getting the best quotes on life insurance coverage, it is always best to work with either a company or an agency that has access to more than just one single insurance carrier. This way, you will be able to more directly compare plans, benefits, and premium quotes – and from there, you can then determine which will work the best for you and your specific needs. This is not only true when seeking life insurance coverage, but when looking for other covers as well, such as the best auto insurance companies and rates!
If you are ready to move forward with comparing life insurance quotes – or if you are actively searching for the best policy for you – then we can help. We work with many of the top life insurance carriers in the marketplace, and we can assist you with obtaining all of the key details that you will need. When you are ready to proceed, all you need to do is fill out the life insurance quote form on this page.
We know that there are a lot of life insurance companies out there to choose from – and it can be difficult to know which one will be the best for you. But it is important to compare – because, just like all other types of products and services, life insurers do price their policies differently, even for the very same amount of benefit. But knowing that going forward can work to your advantage. So, contact us today, we're here to help.
