Reviews Report
- Reviews.com scores Pacific Life insurance a 3.6 out of 5, based on customer service, riders, and more.
- Pacific Life offers term, universal life (UL), indexed UL (IUL), variable UL (VUL), and a broad annuity lineup; accelerated/streamlined underwriting may be available depending on age, amount, and risk profile.
- Independent benchmarks we reviewed include J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study (1,000-point scale brand satisfaction), the American Customer Satisfaction Index (industry-level 0–100 scale), and NAIC’s Consumer Complaint Index and Consumer Information Source for complaint outcomes.
Pacific Life insurance presents a solid option for both your financial protection and the future security of your loved ones, offering life insurance, annuities and investment products to individuals and businesses. In our 2025 update, we weighted third-party customer benchmarks such as J.D. Power and the ACSI, NAIC complaint data, financial strength, and online servicing tools.
We also reviewed independent ratings and programs, including J.D. Power and DALBAR, Inc. While Pacific Life emphasizes advisor-assisted buying and does not provide instant online quotes, its strong financial strength, extensive permanent life and annuity offerings, and advisor resources position it competitively among national life insurers.
Pacific Life Insurance Overview
Insurance Service Award programs from DALBAR recognize financial firms that meet rigorous year‑round service standards based on objective testing and benchmarking of contact center interactions. Check DALBAR’s newsroom for the most recent award recipients by category.
Pacific Life’s current financial strength remains very strong across major agencies — Moody’s (Aa3 High Quality), Fitch (AA- Very Strong), S&P Global (AA- Very Strong), and A.M. Best (A+ Superior) — with Stable outlooks commonly reported. These ratings indicate a very strong ability to meet policyholder obligations.
Pacific Life writes term policies up to 30 years and supports modern, accelerated underwriting on many cases; depending on age, coverage amount, and risk class, a medical exam may be waived or required.
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Pacific Life Insurance Highlights
Pacific Life Life Insurance vs. The Competition
| Provider | Reviews.com Score | Riders | J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction* | AM Best |
| Pacific Life | 3.6 | Child term insurance Accelerated benefit Extended benefit Annual renewable term Accidental death benefit | Not published | A+ |
| Northwestern Mutual | 4.4 | Early Payment Benefit Waiver of Premium with disability Indexed protection Additional purchase option | Not published | A++ |
| New York Life | 4.2 | Accidental Death and Dismemberment Automatic benefit increase Chronic care Waiver of premium with illness or disability | Not published | A++ |
| MassMutual | 3.8 | Guaranteed insurability Renewable term Accelerated death benefit for terminal illness | Not published | A++ |
Information accurate as of 2025
*J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Life Insurance Satisfaction Study. Based on a 1,000-point scale. Brand-level scores are published by J.D. Power where available; not all carriers’ scores are disclosed in public summaries.
Pacific Life vs. Northwestern Mutual
Both are financially strong, but they differ in product focus and distribution. Pacific Life is known for UL/IUL/VUL and annuities distributed through independent advisors, while Northwestern Mutual emphasizes participating whole life with a career‑agent network and top‑tier ratings (financial strength). J.D. Power’s 2025 research highlights advice quality and digital experience as key satisfaction drivers across the industry.
Pacific Life generally offers multiple term durations (10–30 years) and an array of permanent designs; Northwestern Mutual’s offering centers on dividend‑paying whole life, with term and UL available via its agents. Choose based on whether you prefer independent‑advisor flexibility (Pacific Life) or a career‑agent, WL‑centric approach (Northwestern Mutual).
Pacific Life vs. New York Life
Both are large national carriers with strong financials; New York Life operates as a mutual with participating whole life and a career‑agent network (financial strength). Pacific Life does not offer participating whole life but provides broad UL/IUL/VUL and annuities. Industry benchmarks indicate that clear communication and easy service experiences are increasingly important to customers in 2025.
Neither carrier focuses on instant online quoting for life insurance; both emphasize advisor‑assisted planning. For complaints and service outcomes, consult NAIC’s Consumer Information Source for the latest complaint index by issuing company.
Pacific Life vs. MassMutual
MassMutual is a mutual insurer with participating whole life and a broad product shelf, plus a notable digital direct term option through Haven Life; it also maintains top-tier financial strength (financial strength). Pacific Life stands out for IUL/VUL and annuities delivered via independent distribution. Satisfaction drivers in 2025 continue to center on advice quality, clarity, and digital self‑service.
If you want a fully digital path to term insurance, MassMutual’s Haven Life may be appealing; if you need flexible permanent designs engineered for accumulation or business planning, Pacific Life is often considered.
Pacific Life FAQ
Methodology
We evaluated Pacific Life based on riders, coverage, resources, financial strength and customer satisfaction to determine Reviews.com scores and create our best life insurance reviews. To compare life insurance companies with other providers across the board, we calculate each Reviews.com score based on the following:
- Number of Riders: The more riders a life insurance company has, the higher it scores in our Reviews.com methodology.
- Financial Stability: Reviews.com utilized AM Best ratings to assign a score based on each life insurance company’s financial stability.
- Customer Satisfaction: Using J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study, we benchmarked brand-level satisfaction (1,000-point scale) and referenced the ACSI Life Insurance & Annuities index for industry-wide context (0–100 scale).
- Complaint Experience: We consult the NAIC Consumer Complaint Index and the Consumer Information Source for the most recent company-specific complaint indices (1.00 = market average; lower is better).
- Coverage: Life insurance companies scored higher if customers can convert term to permanent and if they offer multiple options across policy types (term, WL, UL/IUL/VUL).
- Resources: We compared website functionality and digital tools based on availability of e‑app/e‑delivery, policyowner portals, online claims initiation/guidance, and educational content.
