American Income Life Insurance Company

A subsidiary of Globe Life, American Income Life sells term and whole life insurance to members of unions and organizations through a network of agents.

Product Availability

Review Breakdown

Price/Value

Life insurance rates can be determined by a list of factors, including your age, health, gender, and coverage needs.

Generally speaking, term life insurance is the most affordable type of coverage, and young, healthy applicants have access to the lowest rates.

American Income Life isn’t very transparent about its rates or underwriting, and the company primarily provides coverage for unions, groups, and organizations.

As such, it’s hard to say exactly what rates you can expect.

AIL requires you to contact a local agent to get a quote.

Financial Strength

Before buying life insurance, you need to be sure the company you choose is financially stable enough to pay out your policy.

Credit ratings are one of the biggest indicators of a company’s solvency, and American Income Life is rated by three of the four major agencies.

A.M. Best	A
Fitch	A+
Standard & Poor’s	AA-

These ratings amount to a Comdex Score of 86, putting the company in the top 14% of all life insurance providers.

AIL is also a subsidiary of Globe Life, one of the top 20 life insurance companies in terms of market share.

Based on American Income Life’s performance, ratings, and affiliation, you can count on the company’s claims-paying ability.

User Experience

User experience should also factor into your choice of provider.

Your life insurance company should provide you with tools and resources which simplify the process of shopping for rates, applying for coverage, and maintaining your policy.

Ratings

Third-party ratings can give a lot of insight into the quality of service offered by a life insurance company.

The J.D. Power U.S. Life Insurance Study features the top life insurance companies based on customer satisfaction.

While American Income Life was not included in this year’s survey, its parent company Globe Life had the second-highest rating of any provider.

American Income Life is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, but it has received hundreds of complaints from customers regarding its aggressive sales tactics and lack of transparent communication.

While the company has a low average customer review on the BBB’s website, it has earned an “A+” rating for its overall user experience.

Website

AIL’s website is laid out clearly, providing basic information about the company and the types of coverage it offers.

However, the site does not share many specifics about policies, requiring you to contact a local agent to get face amounts, eligibility requirements, and quotes.

Policyholders can update their name and address online but must download and mail in a form to change beneficiaries or authorize bank drafts.

Application

The company’s website does not provide much insight into its application, either.

To apply for a policy, you have to share your contact information and talk to one of the company’s agents. They’ll walk you through the application process.

For a traditionally underwritten term or whole life policy, you’ll answer questions about your health and lifestyle and allow the company to access your records.

You may also be required to complete a medical exam.

With a final expense policy, you can skip the medical exam, getting approved more quickly.

Product Availability

American Income Life offers four basic life insurance policies:

• Term
• Whole
• Children’s
• Final expense

Here’s a quick overview of each type of policy.

Term

Term life insurance is the most affordable coverage you can buy. It offers protection for a pre-set term of time, like 10, 20, or 30 years.

As long as premiums are made, the coverage stays in effect, providing a death benefit if you pass away during the term.

AIL allows you to add a terminal illness rider to your term or whole policy, free of charge.

Whole

Significantly more expensive than term, whole life insurance provides lifelong coverage.

In addition to a death benefit, it comes with a cash value account, which can accumulate interest over the life of your policy.

American Income Life’s policies come with level premiums, guaranteed not to increase over the life of your policy.

Final Expense

A form of whole life insurance, final expense coverage offers a small death benefit designed to cover a funeral and other end-of-life costs.

While these policies come with a lower death benefit, they allow individuals who might have a hard time getting approved otherwise to secure coverage.

They last a lifetime, as long as the premiums are kept current.

Children’s

AIL also offers a children’s whole life product called Head Start.

With this policy, you can get up to $25,000 of coverage for your child, with the option to buy them as much as $150,000 in the future.

Rates for these policies, which are available for children ages 0-17, are based strictly on age, with no health considerations.

The face amount and rates are guaranteed, as long as you make timely payments.

Brand/Size

In 1951, American Income Life was founded by Bernard Rapoport, who took out a loan of $25,000 to begin the company.

With its current headquarters in the town of Waco, Texas, AIL has now grown to serve millions of policyholders across the United States and abroad.

American Income Life operates in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand.

It has become one of the top providers of life insurance in the supplemental arena, focusing its efforts heavily on credit unions, labor organizations, and large scale associations.

In addition to life insurance, AIL also sells the following:

• Accident
• Critical Illness (more info)
• Cancer
• and Hospital Indemnity

Today, the company has over 2 million policyholders, with more than $46 billion of life insurance in force.

As part of the Torchmark Corporation, a public Fortune 1000 company, AIL belongs to of an even larger network which provides both life and health insurance through its affiliates.

Philanthropy

Beyond its products, American Income Life is dedicated to helping individuals locally and nationally through support and outreach programs.

One way the company makes a difference is with the No-Cost Child Safe Kit®, a free tool which allows parents to log important information about their children in case they go missing or an accident occurs.

The company also speaks out for its clients, advocating for a more fair economy for the masses and defending workers’ rights.

Brand Recognition

American Income Life Insurance Company does not have a high level of brand recognition.

As a supplementary insurance carrier geared primarily on organizations, unions, and associations, the company has a niche focus.

AIL’s parent company, Globe Life, is a more recognizable name, due to its size, marketing, and community involvement.

American Income Life does have active social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, where you can learn more about the company, its products, and life insurance in general.

Consensus

It’s always a good idea to seek out reviews from multiple sources before choosing a company to work with.

To round out our evaluation of AIL, we’ve given the company a consensus score, based on how other industry experts rate the company.

Overall, AIL is regarded as a solvent provider you can depend on for coverage.

However, it does not typically rank as one of the best life insurance companies overall.

With little to no underwriting and advertising to mass markets, you’ll likely pay a higher cost per thousand than you would with comparable companies.

The best way to see what rates you’re eligible for is to get quotes from multiple companies.