Most consumers searching for life insurance are primarily concerned with the monthly premium when deciding on which policy is appropriate for their individual needs. Comparison shopping among multiple life insurance companies helps to ensure that these consumers are choosing the best provider.
This article serves to help with such shopping by offering a review of one popular provider known as Protective Life Insurance Corporation.
Protective Life Insurance Company
801 Highway 280 South
Birmingham, AL 94104
Overview of Protective Life Corporation (Protective Life Insurance)
Operating for over 100 years, Protective Life Corporation has increased their presence significantly within the insurance market. The insurance provider owns several subsidiaries that offer both investment and insurance products to consumers nationwide:
- Protective Life Insurance Company – As the company’s chief subsidiary, Protective Life Insurance provides dynamic insurance products to consumers across the U.S..
- Protective Life and Annuity Insurance Company – This subsidiary of Protective Life Insurance offers annuities and life insurance products exclusively to those in the state of New York.
- MONY Life Insurance Company – Acquired in 2013, the MONY Life Insurance Company subsidiary also offers life insurance products to consumers nationwide.
- West Coast Life Insurance Company – Acquired in 1996 by Protective Life, West Coast Life offers insurance and annuity products to U.S. consumers.
- Lyndon Insurance Group – The Lyndon Insurance Group provides specialty products, such as car and boat service contracts, disability, life, and credit. These offerings are primarily marketed by car dealers, personal finance companies, and financial institutions.
The core values that Protective Life Corporation still holds today have led the company through their growth in the life insurance industry:
- DO THE RIGHT THING
- SERVE PEOPLE
- BUILD TRUST
- SIMPLIFY EVERYTHING
Protective Life’s Financial Ratings
Financial stability is one of the most important factors when selecting an insurance carrier. The majority of life insurance companies are assigned ratings by insurance company rating agencies in order to assist the consumer in understanding the provider’s financial stability and solvency. The table below shows the current ratings held by Protective LIfe:
| Rating Service | Rating | Description |
| Fitch | A+ | Strong |
| A.M. Best | A+ | Superior |
| Standard & Poor’s | AA- | Very Strong |
| Moody’s Investor Services | A1 | 5th Highest of 21 |
It is fundamental that whichever life insurance company you do choose has strong financial ratings and the capacity to pay claims with no problem. The relationship that you develop with your insurer will most likely last throughout your lifetime.
Underwriting from Protective Life Insurance
In the effort to “simplify everything”, as mentioned in Protective Life’s core values, the company has set themselves apart from their competition by including a state-of-the-art underwriting process known as “PLUS” or Protective Life Underwriting Solution.
PLUS was designed in order to accelerate and automate the underwriting process for life insurance, unlike the complicated and outdated underwriting process of Protective Life’s competitors. This modern process is available for those ages 18 to 45 for up to $1 million in death benefit. Additionally, applicants ages 46 to 60 may receive up to $500,000 in death benefit.
Those eligible for PLUS can receive their policy efficiently and quickly by completing a quick telephone interview and typically without a medical exam. Applicants that are found to be ineligible for PLUS will have to go through the traditional underwriting process and undergo a medical exam.
Protective Life Insurance Products
Protective Life Corporation provides an exhaustive portfolio of products to meet the life insurance needs of their clients. Competitively priced, their products are backed due to the company’s financial stability.
Universal Life Insurance
Protective Life offers Universal Life insurance, which is an adjustable multi-use life insurance plan. The company presently offers four types of this policy:
- Protective Custom Choice UL – Similar to a term life policy, the Custom Choice UL also provides the flexibility that UL plans are most known for. The applicant has the capability of selecting a level benefit period of 10 to 30 years, and at the end of the term , the premium remains the same while the face amount decreases. At the end of the benefit term period, the policyholder can either convert the policy to permanent coverage, while not having to prove insurability, or the policyholder can adjust the death benefit according to their individual needs.
- Indexed Universal Life (IUL) – A permanent form of life insurance, this policy offers a growing cash value provided by earning interest on an indexed or fixed basis. If on a fixed basis, the cash value will earn at a fixed interest rate as disclosed in the policy. If on an indexed basis, the cash value will grow based on the performance of certain indices, such as the S&P 500 or NASDAQ. For those policyholders that wish to accumulate cash as well as a guaranteed death benefit, the indexed policy is the suitable choice.
- Variable Universal Life (VUL) – For consumers seeking a higher return on investment and that can tolerate higher market risk, the VUL policy uses a portion of the paid premium and disperses it to different investment options depending on the consumer’s risk tolerance and goals. The flexibility with this option allows policyholders to distribute their cash within the policy among their different investment options.
- Survivor Universal Life – Also known as “second to die”, this survivorship product offered by Protective Life is generally purchased for estate tax planning by partners or married couples. As flexible as a traditional UL policy, the Survivor Universal Life policy is more affordable than purchasing two separate policies.
Whole Life Insurance
For the consumer that favors both a lifetime insurance benefit with a cash value component, Protective Life’s Whole Life insurance policy is the best choice. Life insurance coverage with this policy lasts a lifetime, provided that premiums are current, the premiums remain level regardless of circumstances, and the policy’s cash value feature is credited at a fixed rate of interest as stated in the policyholder’s contract.
Term Life Insurance
One of the most competitive term policies on the market, Protective Life’s Term Insurance policy includes the following highlights:
- Policy term periods from 10 to 30-years
- Face value amounts ranging from $100,000 to $50 million
- The ability to convert to permanent life insurance coverage
- Premiums remain level during the designated initial term period
- Terminal illness rider that allows the policyholder to receive a portion of the death benefit in advance.
- Several additional riders available for an additional cost
Conclusion
Shopping for life insurance can be a complicated process, but Protective Life Corporation has helped to simplify that process with their innovative underwriting measures. For those seeking an affordable life insurance policy backed by a financially stable company and a quick underwriting process, Protective Life is the way to go. In fact, as an independent life insurance agency, we regard Protective Life Insurance Company as one of the top insurance providers offering excellent customer service, competitive pricing, and outstanding claims service.
In my 20+ years as an independent life and disability insurance broker, I have personally assisted thousands of clients with their life and disability insurance needs. Being independent, I represent many highly-rated insurance companies and, because I am not beholden to any one insurance company, my focus is to find the right company and policy for each individual client.
I believe that when people shop for insurance (or anything else, for that matter) on the Internet, they are looking for a simple, non-intrusive, non-pressure method of doing so. I strive to treat my prospective clients with the utmost respect and I believe an educated prospect can make the right decision without sales pressure.