When you need life insurance in Charlotte, shopping around for the right company can help you find a policy that meets your needs while saving money by securing the lowest rate. Here are the best life insurance companies available in Charlotte, along with how much you can expect to pay for coverage and the state laws that you need to know about.
We used industry data, pricing from Policygenius carrier partners, and third-party ratings like AM Best and J.D. Power to pick the best insurers on the market. Our independent recommendations will help you get life insurance coverage with confidence.
Best life insurance companies in Charlotte
Best overall: Legal & General America
Cheapest: Legal & General America
Best term life insurance: Legal & General America
Best no-medical-exam life insurance: Brighthouse Financial
Best whole life insurance: MassMutual
Best for seniors: Prudential
Best for young adults: Brighthouse Financial
Best for people with pre-existing conditions: Lincoln Financial
Best for marijuana users: Lincoln Financial
Best for smokers: Legal & General America
Best overall life insurance
Legal & General America, which also does business as Banner Life and William Penn, is our number one pick for the best life insurance company in Charlotte. It offers low rates, a variety of term length options for term life insurance, and affordable policies for a variety of applicants. Legal & General America also separates itself from the pack with strong financial security ratings and a low NAIC complaint rating of 0.35, compared to the national average of 1.00.
Cheapest life insurance
Legal & General America
Legal & General America offers competitive life insurance rates for many people with a variety of age ranges, health conditions, and lifestyles.
Best term life insurance
Legal & General America
Term life insurance is the most common form of life insurance policy, with affordable policies that cover the policyholder for a predefined number of years. Legal & General America offers affordable rates with a range of term length options that can cover the policyholder for up to 40 years.
Best no-medical-exam life insurance
Charlotte residents can get life insurance without having to take the medical exam by purchasing no-medical-exam life insurance, which uses your medical history to calculate how much the policy will cost. Brighthouse Financial offers competitive rates for no-medical-exam policies with application decisions as fast as 24 hours.
Best whole life insurance
Whole life insurance is a type of permanent policy that covers the policyholder for their entire life, but costs five to 15 times as much as term life. It also has a cash value component that earns interest, and it may even pay dividends based on the life insurance company’s financial performance. MassMutual is our pick for best whole life insurance because it pays larger dividends than other insurers.
Best for seniors
Charlotte seniors age 60 or above will pay more for life insurance than younger customers. But Prudential offers competitive rates to older applicants, even when they have specific pre-existing conditions that tend to go along with old age.
Best for young adults
Brighthouse Financial
Young adults in Charlotte can find cheap life insurance with most life insurance companies because of their age. But Brighthouse Financial stands out with some of the best rates for young people, fast application decisions, and lower income requirements for students.
Best for people with pre-existing conditions
Charlotte residents with pre-existing conditions ranging from HIV and diabetes to anxiety and sleep apnea will pay more for life insurance than applicants with a clean medical history. But Lincoln Financial provides the most competitive rates to applicants with many kinds of pre-existing conditions.
Best for marijuana users
Lincoln Financial
Most marijuana users can’t get the best life insurance rates because the life insurance companies will automatically assign them more expensive smoker rates. But Lincoln Financial offers some of the most affordable rates, even to daily users.
Best for smokers
Legal & General America
Charlotte residents who use tobacco will pay much more for life insurance, with smoker rates at double or triple the rate a non-smoker would pay. Legal & General America is no exception, but offers better rates to smokers than competing carriers. And smokers who quit can ask to reduce their rates after being tobacco-free for a year.
Comparing the best life insurance companies in Charlotte
Company | Policygenius rating | Best for | Types of policies | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brighthouse Financial | 5.0 / 5 | No-medical-exam life, young adults | Term life, no-medical-exam life, whole life, short-term life, universal life | |
Legal & General America | 4.9 / 5 | Overall, cheapest, term life, smokers | Term life, no-medical-exam life, universal life | |
MassMutual | 4.9 / 5 | Whole life | Term life, no-medical-exam life, whole life, universal life, variable universal life | |
Lincoln Financial | 4.8 / 5 | Marijuana users, people with pre-existing conditions | Term life, no-medical-exam life, indexed universal life, variable universal life | |
Prudential | 4.1 / 5 | Seniors | Term life, no-medical-exam life, short-term life, universal life, indexed universal life |
What is the average cost of life insurance in Charlotte?
Based on the latest Policygenius data from 2023, the average monthly rate for a healthy 35-year old in Charlotte buying a $500,000, 20-year term life insurance policy is $30.79 for men and $25.76 for women.
What happens if a life insurance company goes bankrupt in Charlotte?
When a Charlotte resident’s life insurance company goes bankrupt, the North Carolina Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association will take over coverage as long as the policyholder keeps paying their premiums.
When a life insurance company is ordered to be liquidated, affected Charlotte policyholders will be notified by the receiver or the guaranty association. The guaranty association covers up to $300,000 in death benefits for impacted policyholders.
If a policyholder moves out of North Carolina and their life insurance company subsequently goes bankrupt, they will receive coverage from the state in which they currently reside.
How to find a lost life insurance policy in Charlotte
Anyone who believes they are the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, as well as the executors and legal representatives of the decedent, can submit an inquiry form with the North Carolina Department of Insurance to search for a life insurance policy in the decedent’s name.
North Carolina life insurance laws
Life insurance companies in Charlotte have to adhere to North Carolina laws that protect consumers and direct how policies must operate in the state.
Free look period
In North Carolina, new policyholders have a minimum of 10 days after receiving the policy (the “free look” period) during which they can return their life insurance policy and receive a full refund of the premium they paid.
Guaranty Fund protection
The North Carolina Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association covers North Carolina residents for up to $300,000 in death benefits when a life insurance company is found to be insolvent and ordered liquidated.
Contestable period
During the first two years of a life insurance policy, the insurer can void the contract and deny a claim if they find lies or misrepresentations were made during the application process. This time frame is known as the contestability period.
Time allowable to settle a claim
Life insurance companies have to pay claims in North Carolina within 30 days of receiving the claim. If the death benefit is not paid within 30 days after the company receives proof of death, the proceeds begin to accrue interest paid by the company.
Grace period for missed payments
Life insurance companies must provide North Carolina policyholders a 31-day grace period to make up for a missed premium payment. During that time, the policyholder can settle up unpaid premiums before they lose coverage.