Satisfaction with life insurance bought through agents, brokers and financial advisors rose this year, while satisfaction with policies bought directly from insurers fell, according to the JD Power 2026 US Individual Life Insurance Study.
Satisfaction with policies sold through intermediaries rose 6 points to 645 on a 1,000-point scale. Policies sold direct to consumers through call centers, websites, banks or third-party sites fell 12 points to 684.
Overall satisfaction with individual life insurers was largely unchanged at 649, down 1 point. Trust saw the steepest decline, falling 9 points.
Trust fell most sharply among younger and financially vulnerable customers. Among Gen Z policyholders, the trust score dropped 39 points year on year. Among customers with poor or fair credit scores, it fell 28 points.
JD Power found that trust is easy to lose. A single negative experience, such as difficulty reaching a representative, an unexpected fee change or a reduction in service, lowered trust satisfaction by 96 points.
“Life insurance has really moved from a transactional relationship to a long-term relationship,” said Meaghan Hafner, senior director of health and life solutions at JD Power.
The study suggests the answer is more contact, coordinated across channels. Trust was highest, at 757, among customers who interacted with their provider through advisors, agents, mobile apps and websites. It was lowest, at 581, among those with no interaction at all.
Customers who strongly agreed that their digital, phone and in-person interactions were seamlessly coordinated had trust scores 148 points higher than those who only somewhat agreed.
Hafner said providers delivering seamless interaction across multiple channels were seeing the highest levels of satisfaction, trust and advocacy.
The study surveyed 6,145 individual life insurance customers between July 2025 and July 2026.
For life agents and financial advisors, the findings strengthen the case for active policy servicing after the sale. A policyholder who hears nothing from their agent or carrier for years is the least likely to trust them. That has consequences for retention, replacement risk and referrals.
The gap between trust among customers with no contact (581) and those using every channel (757) points to a practical opportunity. Annual reviews, coverage check-ins after life events, and helping clients use their carrier’s app or portal all count as interactions that build trust.
The sharp fall in trust among Gen Z is a warning for agents trying to reach younger buyers. These are customers who expect digital access but whose trust can be lost after a single bad experience.
Agents who pair their personal advice with carriers’ digital tools, and who step in quickly when a client hits a service problem, are well placed to win and keep those clients. That matters in a market where many Americans say they need more coverage than they have.
