Demand for life insurance and annuity products is increasing as financial professionals address concerns about longevity and financial protection. A new JD Power Life & Annuity Distribution Partner Experience Study reports that financial advisors, insurance brokers, and banking professionals generally rate their life insurance and annuity partners highly. However, the study also finds that providers have opportunities to improve the user-friendliness of their services, particularly in digital tools and self-service capabilities.
The study, released March 5, 2026, evaluates how financial professionals interact with companies that create and support life insurance and annuity products. Overall, the results show high levels of satisfaction. At the same time, many professionals say working with these partners still requires more effort than it should.
Demand for Life Insurance and Annuities Continues to Rise
Market and demographic trends are encouraging financial professionals to discuss long-term financial security with their clients more frequently. Advisors are addressing the possibility that clients may outlive their savings and are helping families prepare for unexpected events.
Research from LIMRA reflects this trend. The organization forecasts growth in individual life insurance premiums in 2026 and reports that the outlook for annuity sales remains strong.
Financial Professionals Report High Satisfaction
Financial professionals report high satisfaction levels with their life insurance and annuity distribution partners.
The average overall satisfaction score for life insurance distribution partners is 743 out of 1,000. The average score for annuity distribution partners is 742.
These scores are higher than those reported in some other financial services relationships. For example, the JD Power 2025 U.S. Independent Agent Satisfaction Study recorded a score of 664 for independent agents working with personal lines insurers. Meanwhile, the JD Power 2025 U.S. Financial Advisor Satisfaction Study reported a score of 629 for independent financial advisors working with wealth management firms.
Ease of Doing Business Remains an Issue
Although satisfaction scores are strong, financial professionals still report challenges when interacting with some providers.
Craig Martin, executive director of global insurance intelligence at JD Power, said financial professionals place a high value on trust and efficiency because their time and professional reputations are critical to their work. While many life insurance and annuity providers have strong reputations and offer reliable service, Martin noted that some providers still lack user-friendly processes and strong self-service capabilities.
Ease of interaction strongly influences loyalty. Among professionals who say their life insurance partners are very easy to work with, loyalty rates reach 78%. Loyalty reaches 71% among annuity partners with the same rating.
However, fewer than half of financial professionals, or 40%, say their life insurance and annuity partners are very easy to work with.
Self-Service and Digital Tools Affect Satisfaction
The study also finds that self-service capabilities remain a concern for many financial professionals.
Nearly 31% say the balance between self-service tools and live support is not ideal when working with life insurance and annuity partners. In addition, 20% of professionals say annuity providers should offer better self-service options.
Digital portals also significantly affect satisfaction levels. Most financial professionals report positive experiences, with 71% rating their provider portals as excellent.
However, satisfaction declines significantly when those portals fall short. For the 29% of professionals who say their provider portals do not meet expectations, overall satisfaction scores drop by more than 200 points.
Study Rankings
Pacific Life ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among life insurance distribution partners with a score of 768. Guardian Life ranks second with a score of 761, followed by Allianz with 760.
Corebridge Financial ranks highest among annuity distribution partners with a score of 765. Security Benefit ranks second with a score of 764, and Symetra ranks third with a score of 754.
Study Methodology
The Life & Annuity Distribution Partner Experience Study evaluates the experiences of financial advisors, insurance agents, and banking professionals who sell products from the nation’s largest life insurance and annuity distribution companies.
The study measures six dimensions: business support, compensation, ease of doing business, operational support, product competitiveness, and service to clients.
Researchers collected 2,860 evaluations of life insurance distribution partners and 3,010 evaluations of annuity distribution partners. The study was fielded from October through December 2025.
About JD Power
JD Power provides data, analytics, and intelligence designed to help businesses improve customer experience and operational performance. The company combines proprietary data, consumer interaction data, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and industry expertise to analyze market trends and customer behavior.
As an independent source of insight into real-world customer interactions with brands and products, JD Power provides organizations with information they can use to respond to market changes, strengthen customer engagement, and support growth. More information is available at JDPower.com.
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