John Hancock life insurance offers a variety of flexible policies designed to meet different needs, particularly for individuals seeking customizable coverage with added perks and rewards for healthy living. Established in 1862, John Hancock offers term and universal life insurance plans alongside its unique Vitality and Aspire programs.
- Term: John Hancock’s term insurance comes in four policy lengths — 10, 15, 20 or 30 years — and offers death benefit amounts ranging from $250,000 to $65 million. Term life is often a popular choice among families who want coverage for a shorter period of time, such as when debt is being paid down or until children are independent.
- Permanent: Permanent policies are designed to last your entire life, as long as you pay the premiums, and feature a cash value in addition to the death benefit. John Hancock offers three types of universal life insurance, but doesn’t sell whole life coverage.
- Universal: Universal life insurance is a flexible option that allows you to adjust your death benefit and premium to meet the changing needs in your life.
- Indexed universal: This type of universal life insurance invests its cash value portion in an index, such as the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
- Variable universal: Variable universal life allows you to place your cash value in a broader set of investments. To learn more about variable universal life, contact a licensed financial professional.
- John Hancock Vitality: A standout feature of John Hancock is its Vitality program, a life insurance solution that rewards policyholders for healthy behaviors. Customers can save up to 25 percent on premiums by participating in the program, earning rewards like fitness trackers, discounts from partners like Apple and Amazon and access to early cancer screenings through the Galleri multi-cancer detection test. This science-backed incentive program is the only one of its kind offered by a U.S. life insurance provider.
- John Hancock Aspire: The company also tailors solutions for those living with diabetes through the Aspire program. With Aspire, individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can save up to 25 percent on life insurance premiums while gaining access to benefits like discounts on healthy foods, fitness devices and personalized diabetes care. Aspire also includes virtual consultations with diabetes experts via Onduo, which provides free blood glucose testing supplies and personal health coaching to help manage the condition.
None of John Hancock’s policies are guaranteed-issue, which means that your eligibility will depend upon your answers to the application’s questions and potentially on the results of a medical exam. As you shop for life insurance, it may be helpful to use a life insurance calculator or work with a licensed agent to determine how much coverage you need and which policy type is best for your situation.
Pros and cons of John Hancock life insurance
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Compare John Hancock with other insurers
When looking for the best life insurance for you and your loved ones, you may want to compare different companies to find what best fits your needs. If you aren’t sure if John Hancock is for you, you may want to consider getting quotes from these carriers.
John Hancock vs. State Farm
State Farm earned the top spot in the 2023 J.D. Power Life Insurance Study, indicating that the company’s policyholders are typically highly satisfied with its service. It also earned the Bankrate Award for Best Term Life Insurer for the third year in a row. State Farm offers more insurance products than John Hancock, including whole life, auto insurance and home insurance — none of which are offered by John Hancock — so it could be a good choice if you prefer keeping your products in one place.
John Hancock vs. Mutual of Omaha
Mutual of Omaha ranks highly (4th place) in customer satisfaction according to J.D. Power and offers a guaranteed-issue whole life insurance option, which might be appealing if you have health issues but still need coverage. Mutual of Omaha also offers several types of health insurance, including long-term care insurance, disability income insurance and cancer insurance.
John Hancock vs. Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual won our 2023 Bankrate Award for Best Universal Life Insurer due to its high customer satisfaction ratings, strong financial strength and accessibility. On top of its life insurance offerings, Northwestern Mutual also offers financial planning, investment products and some health insurance products.
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Our John Hancock life insurance review analyzed several aspects of the company, including its policy types, available riders and customer satisfaction. Our editorial team is familiar with the aspects of a life insurance company that matter most to consumers. John Hancock might be a good life insurance company if you are looking for additional perks, as the Vitality and Aspire with Vitality programs offer benefits not usually provided by life insurers. However, its customer satisfaction ratings vary, so talking with current customers before committing to a policy could be a good idea.
What are real-life customers saying about John Hancock?
To better understand the experiences of John Hancock policyholders, we explored customer reviews from platforms like Trustpilot and Reddit. Feedback reveals a mixed bag, some customers praise the Vitality program for its wellness perks, while others highlight frustrations with policy management and customer support. Whether it’s the program’s unique rewards or dissatisfaction with service, these real-life accounts offer valuable insights into what it’s like to work with John Hancock.
Terrible-do not purchase insurance if you can help it. I went on the vitality program when I purchased insurance because they were offering a ‘free’ Apple watch. Well, I'm a year into it and all the steps/activities I do during the day to get my Vitality points in are not being counted towards my free payment. So I've been getting charged for the watch when I shouldn't. Have reached out multiple times to get help from John Hancock and it's like nobody ever works there, you can't get one person on the phone to get an answer once you're a customer.
I have loved being a part of the John Hancock Vitality program. Not only do I have incredible and reliable insurance coverage, the Vitality program has helped me to stay focused on my fitness goals! JHV has rewarded my efforts with gift cards, grocery discounts and an end-of-year rebate on my premiums....all for just for working to be a happier and healthier person. I now pay more attention to preventative healthcare, my sleep patterns and my food choices. Oh yeah, a free Apple Watch was a nice bonus too! I would highly recommend getting coverage through John Hancock insurance AND joining the Vitality program. You will love it! It will change your life!
These Trustpilot reviews clearly show that while some customers find great value in the Vitality program, others have had difficulty accessing the rewards.
Because everything with John Hancock is convoluted. I once had a small life insurance policy with them that had a never-asked-for automatic loan against it that I had to keep paying on. I tried to cash out the account and they flat-out refused to do it.....unless I agreed to meet with a local rep first. I tried every number I could find, no good answers, no results. I finally had a financial advisor willing to take on the task and was able to cash it out for me. I'm now stuck in a loop of trying to cash out small accounts for 2 different relatives. Lots of phone calls with different but always illogical answers, lots of irrelevant forms being sent to me, weird letters about the accounts. It sucks.
This has been our experience too. So confusing and complicated, and no straight answers.
*The quotes and citations included on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of the posting date. Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate.
John Hancock company details
- Customer service (all states except NY): 1-800-387-2747
- Customer service (New York only): 1-888-267-7781
- Claims: 1-888-887-2739
- Mailing address: Life Post Issue Services, John Hancock Insurance, PO Box 55979, Boston, MA 02205
State availability
John Hancock is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. However, some products, perks and add-ons may vary by state.
John Hancock tools and benefits
Some interesting tools and benefits for the company's life insurance policies include the Vitality and Aspire programs. In addition to life insurance, John Hancock offers a variety of other financial products that you might find appealing:
- Financial advice: Finances can be complex and nuanced. John Hancock offers advisors who can help you develop a plan for each aspect of your financial health.
- Investments: John Hancock’s financial advisors may be able to help you choose from a variety of investment products, including mutual funds and EFTs, to bolster your financial plan.
- Market Dynamics resources: These are prepackaged presentations and webinars that can be used by individuals or groups to gain a better understanding of investment strategies and market stressors.
- Retirement planning: A John Hancock representative could help you review your retirement plan and make adjustments if needed.