Life Insurance And Annuity Providers Score High Marks From Financial Pros, But Lag On User Friendliness

JD Power study finds life insurance and annuity distribution partners perform well on fundamentals, but struggle to offer user-friendly service to financial professionals.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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According to a new JD Power study, life insurance and annuity providers are receiving high satisfaction marks from financial advisors, agents, and brokers, with average overall satisfaction scores of 743 and 742 respectively on a 1,000-point scale. However, the study also found that less than half of financial professionals say their life insurance and annuity partners are very easy to work with, and many providers need to improve self-service capabilities and digital engagement.

Why it matters

As demand for life insurance and annuity products rises due to market and demographic trends, the ability of providers to deliver a user-friendly experience for financial professionals will be critical. Ease of doing business and digital capabilities are key priorities for advisors, agents and brokers who are managing their clients' financial futures.

The details

The JD Power Life & Annuity Distribution Partner Experience Study evaluated how financial advisors, agents, and brokers experience working with insurance carriers. While life insurance and annuity distribution partners perform well on fundamentals like business support, compensation, and service to clients, many still struggle with ease of doing business and self-service capabilities. Less than half (40%) of financial professionals say their partners are very easy to work with, and almost one-third (31%) indicate the balance between self-service and live support is sub-optimal.

  • The JD Power study was fielded from October to December 2025.
  • The study is based on 2,860 evaluations of life insurance distribution partners and 3,010 evaluations of annuity distribution partners.

The players

Pacific Life

Ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction with life insurance distribution partners, with a score of 768.

Corebridge Financial

Ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction with annuity distribution partners, with a score of 765.

JD Power

The company that conducted the Life & Annuity Distribution Partner Experience Study, which evaluates the experiences of financial advisors, insurance agents and banking professionals who sell life insurance and annuity products.

Craig Martin

Executive director of global insurance intelligence at JD Power.

LIMRA

An industry association that provided data and forecasts on the life insurance and annuity markets.

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What they’re saying

“The two most valuable commodities of financial professionals are their time and reputations, so when it comes to working with life insurance and annuity partners, they place an enormously high value on trust and ease of interaction.”

— Craig Martin, Executive director, global insurance intelligence at JD Power

“While many life insurance and annuity brands have built strong reputations and deliver reliable service to financial professionals and their clients, one area for improvement is user friendliness. Many providers come up short on self-service capabilities and have processes that can be time-consuming and seem antiquated.”

— Craig Martin, Executive director, global insurance intelligence at JD Power

What’s next

The JD Power study provides valuable insights for life insurance and annuity providers to focus on improving the user experience and digital capabilities for the financial professionals they serve. Providers that can deliver a more seamless and efficient experience are likely to see stronger loyalty and brand advocacy from this key distribution channel.

The takeaway

As demand for life insurance and annuity products continues to grow, the ability of providers to offer a user-friendly experience for financial advisors, agents and brokers will be critical. While many providers excel at the fundamentals, improving self-service tools, digital engagement, and overall ease of doing business should be a top priority to better serve this important distribution channel.