Our Verdict: The Short Answer
AIG life insurance today is American General, sold under the Corebridge Financial brand after AIG spun the business off in 2022. The carrier is financially sound, holding an A (Excellent) rating from AM Best, and its Select-a-Term product is genuinely competitive, with no-exam options and as many as 18 term lengths out to 35 years. The catch is service. Corebridge ranked 19th of 23 carriers in J.D. Power’s 2025 individual life study, its corporate entity has no rating from the BBB for unanswered complaints, and beneficiary reviews describe slow, frustrating claims. If a claim ever goes sideways, that is the system you are dealing with.
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Key Takeaways
- AIG Is American General, Now Corebridge: AIG’s life policies are issued by American General Life and sold under Corebridge Financial, which AIG spun off in 2022 and has since sold down. In March 2026 Corebridge agreed to merge with Equitable Holdings.
- Strong On Paper, Weak At The Desk: The carrier holds an A (Excellent) rating from AM Best, but it ranked 19th of 23 carriers in J.D. Power’s 2025 individual life study, and its corporate entity holds an F from the BBB.
- Best For Flexible, Cheap Term: The Select-a-Term product offers up to 18 term lengths out to 35 years and competitive rates, plus no-exam underwriting for many healthy applicants.
- Underwrites Tougher Cases Well: Controlled diabetes, certain heart conditions, and tobacco use sometimes draw better offers here than at carriers that penalize them harder.
- Service Is The Real Tradeoff: Slow claims, harsh Trustpilot reviews, and a disjointed online experience are the recurring complaints. Price the alternatives before you commit.
- Compare life insurance quotes before you buy
What AIG Life Insurance Is Now: AIG, American General, and Corebridge
The “AIG” on a life insurance quote no longer points to a standalone AIG company. AIG spun off its life and retirement arm as Corebridge Financial in 2022, and the policies themselves are issued by American General Life Insurance Company, a Corebridge subsidiary that traces its roots to 1926. The three names you keep running into, AIG, American General, and Corebridge, are one lineage: the brand you remember, the legal issuer, and the parent that holds it today.
Ownership has moved fast since the spinoff. In December 2024, AIG sold a 21.6% stake in Corebridge to Japan’s Nippon Life, leaving AIG with roughly a quarter of the company and a stated plan to exit entirely. It kept selling, dropping to about 10% by the end of 2025, and sold its final shares in May 2026. Meanwhile, in March 2026, Corebridge agreed to merge with Equitable Holdings in an all-stock deal, with Corebridge shareholders set to own about 51% of a new parent company headquartered in Houston. None of this changes your contract. It does mean the name and the owner behind an AIG policy have shifted more than once in a few years.
I spent years on the agency side, and one distinction does most of the work in a review like this. A carrier’s financial strength and a carrier’s service experience are two separate questions, and a company can score high on one while failing the other. AIG is the clearest example I can point to. The balance sheet is sound. The experience of dealing with the company, especially at claim time, is where the complaints collect. Keep those two things apart as you read, because the ratings that reassure you are not measuring the thing most buyers actually worry about.
Who Is AIG Best For?
AIG fits a specific buyer. If you are relatively healthy, want competitive term rates, and value flexible term lengths, the Select-a-Term product earns a look. It is also worth a quote if you carry a health condition that draws surcharges elsewhere, because AIG’s underwriting can be more forgiving in particular niches, controlled diabetes and tobacco use among them. Self-sufficient buyers who are comfortable managing a policy online, and who do not expect much hand-holding along the way, will get the most out of it. Anyone who wants a guide through the process should set expectations accordingly, because that is not where this carrier is strong.
AIG Life Insurance Affordability
Term pricing is where AIG competes hardest. Its Select-a-Term product consistently lands among the more affordable life insurance rates for healthy non-smokers from their 30s into their 50s. As a rough benchmark, a 30-year-old man in excellent health might pay $13 to $15 a month for a 20-year, $250,000 term policy at preferred-plus rates. That figure moves with age, health class, and state, so treat it as a starting point rather than a quote.
Guaranteed-issue whole life runs the other direction on price. Because it skips health questions and exams, coverage of $5,000 to $25,000 for ages 50 to 80 carries higher premiums per thousand than a medically underwritten policy. You are paying for the certainty of acceptance, which makes sense only if you cannot qualify for standard coverage.
Discounts are thin, since AIG does not advertise the bundling deals an auto carrier leans on. The savings come from paying annually to avoid installment fees and from the no-exam underwriting paths, AU+ and SimpliNow, which can cut both the cost and the wait of a paramedical exam.
Riders add to the premium, with one useful exception. The terminal illness rider comes free on many policies. Accidental death, waiver of premium, and child term riders carry their own charges that scale with coverage amount and policy type.
AIG Life Insurance Coverage Options
AIG runs a broad menu, wider than most term-focused carriers.
Select-a-Term anchors the lineup, with coverage from $100,000 to more than $1 million and as many as 18 term lengths. You can choose 10 years, 35 years, or nearly any single year in between, a degree of customization most competitors do not offer, since they stop at the standard 10, 20, and 30-year options. That 35-year term is rare, and it suits a buyer who wants to lock a rate for an extended stretch.
The Quality of Life Flex Term policy layers living benefits onto term coverage. A diagnosis of chronic, critical, or terminal illness lets you pull a portion of the death benefit while you are alive, which puts money in reach during the health crisis rather than only after it.
Permanent coverage includes indexed universal life, with cash value tied to market indices and a floor that protects against losses, and the Secure Lifetime GUL guaranteed universal life, which holds the death benefit in place even if cash value runs to zero. Minimum face amounts generally start near $50,000 to $100,000 depending on age.
For final expenses, AIG offers both guaranteed-issue and simplified-issue whole life. Guaranteed issue runs $5,000 to $25,000 for ages 50 to 80 with no health questions and a two-year waiting period. Simplified issue reaches $5,000 to $35,000 with a few health questions and no exam.
Term holders can convert to permanent coverage without new medical underwriting, though the conversion window and the products available depend on the term you bought and how long you have held it.
AIG Life Insurance Financial Strength and Reliability
Financial strength is the part of AIG’s case that holds up cleanly. American General carries an A (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating from AM Best, with comparable marks from the other agencies: A+ from S&P and Fitch, and A2 from Moody’s.
Those ratings are stable in substance but in motion on paper. After Corebridge announced the Equitable merger, AM Best placed the A (Excellent) rating under review with developing implications in March 2026, and S&P moved its outlook to CreditWatch. That is the standard response to a pending combination, not a downgrade. It signals the agencies will reassess once the deal closes, expected by the end of 2026, into a company with roughly $1.5 trillion in combined assets.
Scale and history both run in AIG’s favor. Corebridge manages around $390 billion in assets, keeps several million life policies in force, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under CRBG. AIG itself dates to 1919 and Cornelius Vander Starr, and American General, the entity issuing most of these policies, has operated since 1926. A buyer worried about whether the company will exist to pay a claim decades from now has little to worry about on that score.
The complaint record is the asterisk. The NAIC tracks complaints filed with state regulators against each carrier, and American General’s complaint index has run above the expected baseline for some product lines, by a wide margin in certain reports. Strong financial ratings and a heavy complaint load can coexist, and here they do.
AIG Life Insurance Customer Service
Customer service is the weakest part of the file, and the data is consistent about it. In J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study, Corebridge ranked 19th of 23 carriers, below the industry average, while Mutual of Omaha topped the list. One caveat cuts the other way: in a separate J.D. Power study of distribution partners released in early 2026, Corebridge ranked first among annuity providers. That tells you the friction sits in the retail consumer experience, not in the institution’s ability to work with professionals.
Phone Support
Phone support runs weekdays, with hours that vary by department. Life insurance service is reachable at 888-517-9797, quotes at 800-294-4544, and claims at 800-888-2452. The recurring complaint is not the hours. It is being transferred repeatedly, getting inconsistent answers, and struggling to reach anyone with the authority to resolve a problem.
AIG and Corebridge Login and Contacts
- Policyholder login and account management: the Corebridge customer portal on the Corebridge or AIG Direct website
- Life insurance customer service: 888-517-9797
- Quotes: 800-294-4544
- Claims: 800-888-2452
Digital Support
The Corebridge mobile app rates about 2.9 out of 5 on the iOS App Store, with complaints about slow loading and login trouble, though it does handle balances, beneficiaries, and account changes. The web portal covers policy details, beneficiary updates, and payments. Instant online quotes are mostly unavailable, since most products route you to a representative before you see a number.
Third-Party Ratings
Third-party marks are split. The retail arm, Corebridge Direct, holds an A+ from the BBB and has been accredited since 2009, while the corporate entity, Corebridge Financial, carried an F as of late 2025 for failing to answer or resolve a batch of complaints. Trustpilot sits near 1.2 out of 5, with the familiar themes of slow claims and unresponsive support. One survey from Insure.com cut against the trend, with most Corebridge Direct customers reporting satisfaction, a gap that likely reflects the difference between the buying experience and what comes after it.
AIG Life Insurance Claims Process
The claims process is standard on paper, with a few specifics worth knowing. A beneficiary starts a claim with an online death-claim form or a call, and a claims team member reaches out within 24 hours to verify identity and walk through the documents required.
The size of the benefit sets the path. For policies under $15,000, a check typically ships within five business days of receiving proof of death, plus mailing time. For larger claims, the company sends a packet to all beneficiaries within five business days, and once complete paperwork comes back in good order, most pay within another five business days.
Some claims draw an investigation and run longer, and incomplete paperwork triggers a notice and follow-up. The reviews are where the gap between procedure and experience shows. Some beneficiaries describe smooth payouts, while others on Consumer Affairs and Trustpilot report claims sitting for months, repeated document requests, and inconsistent explanations for the delay.
The living-benefit riders deserve a mention here. A terminal illness rider can accelerate up to 50% of the death benefit, capped at $250,000, for a small administrative fee, and chronic and critical illness riders open similar access during a qualifying health event.
AIG Life Insurance Application Process
Applying starts online or by phone, at 800-294-4544 through Corebridge Direct, and because instant quotes are not available for most products, expect a callback rather than a number on the screen.
For term coverage, the Agile Underwriting+ program offers a lab-free, no-exam path that now clears more than 60% of term applications. Applicants between 18 and 59 seeking up to $2 million often qualify, and approved cases can see a policy in 24 to 48 hours.
The SimpliNow Choice platform adds another fast track, with either a scheduled telemedical interview or a self-completed electronic one, and a best case measured in hours. The caveat from applicant reports is that SimpliNow sometimes declines healthy applicants for reasons it does not explain well.
Traditional underwriting with a medical exam remains available, and it is often required for older applicants, larger benefits, or complicated health histories. Guaranteed-issue whole life is the simplest path, approved in minutes with no health questions and a two-year waiting period on full benefits. AIG’s Flex Points program, introduced in 2024 to replace its earlier Health Credits system, can lift an applicant into a better rate class by meeting several health-related conditions.
One practical frustration runs through the whole process: the web experience is fragmented. Quote tools sometimes bounce between the newer Corebridge site and older AIG pages, and some online tools trail what a licensed agent can pull up.
Pros & Cons of AIG Life Insurance
The picture nets out to a strong product backed by a strong balance sheet, sold through a service operation that struggles.
Pros
Term flexibility is the headline strength, with up to 18 term lengths and durations out to 35 years that most major carriers cannot match. Pricing on term is competitive for healthy applicants in the core age ranges, and no-exam underwriting removes the lab-and-wait step for many buyers. Living benefits through the Quality of Life products and the accelerated riders let policyholders reach funds during a health crisis rather than only at death. Financial stability is strong across every rating agency, and the underwriting can return favorable rates for applicants with conditions that draw penalties elsewhere.
Cons
Customer service ranks poorly on nearly every measure, and the complaint volume to regulators backs that up. Claims handling has drawn the sharpest criticism, with delays and poor communication landing on beneficiaries at the worst possible time. The online experience is disjointed, and instant quotes require a conversation. Permanent and final-expense products are thinner than the term lineup. The BBB’s unanswered complaints raise a fair question about responsiveness, and some long-term policyholders have been frustrated by premium increases at renewal.
Our Verdict & Rating for AIG Life Insurance
AIG is a clean tradeoff between price and service. The term products are genuinely competitive, and the 35-year term, the no-exam paths, and the living-benefit riders are real advantages for the right buyer. On product and price alone, this carrier belongs on a healthy shopper’s list.
The service record is just as real. A 19th-of-23 finish in J.D. Power’s 2025 study, an F at the BBB for the corporate entity, and a stack of hard reviews across platforms point to a service operation that does not match the product. For coverage that may not pay out for decades, that matters, because the moment you need the company most is the moment its weakest function is in charge.
The financial ratings settle the solvency question. AIG will be standing, through the Equitable merger and whatever follows it, with the capital to pay valid claims. The open question is what collecting on one will feel like. AIG did not rate high enough to make our list of the best life insurance companies, and the service file is the reason.
Who Should Consider This Company
AIG suits price-driven buyers who weigh premium over service and are confident managing a policy themselves. Healthy applicants who want competitive term rates with unusually flexible lengths will find real value. Anyone with a condition AIG underwrites well, controlled diabetes, certain heart conditions, or tobacco use, should get a quote and compare it against others. Buyers who do not expect to lean on the carrier for support will do fine here.
Who Should Consider Another Provider
If responsive customer service matters to you, look elsewhere. Families who expect to rely on the carrier during a claim should weigh insurers with stronger satisfaction scores. Buyers uneasy about a company carrying unresolved complaints at the BBB may rest easier with a different provider, and anyone who wants permanent coverage as their main policy should consider a carrier built around it. It is worth pricing AIG against Banner or Ethos before you decide.
Methodology
Our scoring weighs five factors based on their importance to most life insurance buyers:
Stability (20%): Financial strength ratings, years in business, and balance sheet health determine whether the company will be around to pay claims.
Coverage Options (10%): Variety of products, customization options, and available riders determine the level of flexibility.
Affordability & Value (30%): Premium competitiveness relative to market, available discounts, and overall value proposition.
Claims Process (20%): Stated procedures, timeline transparency, and actual customer experiences with claims.
Customer Service (20%): Accessibility, responsiveness, digital tools, and third-party satisfaction metrics.
