Automobile services, travel discounts, roadside towing and…life insurance? Yes. We are all familiar with AAA (Triple A) as a highly trusted brand when it comes to our vehicles and travel. In fact, we all probably use them more than any other insurance product we own during the year. But is AAA guaranteed issue life insurance really a quality choice and are there compelling reasons to buy their guaranteed issue product?
If you’ve ever considered AAA as a one-stop-shop to your insurance, family and vehicle needs, stick around. We have taken the time to thoroughly review the carrier and it’s guaranteed acceptance product so you can make a sound decision. Let’s find out if this is the best life insurance company and policy for you.
What You’ll Learn
About AAA Life Insurance Company
AAA Financial Ratings
Policy Overview & Rates
Pros of AAA Guaranteed Life Insurance
Cons of AAA’s Guaranteed Acceptance Policy
Alternatives to AAA Life Insurance
Disclaimer: we are not AAA Life nor are we affiliated with the company. You can visit the company online at aaalife.com or call them direct at 1-800-684-4222.
About AAA Life Insurance Company
AAA Life Insurance Company is an extension of the well-known American Automobile Association (“Triple A”) that was founded in the early 1900s. This group helps their members nationwide with roadside services.
Founded in 1969, AAA Life Insurance Company entered the market with the goal of offering competitive insurance products, ranging from whole life, term life, annuities, mortgage protection, and even retirement planning. When combined with their famous automobile branch, AAA expanded its market share, while adding a layer of convenience and affordability to its consumer base.
As of today, they are not one of the giants or major players in the life insurance industry, but they are branded name.
AAA Financial Ratings
When determining the strength of an insurance company and its ability to pay out claims, it’s always smart to look at the financial ratings given by third party organization. The most well-known and utilized rating system throughout life insurance is A.M. Best.
As of September 2016, A.M. Best has given AAA an ‘A-’ (Excellent) rating and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of ‘a-’. The outlook of these ratings is stable and they are financially secure.
These are definitely strong ratings and prove the company is financially healthy, even after only having been in business for about 40 years.
AAA for Guaranteed Life Insurance
Is AAA guaranteed issue life insurance the right company for you? Let’s just say it’s always great to have options, especially with such an important purchase like insurance. At Guaranteed Issue Life, we represent multiple top rated life insurance companies for high-risk candidates.
Selecting AAA will come down to personal preference, but we want to help you make the best decision for you. In this AAA Life Insurance review of their Guaranteed Issue Whole Life plan, we will go over the pros, cons, and alternatives. Continue reading to see if it’s the right plan for you.
Policy Overview & Rates
Face Amount Range: $5,000 – $25,000
Age Availability: 45 – 85
State Availability: Not available in NY
Graded Period: 24 months
Premiums Returned: 30%
Riders: Travel Accident Endorsement
How to Apply: Directly through carrier
Pros of AAA Guaranteed Life Insurance
Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance
The Guaranteed Issue Graded Benefit Whole Life Insurance plan offers lifelong coverage that never expires. It is designed to help cover final expenses and is offered on a guaranteed basis, meaning there are no health questions or a medical exam.
It features a two-year graded benefit period where beneficiaries will receive the total benefit amount for accidental causes. If death occurs by non-accidental means within the first two years of coverage, beneficiaries will receive total premiums paid plus 30%. After the two years, the total amount of coverage is guaranteed to be paid, no matter what the cause of death.
Wide Range of Age Availability
AAA has a fairly wide age range for guaranteed issue. People between the ages of 45 and 85 are eligible for a policy, regardless of health status. If you read our review on Great Western or our article “Best Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance Companies,” you’ll know that guaranteed acceptance policies are difficult to come by in your 40’s.
That said, if you are in your 40’s, we believe that Great Western is a superior option. This is because they specialize in guaranteed issue and final expense policies, whereas AAA is first and foremost an automobile company.
Beyond age, AAA’s policy is offered in customizable amounts ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. These amounts are customary for the industry.
Currently, this product is available in all states except for New York.
Company Perks
As an automobile-first company, there are a few perks that are used to incentivize purchases. These include an exclusive lifetime member benefit where the surviving spouse receives a free lifetime AAA membership after the first two policy years. They also waive the $60 annual policy fee if you are a member of AAA.
These policy perks may be appealing to shoppers looking for something quick and easy and it’s AAA’s way of cross-selling their customers.
In our opinion, a roadside service membership should not be the deciding factor in what life insurance policy you receive. It’s too important of a decision to leave up to “freebies.” Plus, a basic AAA membership costs around $50-$75 annually, which may not justify the price you ultimately receive.
Cons of AAA’s Guaranteed Acceptance Policy
Premium Transparency
At this time, because AAA is owned, operated and sold under one roof, we are unable to access pricing information for their guaranteed acceptance product. In order to even access rates and receive a free quote, you must call AAA Life Insurance directly.
If you would like to instantly compare insurance rates at over a dozen other carriers, use our free quote tool on the side. This is 100% the easiest and most accurate way of receiving a quote before speaking with an agent on the phone.
No Available Riders
The Guaranteed Issue Whole Life policy through AAA is a fairly standard policy just with added company incentives. There are no additional riders or accelerated death benefits for us to report on right now.
If living benefits, such as Critical Illness, Terminal Illness, and Child Riders are important to you, we suggest reading about the best-guaranteed issue policies available in 2018. We’re confident that one of our top three choices will meet your needs. If not, we have also feature insurance carrier reviews from over a dozen companies throughout the country.
AAA Life Insurance Has Questionable Reviews
Personal reviews for life insurance are all over the internet, and AAA is no exception. One quick search will show you people who have had issues receiving their claims, who have continued getting charged once the insured passed away, and have had a difficult time reaching anyone helpful in their call centers.
In our experience, we very often speak with clients who have canceled policies with other carriers or decide at the last minute to go with an independent agency. With AAA, they’ve cited reasons like high cost, deceptive marketing, and poor customer service. Take this with a grain of salt as everyone’s experiences can be different, but it is important to keep in mind as you make this important decision to purchase guaranteed issue life insurance.
Even though it might be tempting to go with a company you have other services through, you should ask yourself what kind of hoops you’re willing to put your loved ones through after you’re gone.
Should You Choose AAA for Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance?
Electing to buy a guaranteed issue policy through AAA will most likely come down to your personal preference on staying with a brand name you know. Truthfully, AAA is an automobile first company and does not specialize in life insurance. They are not considered a major player in the life insurance industry, and because of this, may not meet the needs of your family.
However, the best way to know which policy is right for you is by comparing life insurance carriers and their rates. You may decide that AAA is the right fit for you, but we suggest you see what your options are with dedicated life insurance companies.
When you decide on a life insurance company, you are making a lifelong decision. This is why we suggest you receive as much information as you can to prevent any surprises down the line.
In order to make an informed decision, you need to know about other guaranteed acceptance companies as well. Fortunately, we’ve reviewed 15 of the best, most widely known and even “red flag” insurance companies offering a guaranteed acceptance product. This is to help you, the shopper, know more than what you can find by looking on carrier websites.
Alternatives to AAA Life Insurance
We are an independent life insurance agency, but we do not represent AAA Life Insurance. If you’re interested in an AAA guaranteed issue life insurance policy, you will have to call them directly.
However, we do represent dozens of other top carriers in the country, including those who have a trusted brand reputation and a quality guaranteed acceptance product. Our agents are also highly experienced in the industry and understand the differences in all policies, including those offered by AAA.
Don’t you think your family deserves the best coverage possible? Explore your options today by giving us a call. We’d love to show you what we can do for you!