Transamerica offers a range of life insurance policies, including term, whole, universal, and final expense insurance. The company was founded in 1904 as a bank and is now headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Transamerica's life insurance policies are available with coverage of up to $10 million, depending on the specific policy chosen. The company receives poor reviews for its customer service and has a higher-than-average complaint ratio, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. However, it offers relatively affordable policies, especially for smokers and individuals with certain chronic health issues. So, can you get a W2 with Transamerica life insurance? Unfortunately, there is no information available on this.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Number of Policies | 6 |
Medical Exams | Not required for some Trendsetter Super and Trendsetter LB Term Life policies |
Online Quotes | Available for Trendsetter Super Series Term Life plan |
Plan Types | Term, whole, and universal |
Online Quotes and Applications | Only one plan type has this |
Coverage Limits | Up to $10 million |
Age Restrictions | Vary by state |
Financial Strength Rating | A+ |
Customer Complaints | More than expected for a company of its size |
Customer Satisfaction Ranking | No. 20 out of 22 companies in J.D. Power's 2022 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study |
Customer Service Reviews | Poor |
Financial Stability | Reliable |
What You'll Learn
Transamerica's life insurance policy options
Transamerica offers term, whole, and universal life insurance policies, as well as final expense insurance. The company was founded in San Francisco in 1904 as a bank and is now headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Term Life Insurance
Transamerica offers two types of term life insurance policies, with terms of 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years available. The Trendsetter Super policy offers up to $10 million in coverage, while the Trendsetter LB offers up to $2 million in coverage. The Trendsetter Super policy is the only life insurance plan through Transamerica that offers online quotes and applications. The Trendsetter LB plan provides access to some of the money before death if the insured person is diagnosed with a chronic, critical, or terminal illness.
Whole Life Insurance
Transamerica offers whole life insurance policies of up to $2 million with a variety of potential riders, including accelerated death benefit riders for those with chronic, critical, or terminal illnesses, term life riders, waiver of premium, and child term riders. The company also offers a final expense insurance policy, which is a whole life policy with death benefits ranging from $1,000 to $50,000.
Universal Life Insurance
Transamerica offers two types of universal life insurance policies: indexed universal life (IUL) and variable universal life. The IUL policies are the Financial Choice and Financial Foundation plans, which offer coverage starting at $250,000 and $25,000, respectively. The variable universal life policy invests money directly, offering the potential for more growth but also the risk of loss. Universal life insurance policies from Transamerica also give the option to adjust the death benefit over time and have riders for added flexibility.
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The company's history and current structure
Transamerica has a long and complex history, with its origins stretching back to the 19th century. The company has gone through various iterations, eventually becoming the conglomerate it is known as today.
The original Transamerica life insurance company was founded in 1906. However, its roots can be traced back to 1904 when A.P. Giannini founded the Bank of Italy in San Francisco. Giannini, who was also the founder of Bank of America, created a holding company in 1928 that he named the Transamerica Corporation. This holding company owned several banks, including Bank of America, Bank of Italy, Bancitaly Corporation, National Bankitaly Company, California Joint Stock Land Bank, and Banca d'America e d'Italia, giving it significant financial power. The original headquarters of the Transamerica Corporation was located at 4 Columbus Avenue in San Francisco.
In the following years, Transamerica continued to grow and diversify its business. In 1930, it acquired the Occidental Life Insurance Company, which was then renamed the Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Company. This acquisition was part of Giannini's plan for Transamerica to dominate every type of financial service. Over time, Transamerica expanded beyond insurance and ventured into other industries, including film distribution with United Artists, transportation with Transamerica Airlines and Budget Rent a Car, and even machinery manufacturing.
However, in 1956, a significant shift occurred when Congress passed legislation barring companies from owning controlling interests in both banking and non-banking ventures. As a result, Transamerica spun off its banking entities and retained its focus on insurance and other non-banking businesses.
In the 1960s, Transamerica began a period of diversification, expanding into various industries and assuming a huge conglomerate form. However, it faced challenges in establishing a recognisable brand image. Despite its diverse businesses, the company was not well-known among the general public, and even within the investment community, it lacked a strong presence.
In the 1980s, Transamerica underwent a strategic shift and began to divest its non-core businesses. It sold United Artists to Tracinda Corporation and streamlined its operations to focus exclusively on financial services. This led to the emergence of three main product divisions: insurance, investments, and retirement planning.
In 1999, Transamerica became an independent subsidiary of the multinational company Aegon, a Netherlands-based insurer. This marked a new chapter for the company, and it continued to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of the financial services industry.
Today, Transamerica is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and offers a range of financial products and services, including life and supplemental health insurance, investments, and retirement services. The company has major offices across the United States and continues to be a prominent player in the financial sector.
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Pros and cons of their insurance coverage
Transamerica offers a wide variety of life insurance products, which could make it a versatile choice for many. The company's strong financial ratings indicate reliability, but there are areas where it may fall short in customer satisfaction and availability. Here is a more detailed overview of the pros and cons of Transamerica's insurance coverage:
Pros
- Variety of insurance products: Transamerica offers term life, whole life, and universal life policies, as well as final expense insurance and coverage for foreign nationals.
- High death benefits: The company offers relatively high death benefits, with term life policies reaching upwards of $10 million.
- No medical exam required for some policies: Some of Transamerica's policies do not require a medical exam, making them more accessible to individuals with health concerns.
- Strong financial strength rating: Transamerica received an "Excellent" financial strength rating from AM Best, indicating its ability to pay future claims.
- Customizable coverage: Transamerica's policies offer flexible coverage amounts, term periods, and optional rider benefits, allowing customers to customize their insurance plans to their needs.
- Living benefits: Some policies provide living benefits, offering early access to death benefits for qualifying critical, chronic, or terminal illnesses.
Cons
- Poor customer satisfaction: Transamerica has received lower-than-average customer satisfaction ratings in J.D. Power's studies and has a high number of complaints relative to its size, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
- Limited availability: Some of Transamerica's products are not available in every state, particularly in New York.
- Below-average availability for online purchase and quotes: Transamerica's policies must be purchased through an agent, and only one plan type, the Trendsetter Super Series, offers online quotes and applications.
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Customer service reviews
Transamerica offers a wide range of life insurance products, including term, whole, universal, and final expense insurance policies. The company receives positive reviews for its range of policy options, high death benefits, and relatively low pricing. However, it has received numerous complaints regarding its customer service.
Transamerica's customer service has been the subject of criticism, with reviews citing long processing times for claims and a lack of responsiveness from the customer support team. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the company has received a higher-than-average number of complaints relative to its size. This has resulted in a poor customer satisfaction rating, with Transamerica ranking 20th out of 22 companies in J.D. Power's 2022 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study.
Reddit users have expressed mixed feelings about Transamerica. Some have reported slow response times to queries, while others have mentioned lengthy delays in paying out life insurance death benefits. Additionally, there are comments suggesting that the company employs pushy sales tactics.
In terms of financial stability, Transamerica holds an A rating from AM Best, indicating its ability to honour insurance claims regardless of economic conditions. However, the company's poor customer service reviews may be a cause for concern for prospective customers. It is always advisable to compare multiple options before choosing a life insurance provider to ensure you receive the best value and service.
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How to get a quote or purchase a policy
To get a quote or purchase a policy with Transamerica, you will need to contact a licensed agent. You can find a Transamerica agent near you by searching the company's agent locator with your ZIP code and the type of insurance product you are interested in. While Transamerica's policies cannot be purchased online, its documents are generally available electronically, although availability may vary by product.
Transamerica offers term, whole, and universal policy options. The Trendsetter Super Series Term Life plan is the only plan type with online quotes and applications. You can check quotes online for Transamerica's term life options.
Transamerica's term life insurance options include the Trendsetter Super Series and the Trendsetter LB. The Trendsetter Super Series offers coverage limits of $10 million and up, while the Trendsetter LB goes up to $2 million. The Trendsetter Super Series also offers exam-free options for qualified applicants seeking a policy of less than $2 million. Coverage limits for this plan type range from $25,000 to over $10 million, with term lengths of 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years, and age restrictions of 18 to 80 years.
Transamerica's whole life insurance options include the Individual Whole Life Insurance plan and the Final Expense Life Insurance policy. The individual whole life insurance policy offers a tax-free death benefit, a tax-deferred cash value that can be accessed during the insured's lifetime, and a guaranteed level premium. The final expense policy offers coverage amounts ranging from $1,000 to $50,000, an accelerated death benefit, an accidental death benefit, and a children's and grandchildren's death benefit.
Transamerica's universal life insurance options include the Transamerica Financial Foundation IUL policy and the Financial Choice IUL policy. The Transamerica Financial Foundation IUL policy has coverage limits ranging from $25,000 to over $500,000, while the Financial Choice IUL policy has a minimum death benefit of $250,000. These plans offer a death benefit protection and a flexible premium, and have the potential to accumulate cash value via premium payments and interest.
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Frequently asked questions
Transamerica offers term life, whole life, and universal life insurance policies.
Coverage limits depend on the type of policy. For term life insurance, coverage starts at $25,000, with the Trendsetter LB policy going up to $2 million and the Trendsetter Super policy providing coverage upward of $10 million. Whole life insurance policies offer coverage of up to $2 million, while universal life insurance policies have death benefits starting at $25,000 and can go over $500,000.
Yes, medical exams may not be required for some Trendsetter Super and Trendsetter LB Term Life policies. Additionally, the Final Expense policy, which is a type of whole life insurance, does not require a medical exam.
Transamerica life insurance policies cannot be purchased online. To purchase a policy, you will need to contact a licensed agent or representative. You can find a Transamerica agent near you by searching on the company's website using your ZIP code and the type of insurance product you are interested in.
Transamerica has an A rating from AM Best, indicating strong financial stability and the ability to pay insurance claims.