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An insurance policy generally isn’t something you can return for your money back. But there’s one exception: return-of-premium (ROP) life insurance.
This type of coverage reimburses you for the money you paid in premiums if you don’t die during the term. Some insurers offer it as a stand-alone policy, though it’s commonly sold as a rider that can be added on to a life insurance policy. It can cost significantly more than a traditional life insurance policy.
What is return-of-premium life insurance?
Return-of-premium is a feature or rider added to an insurance policy that gives policyholders a refund of the premiums paid if they outlive their term.
How does return-of-premium life insurance work?
The money-back feature comes with a higher price tag. You can expect to pay three to five times as much for a return-of-premium policy compared with a standard term life insurance policy without ROP benefits.
Your insurer might also subtract the cost of administrative fees and similar charges. The money you get back isn’t taxable, as it’s simply a refund of the payments you made.
To compare, with regular term life insurance, you won’t receive any money if you’re still alive when the policy expires. However, you’d pay much less in premiums for the same amount of coverage.
Did you know…
ROP life insurance is usually a term life policy, but some policies can build cash value over time. Accumulating enough can take years, but eventually you might be able to borrow against your policy, withdraw the money or surrender the policy for cash if you no longer need coverage.
ROP life insurance pros and cons
Pros
Premiums are reimbursed if you outlive the policy.
Refunds aren’t taxed as income.
ROP policies can build cash value.
Cons
More expensive than regular term life insurance.
Won’t get any money back if your policy lapses.
Not usually available to applicants over 60.
Is return-of-premium life insurance worth it?
For most people, return-of-premium life insurance isn’t worth the extra cost. A standard term life insurance policy is sufficient and more affordable. Instead, put the money you don’t spend on a return-of-premium policy aside into a high-interest savings account, or invest it.
If you’re not comfortable with the idea of paying into a life insurance policy that may expire, consider the lifelong coverage offered by permanent life insurance policies like whole life.
The best stand-alone ROP insurance policies
If you do buy ROP insurance, you’ll need to choose whether you want a stand-alone policy or to add this feature to an existing life insurance policy.
This list focuses on return-of-premium policies that are sold separately. To narrow down the list, we looked at death benefit amounts, term lengths and state availability, as well as insurers’ financial strength and reputation among customers. All of the companies below scored at least 4.6 out of 5 stars.
NerdWallet rating
Term lengths available
State FarmBest for discounts
20 or 30 years.
Cincinnati Life InsuranceBest for transparency
20, 25 or 30 years.
Illinois MutualBest user-friendly policy
20 or 30 years or to age 65.
NerdWallet rates insurers at the company level, not the policy level. This means our star rating reflects the company as a whole, and not its ROP insurance policy specifically.
Best for discounts: State Farm
Open to applicants from 18 to 60 years old, State Farm’s return-of-premium life insurance policy offers coverage starting at $100,000 and capped at $250,000. Depending on your age, you can buy a policy lasting 20 or 30 years. If you’d like to convert your policy to permanent life insurance, you can do so up to age 75.
Best for transparency: The Cincinnati Life Insurance Company
Cincinnati Life’s Termsetter ROP policies start at $25,000 in coverage and can last 20, 25 or 30 years. The insurer doesn’t list a maximum coverage level. Instead, the amount of coverage you can buy depends on your age and your rating category. Cincinnati Life also offers a transparent application process with an underwriting professional on hand to answer questions.
Best user-friendly policy: Illinois Mutual
Although you can’t convert this term life policy to permanent life insurance, Illinois Mutual does allow you to renew a return-of-premium term policy annually up to age 95.
Companies that offer return-of-premium riders
These companies allow you to add a return-of-premium rider to specific policies. You can expect to pay higher premiums if you opt in to this coverage.
Company
Policies eligible for ROP rider
AAA
15-, 20- or 30-year term life insurance.
Country Financial
20- or 30-year term life insurance.
Foresters Financial
Accidental term life insurance.
Guardian
15, 20 and 25 policy years in universal life insurance.
John Hancock
25- and 30-year Simple Term with Vitality.
Pacific Life
15, 20, 25 and 35 policy years in guaranteed universal life insurance.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Generally, no, and it’s for the same reason other types of life insurance aren’t considered taxable. The IRS considers life insurance proceeds, including death and ROP benefits, to be a return on the premiums you’ve paid and therefore not categorized as taxable income.
Most return-of-premium coverage is an add-on to term life insurance. In some cases, you may find return-of-premium riders on universal life insurance policies.
Methodology
How we rate the best life insurance companies
✅ 445 life insurers reviewed
📝 210 policies assessed
🔢 1,515 data points analyzed
📊 Star rating categories
When NerdWallet evaluates life insurance companies, our editorial team considers the insurer’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the things that matter most to customers buying a long-term financial product. We then weigh these factors carefully:
💰 Financial strength (35%). We use AM Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s financial stability and ability to pay claims far into the future. The top life insurance companies have an exceptional financial strength rating of A+ or A++ (Superior).
🗣️ Consumer complaints (35%). Our top-rated life insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators over a three-year period, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners — so you can expect a smoother customer experience.
☎️ Consumer experience (20%). Insurers who allow consumers to contact them by email, phone and live chat earn the highest scores. The same goes for insurers who support online quotes, beneficiary changes and claims.
👀 Transparency (10%). Our methodology gives higher scores to transparent insurers who clearly display information about their policy options, coverage amounts and term lengths (if applicable) on their site.
⭐ What our star ratings mean
Companies with 5 stars are exceptional, with strong financials, diverse policy lineups and great reputations for customer service.
Companies with 4.5 stars are excellent, with solid financials and policy offerings, and good customer service track records.
Companies with 4.0 stars are good, and potentially great for people looking for niche coverage options.
Companies with 3.5 stars or fewer could do better in certain categories, like financial strength and customer complaints.
About the author
Kaz Weida is a writer and content strategist specializing in insurance. Before joining NerdWallet, she was a freelance journalist for over a decade with a focus on personal finance, politics and technology. Her work has appeared in CNET, Popular Mechanics, Yahoo Finance, Consumer Affairs, DAME Magazine and The Penny Hoarder. As a former teacher, Kaz enjoys educating consumers about complicated topics like insurance to encourage healthier financial decisions. She lives in northern Vermont.
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