Colonial Life Review 2025
Written by
Ann Herro has been writing about insurance and employee benefits for over 15 years. She covers topics ranging from car insurance to healthcare costs.
Reviewed by
Cara Carlone is a licensed P&C agent with 20 years of experience. She has her P&C license in RI and TX and holds CPCU, API, and AINS designations.
Our Colonial Life Score
3 Stars
Colonial Life was founded in 1937 under the name Mutual Accident Company. Today, as a subsidiary of the Unum Group, the carrier has become one of the leading voluntary benefits providers in the U.S. Colonial Life has also been recognized as an industry leader in new insurance sales, ranked second overall for whole and universal life insurance, short-term disability insurance, and cancer insurance.
Colonial Life has expanded its sales network to more than 10,000 independent insurance agencies and brokerages and more than 1,000 home office insurance professionals. The carrier’s website states that it currently has more than three million policyholders and $1.5 billion of insurance in force. About 90,000 employers reportedly currently trust Colonial Life with their coverage needs.
Thanks to its long-standing history, wide network, and amount of in-force insurance, Colonial Life has developed a reputation as a financially stable insurance company with a positive outlook for the future. AM Best, the leading global credit rating agency monitoring the insurance industry, gives Colonial Life an “A” (Strong) rating, indicating the carrier is an excellent choice for insurance customers. A high rating from AM Best assures customers that Colonial Life is capable of offering guaranteed, secure coverage from a trustworthy and reputable carrier.
We award Colonial Life a final rating of 3 out of 5 stars. The carrier has had many decades of experience in the insurance industry, which is certainly noteworthy, as are its high ratings from both AM Best and the Better Business Bureau.
However, the company is not accredited by the BBB, and has had a high volume of complaints filed against it in recent years. The fact that Colonial Life is one of the most respected names in the nation among life insurance companies is commendable, but customer reviews are mixed across the board.
While Colonial Life offers online claims reporting, it does not provide a claims reporting hotline for its customers, which is a service offered by most other modern carriers. The company’s official website also leaves quite a bit to be desired in terms of both layout and detail.
The bottom line: Colonial Life has made quite a name for itself over the years. While the carrier has an impressive number of policyholders, what we’re most concerned about is whether an insurance company takes care of its customers and delivers on its coverage promises.
Thanks to the extremely mixed customer feedback across the web, it seems impossible to determine whether Colonial Life responds to claims in a timely fashion or offers the payouts its customers rely on. If you’re looking for an insurance company known for its financial strength and history, Colonial Life may be a good match for you. However, it's also a good idea to ask an independent insurance agent to help you explore all of your options.
Colonial Life Pros and Cons
We found that Colonial Life has several pros and cons that may help you evaluate if it's the right carrier for you.
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To find insurance in your state, use our national insurance company directory to find the best company to meet your needs. You can locate insurance companies that specialize in your specific coverage needs and get connected to an agent near you.
Colonial Life Products
Colonial Life focuses on employee benefits and life insurance. Its coverage offerings include:
- Accident insurance
- Cancer insurance
- Critical illness insurance
- Dental insurance
- Disability insurance
- Hospital confinement indemnity insurance
- Life insurance (term, universal, and whole)
Talk to an independent insurance agent to find out more about the specific products offered by Colonial Life.
What Discounts Does Colonial Life Offer?
Colonial Life does not provide information about any discounts it might offer. To find this information, work with an independent insurance agent.
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Colonial Life Customer Service
Colonial Life allows customers to file claims online at any time. The carrier also provides the following customer service options:
- Online claims reporting available
- Fax claims reporting available
- Mail contact options available
- General inquiries contact form available online
- Live chat 800-325-4368
The main customer service hotline has the following hour restrictions:
| Days | Hours (ET) | ||
| Monday-Friday | 8 a.m.-8 p.m. |
Colonial Life sells insurance through a wide network of agents and brokers, including independent insurance agents. These agents can help make customer service easier for you by handling claims and other concerns.
Colonial Life FAQs
Colonial Life allows customers to file claims online or via fax at any time. However, the carrier does not provide a specific claims response time frame promise. They do state that customers can access their benefit payouts within 48 hours if they’ve signed up for direct deposit.
Colonial Life does not provide claims reporting via phone, but claims can be filed online or by fax. Their customer service hotline is available during restricted hours, Monday through Friday. The carrier also has a social media presence on Facebook and LinkedIn, making them a bit more accessible to customers.
Colonial Life provides online claims reporting as well as fax claims reporting options for their customers. The insurance company does not list their official claims process on their website beyond how to file.
Customers can call the carrier if they have questions about how to file. Forms are available on the website to make claims filing easier. After filing, customers can check a claim’s status by logging into their online account, or they can contact their insurance agent.
Colonial Life’s public website could use an update and reorganization. The layout feels a bit restrictive, and certain pieces of pertinent information are not included, such as an official claims response time frame promise. There is also not much detail at all in the way of a claims process from the carrier. While customers can file claims and get matched with an agent online, they have to call the insurance company to request a quote.
The carrier does have a social media presence. Overall, Colonial Life provides a decent experience for customers in terms of user-friendliness, but certainly has a ways to go to catch up to that provided by many other modern insurance companies.
Colonial Life specializes in life insurance. They offer adjustable term, whole, and universal life insurance policies for everyone, including employees, spouses, and children. Some of Colonial Life’s policies offer guaranteed coverage.
The company also allows you to transfer your policy if you switch jobs, which is a nice benefit. However, certain policies require a medical exam before being approved. Customers have also reported frustration with difficulties in getting their policies canceled. Your independent insurance agent can help you find out more about Colonial Life's insurance policies, as well as its other products.
Colonial Life has earned a reputation as being one of the most respected life insurance companies in the U.S. The carrier has received high ratings from AM Best and the BBB, and has demonstrated consistent financial strength. Millions of insurance customers currently rely on Colonial Life to meet their coverage needs.
However, the carrier is not BBB-accredited and has a concerning number of BBB complaints filed against it. An independent insurance agent can help you decide if Colonial Life is the right fit for you.
https://www.coloniallife.com
https://www.bbb.org/us/ga/savannah/profile/insurance-companies/colonial-supplemental-insurance-0403-235955766