AIG Life & Retirement is now Corebridge Financial. This milestone does not create any changes in the products, policies or contracts that you, or those you serve, have with us. Our issuing life insurance companies will remain the same—American General Life Insurance Company, The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, and The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company (VALIC). Please know that you may see—at least for a time—both the Corebridge and AIG brands on our materials and websites.
Terri N. Fiedler,
President of Financial Distributors,
Corebridge Financial
AIG Direct offers online quotes, works with healthy people (plus people in less-than-perfect health), and provides options for coverage you may not find elsewhere. Keep reading to learn more about AIG Direct Life Insurance and American General Life Insurance, including the types of coverage available, pros and cons, who should choose AIG, and how to get life insurance coverage.
Here’s What You Need to Know About AIG Direct Life Insurance
American General offers multiple types of life insurance, plus auto, home, and retirement products. The company has been in business for 100 years and is financially strong. With flexible coverage options and various riders to choose from, AIG has products to fit many family needs for life insurance. AIG Direct life insurance is offered online whereas, AIG Life Insurance policies are offered through life insurance brokers.
Pros and Cons of AIG Direct Life Insurance
Pros
- Multiple policy options with customization available
- Strong financials to pay claims
- Works with people suffering from ADHD, anxiety, asthma, diabetes and those using marijuana or CBD products to provide competitive rates
- Guaranteed issue option (No medical questions or exam) for seniors from 50- to 80-years old
- Allows policy renewals and conversions on term life insurance
Cons
- Struggles with customer ratings and reviews
- Lower-than-average J.D. Power scores
- Limited rider options
How is AIG Direct Life Insurance Different?
One way AIG is different is their underwriting guidelines. American General Life Insurance also offers the option to select a term for certain term policies for those who need something other than a standard 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 year term policy. Another thing that sets AIG apart is their rate reconsideration policy. If you purchase an AIG life insurance product and improve your health, you can request a rate reconsideration into a better health class, which can lower your rates.
What Types of Insurance Can You Purchase from AIG Direct Life Insurance
AIG Direct Reviews uncovered that you have several types of life insurance to choose from with different options to help meet an individual and family’s unique needs. Choose from:
- Term
- Whole life
- Universal life
- Guaranteed Issue
- Accidental death
These life insurance riders are available for an additional cost:
- Accelerated death benefit (the main feature of the Quality of Life policy)
- Accidental death rider (can also be purchased as stand-alone policy)
- Child term rider (from ages 15 days to 19 years, available amounts from $50 to $25,000)
- Wavier of premium
What Policies Does AIG Direct Offer
In addition to life insurance and accidental death insurance, AIG also offers:
- Auto
- Home
- Travel
- Annuities
- Retirement
- Mutual Funds
AIG’s life and financial services products can be purchased individually or through participating employers.
A Brief History of AIG Direct Life Insurance
Cornelius Vander Starr, who came by steamship to America from Shanghai in 1919, created AIG in China before coming here. His vision was first seen in American Asiatic Underwriters, which we now know as AIG Direct Life or American General Life Company.
Initially, American General Life Insurance was offered through traditional life insurance agents. But, with the advent of the internet, AIG saw an opportunity to offer it’s products directly to the public online. Thus, AIG Direct was born.
The first office in America was in New York City, opened in 1926 under American International Underwriters (AIU). Company headquarters were brought to NYC from Shanghai in 1939. In 1946, offices were opened in Germany and Japan to provide insurance products to the U.S. military
American International Group (AIG) was incorporated in Delaware in 1967. The company is now in over 80 countries, offering general property and casualty, retirement, financial services and life insurance for individuals and employers.
AIG Direct Life Insurance Products
American General Life Company offers multiple life insurance options to meet the ever-changing needs of individuals and families. You have the option to choose a predetermined amount of coverage years for term life insurance, or choose your own. Riders are also available to be added, which can reduce policy fees, allowing individuals to get important coverage for a better price.
Over the years, AIG has acquired several life insurance companies to broaden their availability and product choices for consumers, including:
- Franklin Life Insurance Company
- American General Corporation
- Ageas Protect
- Ellipse
AIG Direct Life Insurance Coverage Details and Guidelines
Among the key factors that determine the cost of your life insurance, your health class is particularly significant. Check out American General Life’s underwriting guidelines.
WHO ISSUES THEIR POLICIES?
AIG Direct’s life insurance and annuities plans are issued by American General Life Insurance Company (AGL), Houston, TX.
For people in New York, policies are issued by The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York (US Life).
HOW DO I GET AN ONLINE QUOTE THROUGH AIG DIRECT?
The AIG Direct front page has a link to get a free quote for life insurance. Enter a few key pieces of information to begin your quote:
- Coverage amount
- Nicotine use
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Height and weight
- Name
- Primary and secondary phone number
- Email address
- Zip code
[WARNING!] Review the fine-print when looking for a Term Life Tnsurance quote from AIG Direct
Make sure you look at the disclaimer, written in small print; on AIG Direct’s quote box. It basically says when you enter your contact information in the AIG Direct quote box, you get…
Only 1 Option + You get harassed!
- No instant quotes on the AIG Direct website, from all the top rated life insurance companies. The only option is American General Life!
- AIG Direct calls your phone in under 3 seconds on an automated dialer!
- Multiple phone calls / day from their auto dialer for the next several weeks.
- Instant & repetitive follow up emails. They clog up you inbox, until you unsubscribe.
- They have an aggressive sales approach, with a hard close to get the application done on the first call. You feel pressured!
HOW DO I GET A LOW RATE?
The only way to get the lowest rate is to be in the best health (underwriting) class.
However, AIG Direct does works with people who aren’t in optimal health, so you can still apply for coverage and get a decently low rate.
Who is AIG Direct Life Insurance For?
AIG Direct is for people who want life insurance options they may not find at other companies.
U.S. citizens, between the ages of 18 and 50, in great health will get the best rates.
WHO IS THE IDEAL AIG DIRECT APPLICANT?
Those in good or better health living a positive lifestyle will get the best rates with AIG Direct. The more questions on the application you can answer “no” to, the better your chances of getting a great rate with American General Life Company.
WHAT IF I’M NOT PERFECTLY HEALTHY?
AIG Direct does work with people who aren’t in the best health, which can make them a better option for some with certain health concerns (like ADHD and diabetes); or those who use marijuana products.
How To Apply For Life Insurance with AIG Direct
You can get a quote directly on AIG’s website, but you must call over the phone to complete the application. Or go through OUR website to get a quote and complete the application without having to worry about harassing phone calls.
SIGNING UP FOR AIG DIRECT
Take these steps to sign up through AIG Direct:
- Get a quote online
- Speak with an agent to complete the application
- Take the medical exam (unless guaranteed issue)
- AIG completes the underwriting process
HOW DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS WITH AIG DIRECT WORK?
Once you get a quote, you’ll speak with an agent to answer qualifying medical history questions. The rep will fill in the application and then send it to you to finish it and sign to continue the process.
AIG DIRECT FINANCIAL STRENGTH AND BBB RATINGS
When AIG Direct Reviews were tallied we found that they have been around for 100 years in some capacity and have strong or better financial ratings. These include:
- A.M. Best: A
- Fitch Ratings: A+
- Moody’s: A2
- Standard and Poor’s: A+
AIG Direct has an A+ rating with the BBB, but American General Life Company has a B-, which means its customers have okay interactions with the company, but they could do better.
AIG Direct Reviews and Complaints
AIG Direct —and American General Life— have struggled with customer reviews and complaints.
AIG Direct’s “call center” sales approach, which lacks in customer service and attention to detail; accounts for most of the complaints.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners rating has improved over the years, moving from 0.95 in 2017 to 0.52 in 2019. The NAIC average is 1.0 and anything below that number has better-than-average customer reported complaints.
AIG has 2.7 stars with Consumer Affairs from 396 customer ratings but a 4.9 with Consumers Advocate, based on company stability, policies and coverage, and reputation (where they lost the most points). The company has 3.6 stars on TrustPilot from 66 reviews.
AIG’s overall customer satisfaction index rating on the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Life Insurance Study is 742 out of 1,000 points. This rating puts AIG 15 out of 23 companies, with the average rating at 763.
Have you had any first-hand experience with AIG Direct?
Whether it was positive or negative, we’d like to hear about it…
Frequently Asked Questions About AIG Direct
Is AIG Direct legitimate?
Yes! AIG Direct is NOT a scam. AIG Direct has helped thousands of people buy life insurance online from American General Life.
Is AIG Direct the same as Matrix Direct?
Yes. AIG Direct operates under the name of Matrix Direct Insurance Services in MA and Matrix Direct, Inc. in some states.
Is AIG Direct the exclusive seller of American General Life?
The answer is No. You can buy American General Life from this website.
How does AIG Direct make money?
AIG Direct makes a commission on every insurance policy they sell. This commission is paid by the life insurance company and not the buyer.
Do I have other options besides American General Life when shopping at AIG Direct?
Not really. AIG Direct is a subsidiary of American General Life Insurance Company.
What is life expectancy?
Life expectancy is the statistical expectation of how long someone will live at birth based on a number of factors such as socioeconomics, demographic, geographic, thermographic, stenographic, idiographic, and historiographics.
The Bottom Line
AIG Direct and American General Life offer multiple types of life insurance and coverage options. Though AIG has suffered in years past —with questionable customer service, bad practices, and poor ratings— it has been steadily improving with better scores and ratings, in more recent years.
It will be interesting to see how the recent rebranding —AIG Life & Retirement is now Corebridge Financial— impacts service and sales practices, as well. We’ll be watching!
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