A life insurance policy is essentially a contract between you and your insurance provider where in exchange for regular premiums, the insurer pays a death benefit in case of your passing to your policy’s beneficiaries.

Since life insurance can be the center of a family’s financial planning, it isn’t a decision that should be taken very lightly. If you do your research well and find the right fit, you can secure enough coverage to settle debts, replace your lost income, or cover expenses your family will face, like caring for your aging parents or paying for your children’s education.

To help you in your search for the best life insurance provider, we compared the top-rated options available in the market and created a list of our top 3:

Prudential Financial

Prudential Insurance Company of America has been in the insurance business for over 140 years and is well known for its reliability. With an A+ rating from AM Best and an AA- rating from Standard & Poor, this insurance provider boasts of great financial strength.

Prudential offers various kinds of life insurance coverages like: universal life insurance, term life insurance coverage, variable universal life insurance, and indexed universal life insurance. It also gives you the choice to add riders to your primary policy like an accidental death benefit, a children’s protection rider and a living needs benefit rider.

State Farm

With a long and storied history, the State Farm was founded in 1922 by a retired farmer. Having been established from the ground up, State Farm puts its customers first and offers them a broad range of insurance products.

Ranking at number 36 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies, this insurance provider also boasts an A++ rating for financial strength, the highest rating possible from AM Best.

State Farm offers its consumers a wide range of life insurance products like term life insurance coverage, universal life insurance, and whole life insurance. You can easily enter your information into their website and get free online quotes for term life insurance.

Northwestern Mutual

Having been in the industry for more than 160 years, Northwestern Mutual holds solid ratings for its commitment and quality products and services. The company offers its customers the option to choose between whole life insurance, universal life coverage, and term life insurance coverage.