Life Insurance Products, Policies, and Plans
A life insurance policy from MassMutual can help protect your loved ones in the event of your passing. There are two main types of life insurance: term and permanent. Term is for a specific period of time; permanent life insurance provides a death benefit that can last a lifetime, so no matter when you pass, your loved ones will receive a payment. And some of our permanent policies offer the opportunity to build cash value , which you’re able to use however you’d like.1
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How much life insurance do I need?
How does life insurance work?
With term and permanent life insurance, you make premium payments so that in the event of your passing, your loved ones and beneficiaries will receive the death benefit proceeds from the policy, income tax free. Term insurance is for a certain period of time, while permanent is for life as long as the premiums are paid.
Who should consider life insurance?
If you have anyone that depends on you financially or if you don't want to leave your loved ones with burial costs or debt, then you should consider life insurance. And if you're just starting out and want to lock in an affordable rate for when you have a family, different types of life insurance can help with that, too.
Life insurance can help with your financial goals
Cover your mortgage
Cover other debt including student and business loans
Pay for college expenses
Fund retirement goals for your spouse
Need more information?
Life insurance types
Term Life Insurance
Term Life Insurance
Term life provides you affordable, convenient coverage for a certain amount of time — the term during which you pay your premiums — and it is often convertible to a permanent policy. Talk to a financial professional for a personalized insurance needs analysis.
Participating Whole Life Insurance
With whole life insurance, you’re guaranteed a death benefit, and you’re able to build cash value over time. Your cash value grows tax deferred so it’s there when you need it. In addition, you have the opportunity to earn dividends2, which are not guaranteed.
Universal Life Insurance
Much like whole life, universal life insurance has the potential to build cash value with the additional benefit of flexible premiums. This means if you ever need to lower the cost of your premiums for a specific time period, you may be able to.
Variable Universal Life Insurance
If you’re interested in controlling how your premiums are invested, then variable universal life insurance may be an option for you. Like universal life, variable universal life insurance has flexible premiums and the potential to build account value with the added bonus of investment options.
What is the process for getting a life insurance policy?
When you work with a financial professional, you can expect:
- Analyze
During your initial phone call, your financial professional will ask you questions to understand your financial goals and objectives.
- Recommend
After looking at your entire financial picture, your financial professional will provide you with suggestions to help reduce the gaps so you can choose the products best suited for your situation.
- Purchase
If you're satisfied with their recommendations, they work with you to secure the products and services to help ensure your financial future. This may require a medical exam. Learn more about our Underwriting Practices
- Review
Your financial professional can work with you over time through periodic reviews to help you monitor the strategies in place, and their capacity to continuously meet your goals.
Why MassMutual
since
1851
we've been helping people secure their financial future and protect the ones they love
Nearly
$1.1T
of life insurance protection in force as of 12/31/25
Listed
#102
on the FORTUNE 500© list3
delivered
$10.3B
insurance and annuity benefits paid to policyowners and other customers in 2025
1 Access to cash values through borrowing or partial surrenders will reduce the policy's cash value and death benefit, increase the chance the policy will lapse, and may result in a tax liability if the policy terminates before the death of the insured.
2 Dividends are not guaranteed.
3 From FORTUNE. ©2026 FORTUNE Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. FORTUNE 500 (June 2025) is a registered trademarks of FORTUNE Media IP Limited and is used under license. FORTUNE and FORTUNE Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of MassMutual.
Insurance products issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) (Springfield, MA 01111-0001) and its subsidiaries, C.M. Life Insurance Company and MML Bay State Life Insurance Company (Springfield, MA 01111-0001).
Securities offered through registered representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC (MMLIS), Member SIPC® (www.SIPC.org), or a broker-dealer that has a selling agreement with MML Distributors, LLC (MMLD), Member SIPC®, or MML Strategic Distributors, LLC (MSD). MMLIS, MMLD, and MSD are subsidiaries of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111-0001, Members FINRA (www.FINRA.org).