How do I create an online account with Protective?
You can create an account by registering yourself for Protective’s online customer service portal. Once you register your account, you’ll have to verify your identify with the following information:
Name
Date of birth
Address
Email
Phone number
Security question
Your policy has to be active before you can create an account, which happens on the day you sign all of your policy documents and submit your first payment to Protective.
Learn more >> Read our full review of Protective life insurance
What payment methods can I use to pay my Protective life insurance premiums?
Protective allows you to pay your life insurance premiums online using electronic funds transfer (EFT), a credit card, or check — though there are some limitations. You can only use a credit card to make your first payment, and checks can only be used for annual, semi-annual, and quarterly payments.
Learn more >> Read more about the ways to pay for life insurance
How often do I pay my premiums?
You can pay your premiums monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. Protective allows you to enroll in automatic payments, which we recommend. You’re more likely to forget to make a manual payment and risk your policy lapsing.
Why haven’t I seen a payment draft yet?
If you’re paying your premium via EFT, you may not see the premium drafted yet because banks don’t always process drafts right away.
What changes can I make on Protective’s online portal?
Using Protective’s online portal, you can:
Access your policy, view policy details, and obtain a copy of the full policy
Make a payment
Enroll in EFT, remove EFT and change to direct billing, or update your EFT
Change your contact details, such as your address, phone, and email
Change your policy’s beneficiary
Change your name after a marriage or divorce
Obtain change forms
Download copies of statements, confirmations, tax forms, billing notices, and policies
There’s some incorrect information on my initial application that I need to update. How can I fix this?
You can usually make some small changes to your policy after you sign it, like your employer’s address, your address, and your occupation.
Other changes you make will require that your policy be reissued. This may happen if you let your insurance company know about changes to your health, doctor’s visits, and medications you’re taking that you didn’t reveal when first applying for coverage.
These kinds of changes will need to be submitted and sent back through the underwriting process for review and added to the policy before you can sign it and start your coverage.
I want to make changes to my beneficiaries. How do I do that?
You can change your policy’s beneficiaries using Protective’s online portal. To do so, you’ll need to provide some information:
Your new beneficiary’s name, date of birth, and their relationship to you
Whether they will be a primary or contingent beneficiary
When you add a beneficiary, you’ll also need to allocate how much of your policy’s death benefit they’ll receive. In total, your selections have to add up to 100%. So, for example, if you have four beneficiaries and you want them to receive equal parts of your policy’s death benefit after you die, each needs to have a 25% allocation.
My age is wrong on my policy. How do I fix this?
When it comes to life insurance, your age changes 6 months prior to your actual birthday — that means your age depends on your nearest birthday, not your last birthday. If your birthday is in January, your age would change every July since your nearest birthday is closer in time than your last one.
Most of the time, no correction is needed. But if you have questions, reach out to the Policygenius team.
I want to look into a permanent life insurance policy in the future. Does Protective allow me to convert my term life policy to a whole life policy?
You may be able to convert your term life insurance into a permanent life policy before you turn 70, though it depends on how long you’ve had your coverage. If you’re thinking about converting your policy, it’s a good idea to review Protective’s conversion rules in your policy’s fine print.
Can I cancel my Protective life insurance policy?
Yes, you can cancel your life insurance policy at any time.
If you decide to cancel your permanent life insurance coverage, you’ll need to fill out a policy surrender form found on Protective’s online portal. You’ll receive a cash payment for its surrender value — this is your policy’s cash value minus any money you owe on the policy and any fees.
How does my beneficiary file a life insurance claim with Protective?
One of the easiest ways to file a claim is online. To start a claim on Protective’s website, your beneficiary will need to provide your name and policy number, then follow the steps that Protective takes you through. They can also start a claim by calling 800-424-1592.
Your beneficiary can check the status of their claim online, too. They will need your policy number, the last four digits of your Social Security number, the date of your death, and your name.
Can I decrease coverage once my policy has been activated?
Yes, you can lower the amount of coverage you have once per year and only after your policy has been in force for three years. You can’t reduce your coverage below $100,000.
What happens if my Protective life insurance policy lapses?
If your life insurance coverage lapses, which can happen if you don’t pay your premiums, you’ll lose your coverage. Your beneficiaries won’t receive your policy’s death benefit if you die while your coverage is lapsed, no matter how long you’ve had the policy or how much you paid in premiums.
What is a grace period?
A grace period is the length of time that your policy stays active after a missed payment. States prevent insurance companies from canceling policies right after a missed payment. Instead, you usually have around 31 days to repay a missed payment before you’ll lose coverage — though grace periods vary by state.
Since you’re fully covered during the grace period, your beneficiaries would still receive a death benefit if you died during this time, though the missed payment would come out of your policy’s death benefit.
How do I reinstate a lapsed policy?
If you didn’t pay your premiums by the end of your grace period and your policy lapsed, you’ll need to contact Protective to reinstate your policy. You’ll have to fill out a form requesting reinstatement, and you may even have to go through underwriting again if there are any red flags that come up in your medical history.
It’s a good idea to try to reinstate your coverage if you can rather than buying an entirely new policy, since your rates will be higher than they were when you bought coverage the first time.
How can I contact Protective?
There are a few ways you can get in touch with Protective besides using the online portal:
Fax: 205-268-3402
Email: service@protective.com
Phone: 800-866-9933
Mail: P.O. Box 12687, Birmingham, AL 35202
