8 Best life insurance brokers UK

In this up-to-date guide we outline who the top life insurance brokers in the UK are.

We have researched a number of criteria, such as Trustpilot ratings and products & services offered.

Our list contains brokers who are highly rated on Trustpilot (scoring 4 or more stars) who offer a variety of cover options from a wide panel of insurers.

  1. Reassured
  2. Protect Line
  3. The Insurance Surgery
  4. LifeSearch
  5. Cavendish
  6. Drewberry
  7. Howden
  8. Caspian Insurance

Find out how we assessed the brokers on our list, or keep reading to find out more about each of these UK life insurance brokers…

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Reassured

About Reassured

Reassured are the UK’s largest life insurance broker and have been helping families since 2009.

Reassured primarily offer a non-advised service. However, an advised service is offered for more specialist products (such as whole of life insurance and income protection) and for customers who may need more help making a decision. It’s also possible to buy life insurance online through Reassured.

Regardless of which way you obtain quotes, they are provided free of charge and without obligation.

In 2024, Reassured celebrated 15 years of business, were named as finalists in the ‘Protection Intermediary of the Year’ category of the COVER Excellence Awards and on the ‘Best Customer Retention’ award at Legal & General’s Business Quality Awards

Reassured www.reassured.co.uk
Trustpilot 4.8 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 80,554 reviews)
Insurer panel
Products
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Protect Line

About Protect Line

Established in 2010 and based in Bournemouth Protect Line are one of the UK’s leading life insurance brokers, offering a fee free life insurance comparison
service.

Protect Line have won a number of awards, including 'Best Protection Insurance Broker' (2019 - 2021), 'Best Overall Insurance Broker' (2020), 'Treating Customers Fairly Champion' (2020) at the Insurance Choice Awards.

As well as life insurance, Protect Line also can also compare a range of other insurance products.

Protect Line
Trustpilot 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 44,868 reviews)
Insurer panel
Products
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Whole of life insurance
  • Over 50s life insurance
  • Family income benefit
  • Income protection
  • Home insurance
  • Pet insurance
  • Car insurance
  • Travel insurance
  • Breakdown insurance
  • Bicycle insurance
  • Van insurance
  • Motorbike insurance

The Insurance Surgery

About The Insurance Surgery

The Insurance Surgery are a leading specialist for non-standard applicants (those that could be seen as high-risk due to poor health or hazardous occupations or hobbies).

Starting life in 1999, they are an advised brokerage and the first in the UK to offer a gender preference advisor service, so that customers feel comfortable when discussing medical information.

Throughout their time, they have won a number of awards, most recently winning ‘Best Specialist Intermediary’ in the 2023 COVER Excellence awards and ‘Best Life and Protection Broker’ from Smart Money People in 2022.

The Insurance Surgery
Trustpilot 5 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 1,570 reviews)
Insurer panel
Products
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Whole of life insurance
  • Family income benefit
  • Income protection
  • Relevant life insurance
  • Private medical insurance
  • Travel insurance

LifeSearch

About LifeSearch

LifeSearch are an independent protection advisor and have been around since 1998. Protecting over 900,000 families in the UK.

LifeSearch search for policies and advise on what might be best for your needs (without charging extra for the advice).

In 2008, LifeSearch started the ‘LifeSearch Awards’ to recognise firms who do right by the customer and support families.

LifeSearch
Trustpilot 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 22,315 reviews)
Insurer panel
  • AIG
  • Aviva
  • Beagle Street
  • British Friendly
  • Legal & General
  • LV=
  • Royal London
  • Scottish Widows
  • Vitality
  • The Exeter
  • Unum
Products
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Over 50s life insurance
  • Family income benefit
  • Income protection
  • Private health insurance
  • Business insurance

Cavendish

About Cavendish

Cavendish are a UK-based online life insurance broker. Founded in 2000 and acquired by Lloyds Banking Group in 2022.

Unlike the other brokers mentioned in this article, Cavendish charge a small fixed fee for their quotes. This is with the intention of providing low premiums.

They offer different routes for securing cover, including getting quotes online, speaking to a specialist over the phone and requesting a call back.

Cavendish
Trustpilot 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 2,803 reviews)
Insurer panel
  • AIG
  • Aviva
  • Legal & General
  • Beagle Street
  • LV=
  • Royal London
  • Scottish Widows
  • Virgin Money
  • Vitality
  • Zurich
Products
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness insurance
  • Whole of life insurance
  • Over 50s life insurance
  • Income protection
  • Health insurance
  • Business protection
  • Relevant life insurance

Drewberry

About Drewberry

Launched in 2009, Drewberry now have offices in both London and Brighton.

They provide a fee-free advised service for both personal and business protection. Their ethos is to provide the best possible service.

In 2020, Drewberry won the ‘Protection Intermediary of the Year’ and ‘Proud to Protect’ awards at the COVER Excellence Awards.

Drewberry
Trustpilot 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 132 reviews)
Insurer panel
  • Aegon
  • AIG
  • Aviva
  • Legal & General
  • LV=
  • Unum
  • Zurich
  • Others can be sourced
Products
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Income protection
  • Private health insurance
  • Mortgage protection insurance
  • Business protection
  • Keyman insurance
  • Relevant life insurance
  • Shareholder protection

Howden

About Howden

Howden are specialists in life and health insurance, offering a straightforward application process which can be completed over the phone or online.

Through Howden you can compare a wide range of insurers.

In 2020, Howden acquired Assured Futures and in 2023, Assured Futures rebranded to Howden Life and Health.

In 2021, Howden acquired A Plan (who were one of the UK’s largest personal and commercial insurance brokers).

Howden
Trustpilot 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 5,757 reviews)
Insurer panel
Products
  • Life insurance
  • Over 50 life insurance
  • Income protection
  • Health insurance
  • Unemployment cover
  • Mortgage protection
  • Life & health for business

Caspian Insurance

About Caspian Insurance

Caspian advertise themselves as the UK’s number one life insurance agency - providing both personal and business protection plans.

They offer an advised broker service which means they can provide recommendations on what products and insurers may be best for your needs.

At the 2024 COVER Excellence awards, Caspian Insurance picked up the ‘Outstanding Client Engagement’ award.

Caspian Insurance
Trustpilot 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 9,184 reviews)
Insurer panel
  • Aegon
  • AIG
  • Aviva
  • Legal & General
  • LV=
  • MetLife
  • Royal London
  • Scottish Widows
  • The Exeter
  • Vitality
  • Zurich
Products
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Whole of life insurance
  • Over 50s life insurance
  • Income protection
  • Key person insurance
  • Business loan protection
  • Employee benefits
  • Relevant life cover
  • Shareholder protection

What criteria did we assess?

To compile our top list of brokers, we looked at the following:

  • Trustpilot score - Trustpilot allows real customers to leave feedback on their experience, as well as provide a star rating (with 5 stars being the highest possible rating). For our list we have chosen brokers with a high rating (4 or more stars)
  • Insurer panel - Brokers tend to work with a panel of insurers, the number of insurers can vary between brokers. We have chosen brokers who work with a variety of insurers
  • Products sold - The products offered can vary between brokers. Those on our list offer an extensive range of products and services.

The information used has been taken directly from Trustpilot and from each brokers website and is correct as of 13/11/24. Below is a summary of our findings:

BrokerTrustpilotInsurer panelProducts & services
Reassured 4.8 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 80,554 reviews)
  • AIG
  • Aviva
  • Legal & General
  • LV=
  • SunLife
  • OneFamily
  • Vitality
  • Zurich
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Whole of life insurance
  • Over 50s life insurance
  • Family income benefit
  • Income protection
Protect Line 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 44,868 reviews)
  • Aviva
  • Beagle Street
  • Holloway Friendly
  • HSBC
  • Legal & General
  • LV=
  • National Friendly
  • OneFamily
  • Scottish Widows
  • Vitality
  • Zurich
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Whole of life insurance
  • Over 50s life insurance
  • Family income benefit
  • Income protection
  • Home insurance
  • Pet insurance
  • Car insurance
  • Travel insurance
  • Breakdown insurance
  • Bicycle insurance
  • Van insurance
  • Motorbike insurance
The Insurance Surgery 5.0 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 1,570 reviews)
  • Aegon
  • AIG
  • Aviva
  • British Friendly
  • The Exeter
  • Guardian 1821
  • Legal & General
  • LV=
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Whole of life insurance
  • Family income benefit
  • Income protection
  • Relevant life insurance
  • Private medical insurance
  • Travel insurance
LifeSearch 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 22,315 reviews)
  • AIG
  • Aviva
  • Beagle Street
  • British Friendly
  • Legal & General
  • LV=
  • Royal London
  • Scottish Widows
  • Vitality
  • The Exeter
  • Unum
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Over 50s life insurance
  • Family income benefit
  • Income protection
  • Private health insurance
  • Business insurance
Cavendish 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 2,803 reviews)
  • AIG
  • Aviva
  • Legal & General
  • Beagle Street
  • LV=
  • Royal London
  • Scottish Widows
  • Virgin Money
  • Vitality
  • Zurich
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness insurance
  • Whole of life insurance
  • Over 50s life insuranc
  • Income protectio
  • Health insurance
  • Business protection
  • Relevant life insurance
Drewberry 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 132 reviews)
  • Aegon
  • AIG
  • Aviva
  • Legal & General
  • LV=
  • Unum
  • Zurich
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Income protection
  • Private health insurance
  • Mortgage protection insurance
  • Business protection
  • Keyman insurance
  • Relevant life insurance
  • Shareholder protection
Howden Life & Health Insurance 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 5,757 reviews)
  • AIG
  • Aviva
  • Beagle Street
  • Budget Insurance
  • Guardian
  • HSBC
  • Legal & General
  • LV=
  • National Friendly
  • OneFamily
  • Royal London
  • Shepherds Friendly
  • Scottish Widows
  • SunLife
  • The Exeter
  • Vitality
  • Zurich
  • Life insurance
  • Over 50 life insurance
  • Income protection
  • Health insurance
  • Unemployment cover
  • Mortgage protection
  • Life & health for business
Caspian Insurance 4.9 stars ‘Excellent’
(from 9,184 reviews)
  • Aegon
  • AIG
  • Aviva
  • Legal & General
  • LV=
  • MetLife
  • Royal London
  • Scottish Widows
  • The Exeter
  • Vitality
  • Zurich
  • Life insurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Whole of life insurance
  • Over 50s life insurance
  • Income protection
  • Key person insurance
  • Business loan protection
  • Employee benefits
  • Relevant life cover
  • Shareholder protection

Is a broker the same as an insurance company?

No, a life insurance broker is not the same as a life insurance company.

A life insurance company is a provider that offers their own financial protection policies and sells them directly to customers. Examples of life insurance companies include Aviva, Legal & General and Zurich.

Whereas a life insurance broker is an intermediary between life insurance companies and customers. A broker will work with a panel of life insurance companies and will offer their policies to customers.

As a life insurance company is representing itself, it won’t be able to inform you if another insurer might be better for your needs. However, as a broker represents multiple insurers, the information and/or advice you receive is often more impartial.

Regardless of whether you secure cover through a broker or directly through a life insurance company, sales agents will earn a commission.

Unless you specifically want cover through a certain insurer for personal reasons, it could be worth using a life insurance broker to find out what other options are available.

Want to know about the best life insurance companies in the UK? Read our 2024 guide for more information.

Compare quotes through the UK’s largest life insurance broker

Reassured are the UK’s largest life insurance broker, with over 15 years of industry experience.

Through our award-winning service you can compare fee free quotes from some of the UK’s leading insurers.

We offer a range of policy types and a variety of methods to take out cover, whether that’s by speaking to one of our friendly agents, using our buy online facility or through our advised team if you require more specialist cover.

The benefit of using a broker service (like us) is that you can utilise our expertise. We’re on hand to answer any questions you might have on your journey and we can decode any jargon you’re not sure of.

Get in touch today for your free and no-obligation quotes.

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FAQs:

What is a life insurance broker?

Put simply, a life insurance broker is a company that sells life insurance policies to clients.

Brokers typically work with a panel of insurers (or some may provide a whole of market service), allowing them to help clients compare multiple quotes at once.

Brokers take a more personalised approach, talking through your needs and providing information on suitable options to help you make an informed decision.

Who is the largest life insurance broker in the UK?

Reassured are the UK’s largest life insurance broker based on total revenue in latest published accounts following competitor market analysis.

Is life insurance cheaper through a broker?

Using a life insurance broker could allow you to find cheaper cover than going directly to an insurer.

If you go direct to an insurer, you’ll only be provided with one quote based on their specific underwriting criteria.

Different insurers have different underwriting processes, which means prices can vary between insurers.

When using the services of a life insurance broker, you’ll be presented with quotes from multiple insurers – allowing you to choose the cheapest option.

The information used in this article has been taken from each brokers website and is correct as of 13/11/24 but is subject to change at any time

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