State
Life insurance in Connecticut
Connecticut life insurance rules: $500,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, an estate tax that starts at $15 million in 2026, and the CT Big List.
Guaranty association protection
| Guaranty association | Connecticut Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association |
|---|---|
| Life insurance death benefits | $500,000 |
| Cash surrender value | $500,000 |
| Annuity benefits | $500,000 |
| Health benefits | $500,000 per insured life (including healthcare center claims) |
| Overall limit | $500,000 per insured life for all policies from the failed insurer |
| Notes | One of six jurisdictions with $500,000 death benefit coverage; healthcare centers have been members since July 1, 2018; unallocated and structured settlement annuities are covered. |
| Website | ctlifega.org |
Policy rules
| Free-look period | 10 days after receipt for individual life policies (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 38a-436) |
|---|---|
| Community property state | No |
Taxes
| State estate tax | Yes: 12% on the taxable estate above the federal basic exclusion amount ($15,000,000 in 2026) |
|---|---|
| Inheritance tax | No |
Lost policies and unclaimed money
| Unclaimed property office | CT Big List (Office of the State Treasurer) |
|---|---|
| Search unclaimed property | ctbiglist.gov |
Regulator
| Insurance regulator | Connecticut Insurance Department |
|---|---|
| Consumer hotline | 800-203-3447 |
| Website | portal.ct.gov/cid |
| File a complaint | portal.ct.gov/cid/file-a-complaint |
| Address | 280 Trumbull Street, Floor 7, Hartford, CT 06103 |
How your policy is protected if an insurer fails
Connecticut residents get some of the highest guaranty protection in the country. The Connecticut Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association, created by the legislature in 1972, covers up to $500,000 across the board. According to NOLHGA, Connecticut is one of only six jurisdictions with a $500,000 death benefit limit; most states stop at $300,000. Every insurer licensed to sell life insurance, health insurance or annuities in Connecticut must belong to the association. Since July 1, 2018, healthcare centers (HMOs) have had to belong as well. If a member fails, the association continues or transfers covered policies and pays claims, funded by assessments on the other members. Keep paying your premiums.
Limits from the association's FAQ, as of October 4, 2026, matching NOLHGA's chart (as of June 1, 2025):
| Coverage | Connecticut limit |
|---|---|
| Life insurance death benefit | $500,000 per insured life |
| Life insurance cash surrender value | $500,000 per insured life |
| Annuities (present value) | $500,000 per contract owner |
| Health insurance and healthcare center claims | $500,000 per insured life |
| Overall cap | $500,000 per insured life for all policies issued by the failed insurer |
The limits apply per company, no matter how many policies of one type you bought from it. Three $200,000 annuities with the same failed insurer, for example, are protected for $500,000 in total. Anything above that becomes a claim against the insurer's estate. Connecticut's act also covers unallocated annuity contracts and structured settlement annuities, according to the NAIC's summary of state guaranty laws.
The association is a private entity, not a state agency. Connecticut law prohibits agents and insurers from using it in advertising or as an inducement to buy. The association itself says it is no substitute for choosing a well-managed, financially stable company. Generous limits make the backstop stronger, but a policy above $500,000 from a weak insurer is still exposed. Background: state life and health guaranty associations and what happens if your life insurance company fails.
Who regulates life insurance in Connecticut
The Connecticut Insurance Department (CID) licenses insurers and producers, approves policy forms, oversees the solvency of Connecticut-domiciled insurers and handles consumer complaints through its Consumer Affairs Division. As of September 8, 2026, the department's in-person services are at its new office, 280 Trumbull Street, Floor 7, Hartford. CID also publishes insurer complaint data on the state's open data portal.
Free look, grace periods and policy rules
- Free look: Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 38a-436, every individual life policy must carry a notice that you can return it to the insurer or agent within 10 days after you receive it. Returning it makes the policy void from the start, so your premium comes back. See the free-look period: returning a policy for a refund.
- Lapse notices to a third party: Under § 38a-436a, insurers issuing individual life policies on or after January 1, 2015 must tell applicants in writing that they can name a third party to receive notice before the policy is cancelled for nonpayment. You can add a designee at any time while the policy is in force, which is a simple way to protect an aging parent's coverage.
- Grace period: read the grace period clause in your policy for the time you have to pay a late premium.
Taxes, estates and community property
Connecticut is one of the few states with its own estate tax, and it also taxes large lifetime gifts. For deaths on or after January 1, 2023, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-391 taxes a resident's Connecticut taxable estate at 12% of the amount above the federal basic exclusion amount. The IRS set that amount at $15,000,000 for 2026, so Connecticut's threshold is $15,000,000 for 2026 deaths. Life insurance you own on your own life counts toward your estate. Policies held in an irrevocable life insurance trust can keep proceeds outside it. See state estate and inheritance taxes and life insurance.
Connecticut has no inheritance tax and is not a community property state.
Finding a lost policy or unclaimed benefits
CID offers a Life Insurance Policy Locator that starts a nationwide search through the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator. You answer some basic questions, and participating insurers contact the beneficiary if they find a policy. Also search the CT Big List, the State Treasurer's official unclaimed property site, for life insurance proceeds that insurers turned over to the state. Our guides to how to find a lost life insurance policy and unclaimed life insurance money and state unclaimed property cover the rest.
Life insurers based in Connecticut
Hartford's long history as an insurance center shows up in Talcott Financial Group. Its Talcott Resolution Life and Annuity Insurance Company is headquartered in Hartford. It administers large blocks of older life insurance and annuities, including business originally written by The Hartford, and also issues annuities.
Where to get help
- Connecticut Insurance Department, Consumer Affairs Division: 860-297-3900 or 800-203-3447 toll-free; [email protected]; 280 Trumbull Street, Floor 7, Hartford, CT 06103; portal.ct.gov/cid.
- File a complaint: use CID's complaint page after trying to resolve the issue with the insurer. Include your policy number, the insurer and agent names and copies of correspondence. See how to file a complaint against a life insurer.
- Guaranty association: Connecticut Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association, 557 Prospect Avenue, Suite 213, West Hartford, CT 06105; 475-422-5235.
Neighboring states: New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Sources
- ctlifega.org/FAQ
- ctlifega.org/
- nolhga.com/policyholders/how-youre-protected/
- nolhga.com/policyholders/contact-my-guaranty-association/
- content.naic.org/sites/default/files/model-law-chart-in-10-life-and-health-guaranty-fund…
- portal.ct.gov/cid
- portal.ct.gov/cid/file-a-complaint
- portal.ct.gov/cid/consumer-information-center/life-and-annuities
- cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_700b.htm
- cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_217.htm
- irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-tax-inflation-adjustments-for-tax-year-2026-including-amen…
- ctbiglist.gov/
- talcott.com/
Rules and limits were checked against these sources on the review date below. Laws change - confirm with the state insurance department or guaranty association.
Profile last reviewed October 4, 2026