Legal & General Review
FCA FRN: 117659 | Group: Legal & General Group plc (LSE: LGEN) | Products: Life, Home, Car, Landlord, Pet, Travel
| Dimension | Weight | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| FCA Regulatory Standing | 20% | 17 | FRN 117659; FTSE 100; AA- S&P financial strength |
| FOS Complaint Rate | 25% | 17 | FOS data at or below sector average; strong life/protection record |
| Claims Performance | 25% | 17 | Strong life claims record; home and car via panel partners |
| Product Coverage & Defaqto | 20% | 13 | Defaqto 5-star home; life/protection core strength |
| Transparency & Disclosure | 10% | 7 | Listed company; annual report published; renewal pricing disclosed |
Last reviewed: June 2026
TL;DR
Legal & General (FCA FRN 117659, LSE: LGEN) is a FTSE 100 financial services group with primary strength in life insurance, pensions and investment management. Home and car insurance are secondary products offered via panel underwriting arrangements. AA- S&P financial strength rating. KT Score: 71/100.
About Legal & General
Legal & General Group plc (FCA FRN 117659, LSE: LGEN) is one of the UK's largest financial services groups, with primary operations in life insurance, pensions, investment management and affordable housing. Founded in 1836, L&G is a FTSE 100 company with an AA- financial strength rating from Standard and Poors, one of the strongest ratings in the UK insurance sector alongside AXA Group and Aviva.
L&G's core business is protection and retirement: term life insurance, income protection, critical illness cover, annuities, defined benefit pension management and equity release. General insurance products including home, car, landlord and pet insurance are offered but represent a smaller proportion of the group's revenue and earnings relative to its protection and investment businesses.
Life Insurance: L&G's Core Strength
Legal & General is one of the UK's three largest individual life insurance providers alongside Aviva and Scottish Widows. L&G's term life insurance products are available directly at legalandgeneral.com and through financial advisers and comparison sites. The group's critical illness and income protection products are also sold through adviser channels.
L&G's life insurance claims record is strong. The group publishes annual claims data in its consumer report, showing high claims acceptance rates for life, critical illness and income protection -- a transparency practice that supports consumer confidence in the brand. The 2023 L&G consumer claims report showed acceptance rates above 97% for term life insurance claims.
Home and Car Insurance: Secondary Products
L&G home insurance is available through comparison sites and directly. The home insurance product holds Defaqto 5-star ratings and is competitively priced on comparison sites for standard UK property risks. Car insurance is similarly available through comparison sites but is a less prominent L&G product than home insurance or life cover.
L&G's general insurance products (home, car) are underwritten through panel arrangements rather than L&G's own general insurance entity, which is distinct from the group's life insurance underwriting. This means the financial strength of L&G Group does not directly backstop the general insurance products in the same way it does the life and protection products.
Products
L&G in the Retirement Market
Legal & General is one of the dominant players in the UK retirement market. The group manages defined benefit pension liabilities for major UK employers through its pension risk transfer (bulk annuity) business, which is one of the largest in the UK market. For individual consumers, L&G offers personal annuities, drawdown products, equity release (lifetime mortgages) and workplace pension schemes. These retirement products represent L&G's strongest commercial position relative to the general insurance brands covered in the earlier waves of this series.
Competitors
L&G's Listed Company Transparency
As a FTSE 100 listed company, L&G publishes detailed annual reports, half-year results and investor presentations. This financial disclosure is more extensive than any of the private or mutual insurers covered in this brand series. L&G's solvency position, claims ratios and expense data are publicly available through its regulatory and investor reporting, providing a level of financial transparency that supports informed consumer decision-making about the group's financial strength.
Disclaimer: Kael Tripton Ltd is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not provide financial advice. This article is editorial research only, drawing on publicly available FCA register data, FOS annual data, and Defaqto ratings. All product details should be verified directly with the provider before making any purchase decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Legal & General regulated by the FCA?
Yes. Legal & General Assurance Society Limited holds FCA FRN 117659 and is authorised and regulated by the FCA and PRA. As a FTSE 100 group, L&G is also subject to FCA market conduct rules and UK Corporate Governance Code requirements. The FCA register can be verified at register.fca.org.uk.
What is Legal & General's financial strength rating?
Legal & General Group holds an AA- financial strength rating from Standard and Poors. This is one of the strongest ratings in the UK insurance sector, alongside AXA Group and Aviva. The rating reflects the group's capital position, earnings quality and balance sheet strength.
Is Legal & General good for life insurance?
Legal & General is one of the UK's three largest individual life insurance providers and publishes annual claims data showing acceptance rates above 97% for term life insurance. Its life insurance products are available directly and through financial advisers and comparison sites.
Does Legal & General offer car insurance?
Yes. L&G car insurance is available through comparison sites including MoneySuperMarket and GoCompare. Car insurance is a secondary product for L&G relative to its life, protection and retirement operations.
What is Legal & General's relationship to the housing market?
L&G has a significant affordable housing and build-to-rent investment operation, building homes directly as a developer and investor. This is separate from its insurance and pensions business but contributes to the group's overall profile as a long-term investment-focused financial services group.
Sources
- FCA Financial Services Register: register.fca.org.uk, FRN 117659
- FOS Annual Data 2022/23: financial-ombudsman.org.uk
- Legal & General Group Annual Report 2023: legalandgeneral.com
- Defaqto Star Ratings: defaqto.com
- S&P financial strength ratings: standardandpoors.com
