American Income Life is licensed in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and is registered to carry on business in New Zealand.

AIL also has two wholly owned subsidiaries: National Income Life Insurance Company, licensed in the state of New York, and Union Heritage Life Assurance Company Limited, licensed in the Republic of Ireland.

As of 2013[update], AIL had more than two million policyholders and was a wholly owned subsidiary of Globe Life, based in McKinney, Texas.

[3][4][1] The company began in 1951 under the name American Income, chartered as a mutual assessment association in Indiana with $25,000 of borrowed capital.

For example, AIL waived payment of premiums by union members during an authorized strike action, a benefit still offered in 2021.