Ethos Life Insurance offers a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) digital platform to quickly and conveniently compare life insurance rates online. It’s simple and affordable, IF you are young and healthy.
In this Ethos Life Insurance review, we will cover the pros and cons of working with Ethos, their product offerings, and show sample pricing. We’ll also compare them to other companies, so you can get the full picture.
Here’s What You Need to Know About Ethos Life Insurance
Ethos is NOT a life insurance company. They are a licensed producer and third party administrator.
Founded in 2017, Ethos has developed an online platform that allows you to apply for life insurance and possibly get instant approval. They have teamed up with Banner Life – Legal & General America, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., TruStage for term life insurance, AAA Life for guaranteed issue whole life, and Munich Reinsurance to reinsure the larger cases. These are the companies that are actually providing the life insurance you are buying, not Ethos.
People between the ages of 20 and 65 can choose from 10, 15, 20, and 30-year term policies with up to $1.5 million in coverage. Those aged 65 to 85 can choose up to $25,000 in coverage for guaranteed issue whole life insurance. You can complete the quote and application online —or call and speak with a non-commissioned licensed representative— if you need help deciding which policy is best for you.
Pros and Cons of Ethos Life Insurance
Pros
- Online quote and application process:
Get a quote with just a few pieces of information. If you find the right product, complete the application in a few minutes and see if you qualify for instant approval. - Highly-rated carriers:
Ethos life insurance works with highly-rated carriers like Banner Life, Ameritas, and TruStage to offer term and whole life products. - Most qualify without an exam:
If the thought of completing a medical exam for life insurance has you hesitating to apply, you’ll be happy to know most people qualify for coverage instantly without the need for a medical exam. - Non-commissioned agents available:
If you prefer to talk to an agent, all Ethos life insurance reps are licensed and paid a salary. Since they don’t work on commission, they won’t try to sell you something you don’t need. Ability to take your policy with you if you leave your job - Easy-to-use website:
Ethos life insurance makes its website easy to navigate and offers additional resources for free to help you make the right decisions during life events. - Additional life insurance riders available:
Accelerated Death Benefit allows you to access a portion of your death benefit, if you become terminally ill. Restrictions apply. Read the fine-print. - 30 day “free look”:
Return policy, if you are not satisfied with your purchase. Keep in mind, this is NOT UNIQUE to Ethos!! In fact, it is fairly standard practice.
Cons
- Not everyone qualifies:
Unless you’re applying for simplified issue or guaranteed issue products, you may be denied coverage. - Issue age restrictions:
Must be age 50 or younger to purchase a 30 year term. Must be age 60 or younger to purchase a 20 year term. Must be age 65 or younger to purchase a 10 year term. - Experation date:
All term life policies sold through Ethos life insurance will expire by the time you are 80. - Credit card info required:
At the end of the application, you’re required to provide credit card information. Ethos does this to process your application faster, but it’s something to consider. - No Term Conversion:
No option to convert the term policies sold through Ethos life insurance into permanent life insurance. - Medical exam ‘surprises’:
Might find out —after you apply— that you actually do need to take a medical exam, when it was advertised you did not.
How is Ethos Life Insurance Different?
With Ethos life insurance, you can get quotes from several different carriers at the same time. This saves time and makes it easier to compare different life insurance companies, so you can “take the time”shop around” to find the one that best fits for your needs. You can get a quote and complete the application, online; which takes just a few minutes… depending on your medical history.
What Types of Insurance Can You Purchase from Ethos Life Insurance
Right now, Ethos life insurance only offers term and whole life insurance products through a few select carriers. At Ethos life insurance, you have the option of getting term life insurance with no medical exam, simplified issue, or fully underwritten. If you’re over the age of 65, you can choose from guaranteed or simplified issue whole life insurance with coverage up to $25,000.
What Policies Does Ethos Insurance Offer
At Ethos life insurance, you can choose between term and whole life insurance with the following guidelines:
Term Life Insurance:
- Issue ages between 20 and 65 years old
- Benefit amount between $100,000 and $1.5 million
- Term lengths of 10, 15, 20, and 30 year terms
Whole Life Insurance:
- Issue ages between 65 and 85 years old
- Benefit amount of $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, or $25,000
- Extra features include accidental death benefit rider, cash value options, AAA members eligible for annual policy waiver of $60
A Brief History of Ethos Life Insurance
Ethos Insurance was created in 2016 by co-founders Peter Colis and Lingke Wang. Their goal with Ethos is to make life insurance accessible to everyone with affordable rates and a straightforward process.
Wang was looking for life insurance when he was in college and was frustrated by the upselling process common with commission-based life insurance agents. The pair decided they had to do something about it, and Ethos was born.
At Ethos life insurance, all representatives are licensed but do not work on commission. Their priority is to help you get the policy you actually need, and not what will make them the most commission. Ethos acts as a go-between for the consumer and highly-rated insurance carriers to offer flexible options at different price points to satisfy the average consumer, without draining their wallet.
Life Insurance Products Offered by Ethos
- Simplified Issue Term Life Insurance —
offered through Ameritas & TruStage. No medical exam required & instant approval. Underwriting is based on 3rd part information such as the Rx prescription database, your credit history, criminal history, motor vehicle report, the medical information bureau (MIB), etc. plus your answers you fill out on the application. - Fully Underwritten Term Life Insurance —
offered though Banner Life – Legal & General America. Although fully underwritten means you have to complete an application AND a medical exam, Ethos clearly states on their website “we don’t require a medical exam from most applicants”. - Guaranteed Issue Whole Life Insurance —
Offered through AAA Life for applicants between the ages of 65 to 85. Note. You can not get quotes for this on the Ethos website. You will have to contact them on the phone to get a quote and complete the application process.
Ethos Insurance Coverage Details and Guidelines
Remember, Ethos is NOT a Life Insurance Company. So… Ethos does not have guidelines and coverage details, of their own.
Those actually come from the “carrier” (Life Insurance Companies) themselves. Each company has different guidelines and health classifications, so you may get different rates with each company.
Ethos makes it easier to compare several companies, at once; to find the one that will give you the best rate… But, frankly; so do we 😉
Ethos Term Life Insurance Sample Monthly Quotes
| Coverage | Age 30 | Age 40 | Age 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 – 10 Year Term | Male – $10 | Female – $10 | Male – $21 |
| $250,000 – 15 Year Term | Female – $13 | Male – $24 | Female – $44 |
| $500,000 – 20 Year Term | Male – $27 | Female – $39 | Male – $116 |
| $1,000,000 – 30 Year Term | Female – $52 | Male – $142 | Female – $279 |
Have you had any first-hand experience shopping for Life Insurance on the Ethos platform? Whether it was positive or negative, we’d like to hear about it…
WHO ISSUES THEIR POLICIES?
Ethos insurance acts as a third-party administrator, or go-between, for the consumer and life insurance company. Each company offered through Ethos issues the life insurance policies:
- AAA Life
- Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation
- Legal & General America (Banner Life)
- TruStage: Issued through CMFG Life Insurance Company
HOW DO I GET AN ONLINE QUOTE THROUGH ETHOS INSURANCE?
Ethos life insurance makes it easy to get a quote online. At the top of the home page, there are buttons to click to “check my price” and “start applying.” Click on the “check my price” button to fill in a few pieces of information to get a quote:
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Zip code
- Health: Average, great, or excellent
- Nicotine use: Yes or no
Hit “continue” to get a quote for policies you qualify for based on the information you entered.
HOW DO I GET A LOW RATE?
The best way to get a low rate is to be young and in excellent health. If you are going with one of the carriers offering fully underwritten policies —like Legal & General America, or Principal— you may get a lower rate, compared to a simplified issue or no medical exam life insurance policy.
Who is Ethos Life Insurance For?
Applicants with good financial and physical health:
Eligible for up to $1-million in coverage without a medical exam
Applicants with worse financial/credit history:
Up to 45 yrs old, eligible for $500k without an exam
Up to 65 yrs old, eligible for $350k without an exam
Simplified Issue Term Life for ineligible term applicants:
This will be automatically offered to any applicant that’s ineligible for the core term offering. The max available coverage will be $300k. Decisions are instant.
Whole Life / Final Expense products:
Guaranteed Acceptance Whole Life: Applicants can purchase a GAWL product by selecting substandard on the
quoter and then selecting Guaranteed Acceptance Whole Life. $20,000 limit
Simplified Issue Whole Life:
Age banded:
18-70: $5k – $100k
71-75: $5k – $50k
76-85: $5k – $25k
BMI Chart
Applicants with good financial history:
<26 preferred plus
<30 preferred
30+ standard
Under 18 or over 44 are ineligible
Applicants with bad financial history:
<35 preferred +
<40 preferred
45+ standard
Applicants looking for Final Expense:
Simplified Issue (generally better health, able to work, no major health issues)
Guaranteed Issue (generally worse health, guaranteed acceptance)
WHO IS THE IDEAL ETHOS INSURANCE APPLICANT?
The ideal Ethos life insurance applicant is one who is young and healthy and looking for term life insurance coverage.
WHAT IF I’M NOT PERFECTLY HEALTHY?
Auto Denials
A few examples of autodeclines (not relevant for GAWL or “ineligible” term product):
- People that are not citizens or permanent residents
- Severe diabetes (diagnosed before age 40)
- Missionaries or those going on mission trips to certain at risk countries
- Special Forces in US Military
- Criminals or those with pending charges
- Applicants that are temporarily disabled and have not yet returned to work
- BMI under 17 or over 44
- Select psychiatric conditions that the applicant is no longer taking medication for
- Non-discharged bankruptcy
- Chronic depression, liver disease, kidney disease, lung conditions/disorder
- Certain hazardous occupations (eg. oil rig worker)
Marijuana / Vaping
recreational (<2 times per month) is not rated, regular use results in a tobacco rating on term products
How To Apply for Life Insurance with Ethos?
You can apply with Ethos life insurance online, in a few minutes; or call and speak to a licensed representative who can help you complete the application.
SIGNING UP FOR ETHOS INSURANCE
If you decide you want to proceed with Ethos insurance after getting a quote, signing up is a straightforward process online. If you prefer speaking with an agent, you can call Ethos at 415-322-2037 Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm CST.
HOW DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS WITH ETHOS LIFE INSURANCE WORK?
The application process online is very easy to work through. You’ll enter your personal information and answer a series of questions. Based on your answers, you’ll be shown a list of policy types and coverage options to choose from. You’ll also know if you qualify for a simplified issue or no exam policy, or if you need a fully underwritten policy.
Ethos Financial Strength and BBB Ratings
Ethos has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited since 2019. As a third-party administrator, Ethos financial strength doesn’t matter as much as the carrier’s financial strength, as they will be the ones paying your beneficiary the death benefit.
All the companies in Ethos network have excellent or superior financial strength, earning them an A or better with A.M. Best, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s. With some of the highest ratings for financial strength, choosing a carrier through Ethos means your beneficiary will be paid your death benefit on time.
Ethos Life Insurance Reviews and Complaints
Ethos is rated as excellent with Trustpilot, showing 4.4 stars after 375 reviews. Consumers Advocate also gives Ethos life high marks with a rating of 4.6 stars after six customer reviews. Ethos does not have any ratings with Consumer Affairs.
There are seven customer reviews on BBB for Ethos life insurance with 4.43 stars and only one complaint in the last three years, which is pretty good for a insurance company. The complaint had to do with billing issues and was resolved in the last year. Ethos also has 4.3 stars with Google after 71 customer reviews.
Ethos Life Insurance Alternatives
It is unlikely you will be approved by the Ethos algorithm if you are not in perfect health. Even with mild “health conditions” you may be told you do not qualify… But you do have options!
There are many alternatives to Ethos
So —if you are not in perfect health, or not the ideal Ethos applicant for any other reason— let us help you get quotes from multiple carriers that are more suited to your health profile. You’ll see quotes from companies with more affordable rates, compared to Ethos Life Insurance, but you will most likely have to take a medical exam to qualify. That said… the medical exam is truly NO BIG DEAL! Just give us a call and we’ll talk you through your options: 888-681-4952
Frequently Asked Questions About Ethos Life Insurance
Are Ethos rates competitive?
They are average. Ethos life rates are not the lowest available and are average when compared to those of the top insurers. However, Ethos applicants may qualify for more coverage -up to $1,000,000- without a medical exam versus a typical no exam policy.
Will I need a medical exam or lab appointment?
It’s possible. Every customer is underwritten on an individual basis making it difficult to predict whether you will need to have a medical exam. That said, in most cases, applicants don’t need to get a medical exam. If you do, it can be done conveniently at no expense to you.
Can I still get coverage even if I’ve has some health problems?
Possible. Every customer is underwritten individually and receives a price based on many factors – (medical history, current health, age, and gender). It is possible to be denied coverage due to health issues.
Will applying to Ethos insurance hurt my credit score?
No. Insurers look at the data behind your credit score – timeliness of payments or if you’ve filed for bankruptcy – but not your credit score itself. The request for this data is only a soft credit inquiry and doesn’t impact your credit.
Does Ethos life insurance have good customer service?
YES. Their website portal is very efficient in handling the life insurance application / underwriting process.
Are there any customer complaints about Ethos life insurance?
YES & NO. If you fit their profile and get approved for the coverage, it will be an easy buying experience. You will be happy and have no complaints. If you are rejected, you will not be happy. This in turn will generate complaints.
Is the Ethos website good, safe and reliable to use when buying life insurance?
YES. The Ethos platform appears to be safe and secure. However, caution should be taken before entering your personal information on Ethos’s or any company’s website.
What happens when I turn 80 years old?
All level term periods will expire at or before age 80. The policy will revert to an annually renewable term (prices increase every year as you get older) at your attained age and will expire completely at age 95.
Does Ethos offer other insurance products?
Ethos only offers term and whole life insurance products at this time.
What is life expectancy?
Life expectancy is the statistical expectation of how long someone will live at birth based on a number of factors such as socioeconomics, demographic, geographic, thermographic, stenographic, idiographic, and historiographics.
The Bottom Line
Ethos offers a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Platform so you can get multiple life insurance quotes, from different carriers, with just a few clicks.
If you’re NOT old enough to retire, you can choose from term life insurance products offering coverage up to $1.5 million.
For retirees, whole life insurance is available —without a medical exam— and some policies don’t ask any health questions. But that is EXPENSIVE!!!
If you are young and in perfect health, you may qualify for more coverage, faster; with Ethos.
We do what’s right for you. Not what’s right just to make the sale. We simply want to help you make an informed decision.
Chris Lalor
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