Ethos Life Insurance Review

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Contributor, Benzinga
July 7, 2023
Ethos
Overall Rating:

Ethos is life insurance for the modern age, leveraging technology to bring customers an easy and fast application process so you can get back to spending time with those who matter most — your family.

Ethos offers both term and whole life insurance policies with top-rated carriers. You may not be able to predict when you go, but you can help ensure your family and loved ones are taken care of when it does happen. With Ethos, you can have peace of mind knowing that you’ve helped protect your family.

 

Best For
  • Newlyweds, young people, homeowners, seniors and parents
  • Individuals who wants a quick, easy life insurance application process
  • Individuals for whom life insurance had previously been inaccessible
  • Self-starters who prefer a hands-off approach when interacting with insurance agents
Pros
  • Instant personalized quotes
  • 10 minute seamless application process
  • Same-day coverage available
  • Range of term and whole life coverage policies
  • No medical exam or blood tests required (just answer a few health questions)
Cons
  • Not available in New York

Ethos Ratings at a Glance

Life Insurance Coverage Options
Life Insurance Customer Service Rating
Life Insurance Pricing
User Benefits
User Experience
Life Insurance Overall Rating

Life Insurance Coverage Options

Ethos offers two types of life insurance: whole life and term insurance. Each policy has pros and cons. The term life insurance is available for people ages 20 to 65, while the whole life insurance is available for those ages 66 to 85. Both are available in all states but in New York.

Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance from Ethos has coverage options ranging from $20,000 to $2 million. You can choose a policy of 10, 15, 20 or 30 years. Because Ethos is an online marketplace, policies are issued by different carriers, including Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., TruStage and Legal & General America.

You’ll need to answer questions about your health as part of the application process. Ethos typically depends on your responses but also uses third-party data, including MIB Group Inc. records. Ethos has agents available to help you through the process, and they don’t work on commission so they won’t push you for a sale. In some cases, you might be contacted by an underwriter asking for more information.

Whole Life Insurance 

Ethos’s whole life insurance is specifically available to people 66 to 85 years old. You’ll be instantly approved, regardless of your health history. Possible coverage amounts range from $1,000 to $30,000. For the whole life insurance, all policies are offered through TruStage.

Ethos Life Insurance Customer Service Rating

Ethos is highly rated across the board by customers on all fronts, including customer service. Whether you prefer a super-involved agent or to do things on your own, your agent is there to provide you with the exact life insurance application process you prefer. Ethos’ internal agents are non-commissioned.

You can contact Ethos by phone or email. The team is available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST. 

  • Phone: 415-915-0665 
  • Email: support@ethoslife.com

Ethos Life Insurance Pricing

Here’s an example of the Ethos 20-year no-exam term life insurance rates by age and amount. Note that these are annual prices. The monthly rate for a 30-year-old with a $1 million term life insurance policy ranges from $25.58 to $37.42. At the maximum end, a 50-year-old can get a 20-year term life insurance policy from $130.17 to $161.25 per month.  

Age/coverage amount for term life insuranceAge 30, annual rateAge 40, annual rateAge 50, annual rate
$500,000 Male:     $252Female: $201Male:     $442Female: $336Male:       $1,026Female:   $832
$1 millionMale:      $449Female:  $307Male:     $759Female: $595Male:      $1,935Female: $1,562

Ethos User Benefits

While Ethos may not offer a ton of flashy perks or gimmicky sign-up grabs, they do have solid user benefits. 

Data Security: one of the most important features from Ethos is their data security and commitment to consumer trust. Policyholders can rest assured that Ethos is working hard to protect their information. 

Coverage calculator: while many experts recommend getting coverage that is 10-12x your income, coverage needed can vary depending on factors like how much debt and savings you may have. If you’d like a solid picture of how much coverage you need, Ethos provides a coverage calculator that allows you to easily estimate how much life insurance you should aim for on their website.

Hands-off (and salaried) Ethos agents: your life insurance agent’s salary may seem like none of your business, but because Ethos’ internal agents don’t work on commission, you’ll never be upsold coverage you don’t really need. Your licensed agent will be there when you need them, but if you don’t -- you can complete your entire application process without ever having to interact directly with an agent. This is great for all generations, including no-nonsense Boomers and notoriously phone-adverse millennials. 

Ethos User Experience

Ethos prides itself on the ease and speed customers experience when applying for life insurance. The application process is entirely digital. No blood tests or medical exams are required for policies under $1 million. All you have to do is answer a few health questions. Customers could experience a timeline like this: get a quote in seconds, submit your application in minutes, get coverage in hours.

Also, Ethos is a highly accessible portal. Aside from the easy-to-use application, Ethos offers a wide variety of insurance coverage and underwriting options, which means being able to fulfill their mission to offer life insurance to as many people as possible.

Ethos Life Insurance Overall Rating

If you’re looking for term or whole life insurance, you can’t go wrong with Ethos. Their simple interface and lightning fast online application makes life insurance accessible to a wider range of customers than many other providers.

Ethos is rated highly by consumers and institutions alike, earning a 4.5/5 customer rating on TrustPilot and an A+ rating from Better Business Bureau.

Ethos vs. Competitors

Ethos has some features that just can’t be beat, but be sure to compare quotes from a wide range of providers. Ethos often beats out the prices of similar products. 

  • Ethos
    Best For:
    Seamless Application Process

    Not available to New York residents.

  • Fabric Life Insurance
    Best For:
    Young families
    securely through Fabric Life Insurance's website
  • Bestow Life Insurance
    Best For:
    Term life insurance
    securely through Bestow Life Insurance's website

    *excludes New York

  • Haven Life Insurance
    Best For:
    Under Age 64

    Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC21 Haven Term in certain states, including NC) issued by C.M. Life Insurance Company (C.M. Life), Enfield, CT 06082. In New York (DTC-NY) and California (DTC-CA), it is issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111-0001.

  • Ladder Life Insurance
    Best For:
    Adjustable coverage
    securely through Ladder Life Insurance's website

    Ladder Insurance Services, LLC (CA license # OK22568; AR license # 3000140372) distributes term life insurance products issued by multiple insurers – for further details see ladderlife.com. All insurance products are governed by the terms set forth in the applicable insurance policy. Each insurer has financial responsibility for its own products. Coverage amounts vary by state.

Factors to Consider

Whether you’re considering term life insurance or whole life insurance, these plans can give you peace of mind while protecting your loved ones. Life insurance policies vary widely. You’ll want to carefully weigh coverage amounts, costs and possible alternatives based on your age. Factors to consider include: 

Coverage

Coverage is essential. For Ethos’s term life insurance, you can select policies for $500,000 to $1 million. For whole life insurance, the maximum coverage is $30,000. Double-check applicable coverage to find the best plan for you and your family. Compare coverage and costs to similar plans, while weighing other service options.  

Costs

Costs vary widely with both term and whole life insurance. A plan requiring a medical exam can be more cost-effective for healthy people than guaranteed life insurance. For younger people, a term life insurance policy can offer peace of mind in case the worst happens. Weighing monthly insurance costs against additional options such as savings accounts and investment accounts is important, especially for whole life insurance policies. 

Customer Service

Choosing a company that offers exceptional customer service is essential for life insurance. You don’t want to have to work to reach them. And you want to know, in case of the worst, your family is protected. Read reviews, and check the Better Business Bureau rating to select a reliable company. Ethos receives good customer reviews.

Alternatives

Term life insurance is generally smart, especially for an adult supporting their family. Whether whole life insurance makes sense depends on your financial situation and goals. Weigh the costs and coverage of both types of insurance policies to find what works for you. 

Other alternatives for whole life insurance include investment accounts or savings accounts. If you put $200 per month in a savings account from age 66 to age 85, you’d have $45,600 in savings deposits before accounting for compound interest — more than the maximum whole life insurance policy offered by Ethos.  

How Much Does Life Insurance Usually Cost?

Term life insurance varies by length of the term and the age of the applicant. While Ethos offers lower-cost alternatives, there are cheaper options available. For example, Brighthouse offers term insurance for $280 per year for a $500,000 plan or $470 per year for a $1 million plan. 

Why You Should Trust Benzinga

Benzinga strives to provide the most researched and well-balanced financial information on the market. As part of the review on Ethos Life Insurance, Benzinga took into account insurance policies, coverage, financial performance and customer reviews to provide you with balanced information. 

Is Ethos Life Insurance Worth It?

If you’re in the market for either whole life or term life insurance, Ethos offers a good alternative. It has competitive rates and flexible plans that range from $10,000 in coverage for whole life up to $2 million in term life insurance. The low-cost plans can ensure your beneficiaries are protected. That’s a small price for peace of mind. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q

Is Ethos credible insurance?

A

Yes, Ethos offers credible insurance. Coverage amounts range based on whether you choose term or whole life insurance. Ethos’s insurance partners — Legal & General, TruStage and Ameritas — are well-established insurance companies. 

 

 

Q

Who backs Ethos life insurance?

A

Ethos is backed by Legal & General, TruStage and Ameritas. 

Q

Does Ethos pay out?

A

Yes, Ethos will pay out. It offers no-medical-exam term coverage up to $2 million. In case the worst happens, Ethos offers a substantial sum to protect your beneficiaries. 

 

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Methodology

Benzinga crafted a specific methodology to rank life insurance. To see a comprehensive breakdown of our methodology, please visit our Life Insurance Methodology page.

About Alison Plaut

Alison Plaut is a personal finance, business, and insurance writer with a sustainable MBA, passionate about helping people understand insurance choices and financial options to create financial freedom. She has more than 17 years of writing experience, focused on insurance, real estate, business, personal finance, and investing. Her work has been published in The Motley Fool, MoneyLion, and she is a regular contributor for Benzinga.