Why Life Insurance Still Feels Harder Than It Should

You already know you need life insurance. You might have known for years. But every time you sit down to actually do something about it, the process pushes back. Schedule a medical exam. Wait for a nurse to come to your house. Give blood, give urine, answer questions about every medication you have taken in the last decade. Then wait four to six weeks while an underwriter somewhere decides whether your family deserves protection.

Meanwhile, there is a will you have been meaning to write sitting in the same mental pile as the life insurance application. According to the 2025 Caring.com Wills and Estate Planning Study, only 24% of American adults currently have a will. That number has dropped from 33% just three years ago. And the 2025 LIMRA Insurance Barometer Study found that roughly 100 million Americans either lack life insurance entirely or know they do not have enough. Three out of four adults overestimate the cost of a term policy by seven to twelve times what it actually costs.

These are not separate problems. They are the same problem wearing two hats. Your family needs financial protection if something happens to you, and they need legal documents that tell the world what you intended. Ethos is the only platform we have found that lets you handle both in a single sitting, from your kitchen table, in about ten minutes, with no medical exam and no appointment with an attorney. That does not mean it is right for everyone. It means it is worth understanding what it offers, where it falls short, and whether it fits what your family actually needs.

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How Ethos Actually Works

Ethos is not an insurance company. It is a licensed insurance producer and third-party administrator. You apply through their platform, and the actual policy is issued by one of their carrier partners. Think of Ethos as the front door that replaced the waiting room.

The application takes about ten minutes. You answer health and lifestyle questions online. There is no medical exam for most applicants. Instead of sending a nurse to your house, Ethos pulls your health profile from electronic medical records, prescription history databases, and the Medical Information Bureau (MIB), the same clearinghouse traditional insurers use. They also run a soft credit check that does not affect your credit score.

From there, Ethos’s underwriting technology matches you with the carrier offering the best rate for your specific profile. 95% of applicants receive a decision the same day. Many get approved instantly. If your case needs additional review, it may take a few days, but that is still weeks faster than the traditional process.

Here is the part most reviewers skip over. Ethos uses a product laddering system. If you do not qualify for their best rates through Term Life Prime, you are automatically evaluated for the next tier: Term Life Choice, then Advantage Whole Life, then Guaranteed Issue. Instead of declining your application, Ethos finds the closest matching coverage you do qualify for. You are not left starting over somewhere else. You can see what you qualify for in about ten minutes.

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What Ethos Covers

Term Life Insurance

This is the core product and likely why you are here. Term life through Ethos covers ages 20 to 65 with coverage from $25,000 up to $3 million. You choose from 10, 15, 20, 30, or 40-year terms. Premiums are level for the entire term, meaning your monthly cost locks in and does not increase. Policies are guaranteed renewable until age 80 at higher rates, and many include an option to convert to permanent coverage before your term expires.

If you have a health condition and are unsure whether you would qualify, our guide to life insurance with pre-existing conditions walks through the underwriting process and how to use an informal inquiry to test the waters before a formal application hits your record.

Whole Life Insurance (Guaranteed Issue)

For applicants ages 45 to 85, Ethos offers guaranteed issue whole life insurance through TruStage. No health questions. No medical exam. Acceptance is guaranteed. Coverage ranges from $2,000 to $25,000 and is designed for final expense protection, not income replacement. There is a graded benefit period of two to three years for natural causes, though accidental death coverage begins immediately. If you are over 80 and need guaranteed acceptance coverage, Gerber Life also serves that market.

Indexed Universal Life (IUL)

For those looking beyond term coverage, Ethos offers indexed universal life insurance through Ameritas and North American. IUL policies build cash value tied to market index performance with downside protection, meaning your cash value will not decrease when the market drops. Available for ages 20 to 65 with coverage up to $2 million. These policies also include living benefit riders that allow you to access a portion of the death benefit if diagnosed with a terminal or chronic illness.

Aflac Supplemental Cancer Insurance

Through a partnership with Aflac, Ethos also offers supplemental cancer insurance that pays cash benefits before, during, and after a cancer diagnosis. This is a separate product from life insurance and can be added alongside your primary policy.

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The Carriers Behind Your Policy

This matters. When you buy through Ethos, the policy is issued and backed by an established insurance carrier, not by Ethos itself. If something happens to you, your beneficiary files a claim with the carrier. These are the companies standing behind the coverage:

Banner Life (Legal & General America) holds an A+ (Superior) rating from A.M. Best. They have been in business for over 70 years, serve 1.4 million U.S. customers, and issued $105 billion in new coverage in 2023 alone.

Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. carries an A (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best and an A+ (Strong) rating from S&P Global. Founded in 1887, Ameritas issues both term life and indexed universal life policies through Ethos.

Protective Life holds an A+ (Superior) rating from A.M. Best and an A1 from Moody’s. A subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Holdings with over 140 years of history. Protective joined the Ethos platform in 2025, offering term policies from 10 to 40 years with coverage up to $2 million.

Mutual of Omaha has been a household name in insurance since 1909. Their recognition with the 50+ demographic is unmatched, and their policies are issued through Ethos alongside the other carriers listed here.

John Hancock is one of America’s oldest life insurance brands and offers fully underwritten term policies through the Ethos platform.

You cannot choose which carrier issues your policy. Ethos’s system matches you automatically based on your health profile, coverage amount, and term length. You will see which carrier is assigned before you finalize the application.

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The Estate Planning Bundle Nobody Else Includes

This is the differentiator. Every Ethos life insurance policy includes access to their estate planning platform at no additional cost. You can create a last will, living trust, durable power of attorney, and healthcare directive through guided online questionnaires that generate state-specific, attorney-reviewed documents. Updates are unlimited, so you can revise your documents whenever your circumstances change.

Go back to that Caring.com statistic: 76% of American adults do not have a will. The most common reason is not cost or complexity. It is simply not getting around to it. When estate planning is bundled into the same ten-minute session as your life insurance application, the barrier drops to almost nothing. Start your application and estate plan together here.

If you already have estate documents and just want life insurance, the bundle does not get in your way. And if you want to explore estate planning on its own before committing to a policy, Ethos offers that as a standalone product too. We reviewed their estate planning platform separately in our Ethos Estate Planning review.

Note: The estate planning tools are not currently available in Alaska, Louisiana, South Dakota, and Washington.

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What It Costs and Where the Tradeoffs Are

We are not going to quote you a rate here because your premium depends on your age, health, coverage amount, and term length. What we can tell you is how the pricing works and where the honest tradeoffs sit.

No-exam policies generally cost slightly more per month than fully underwritten policies that require medical exams, blood work, and lab results. That is the trade: convenience for a modest premium increase. For most families, the difference is small enough that skipping a four-to-six-week underwriting process is worth every penny. For applicants in excellent health who do not mind the traditional process, a fully underwritten policy through an independent broker may save a few dollars per month.

Ethos’s rates are non-negotiable. You cannot shop the same application across multiple carriers or advocate for a better rate class. The system gives you the best rate it can find based on your profile, and that is the offer. If carrier selection and rate negotiation matter to you, a platform like The Swiftest lets you compare quotes from multiple carriers, or Everyday Life matches you with brokers who can work your case individually.

Other things to know: coverage caps at $3 million for term life. Ethos is not available in New York. If you are a New York resident, Everyday Life is our recommendation for comparable no-hassle coverage. And if you need life insurance for someone other than yourself, such as a spouse, aging parent, or business partner, our insurable interest guide explains what is required and how the process differs.

Every Ethos policy comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you change your mind for any reason within the first month, you get a full refund with no cancellation fees.

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Who Ethos Is Built For (and Who Should Look Elsewhere)

Ethos is a strong fit if you:

Want to get covered quickly without scheduling a medical exam. Need both life insurance and estate planning documents and have not gotten around to either. Are between 20 and 65 for term life, or 45 to 85 for guaranteed issue whole life. Prefer a straightforward online process over working with an agent. Want coverage from A-rated carriers without having to evaluate each one yourself.

Consider other options if you:

• Are over 80 and need final expense coverage. Gerber Life’s guaranteed issue product serves that age range.
• Live in New York, where Ethos is not available. Everyday Life is our recommendation for comparable no-hassle coverage.
• Need more than $3 million in term coverage. An independent broker or The Swiftest can source higher limits from multiple carriers.
• Want to choose your specific carrier or negotiate your rate class. Ethos assigns the carrier automatically with non-negotiable rates.
• Have a complex health history that benefits from a broker presenting your case to multiple underwriters individually. Our pre-existing conditions guide covers how to navigate that process.

If you want to compare Ethos against other carriers and platforms side by side, our life insurance comparison page breaks down the options we have vetted.

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Getting Started With Ethos

The process is four steps, and most people finish in under ten minutes.

Step 1: Answer health and lifestyle questions. No medical jargon. The application asks about your age, height, weight, tobacco use, prescriptions, and any significant diagnoses. It reads like a conversation, not a clinical intake form.

Step 2: Get matched with a carrier. Ethos evaluates your answers against their carrier network and presents the best available rate. If you do not qualify for top-tier rates, the system automatically evaluates you for the next tier instead of declining you.

Step 3: Review and activate your policy. You see the carrier name, coverage amount, term length, and monthly premium before committing. Nothing is finalized without your explicit approval.

Step 4: Set up your estate planning documents. Once your policy is active, you can immediately access the estate planning tools. Create your will, trust, power of attorney, and healthcare directive through the same account. This step is optional but it is already paid for, so there is no reason to skip it.

Ethos holds a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot with nearly 4,000 reviews. They carry an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. And as of January 2026, Ethos is a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol LIFE, which means their financials are audited and reported to the SEC. For a family making a trust-based decision about who protects their future, that transparency matters.

If you have questions during the process, Ethos support is available by phone at 888-384-6754 or by email at support@ethoslife.com, Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm Central. They do not currently offer live chat.

Is Ethos a real insurance company?

Ethos is a licensed insurance producer and third-party administrator, not an insurance carrier. They handle the application process and customer experience, while the actual policies are issued by established carriers including Banner Life, Ameritas, TruStage, Protective, Mutual of Omaha, and John Hancock. All of these carriers hold A ratings or better from independent financial strength agencies. Your coverage is backed by the insurer, not by Ethos itself. As of January 2026, Ethos is publicly traded on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol LIFE, meaning their financials are audited and reported to the SEC.

Do I need a medical exam to get Ethos life insurance?

Most applicants do not need a medical exam. Ethos uses proprietary underwriting technology that evaluates your health profile using electronic medical records, prescription databases, MIB Group data, and other third-party sources. For higher coverage amounts or certain health profiles, an underwriter may request additional information, but the standard application process does not include blood work, urinalysis, or an in-home medical exam. Ethos performs a soft credit check that does not affect your credit score.

How fast can I get approved?

95% of applicants receive a decision the same day, and many are approved instantly. The application itself takes about ten minutes. In cases where additional underwriting review is needed, the process may take a few days, but this is still significantly faster than traditional carriers that typically require four to six weeks including a scheduled medical exam. Every policy comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you change your mind.

What types of life insurance does Ethos offer?

Ethos offers several policy types. Term life insurance covers ages 20 to 65 with coverage up to $3 million and terms of 10, 15, 20, 30, or 40 years through carriers like Banner Life, Ameritas, Protective, Mutual of Omaha, and John Hancock. Guaranteed issue whole life insurance through TruStage covers ages 45 to 85 with no health questions required, designed primarily for final expense protection. Indexed universal life insurance through Ameritas and North American offers cash value growth tied to market index performance. Ethos also offers Aflac supplemental cancer insurance through their platform.

Is Ethos available in my state?

Ethos is available in all 50 states plus Washington D.C., except New York. If you are a New York resident, Everyday Life and local independent brokers can help you find comparable coverage. Specific products and carriers may vary by state. The estate planning tools included with life insurance policies are not available in Alaska, Louisiana, South Dakota, and Washington.

What happens if I do not qualify for the best rates?

Ethos uses a product laddering system. If you do not qualify for Term Life Prime, their best rate tier, you are automatically evaluated for Term Life Choice, then Advantage Whole Life, then Guaranteed Issue. Rather than declining your application outright, Ethos finds the closest matching coverage you do qualify for. You see the carrier, coverage amount, and premium before committing to anything. If none of Ethos’s options fit, our pre-existing conditions guide covers how to work with brokers who can present your case to multiple carriers individually.

How does the free estate planning work?

Every Ethos life insurance policy includes access to their estate planning platform at no additional cost. You can create a last will, living trust, durable power of attorney, and healthcare directive through guided online questionnaires that generate state-specific, attorney-reviewed documents. There is no limit on updates, so you can revise your documents whenever your life circumstances change. The estate planning tools are not currently available in Alaska, Louisiana, South Dakota, and Washington. You can also read our full Ethos Estate Planning review for a deeper look at the platform.

Can I choose which insurance carrier issues my policy?

No. Ethos’s underwriting system automatically matches you with the carrier offering the best rate and coverage for your specific profile. You will see which carrier is issuing your policy before you finalize the application, but you cannot request a specific insurer. If carrier selection is important to you, working with an independent broker or a comparison platform like The Swiftest gives you more control over that decision.

What are the downsides of buying life insurance through Ethos?

No-exam policies generally cost slightly more per month than fully underwritten policies requiring medical exams and lab work. Ethos’s rates are non-negotiable, so you cannot shop the same application across multiple carriers or advocate for a better rate class. Coverage caps at $3 million for term life. Ethos is not available in New York. And for applicants with complex health histories, an independent broker who can present your case to underwriters at multiple carriers may secure better pricing. We cover alternative options on our life insurance comparison page.

How do my beneficiaries file a claim?

If you pass away while your coverage is active, your beneficiary contacts the insurance carrier that issued your policy, not Ethos, to file a claim. The carrier reviews the claim and issues the death benefit as an untaxed, lump-sum payment. Ethos provides information about which carrier holds your policy and how to initiate the claims process. The benefit can be used for any purpose: mortgage payments, education costs, daily living expenses, outstanding debts, or final expenses. If you have not reviewed your beneficiary designations recently, our special needs families coverage guide explains why this step matters more than most people realize.