Ethos Life Insurance Reviews 2023

Last modified: December 20, 2021
  • Claims 9
  • Buying 8
  • Transparency 9
  • Coverage Variety 8
  • Value For Money 8
  • OVERALL RATING 8.4
  • Financial Strength A-
  • BBB Rating A+
  • Coverages 7/10
  • Flexibility Flexible riders
  • Discounts Discounts for non-smokers
  • Support Phone, Email, Online Application
  • User Ratings 8/10
  • Availability Everywhere except New York
  • Pricing Affordable

About the Company

Ethos life was launched in 2016 by Peter Colis and Lingke Wang. The life insurance company offers term and whole life insurance using predictive analytics. 

You don’t have to meet with an insurance agent to buy a policy, as they have incorporated a complete online-based application process. You can even make an account to check and update your policy information. 

The life insurance coverage options underwritten by RGA and Assurity have earned high ratings. 

In this article, we compiled the most important information from various Ethos life reviews to give you a comprehensive idea of the company’s pros and cons. 

How We Reviewed 

In this Ethos life review, we examined several factors. We looked at the Ethos life ratings to determine the company’s financial strength and how well it’s received by current and previous customers. 

We examined the website for ease of use and the various educational resources available for potential customers to learn more about the different life insurance coverage options. 

Lastly, we gauged the company’s effectiveness in providing quotes, applying for policies, and filing claims.

Where Is It Available?

Ethos is available nationwide except in New York. The Ethos life phone number is (415) 322-2037. The company’s contact address is 75 Hawthorne St Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94105.

Life Insurance Coverage Options

To begin our Ethos life review let’s examine the whole vs term life insurance.

  • Ethos term life insurance offers people the option to choose from a 10-year, 15-year, 20-year, or 30-year term option. It expires after a certain term, and you need to renew it for it to continue. 
  • Ethos whole life insurance lasts for the entire life and guarantees a payout. You can use cash for emergencies or retirement. After your passing, your beneficiaries will receive the available amount after the deductions. They also cost five to fifteen times more than term life insurance. 

The life insurance provider has also made it easy for people to obtain whole and term life insurance rates by age and other factors by providing them with the term life calculator. Their coverage calculator asks you to provide your age, gender, tobacco use, birthdate, general health valuation, lifestyle and eating habits, ZIP code, and answer a few questions. 

Using your information, the calculator recommends a coverage amount for a certain term limit and an estimated premium rate each month.

Riders

Ethos life provides you with life insurance riders, which you can add to your life insurance coverage for extra protection:

  • Child Rider Life Insurance – This covers children until they turn 25 years old.
  • The Waiver of Premium Rider – If you become severely disabled, you can stop paying the premiums. 
  • Endowment Benefit Rider – The life insurance company will refund a part of the premiums you have previously paid them after a specified duration. 
  • Accelerated Death Benefit Rider – The rider provides you the ability to receive a portion of the payment during your lifetime in the event you become diagnosed with a critical illness such as cancer. You can use the amount towards hospital bills, for instance. If you pass away from your illness, the insurance company reduces the payment due to the critical illness coverage.

Ethos Life Pricing 

The term life insurance rates start at $100,000 and go up to $1.5 million. People between the age of 20 and 65 can request term life insurance quotes. You can also check the estimated cost instantly on their website here. The life insurance company also provides an accelerated death benefit rider with their term life insurance at no cost. 

Your beneficiaries will receive the face value of your term life insurance policy. Still, if you opted for the accelerated death benefit, they’ll subtract the money you already used during your lifetime. 

The chart below is of sample quotes for 2 non-smoking men, aged 35 and 45 in good health:

Male, aged 35
Coverage Amount Premium
$365,000 $29
$685,000 $49
$1,000,000 $69

 

Male, aged 45
Coverage Amount Premium
$278,000 $39
$447,000 $59
$827,000 $99

 

Ethos Life Discounts

Ethos doesn’t offer customer or employee discounts. If you’re an employee, you receive several benefits such as comprehensive insurance benefits, unlimited paid leave, catered meals, parental leave, team events, and stock options.

Customer Satisfaction and Financial Strength Review

In terms of Ethos life complaints, the amount of complaints is average for the size of the company. Ethos has a good financial strength rating on the market due to its quality policies and customer service. The Ethos life AM Best rating is A+ and their S&P rating is AA-. The Ethos life  BBB rating is A+. Trustpilot gave the company a 4.5 rating.

Since Assurity Life Insurance Company underwrites and issues Ethos’s policies, customers can be at ease, knowing that they are getting a policy through one of the most reliable life insurance providers in the United States. Ethos also collaborates with other insurance giants to provide its services.  

Platform Rating
BBB A+
ConsumerAffairs N/A
S&P AA-
Trustpilot 4.5

Customer Support 

Ethos life customer service number is (415) 322-2037. You can also text them at (415) 702-1844 or email at [email protected]. Their working hours are Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For policy activation, call at (415) 855-4331 or email at [email protected]. If you’re experiencing payment issues, email them at [email protected].

Ease of Buying and Claims Handling 

You can buy insurance coverage by completing an application form on the company’s website. The online application takes as little as 10 minutes. The company’s representatives will get back to you in a couple of hours or days. 

The life insurance company doesn’t require you to make a doctor’s appointment to qualify for life insurance. The life insurance provider uses custom analytics to examine your application and make a decision based on your case. They will examine your finances, your life stage, and other factors to determine the life insurance policy most suitable for you. 

You need to provide them with your credit card information when you apply for life insurance. After you fill out the application, you will be asked to choose a payment method. Providing them with a payment method beforehand allows the life insurance company to process your application faster because they know that you will make the payment. It increases the underwriting process to 7 days to 10 days instead of taking 10 weeks.

Ethos also gives you time to decide if you want to accept the policy. If you do, you make the first payment. They also provide additional resources to help you make the decision. You can create an Ethos life login to access your information. 

All Ethos claims are made through email. Beneficiaries can send them an email at [email protected] to notify them of the policyholder’s passing. An Ethos representative will explain the claims process. 

Once you have filed your claim, Assurity, the insurance company that underwrites their policies, will examine the claim and, if approved, send payment to your beneficiaries. 

Comparison With Competitors 

To give you a better idea of the company’s standing on the market, we compared Ethos with one of its major competitors:

Ethos vs Ladder 

Both companies provide you with several choices regarding term lengths. Both have policies with a 30-year term. Ladder’s life insurance policy is more affordable than Ethos’. For instance, a man with coverage of $250,000 for a 20-year term policy will pay a premium of $73 with Ethos and $48.69 with Ladder.

Pros & Cons

The Pros

  • Completely online application process
  • No medical exam
  • No upselling

The Cons

  • Not available in the state of New York
  • Require credit card information upfront
  • Coverage is not guaranteed if you have a certain medical condition

Final Verdict

Ethos has an online buying platform. The entire underwriting and decision process takes 10 minutes. You will find several easy-to-use features on the website, including a tool to calculate your insurance coverage. 

Applicants don’t need to give a medical exam and can apply for life insurance without it. All you need to do is answer a few health-related questions via their online platform..

Unfortunately, if you live in New York, you can’t obtain this coverage, but the company plans to make it available to residents of the state soon. 

FAQs

When are payments due?

You need to pay within a month. You get 31 days to make the payment, after that the company will cancel your policy.

Will I be approved?

Ethos approves people based on their lifestyle choices and health problems. 

Is Ethos reliable?

Ethos is reliable, as it is supported by a few of the largest insurance companies, such as Assurity, Aon, Munich, Reinsurance American, and RGA. 

Will I need a medical exam?

No, you don’t need to take a medical exam in most cases. They may require you to take a medical exam if you want to get coverage up to $1 million or more or if they especially request for it.

How much is the medical exam?

The medical exam cost varies from state to state, but on average, it may cost between $200 to $400.

What happens if I miss a payment?

In the event you miss a payment, the insurance company provides you with a 30-day grace period. If you fail to pay it, your coverage will be terminated. 

What types of insurance does Ethos offer?

They offer term life insurance and whole life insurance. Based on the Ethos life reviews, you can decide if you want to get their policy or pick another provider.

How do I apply for a policy?

You can apply for a policy through their website by answering a few questions. 

How can I reach customer service?

You can reach customer service via call or email.