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American Fidelity life insurance review 2020
Last updated:
Permanent policies are its specialty, including converted military to civilian life insurance.
Get a quote if…
- You want a policy with cash growth.
Pick something else if…
- You’re looking for a brand name or term life insurance.
17 to 60
Issue Age
$10,000 to $100,000
Coverage
No
Medical Exam Required
Details
| Free quote | Online, Phone |
|---|---|
| Available states | All 50 states |
| Policy options | Term, Permanent |
| Term lengths | 10, 20, or 30 year period |
| Issue age | 17 to 60 |
| Coverage | $10,000 to $100,000 |
| Medical exam required | No |
| Monthly cost | No info available |
| Claim methods | By mail at: American Fidelity Life Insurance Company, 500 S. Palafox, Suite 200, Pensacola, Florida 32502. |
| Customer support | Call 850-456-7401 on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST. |
| Riders offered | Child rider, Portability rider, Spouse rider |
Expert review
Review by
Sarah George
sarah.george@finder.comSarah George is a writer at Finder who unravels complicated topics about insurance, business and finance. She's been wordsmithing for nearly five years, after earning an English education degree. Her insurance know-how has been featured on CarInsurance.com. You can usually find Sarah sipping hot tea and talking through movie plots in her downtime.
Expert review
American Fidelity has proven its ability in the life insurance market with sound investments and years of industry service. It also serves a great need for the US military by underwriting Servicemembers Group Life Insurance policies. The company is one of the only insurers to transfer military policies to permanent civilian policies if veterans prefer that option.
On the other hand, the company isn’t well-known in the market. For customer service, you can expect support to come through the home office with a few services accessible on your online account.
If you enjoy service with a local feel and policies with sound investments and guaranteed cash assets, American Fidelity might be for you. But consider whether you can get better coverage or a lower premium with another life insurance company before finalizing your policy.
What types of life insurance coverage does American Fidelity offer?
American Fidelity started on the basis of providing life insurance with cash assets to people in the military. It stands by that mission with these types of policies:
- Group life— American Fidelity underwrites Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI), a group term policy offered to US military members while in active service.
- Whole life— The company’s Flexible Dollar Builder policy can protect you for your whole life while growing a tax-deferred cash value that you can borrow. A whole life policy offers a guaranteed return on your investment and keeps your premiums level the entire time you’re covered.
- Universal life— The Future First Universal policy can stay with you for your entire life while growing tax-deferred interest, but it’s subject to the investment’s performance. Also, your premiums and interest rates may fluctuate. You can find universal life policies with minimum guaranteed return rates like 2%.
- Term life— This policy helps customers who want low-cost insurance for a defined amount of time.
What riders can I add to my life insurance policy?
American Fidelity doesn’t specify the riders available to you on its website. Instead, you have to call or email customer service for this information. Riders or benefits the company likely offers:
- Spouse and child rider. Many policies let you add coverage for a spouse or children, allowing the death benefit to get paid out for those named as insureds.
- Portability rider. If you participate in group coverage, this add-on allows you to take your policy with you if you change jobs.
How much does American Fidelity cost?
In general, you might pay anywhere from $250 to $1,000 per month for whole life insurance. Universal life insurance premiums may start out similar or higher than what you’re quoted for a whole life policy. Keep in mind that employer-sponsored policies tend to cost less.
However, your exact rates depend on a variety of factors, including:
- Age
- Health, such as blood pressure levels or smoking habits
- Occupation
- Types of hobbies
- Length of your policy
- Insurance offered through your employer
Pros and cons of American Fidelity
Pros
- Transfers military term to permanent policies. Only a handful of companies convert military term insurance to civilian policies, and American Fidelity is one of them.
- Strong finances. American Fidelity has an A+ (Superior) rating with AM Best by focusing its investments on government bonds and highly-rated corporate bonds.
- Steady, experienced insurer. The company was founded in 1956 and sticks to its roots in life insurance with cash asset growth.
- No customer complaints. Despite being accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for over 60 years, the company doesn’t have a single complaint on its BBB profile. It also has few complaints elsewhere on the web.
- Online customer account. Although the company sticks mostly to personal customer service, you can access your payment details and make policy withdrawals online.
Cons
- No online quotes. Unlike some major companies, you can’t get a quote without calling a customer service rep.
- Could use more details online. American Fidelity could use a dedicated section on its website detailing which life insurance policies and riders are available. Right now, that info is only available by calling customer service.
- Few customer reviews. To give an accurate view of an insurer’s customer service, we prefer to see hundreds of customer reviews before making an assessment. American Fidelity doesn’t have any reviews on reputable sites like BBB or Trustpilot.
Compare life insurance companies like American Fidelity
American Fidelity reviews and complaints
American Fidelity holds an A+ rating with the BBB — no small feat for a company accredited by the bureau since 1987. It has zero customer complaints with the BBB, although it also sees zero customer reviews as well.
American Fidelity recently upgraded to an A+ financial rating from AM Best in 2018, up from an A rating before that.
How do I sign up?
This insurer keeps the sign-up process personal by offering quotes and policy information over the phone. Your application might go something like:
- Call 850-456-7401 to talk with customer service about your policy needs.
- Give the representative your personal information, including your name, address, job and overall health.
- Choose the policy and riders that suit your needs.
- Receive your quote and choose whether or not to buy the policy.
- Fill out your paperwork and enter your credit card or bank draft information. Sign the policy documents.
- Return them to American Fidelity for approval.
- Start your policy on the date agreed upon.
More about American Fidelity
World War II Marine Charles Woodbury founded American Fidelity in 1956 after completing his military service. The company’s goal was helping military families in Pensacola, Florida with stable financial planning and products.
Because of its focus on government and stable investments, the company has weathered many economic downturns, including the 2008 recession. It introduced its newest universal life product in November 2008.