Managing Money In A Crisis
Weekly tips sent straight to your inbox
Finder is committed to editorial independence. While we receive compensation when you click links to partners, they do not influence our opinions or reviews. Learn how we make money.
Cincinnati Life Insurance review July 2020
Last updated:
An agent-focused company with nonsmoker preferred rates even if you smoke the occasional cigar.
finder.com’s rating: 4.5 / 5.0
★★★★★
- Get a quote if… you’re an occasional smoker but want cheaper rates.
- Pick something else if.. you don’t want to deal with an insurance agent.
18 to 65
Issue Age
$25,000 to $500,000
Coverage
Required for all policies over $500,000 and applicants aged 60 and above
Medical Exam Required
Details
| Free quote | Must contact an independent agent |
|---|---|
| Policy options | Term, Whole and Universal Life |
| Term lengths | 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years |
| Monthly cost | $37.5 |
| Claim methods | Phone: 888-212-6970 |
| Ratings | BBB: A+ |
| Available states | All 50 states |
| Customer support | Phone: 800-783-4479, Online form, email |
| Riders | Accidental death benefit, Children’s term, Insured insurability, Waiver of premium, Accelerated benefit |
Expert review
Review by
Heather Petty
heather.petty@findercrew.comHeather Petty is a writer at Finder specializing in banking, investments and insurance. She's a self-proclaimed word nerd who worked as a technical writer and editor for the casino systems industry and is an internationally published young adult mystery author. Heather earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Expert review
Cincinnati Life Insurance offers a standard set of policy options and riders to customize your policy, with cheaper rates for occasional tobacco users. But if you’re looking for a company with a better online presence and want to apply for your policy without having to go through an agent, shop around for life insurance to see if there’s a better fit for you.
What types of life insurance coverage does Cincinnati Life Insurance offer?
Choose from one of the following types of insurance:
- Term life insurance. Coverage options that range from 10- to 30-years. Cincinnati Life also offers a return of premium (ROP) option for terms of at least 20 years that refunds your base premiums if you outlive your policy. All terms come with the option to convert to a permanent life insurance policy.
- Universal life insurance. Your options include a standard adult and juvenile policy, and a more flexible option that allows you to limit your cash accumulation to lower your premium.
- Whole life insurance. Cincinnati Insurance offers a guaranteed whole life policy that ensures your rate classification never changes — so your premium won’t go up as long as you pay your premiums. And, if you decide to convert your term policy to a whole life policy within the first five years, you don’t have to re-establish insurability with a medical exam.
What riders can I add to my life insurance policy?
Cincinnati offers add-ons that customize your policy to meet your coverage needs, such as:
- Accidental death benefit. Provides a lump sum payout in addition to your death benefit if you die accidentally, like in a car accident.
- Children’s term. Life insurance that can convert to a whole life policy when they turn 18. Face value is up to five times the amount you purchased.
- Insured insurability. Allows you to purchase additional life insurance at a later date without having to go through the underwriting process again.
- Waiver of premium. Waives your premium if you’re totally disabled for more than four consecutive months.
- Accelerated benefit. Access 50% of your death benefit, up to $250,000, to help pay for medical bills if you’re diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness.
How much does Cincinnati Insurance cost?
Cincinnati Insurance doesn’t offer online quotes or a sampling of its rates for life insurance. The company offers six underwriting rate classes for policies with a face value over $100,000, but only standard smoker and nonsmoker rates for $25,000 to $99,999 of coverage.
The following are sample monthly rates for a nonsmoker in excellent health applying for $250,000 in term life insurance coverage with the return of premium rider.
| Term length | Male, age 30 | Female, age 30 | Male, age 40 | Female, age 40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-year term | $41.87 | $37.50 | $68.75 | $59.17 |
| 25-year term | $40.20 | $35.62 | $69.16 | $56.45 |
| 30-year term | $37.50 | $31.67 | $61.87 | $51.45 |
How do I get a low rate?
Cincinnati Insurance offers cheaper rates with its Preferred Plus class for nonsmokers who haven’t used tobacco or nicotine in five years, and who meet certain medical and personal history criteria.
However, it extends the nonsmoker preferred rates for occasional cigar smokers and other non tobacco products.
Pros and cons of Cincinnati Insurance Companies
Pros
- Strong financial ratings. Cincinnati Life Insurance has been in business since 1950 and has an A+ financial rating from AM Best, Fitch and S&P Global Ratings, signaling it can pay out claims.
- Preferred class underwriting for occasional smokers. Nonsmokers enjoy lower rates, but Cincinnati makes an exception for people who indulge in less than six celebratory cigars annually. The urine test should come back negative for nicotine.
- Some nonmedical options. Insurance is available to customers age 18 to 60 who want less than $100,000 in coverage. If you’re willing to take an amplified paramedical exam that doesn’t include blood or urine tests, customers age 18 to 50 can get up to $500,000 in coverage and up to $250,000 to age 60.
- Uses actual age instead of nearest age. Where some insurers use a nearest age model, which ages you up six months before your birthday, Cincinnati Life Insurance uses your actual age for underwriting.
Cons
- Website issues. Cincinnati Insurance offers a customer portal, but you can only use the claims service for its personal products, such as auto and home insurance. And while the company has a search system for local agents, the kinds of insurance they assist with isn’t always accurate.
- No online quotes. To get a policy quote, contact an independent insurance agent in the company’s network.
- Long underwriting process. Between the paramedical exam and the company’s underwriting policies, you may not get an answer for eight weeks.
Compare alternatives to Cincinnati Insurance Companies
Cincinnati Insurance Companies life insurance reviews and complaints
The company is accredited with the Better Business Bureau and has an A+ rating with only nine complaints over the past year. Complaints surround claims issues and company communication, but Cincinnati Insurance Companies has addressed and resolved them all.
However, online customer reviews are scarce, especially those specific to life insurance, so it’s hard to determine customer satisfaction.
How do I sign up for Cincinnati Insurance Companies life insurance?
Cincinnati Life Insurance works closely with independent insurance agents to sell their products. To get a quote or apply, find the agent nearest you using the Find an Agency link from the company home page.
Frequently asked questions
Life insurance ratings
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Our experts analyze life insurance companies to help you to find the strongest possible policy and premium for your family’s needs. We assess their financial strength, customer satisfaction, policy features and riders. We then give each insurer a score between one and five stars that reflects their offering and reputation in the industry.