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Colonial Penn life insurance review 2021
Find guaranteed-approval policies or term life that renews every five years, but low coverage caps.
finder.com's rating: 2 / 5 ★★★★★
Bottom line: You won’t need to take a medical exam with Colonial Penn, though you also can’t get more than $50,000 coverage.
18 to 85
Issue Age
$10,000 to $50,000
Coverage
No
Medical Exam Required
Details
| Policies | Renewable Term, Guaranteed Acceptance, Permanent Whole. |
|---|---|
| Coverage maximum | $50,000 |
| Term lengths | 5 year banded term – up to age 90 |
| Medical exam required | No |
| Available states |
Term insurance is available in all states except Montana, New York, and the Virgin Islands.
Whole life insurance is available in all states except New York and the Virgin Islands. |
| Issue age | 18-75 |
Pros
- No medical exams, minimal health questionnaire
- Locked-in premiums with guaranteed acceptance and whole life plans.
- Flexible payments with monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual payment options
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Low coverage maximums at $50,000, compared to typical policies up to $5 million
- Few riders to customize policies
- No whole or term life in Maine, New York or Vermont plus no term life in Montana
- Many complaints around pushy sales tactics, denied claims or lost policies
| Riders |
Accelerated death benefit rider Accidental death benefit rider |
|---|
Expert review
Review by
Rhys Subitch
rhys.subitch@findercrew.comRhys Subitch is a writer and editor at Finder who tackles topics across the site. With half a decade of experience researching, editing and writing for a Fortune 500 company, university and several independent publications, Rhys brings readers the most up-to-date and curated info on all things finance.
Expert review
Colonial Penn offers three basic life insurance options that work well if you need low, guaranteed coverage or short terms. It also offers four payment plans, giving you some budgeting flexibility.
However, the maximum $50,000 whole or term life coverage is much less than you’ll find with other companies that require medical exams.
The company also sees an above-average number of complaints. If you try a Colonial Penn policy, you have 30 days to cancel for a full refund. But if you’re looking to maximize coverage value, compare your options to be sure it’s the right fit.
Colonial Penn life insurance rates
Expect to pay a high cost of around $57 a month for a $50,000 term life policy from Colonial Penn, depending on factors like your age, gender and health.
| Age | Man | Woman |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $13.96 | $11.87 |
| 25 | $18.96 | $14.12 |
| 30 | $23.96 | $19.12 |
| 35 | $28.92 | $24.12 |
| 40 | $35.21 | $29.12 |
| 45 | $45.12 | $35.21 |
| 50 | $56.46 | $45.21 |
| 55 | $76.46 | $56.46 |
| 60 | $99.79 | $71.46 |
| 65 | $140.12 | $98.83 |
| 70 | $191.53 | $128.29 |
What factors affect my rates with Colonial Penn life insurance?
You won’t find full guides on Colonial Penn’s website about how to get the lowest premiums, but most insurers look for common traits like:
- Health status. Those who use a wheelchair, are confined to a hospital facility or received home care within three years may see higher rates.
- Critical illness. Those who need surgery or have undergone diagnostic testing for chronic illnesses within five years.
- Chronic illness. People who experience chronic illness within the past three years, such as diabetes, heart, lung or liver disease, or cancer.
- Alcohol or drug use. People who have experienced alcohol or drug abuse within three years may see higher rates.
- Blood pressure. Those whose blood pressure read over 150/95 in the past six months may pay a higher premium.
How to get a quote from Colonial Penn life insurance
You can contact Colonial Penn by phone at 877-877-8052, or follow these steps for a quote online:
- From Colonial Penn’s homepage, choose your birthdate and state from the drop-down and click Get Quote.
- Click Learn More from the list of quotes to get more details, or click Get quote to continue your application.
- Enter your address, gender and email address. Click Get quote.
- Select any policy add-ons. Click Apply for coverage.
- Answer basic health questions and click Continue to enter your beneficiary details.
- Review and e-sign your documents, then a licensed agent will contact you to finalize the process.
- Once you’re approved, register online to pay your premium, update contact info or review your policy.
What types of life insurance coverage does Colonial Penn offer?
Colonial Penn offers a few term and whole life policies that specialize in low coverage without medical exams:
- Guaranteed acceptance life. This whole life plan offers permanent coverage and guarantees that you won’t be denied because of your health. Your rates are locked in the day you buy your policy.
- Term life. Colonial Penn’s term life policies renew every five years depending on your age and are renewable up to age 90. Your rates will increase as you age.
- Whole life. This plan offers lifetime coverage that builds cash value, and your rates are locked in at purchase.
The coverage details and price ranges for Colonial Penn’s life insurance plans:
| Plan | Coverage | Medical exam | Age availability | Protection until | Rate increase | Monthly premiums | Disclaimers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed acceptance life | Up to $25,000 | None | 50 to 85 years old in most states | For life | No | $9.95–$79.60 | You won’t be denied a policy, but the first two years offer limited coverage |
| Renewable term life | $10,000–$50,000 | None | 18 to 75 years old | 90 years old | Yes, based on fixed 5-year age bands | $2.54–$800.80 | Guaranteed ability to convert to permanent life insurance at age 90 |
| Whole life | $10,000–$50,000 | None | 40 to 75 years old | For life | No | $14.36–$576.44 | Cash value builds after the first year |
Does Colonial Penn offer burial insurance?
Yes. Colonial Penn’s guaranteed acceptance policy functions as burial insurance. As typical, this policy is marketed to seniors ages 50 to 85 with no medical exam needed — and capped with low coverage levels.
If you die of natural causes in the first two years, your beneficiaries’ payout will equal your premiums paid plus interest compounded annually. After this period, the insurer will pay the full death benefit.
What riders does Colonial Penn offer?
While most insurers offer add-ons like child or disability coverage, Colonial Penn only offers two riders. Coverage may be limited by state, age and gender.
- Accelerated death benefit rider. Get up to 50% of your life insurance benefit if you have a heart attack, stroke, cancer or chronic illness.
- Accidental death benefit rider. Pays out an extra death benefit to your beneficiaries if you die in an accident, such as a car accident.
Colonial Penn reviews and complaints
Founded in 1968, the company has over 50 years of financial history, signaling its likely ability to pay claims. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) gave Colonial Penn an A+ rating as of October 2020. The company closed nearly 90 complaints from 2017 to 2020, not terrible for the company’s size.
Colonial Penn also received a complaint index ratio of 1.31 in 2019 from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), close to the national median of 1.00. The complaint index rates companies based on their number of complaints compared to premiums written.
The BBB complaints and other online reviews note pushy salespeople encouraging customers to buy more insurance than they want, lost policies after years of payments, denials for the guaranteed acceptance policy and frequent robocalls.
Colonial Penn’s parent company, CNO Financial Group, and its subsidiaries received a financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) from AM Best, showing its ability to pay death benefits.
| AM Best financial rating |
A- |
| BBB accredited | Yes |
| BBB rating | A+ 1/5 out of 7 customer reviews |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 19 January 2021 |
How does Colonial Penn compare to other insurers?
Colonial Penn specializes in no-exam policies such as its term life policy that renews every five years or guaranteed-approval whole life policy. You can’t find these options everywhere.
However, you can find much higher coverage and more policies with other companies, so Colonial Penn works best if you’re looking for a no-exam policy. Its policies vary widely in cost, based on your age and health.
For example, a healthy, 30-year-old man typically pays $17 a month for a $250,000, 20-year term policy. While Colonial Penn’s term life policy starts with low rates, its cost can increase to several hundred dollars as you age — a rate not worth the coverage it offers.
Compare alternatives to Colonial Penn
Wondering how Colonial Penn fares against other companies? Tick the Compare box to see features for up to four companies side by side.
Common questions about Colonial Penn
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. Colonial Penn gets two out of five stars for a higher than the average number of complaints, and fewer customization options than many of its competitors.