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Gerber Life Insurance review 2021
Find whole life plans that cater to children, plus hybrid policies that help you pay for college tuition.
finder.com's rating: 3 / 5 ★★★★★
Bottom line: Gerber has several options for insuring children, but getting life insurance for your child might not be right for you unless you’ve exhausted other savings and investment plans or child riders.
18 to 70
Issue Age
$10,000 to $300,000
Coverage
Depends on policy
Medical Exam Required
Details
| Policies | Term, whole |
|---|---|
| Coverage maximum | $300,000 |
| Term lengths | 10, 20 or 30 years |
| Medical exam required | Depends on policy |
| Available states | Not all plans available in NY |
| Issue age | Not listed |
Pros
- Easy online quote comparison tool
- Medical exams not required if you’re between 18 and 50 years old
Cons
- Not as good of an investment as a high-yield savings account or 529 plan
- More expensive than adding a child rider to your life insurance policy
- Denied or delayed claims for AD&D policies
| Riders |
No info available |
|---|
Review by
Megan Shepherd
megan.shepherd@finder.comMegan Shepherd is an insurance editor at Finder, committed to delivering precise, informative content to help readers evaluate their insurance coverage options. A licensed insurance agent in health, life, disability and general lines of coverage, Megan's expertise is also seen on CarInsurance.com and backed by more than four years of providing guidance in the industry. She earned her BS at the University of Texas at Dallas and enjoys tuning up her backhand on the tennis court.
Expert review
Gerber life insurance specializes in permanent policies designed to support parents and children as they grow, at an affordable rate. Though, it also offers term life insurance with many coverage levels to choose from.
You can access info easily on Gerber’s website, and run a quote in less than five minutes.
You’ll have a wide variety of no medical exam policies, but if you’re looking to build cash value that you can use toward your child’s education, a savings or 529 plan might reap bigger rewards.
This article was reviewed by Andrew Flueckiger, a member of the Finder Editorial Review Board and certified insurance counselor and licensed insurance agent in five states.
Gerber Life insurance rates
We pulled 2021 sample rates from Gerber’s online quote tool for a $500,000, 20-year term life policy for a healthy man and woman. Gerber’s rates run much higher than average compared to policies of this size and term length.
| Age | Man | Woman |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $49.25 | $36.75 |
| 25 | $51.75 | $38.00 |
| 30 | $59.50 | $46.25 |
| 35 | $67.00 | $54.50 |
| 40 | $94.75 | $72.75 |
| 45 | $122.25 | $90.75 |
| 50 | $177.50 | $127.00 |
| 55 | $227.75 | $147.75 |
| 60 | $380.00 | $230.00 |
Factors that affect Gerber Life insurance rates
Gerber doesn’t disclose any specifics about its rating classes on its website, which is common but suggests less transparency than insurers who do detail this information.
However, any of the following lifestyle and health factors could lower your chance of paying low rates:
- Diabetes, cancer, stroke, AIDS, HIV, Heart disease diagnosis in the past 10 years
- Drug use in the past 10 years
- Weight over specific height-to-weight ratio
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol level
- Tobacco or nicotine use in the past year
- Felony or misdemeanor in the past five years
How to get a quote from Gerber Life insurance
You can contact Gerber life insurance by phone at 800-704-2180. Otherwise, you can start the quote process online by following these steps:
- Choose your coverage and fill out your state, age, gender and email. Click Get a Free Quote.
- View your quotes. If you’re happy with one, select it and click Apply Now.
- Navigate the application, giving personal info, medical history and naming your beneficiaries.
- Provide your bank account or credit card information, review and e-sign your documents.
- If you’re approved, register online for Gerber’s eServices to set up automatic payments, update your contact details or change your beneficiary.
Child life offers guaranteed insurability, but it isn’t the best investment
A child’s life insurance policy may not give the best protection, even with a college savings feature. You may get a better investment return from a high-interest savings account or 529 plan. Plus, standard policies offer child riders that extend your benefits to your kids until they’re age 25. At that point, you often can convert them to individual policies. It’s worth checking out life insurance with child riders to score the most value.
However, one of the main reasons parents consider a child life policy is to make sure their children have guaranteed insurability. That means your child can have coverage even if they develop a health condition later in life that makes them uninsurable.
Gerber Life offers term and whole life
You can find a wider mix of policy types with other companies, but it’s not unusual for Gerber to specialize in whole life insurance. Gerber also offers a simple term life option.
- Term life. Gerber has a term life option that’s comparable to other companies, with coverage ranging from $25,000 to $300,000, terms for 10, 20 or 30 years and payments from $15.42 monthly.
- Whole life. Gerber offers unique whole life plans with coverage up to $150,000 that builds cash value over time. You also can borrow from your cash value at 8% interest, a typical rate for this policy. Its whole life plans include:
- Gerber life grow-up plan. Coverage up to $50,000 for children from 14 days to 14 years old with guaranteed premiums for life. Coverage doubles at age 18.
- Guaranteed life. A guaranteed acceptance whole life policy for those 50 to 80 years old, no medical exam required. Choose coverage from $5,000 to $25,000.
- Gerber Life college plan. Life insurance and college savings in one, with a guaranteed $10,000 to $150,000 payment when the policy matures. If the child dies, the beneficiary gets the full payout.
- Young adult life. A cash-building whole life policy for 15- to 17-year-olds with coverage up to $50,000. Coverage doubles at age 18 with no premium increase.
Does Gerber offer burial insurance?
Yes. Gerber’s guaranteed life insurance serves as burial insurance for seniors ages 50 to 80. You can buy $5,000 to $25,000 in coverage — and loved ones can use the funds to cover your funeral and end-of-life expenses.
Gerber life insurance riders
Gerber’s website doesn’t give much info about its add-ons, but it does mention a few unique options and free living benefits:
- Accelerated death benefit rider. This free add-on pays up to 50% of your benefit before death if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness.
- Guaranteed insurability rider. Also called a guaranteed purchase option, this rider lets you add insurance without needing a medical exam, available on the grow-up policy.
- Payor benefit rider. You can add payment protection to your Gerber grow-up plan for the person insured if you die or become disabled and can’t pay premiums.
- Waiver-of-premium rider. You can continue coverage uninterrupted if you become disabled and can’t pay for your policy, including during pregnancy.
Gerber Life insurance reviews are mixed
On TrustPilot, customers comment on Gerber’s knowledgeable and helpful customer service reps. Over at the Better Business Bureau, Gerber receives high ratings, signaling good customer support. But be aware of common complaints, like issues with canceling policies and delayed claims.
| AM Best financial rating |
A |
| BBB accredited | No |
| BBB rating | A+ 1.06/5 out of 17 customer reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 3.8/5 out of 3 customer reviews |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 30 June 2021 |
How Gerber Life insurance compares to other companies
Gerber specializes in life insurance for children and young adults, not a typical focus for most insurers.
Its college savings policy is unique on the market, though it may not return as much as 529s. Gerber also offers guaranteed-approval whole life policies, ideal for high-risk applicants.
However, Gerber’s policies may not have cheap premiums. Based on our sample quotes, a $150,000, 20-year term policy for a 30-year-old man costs $32 a month. That’s almost double the average $17 a month for the same policy with $250,000 in coverage.
If you want to insure a child or teen or don’t qualify with other companies, Gerber might be worth a quote. But you may keep shopping if you want top-rated service.
Find other life insurance companies like Gerber Life
See how Gerber stacks up to other companies’ coverage, cost and benefits by tapping the “compare” box.
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. Gerber receives three and a half out of five stars for fewer than average policy customization options and a higher than average number of customer complaints.