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Globe Life insurance review 2020
Last updated:
Choose from term, whole and burial insurance without taking a medical exam, though riders and support are limited.
finder.com's rating: 3 / 5
★★★★★
- Get a quote if… You’re on a budget or have basic coverage needs.
- Pick something else if… You need more than $100,000 in life insurance.
18 to 70
Issue Age
$5,000 to $100,000
Coverage
No – simple application
Medical Exam Required
Details
| Free quote | Online, Phone |
|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $3.49/month |
| Policies | Term, Whole |
| Coverage maximum | $100,000 |
| Term lengths | 5 year level term |
| Riders | Accidental death benefit rider, Child rider |
| Medical exam required | No – simple application |
| Available states | All 50 states |
| Issue age | 18 - 64+ years old |
Expert review
Review by
Katia Iervasi
katia.iervasi@finder.comKatia Iervasi is a staff writer who hails from Australia and now calls New York home. Her writing and analysis has been featured on sites like Forbes, Best Company and Financial Advisor around the world. Armed with a BA in Communication and a journalistic eye for detail, she navigates insurance and finance topics for Finder, so you can splash your cash smartly (and be a pro when the subject pops up at dinner parties).
Expert review
While you can forgo the medical exam, the insurer doesn’t offer many riders and has a poor customer reputation.
Globe Life is ideal for those who are looking for a streamlined application, and a small amount of coverage — up to $50,000 for whole life, $100,000 for term life or $30,000 for children’s whole life.
Compared to other no-exam policies, Globe Life payouts are typical. You’ll typically be able to get more coverage and customization with riders if you opt to take the exam. And children’s life insurance isn’t recommended for most.
What's in this guide?
How much does Globe life insurance cost?
Expect to pay an average of $40 a month depending on your age, health and other factors. Globe Life also advertises its $30,000 children’s whole life policy and $100,000 term life policy cost $1 for the first month of coverage. After that, the rates are adjusted based on the policyholder’s age.
Using Globe Life’s quoting tool, we reviewed rates for a $100,000 term policy based on a healthy, nonsmoking man and woman for a term-to-age-90 policy, which lasts between one and five years depending on when you purchase your policy.
| Age | Man | Woman |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $23.83 | $17.75 |
| 30 | $37.53 | $26.66 |
| 40 | $54.81 | $38.52 |
| 50 | $85.55 | $58.45 |
How do I sign up?
You can apply for coverage by calling 800-742-6787, or by filling out an online form.
- On the homepage, choose a policy type and enter your name, address, phone number and age bracket. Click Submit.
- Select the amount of coverage you want to buy and click Continue.
- Answer a series of questions about your health and lifestyle. Click Continue.
- You’ll be presented with a range of quotes. Adjust your policy details as needed, and then click Continue if you’d like to proceed.
If you live in New York, you won’t be able to apply online. After plugging in your information from Globe Life’s site, you’ll be emailed information about Globe Life Insurance Company of New York and options to start coverage within two weeks.
What life insurance policies does Globe Life offer?
Globe Life sells three types of policies, and none require a medical exam:
- Term life. Term policies provide protection for a set period of time, and you can purchase a policy valued between $5,000 and $100,000.
- Whole life. This policy offers lifelong protection and builds cash value over time. You can buy up to $50,000 in coverage, and your rates will stay the same for the life of the policy as long as you pay your premiums.
- Children’s whole life. With this policy, the coverage tops out at $30,000. After the first month, premiums are based on your child’s or grandchild’s age at the time of purchase.
Does Globe Life offer burial insurance?
Yes. Globe Life’s whole life insurance policy doubles as burial insurance. It’s available to seniors aged 50 to 80, and in coverage amounts ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. It also accumulates cash value over time.
Unlike most final expense policies, Globe Life’s doesn’t have a waiting period — which means your beneficiaries will receive the full death benefit regardless of when you pass away.
What riders can I add to my policy?
Globe Life doesn’t give much information on its website about policy add-ons. However, it does mention a few riders available for government employees’ group life insurance policies:
- Accidental death benefit. Pays an additional benefit if the policyholder dies in an accident.
- Child. Pays a set amount if your child dies.
- Deposit fund. Available on policies paid by automatic bank drafts, this rider deposits funds into an account with at least a 3% interest rate for the life an in-force policy.
If you want to customize your standalone coverage with add-ons like an accelerated death benefit or waiver of premium rider, you may need to look elsewhere.
Globe life insurance reviews and complaints
Globe Life is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which awards it an A+ rating. The BBB records 68 complaints over the last three years, many of which had to do with a lack of communication during the claims process and inability to receive refunds or payouts. Less than half of those complaints were addressed by the company. Customers give the company 1 out of 5 stars.
Similarly, Globe Life’s complaint ratio score with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners is 2.75, which is almost three times the national average. Many of the complaints stemmed from poor communication and slow claims process.
Pros and cons of Globe Life
Pros
- No-exam policies. Customers don’t need to take a medical exam to purchase a policy, which is appealing for high-risk applicants or those who need coverage right away.
- Accessible entry point. To make life insurance affordable for more people, Globe Life offers coverage starting at $5,000.
- Long free look period. After you buy a policy, most insurers give you 10 days to change your mind — but Globe Life has a 30-day money back guarantee.
- Highly rated financial strength. Globe Life has an A+ (Superior) rating with AM Best, meaning it has the cash reserves to pay out claims.
Cons
- Low maximum coverage amounts. Death benefits are capped at $50,000 or $100,000 depending on the state you live in, which might leave you underinsured.
- Lack of transparency around riders. Representatives told us that some applicants may be eligible for extra riders, but this information isn’t readily available on the website.
- Short customer service window. Agents are only available by phone on weekdays during business hours.
- Poor customer reputation. The insurer is known for its poor customer service and delayed claim payments.
- No conversion for term life policies. Unlike most competitors, Globe Life doesn’t allow you to upgrade your term life policy to permanent coverage.
Compare alternatives to Globe Life
See how Globe Life stacks up to competitors’ coverage benefits. Tap the Compare box to see up to four companies side by side.