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Zander life insurance review July 2020
Last updated:
This broker serves up no-fuss term life policies as its specialty, but you’ll have to look elsewhere for permanent life options.
finder.com’s rating: 4.5 / 5.0
★★★★★
- Get a quote if… you’re looking for a cheap term life policy without riders.
- Pick something else if.. you need permanent life insurance or have complex needs.
18 to 95
Issue Age
$50,000 to $10,000,000
Coverage
Yes, in most cases
Medical Exam Required
Details
| Free quote | Online or by phone |
|---|---|
| Policy options | Term life |
| Term lengths | 10 to 30 years |
| Monthly cost | $50 |
| Claim methods | Varies by company |
| Ratings | BBB: A+ |
| Available states | All 50 states |
| Customer support | Phone: 1.800.356.4284 |
| Riders | Child rider, Spouse coverage |
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 over three years after graduating with an English Education degree. You can usually find Sarah sipping hot tea and talking through movie plots in her downtime.
Expert review
The main benefits of buying life insurance through Zander are the money and time you can save on no-fuss policies. Zander helps you take care of this purchase quickly without making many decisions about the type of policy and riders you’re going to buy.
On the other hand, Zander doesn’t offer permanent policies that have an investment aspect. Some companies may let you convert your term to permanent insurance after your term expires.
It’s worth getting a quote through Zander if you’re curious about the price and option you might get matched with. But if you’re seeking a policy that accumulates cash value or you want more rider options, consider other life insurance companies first.
What types of life insurance coverage does Zander offer?
Zander is an insurance broker that focuses solely on term life insurance. It offers a wide variety of coverage levels and terms between 10 and 30 years. Older policyholders may convert their term policies to permanent life insurance, depending on the insurance company you’re matched with.
What riders can I add to my life insurance policy?
Zander’s approach to life insurance is straightforward and cuts down on the add-on options most insurers provide. However, some companies Zander works with might offer:
- Child rider. Insure your child with a small amount of coverage for funeral expenses.
- Spouse coverage. Some companies offer the same or a reduced amount of coverage for spouses on the same policy, like 50% of your coverage amount.
How much does Zander cost?
You can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $150 per month for term life insurance. However, some options from Zander could cost even less. For example, when we quoted under a Preferred Plus health class — the highest level of health — and found premiums as low as $21 per month for a $400,000 policy.
Your exact premium will depend on the insurance company you work with through Zander, along with factors like your:
- Age
- Smoking habits
- Health class: preferred plus, preferred, standard plus or standard
- Occupational risks
- Dangerous hobbies
- Amount of coverage
How do I get a low rate?
To qualify for the lowest premiums in the Preferred Plus health class, which is the highest health rating, you’ll need to meet these health criteria:
- Maintain a healthy weight-to-height ratio according to your doctor
- Blood pressure below 135/85
- Cholesterol stays under 220
- Neither parents diagnosed or died from heart disease before age 60
- No tobacco use in the past five years
- Cancer-free, with the exception of some types of skin cancer in your medical history
- Have controlled blood pressure for at least one year and cholesterol for two years
To qualify for a Preferred health class, which will still give you affordable premiums, you ‘ll need to meet these criteria:
- Blood pressure under 140/88
- Cholesterol under 240
- No tobacco use in the past three years
- Neither parents diagnosed or died from heart disease before age 60
- Blood pressure controlled for at least one year and cholesterol for two years
- Cancer free, with the exception of some types of skin cancer in your medical history
Pros and cons of Zander life insurance
Pros
- Cheap rates. If you’re a healthy person, Zander can find policies with lower premiums than the standard, while still offering high coverage amounts.
- No-fuss application. The company doesn’t overwhelm you with options, sticking to one of the most simple forms of life insurance, term life. So you can breeze through the application process.
- Save time on insurance shopping. Zander helps you shop numerous life insurance companies at once to present multiple options with the best value.
- Renewable beyond the standard age. Many term life policies won’t issue new policies to older adults. Although the age varies by company, some issue ages cut off at 60 or 75 years old where Zander offers policy options up to 95 years old.
Cons
- No permanent life options. If you want life insurance with a savings component, you won’t find that option with Zander.
- Standard riders not available. The main rider advertised is the child rider. Depending on the insurer, you might not have standard options like a premium waiver, disability or critical illness rider.
Compare alternatives to Zander
Zander life insurance reviews and complaints
Zander is accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with an A+ rating, it also has 14 customer complaints on the BBB site, as of May 26, 2020. Complaints center around people receiving unwanted sales calls and billing issues, but Zander has responded to all complaints.
At Finder, we prefer to see more customer reviews before making a conclusion about Zander’s customer service. Keep in mind that customers may write more reviews for the insurance companies directly, since Zander is an insurance comparison site.
How do I sign up for Zander life insurance?
You can sign up for a life insurance policy online or by phone with these steps:
- Start your application under the Life section or call 800-356-4282.
- Fill in your personal details, health status, coverage level and term length. Click View Quote.
- See the policies available, ordered by the cheapest premiums. Click Choose plan next to your preferred company.
- Choose monthly or annual payments and click Next Step.
- Fill in missing details about your health, occupation, income and personal information and click Next.
- Once you’ve completed the entire application, click Send for approval.
- Get informed about the next steps from the insurance company. These may include an interview about your medical history and a medical exam.
- Finalize your payment details, make the first payment and start coverage.
The insurance company could take four to six weeks to complete the approval process, including the medical exam. If you’re switching companies, you might need to keep your other policy until you’ve received approval and made a payment on your new policy.
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.