Protective Insurance, Mutual of Omaha, Legal & General, Lincoln Financial and Ethos lead MoneyGeek's rankings for the best life insurance for 50-year-olds. These insurers earned the highest ratings in our updated study and excel for this age group, though your ideal choice depends on coverage needs and financial situation.
Best Life Insurance for 50-Year-Olds & Over in 2025
Protective Insurance, Mutual of Omaha, Legal & General, Lincoln Financial and Ethos offer the best life insurance for 50-year-olds.
Find out if you're overpaying for life insurance below.
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Updated: November 7, 2025
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Key Takeaways
Protective Insurance is the best life insurance company for permanent policies, including whole and universal.
Mutual of Omaha ranks first for guaranteed acceptance life insurance for 50-year-olds and over.
Legal & General offers the best term life insurance for 50-year-olds, while Lincoln Financial is the top provider for no-exam term policies.
Ethos provides the best customer experience, earning the highest MoneyGeek rating for this category.
What is the Best Life Insurance for 50-Year-Olds?
Permanent Coverage | Protective Insurance | 5 | Whole: $1,076 (men) $954 (women) Universal: $421 (men) $366 (women) | Whole: $12,918 (men) $11,447 (women) Universal: $5,046 (men) $4,386 (women) |
Guaranteed Acceptance | Mutual of Omaha | 4.7 | $40 (men) $30 (women) | $482 (men) $364 (women) |
Term Coverage | Legal & General | 4.5 | $118 (men) $84 (women) | $1,412 (men) $1,010 (women) |
No-Exam Term | Lincoln Financial | 4.4 | $89 (men) $69 (women) | $1,067 (men) $829 (women) |
Customer Experience | Ethos | 4.2 | $166 (men) $127 (women) | $1,995 (men) $1,526 (women) |
The rates for term, no-exam, whole and universal life insurance are average quotes for $500,000 coverage for 50-year-olds. For guaranteed acceptance, we used a coverage amount of $10,000. Your rates will vary based on health, lifestyle, insurer underwriting and other factors. Contact insurers directly for personalized quotes.
Best Permanent Life Insurance: Protective Insurance
Protective
MoneyGeek Rating
5/ 5
5/5Affordability
5/5Customer Experience
5/5Coverage Points
Average Monthly Cost
Whole: $1,076 (men); $954 (women) Universal: $421 (men); $366 (women)Based on average quotes for $500,000 coverage for 50-year-old nonsmokers with average weight and health ratings.Average Annual Cost
Whole: $12,918 (men); $11,447 (women) Universal: $5,046 (men); $4,386 (women)Based on average quotes for $500,000 coverage for 50-year-old nonsmokers with average weight and health ratings.
Best Guaranteed Acceptance: Mutual of Omaha
Mutual of Omaha
MoneyGeek Rating
4.7/ 5
4.9/5Affordability
4.5/5Customer Experience
4.8/5Coverage Points
Average Monthly Cost
$40 (men); $30 (women)Based on average quotes for $10,000 coverage for 50-year-old nonsmokers with average weight and health ratings.Average Annual Cost
$482 (men); $364 (women)Based on average quotes for $10,000 coverage for 50-year-old nonsmokers with average weight and health ratings.
Best Term Life Insurance: Legal & General
Legal & General
MoneyGeek Rating
4.5/ 5
4.3/5Affordability
4.7/5Customer Experience
4.7/5Coverage Points
Average Monthly Cost
$118 (men); $84 (women)Based on average quotes for $500,000 20-year term policy for 50-year-old nonsmokers.Average Annual Cost
$1,412 (men); $1,010 (women)Based on average quotes for $500,000 20-year term policy for 50-year-old nonsmokers.
Best No-Exam Term: Lincoln Financial
Lincoln Financial
MoneyGeek Rating
4.4/ 5
5/5Affordability
3.3/5Customer Experience
4/5Coverage Points
Average Monthly Cost
$89 (men); $69 (women)Based on average quotes for $500,000 20-year term policy for 50-year-old nonsmokers.Average Annual Cost
$1,067 (men); $829 (women)Based on average quotes for $500,000 20-year term policy for 50-year-old nonsmokers.
Best Customer Experience: Ethos
Ethos
MoneyGeek Rating
4.2/ 5
3.6/5Affordability
5/5Customer Experience
5/5Coverage Points
Average Monthly Cost
$166 (men); $127 (women)Based on average quotes for $500,000 20-year term policy for 50-year-old nonsmokers.Average Annual Cost
$1,995 (men); $1,526 (women)Based on average quotes for $500,000 20-year term policy for 50-year-old nonsmokers.
Best Life Insurance for Over 50: Buying Guide
Life insurance in your 50s provides financial protection for your family during peak earning years. This buying guide helps you compare options and secure the best life insurance for your coverage needs and budget.
How Much Is Life Insurance for a 50-Year-Old?
Life insurance costs for 50-year-olds vary by age and coverage amount. Women generally get lower rates than men due to life expectancy statistics.
Your life insurance premiums cost more if you use tobacco because smoking is linked to health complications like cancer, which can shorten your life expectancy
Below are average life insurance premiums for 50-year-old men and women. Filter based on your smoking status to see how rates differ.
Data filtered by:
10 years
Female
No
| $100,000 | $23 | $276 |
| $250,000 | $38 | $459 |
| $500,000 | $65 | $778 |
| $750,000 | $97 | $1,165 |
| $1,000,000 | $124 | $1,482 |
| $1,500,000 | $182 | $2,188 |
| $2,000,000 | $235 | $2,820 |
| $2,500,000 | $297 | $3,566 |
| $3,000,000 | $348 | $4,180 |
The rates above are average quotes for 50-year-olds with average weight and health ratings. Actual premiums will vary based on your health, lifestyle and other personal factors. These averages are for comparison purposes only.
OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING LIFE INSURANCE COSTS FOR 50-YEAR-OLDS
Insurers look at several factors to decide life insurance rates for people over 50. Aside from age, coverage amount and tobacco use, your overall health, weight, family medical history, hobbies and policy duration also affect your premiums. Rates also vary by insurance provider, so compare quotes from multiple companies to find the best and most affordable life insurance for you.
Compare Life Insurance Quotes for 50-Year-Olds
Compare quotes from multiple life insurance providers to find the best rates for your coverage needs. Use the quote tool below for instant price comparisons.
Life Insurance Calculator
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Rates updated:
Nov 12, 2025
Should You Buy Life Insurance in Your 50s?
Buying life insurance in your 50s offers advantages over waiting until your 60s. Purchasing coverage earlier means lower premiums, easier medical underwriting and more time to evaluate coverage options for your beneficiaries.
Life insurance becomes more expensive and harder to obtain with age due to increased health risks. The table shows how life insurance rates increase with age:
Data filtered by:
10 years
$100,000
Female
| 20 | $6 | $78 |
| 30 | $7 | $83 |
| 40 | $11 | $132 |
| 50 | $23 | $276 |
| 60 | $62 | $746 |
| 70 | $169 | $2,023 |
The rates above are average quotes for nonsmokers with average weight and health ratings. Actual premiums will vary based on your health, lifestyle and other personal factors. These averages are for comparison purposes only.
Best Life Insurance for a 50-Year-Old: Bottom Line
Life insurance at 50 provides financial security for your family, ensuring your spouse or children maintain financial stability after your death while covering funeral expenses to ease the burden on loved ones.
MoneyGeek analyzed policies and ranked the best life insurance companies for 50-year-olds based on cost, financial stability and coverage options. Protective Insurance, Mutual of Omaha, Legal & General, Lincoln Financial and Ethos are the best life insurance companies for 50-year-olds, though your ideal choice depends on your family's specific needs and circumstances.
Compare Life Insurance Rates
Ensure you are getting the best rate for your insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.
Life Insurance When in Your 50s: FAQ
MoneyGeek's experts answered common questions to help you find the best life insurance for over 50:
Is 50 a good age to buy a life insurance policy?
Age 50 remains a good time to buy life insurance, though earlier purchases offer lower premiums and higher coverage limits. Buying coverage at 50 still provides cost advantages compared to waiting until your 60s.
Can I get life insurance without a medical exam at 50?
Yes. Many insurers offer no-exam life insurance for 50-year-olds, including simplified issue and guaranteed acceptance policies. These options provide quicker approval and easier qualification.
Is life insurance worth it after 50?
Life insurance after 50 is worth considering for securing financial stability for dependents, covering final expenses or leaving a legacy.
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Our Ratings Methodology
Finding affordable life insurance in your 50s means navigating health screenings, higher premiums and shrinking policy options. We built our research to identify which companies actually deliver value when age works against you.
How We Chose the Best Companies
We collected 248,399 life insurance quotes and evaluated customer satisfaction data, financial stability reports and product offerings. Our focus centered on insurers with national availability and efficient online processes—you don't have time for complicated applications when balancing career demands and family obligations.
The research examined companies offering multiple policy types because your needs in your 50s are complex. You might need term coverage for income replacement, permanent insurance for estate planning, or guaranteed acceptance if health issues have complicated your options.
Scoring Categories
Companies earn up to five points across three weighted categories:
- Affordability (55%): Premium costs matter most as retirement approaches. We weighted this heaviest because every dollar counts when you're building retirement savings and managing existing expenses.
- Customer Experience (30%): Claims processing and responsive service become critical when health concerns arise. Companies with strong satisfaction ratings and low complaint ratios scored higher.
- Coverage Options (15%): Policy flexibility matters when your financial situation shifts. We evaluated term lengths, coverage amounts, rider availability and conversion options.
Our scoring incorporates online quote data, AM Best financial strength ratings, BBB ratings, years in business, NAIC complaint indexes, J.D. Power satisfaction scores, customer reviews and digital tools like calculators and flexible payment options.
Sample Profile Details
We used a standard profile for fair comparisons:
- 50-year-old male
- Nonsmoker
- 5 feet, 9 inches tall, 160 pounds
- Average health rating
We modified this profile by age, gender, height, weight, tobacco use, health rating and location to collect quotes across different scenarios. This reveals which companies offer competitive rates for various customer types in the over-50 demographic.
Quote Collection Process
We gathered quotes for term, whole, universal and guaranteed acceptance life insurance with coverage amounts ranging from $10,000 to $1 million. We identified pricing patterns to calculate projections extending beyond our original data collection, ensuring our recommendations reflect real-world rates you'll encounter when shopping for coverage.
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About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, is MoneyGeek's resident Personal Finance Expert. With over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, he conducts original research and creates tailored content for all types of buyers. His insights have been featured in publications like CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!
He writes about economics and insurance, breaking down complex topics so people know what they're buying.