MoneyGeek evaluated insurers across affordability, customer experience, and coverage options to find the top pick in each policy category. No single company is right for every man. The best choice depends on your age, health, and whether you want to skip the medical exam.
Best Life Insurance for Men (2026)
Based on MoneyGeek's analysis, Banner Life, Nationwide, USAA, and Physicians Mutual are the top-rated life insurance options for men. Finding the right life insurance means balancing coverage needs with affordability and your health situation.
Compare the best life insurance for men below.
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Updated: April 23, 2026
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Key Takeaways
Banner Life is the best term life insurance option for men, averaging $46 per month for a 40-year-old nonsmoker with $500,000 in coverage on a 20-year term policy.
Nationwide is the best no-exam term life insurance option for men, with an average monthly cost of $56 for the same profile.
USAA is the best whole and universal life insurance option for men, averaging $504 per month for whole life and $300 per month for universal life with $500,000 in coverage.
Physicians Mutual is the best guaranteed acceptance option for senior men, with an average monthly cost of $78 for a 70-year-old nonsmoker with $10,000 in coverage.
Who Offers the Best Life Insurance for Men?
Term | Banner Life | 4.5 | $46 |
No-Exam Term | Nationwide | 4.5 | $56 |
Whole and Universal | USAA | 4.7 | $504 (Whole) $300 (Universal) |
Guaranteed Acceptance (Seniors) | Physicians Mutual | 4.6 | $78 |
These rates are estimates based on MoneyGeek's analysis of publicly available data and industry surveys for illustration purposes only and don't constitute quotes or guarantees. Individual rates may vary based on underwriting criteria, state regulations, and insurer-specific factors. Consult with licensed insurance professionals for personalized quotes and coverage recommendations.
Banner Life
Best Term Life Insurance
MoneyGeek Rating
4.5/ 5
5/5Affordability
3.7/5Customer Experience
4.5/5Coverage Points
Average Monthly Cost
$46Based on average quotes for a 20-year term policy with $500,000 coverage for 40-year-old men.Max Coverage
$10 million
Nationwide
Best No-Exam Term Life Insurance
MoneyGeek Rating
4.5/ 5
4.5/5Affordability
4.8/5Customer Experience
4.2/5Coverage Points
Average Monthly Cost
$56Based on average quotes for a 20-year term policy with $500,000 coverage for 40-year-old men.Max Coverage
$1.5 million
USAA
Best Whole and Universal Life Insurance
MoneyGeek Rating
4.7/ 5
5/5Affordability
3.9/5Customer Experience
4.9/5Coverage Points
Average Monthly Cost
$504 (Whole); $300 (Universal)Based on average quotes for 40-year-old nonsmoker with $500,000 coverage.Max Coverage
$10 million
Physicians Mutual
Best Guaranteed Acceptance for Senior Men
MoneyGeek Rating
4.6/ 5
5/5Affordability
3.6/5Customer Experience
5/5Coverage Points
Average Monthly Cost
$78Based on average monthly cost for a 70-year-old nonsmoker with $10,000 coverage.Max Coverage
$30,000
How Much Is Life Insurance for Men?
Life insurance costs for men depend on individual profiles. Age, health, coverage amount and policy type all affect what men pay for life insurance.
The tables below show average monthly costs from MoneyGeek's analysis based on a 40-year-old male nonsmoker in average health for traditional policies, and a 70-year-old male nonsmoker for guaranteed acceptance coverage.
Traditional Life Insurance Costs for Men
$100,000 | $19 | $20 | $130 | $86 |
$250,000 | $25 | $37 | $294 | $187 |
$500,000 | $59 | $63 | $574 | $362 |
$750,000 | $85 | $91 | $846 | $529 |
$1,000,000 | $109 | $116 | $1,115 | $692 |
Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance Costs
$2,000 | $17 |
$5,000 | $50 |
$10,000 | $99 |
$15,000 | $145 |
$20,000 | $194 |
$25,000 | $241 |
These rates are average quotes and don't constitute guarantees. Individual rates may vary based on approval process, state regulations, and insurer-specific factors. Consult with licensed insurance professionals for personalized quotes.
What Is the Best Life Insurance Policy for Men?
No single life insurance policy type works for every man. The right choice depends on how long you need coverage, whether you want a cash value component and your current health.
Term life insurance covers you for a set period, typically 10 to 30 years, and pays a death benefit to your beneficiaries if you die during that term. It's a good fit for men who want straightforward coverage while they have dependents, a mortgage or other financial obligations.
Whole life insurance never expires and builds guaranteed cash value over time. It makes sense when you have lifelong dependents, estate planning goals or a need for permanent coverage regardless of future health.
Universal life insurance is also permanent, but allows you to adjust premiums and the death benefit as your financial situation changes. Choose this if you want lifetime coverage with more control over how the policy works over time.
No-exam life insurance follows the same term or permanent structure but skips the medical exam during the application process. It's worth considering for men who want faster approval or prefer not to go through full underwriting.
Guaranteed acceptance life insurance approves any applicant within the eligible age range with no health questions. It's designed for older men or those with serious health conditions who can't qualify for standard underwriting, though coverage limits are lower and a waiting period applies to natural-cause deaths.
Best Life Insurance Companies for Men: Bottom Line
The right policy depends on what you need it to do. Term coverage from Banner Life suits men who prioritize affordability and high coverage limits. Nationwide is worth the small premium difference if skipping the medical exam is important to you. USAA is the strongest option for permanent coverage. For men 45 and older who want guaranteed approval regardless of health, Physicians Mutual offers the highest coverage ceiling in that category.
Comparing life insurance quotes across multiple insurers before you buy gives you the clearest picture of what your coverage will actually cost.
Life Insurance for Men: FAQ
At what age should men buy life insurance?
Buying earlier locks in lower rates, since premiums rise with age and any new health conditions that develop over time can increase costs or affect eligibility. A 30-year-old male nonsmoker in average health will pay less for the same coverage than a 40-year-old with the same profile.
Also read: Do You Need Life Insurance & When Should You Get It?
Can men with health conditions get life insurance?
Yes. Men with health conditions have several coverage options. No-exam policies from insurers like Nationwide and Banner Life use simplified underwriting, while guaranteed acceptance policies from Physicians Mutual approve applicants aged 45 to 85 with no health questions at all, though coverage limits are lower and a waiting period applies.
How much life insurance coverage do men need?
A common starting point is 10 to 12 times your annual income, though the right amount depends on your debts, number of dependents, and income replacement goals. A life insurance needs calculator can help you arrive at a more precise figure based on your situation.
To identify the best life insurance companies for men, MoneyGeek analyzed collected quotes from major insurers.
Our primary sample profile is a 40-year-old male nonsmoker in average health with $500,000 in coverage on a 20-year term. For guaranteed acceptance policies, we used a 70-year-old male nonsmoker with $10,000 in coverage.
MoneyGeek Scores weight affordability at 50%, customer experience at 30% and coverage options at 20%.
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About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident insurance expert. He has analyzed the insurance market for almost a decade, first with LendingTree and now with MoneyGeek, conducting original research on hundreds of insurance companies and millions of insurance rates for insurance shoppers.
He writes about economics and insurance on MoneyGeek, breaking down complex topics so people can have confidence in their purchase. Like all MoneyGeek analysts, Mark collects and analyzes independent cost and consumer experience data on insurance companies to provide objective recommendations in our content that are independent of any of MoneyGeek's insurance company partnerships.
His insights — on products ranging from car, home and renters insurance to health and life insurance — have been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR among others.
Mark holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He started his career working in financial risk management at State Street before transitioning to analysis of the personal insurance market. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!