Equitable Life Insurance Review 2026

Equitable offers term and universal life insurance policies, including indexed and variable options. Its universal life insurance options offer cash value and investment opportunities.

Read our Equitable life insurance review below.

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Written by Mark Fitzpatrick

Updated: January 15, 2026

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At a Glance: Equitable Life Insurance

Equitable Life

MoneyGeek Rating

4.4/ 5

4.5/5Affordability

4.2/5Customer Experience

4.3/5Coverage Points

Average Monthly Cost
$43 (F), $52 (M)
Average Annual Cost
$513 (F), $626 (M)

pros
- Offers term and permanent life insurance
- Available in all states and D.C.
- Multiple riders for permanent life insurance policies
- Not all policies need a medical examination
cons
- Limited riders for term life policies
- No whole life policies
Equitable is the brand name of Equitable Holdings, Inc.’s retirement and protection subsidiaries, including Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (New York). The company sells different types of life insurance, including term life insurance and universal life insurance, with both indexed and variable options.

Certain term and universal life insurance policies allow optional riders, subject to product availability and state approval. These include the Long-Term Care Services Rider, which provides access to an accelerated portion of the policy’s death benefit to pay for qualified long-term care expenses.
- A.M. Best rating: A
- NAIC complaint index: N/A
- J.D. Power score: 594 (19th)
- Customer sentiment: 65% positive, 35% negative
Term
- Terms: 10, 15, 20
- Max Coverage: $10 million (with exam), $400,000 (no-exam)
- Ages Supported: 18–70
Indexed Universal
- Guaranteed Interest Account: At least 2% interest rate
- Indexed Options
  - 1-year: S&P Price Return Index, Russell 2000 Price Return Index, MSCI EAFE Price Return Index
  - 3-year: S&P Price Return Index
Variable Universal
- No-lapse guarantee: 20 years or up to age 90 (whichever is earlier)
- More than 85 investment options (90 for COIL Institutional Series)
- More than 65 equity and fixed income options

MoneyGeek’s Take: Is Equitable Right for You?

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company is a good fit for a wide range of consumers because it offers a variety of life insurance policy types, including term life insurance and universal life insurance.

Equitable offers a number of riders for its universal life insurance policyholders. Universal life can build cash value and offer investment options. You can also get a loan for a portion of the cash value.

Equitable doesn't offer whole life insurance or final expense policies, which limits options for buyers who prefer those products. Check our pages for best whole life insurance and best final expense insurance to find insurers that offer these policies.

Equitable Life Insurance Products

Equitable offers term and universal life insurance policies. Term life is convertible to a permanent policy within the first few years of the policy term. Its universal life insurance policies build cash value and offer greater flexibility.

Term Life Insurance Options

Term life insurance is the most cost-effective kind of insurance for temporary or short-term situations. It provides coverage for a set period but doesn't accumulate cash value. Your premiums are fixed for 10, 15 or 20 years with Equitable. A term policy is convertible to permanent insurance for lifelong protection without the need for a medical examination. The guaranteed death benefit is generally income tax-free.

Term Series

Available for 10, 15 or 20 years. After the term, the premiums will go up yearly if you choose to renew. Optional riders let you tailor your policy based on current and future financial demands. Some term options may offer different premium structures, such as annual renewable term.

Equitable Term-in-10

An all-digital application with no medical exam for eligible applicants. Term-in-10 lets you choose 10-, 15- or 20-year guaranteed level premiums. If your needs change, you can convert a Term-in-10 policy to a permanent life insurance policy without additional evidence of insurability (subject to eligibility and product rules).

Universal Life Insurance Options From Equitable

Universal life insurance is permanent life insurance with a savings aspect, flexible premiums and access to loans (through accumulated cash value).

BrightLife® Grow

Equitable's indexed universal life insurance policy, BrightLife Grow, links cash value to index performance and highlights downside protection through a floor. Choose from different indexed options or a Guaranteed Interest Account (GIA). You can access your cash value through loans or withdrawals after the first policy year, though surrender charges may apply to withdrawals. These surrender charges typically decrease over time and may last 15 years or longer, depending on your specific policy terms.

VUL Optimizer®

Builds cash value through tailored, professionally-managed investment portfolios and a wide range of investment opportunities. Besides tax advantages, it offers flexible premiums, two death benefit options to choose from and a choice of riders.

VUL Incentive Life Protect

Designed for people looking for cost-effective permanent life insurance with flexible protection options and tax-deferred cash value growth. The policy combines a death benefit with professionally managed investment portfolios, flexible premium structures and access to cash value through policy loans and withdrawals. Each policy includes a No-Lapse Guarantee that keeps coverage in force for the earlier of 20 years or age 90, as long as required premiums are paid.

COIL Institutional Series

Designed for high-income executives, professionals and business owners. It supports non-qualified benefit and income replacement strategies, offers tax-deferred accumulation, no surrender charges and access to more than 90 investment options.

Equitable Life Insurance Riders

A life insurance rider is a fee-based or free add-on to your policy. For Equitable’s life insurance, you get to choose from multiple riders, depending on your policy type.

Rider	Description
Long-Term Care Services	Available for a fee and allows you to obtain an accelerated death benefit that can be used for eligible long-term care expenses. It's available on select universal life policies.
Cash Value Plus	Add-on rider for universal life policies that boosts your cash value by decreasing the surrender fee if you surrender your policy within the first eight policy years.
Charitable Legacy	Applicable for plans with face values of at least $1,000,000. Charitable Legacy rider is free to add and grants an additional death benefit to as many as two approved charities. The total death benefit payable under the rider is equal to 1% of the face amount of the base policy, up to a maximum of $100,000. The rider pays an additional benefit and doesn't reduce the policy’s base death benefit.
Loan Extension Endorsement	Guarantees that the policy won't lapse as a result of a loan sum greater than the larger of the current and initial base policy face amounts. You must meet certain criteria.
Disability Premium Waiver	Add this to Term Series policies to waive premiums if the insured becomes totally disabled. Subject to policy definitions, waiting periods and age limitations.
Children’s Term Insurance	Available on Term Series and universal life policies. It provides term life insurance for the insured’s children and is convertible to permanent life insurance without a medical exam.
Return of Premium Death Benefit	Get additional death benefit equal to a specified percentage of premiums paid, subject to rider terms, limits and policy duration.
Living Benefits (Terminal Illness)	Included at no cost on Term Series and universal life policies, the Living Benefits Rider provides a portion of the death benefit if the insured is terminally ill.

Rider availability varies by state. Contact Equitable or a licensed agent to confirm which riders are available in your location.

How Much is an Equitable Life Insurance Policy?

Your Equitable life insurance costs depend on age, health, gender, coverage amount and policy type. Younger applicants in good health pay less than older applicants or those with health conditions. Men pay more than women because of shorter average life expectancy. The table below shows average term life insurance rates for people with average weight and health.

Data filtered by:


$500,000	$52	$626
$750,000	$74	$891
$1,000,000	$95	$1,144
$1,500,000	$139	$1,673
$2,000,000	$182	$2,191
$3,000,000	$268	$3,226

Life insurance rates and availability vary by state, age, health and other factors. Rates shown are estimates based on our survey methodology and may not reflect your actual premium. This review is for informational purposes only and isn't insurance advice. Consult with licensed insurance professionals for personalized recommendations.

How to Buy Equitable Life Insurance

You can get Equitable life insurance through an agent or broker. Compare quotes from multiple insurers before buying to find the best rates for your situation.

1
Do Your Research
Use Equitable’s online resources or speak with a broker or insurance representative to discover more about your options.
2
Compare Quotes
Compare quotes for life insurance, even if you think you found what you need. Your premiums will vary widely depending on details, such as your age, gender, health status, lifestyle choices and medical history. For example, if the one you're thinking about with Equitable is too expensive, compare alternatives.
3
Health Check
Submit an application and, if necessary, pass a health screening. There may be both a physical assessment and a phone interview. An underwriter may request additional information from you in order to better evaluate your profile's risk.
4
Approval
If your insurance application is accepted, Equitable will grant you a policy. If you need to know more, talk to your insurance agent or broker.

Equitable's Life Insurance Claims Process

Life insurance beneficiaries who want to file a claim should notify Equitable of the policyholder's death. Start the process through Equitable's online claims portal or call (800)777-6510.

You'll need the policy number, the social security number of the insured and beneficiaries, and the cause of death.

Equitable vs. Other Life Insurance Companies


MoneyGeek Score	4.4/5	4.7/5	4.5/5	4.7/5	4.6/5
Policy Types	Term, IUL, VUL	Term, Whole, Universal, IUL	Term, Whole, Universal, IUL	Term, Whole, IUL	Term, Whole, Universal
No-Exam Policies?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
NAIC Complaint Index	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	0.08
J.D. Power Score	594 (19th)	653 (ninth)	666 (fifth)	N/A	685 (second)
A.M. Best Rating	A	A+	A+	A+	A++
Customer Sentiment	65% positive, 35% negative	82% positive, 18% negative	77% positive, 23% negative	95.33% positive, 4.67% negative	90% positive, 10% negative

Equitable Life Insurance Reviews: Bottom Line

Equitable offers several universal life insurance options for consumers who want flexibility and investment potential. It also has term policies for short-term coverage needs. You can add coverage by getting riders.

The lack of whole life insurance limits options for buyers who prefer traditional permanent coverage. Equitable works best for people who want universal life insurance with investment components or term coverage with conversion flexibility.

Equitable Life Insurance Policies: FAQ

Does Equitable offer no-exam life insurance?

Yes, Equitable offers no-exam life insurance through its Term-in-10 product and certain universal life policies. The no-exam term policy provides up to $400,000 in coverage for applicants who qualify. You can complete the application online in about 10 minutes. The company uses medical records and other data sources instead of requiring a medical exam, which speeds up the approval process.

Can I convert my Equitable term life insurance to permanent coverage?

Equitable lets you convert term life insurance to permanent coverage during the first few years of your policy term. You won't need a medical exam for the conversion. The conversion feature lets you switch to universal life insurance if your coverage needs change. Contact your agent or Equitable directly to discuss conversion options and timing for your specific policy.

What happens to the cash value in my Equitable universal life policy if I cancel?

You’ll receive the policy's cash surrender value if you cancel your Equitable universal life policy. The surrender value equals your cash value minus any surrender charges and outstanding loans. Surrender charges decrease over time and drop off completely after the surrender period. You can use the Cash Value Plus rider to reduce surrender fees during the first eight policy years.

Does Equitable life insurance cover suicide?

Most Equitable policies include a two-year suicide exclusion clause. The policy won’t pay out for suicide deaths during this period. After two years, suicide is covered. This exclusion is standard across the life insurance industry and protects insurers from adverse selection while providing coverage after the contestability period ends.

Can I take a loan from my Equitable universal life insurance policy?

You can borrow against the cash value in your Equitable universal life policy once sufficient cash value accumulates. Policy loans don’t require credit checks or applications, and you can repay on your own schedule. Outstanding loans reduce your death benefit and can cause the policy to lapse if they exceed your cash value. Interest accrues on unpaid loan balances.

How We Rated Equitable Life Insurance

This Equitable life insurance review shows how Equitable prices term life policies as your circumstances shift. We used three factors that buyers actually weigh during shopping to calculate an overall rating:

Affordability (55%)
Customer Experience (30%)
Coverage Options (15%)

Sample Profile Details

We started with a standard profile: 40-year-old male nonsmoker, 5'9", 160 pounds, with an average health rating. We then adjusted age, gender, height, weight, tobacco use and health rating.

What This Methodology Captures

Review pricing at different coverage levels to understand where costs rise steeply versus where pricing stays linear. Some insurers charge much more per dollar of coverage at lower amounts, making higher coverage limits surprisingly affordable. Others price proportionally, making small policies relatively expensive.

We analyzed different term lengths because your coverage needs change.

About Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, is MoneyGeek's resident Personal Finance Expert. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research for insurance shoppers. His insights have been featured in 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.

Read Full Bio »

sources

Equitable. "BrightLife Grow Indexed Universal Life Insurance." Accessed January 13, 2026.
Equitable. "COIL Institutional Series Variable Universal Life Insurance." Accessed January 13, 2026.
Equitable. "Life Insurance." Accessed January 13, 2025.
Equitable. "Term-in-10." Accessed January 13, 2026.
Equitable. "Term Series." Accessed January 13, 2026.
Equitable. "VUL Incentive Life Protect." Accessed January 13, 2026.
Equitable. "VUL Optimizer Insurance." Accessed January 13, 2026.