Gerber Life Insurance Review


Gerber Life earned a MoneyGeek score of 3.4 out of 5, with term life rates averaging $59 per month for women and $75 for men on a $500,000, 20-year policy for 40-year-old nonsmokers.

Discover Gerber life insurance offers and get a quote today.

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At a Glance: Gerber Life Insurance Review

Company Image

Gerber

MoneyGeek Rating
3.4/ 5
3/5Affordability
3.7/5Customer Experience
3.7/5Coverage
  • Average Monthly Cost

    $59 (women); $75 (men)
  • Ages Supported

    18-70 years old (Term); 14 days-80 years old (Permanent)

Gerber Life Policy Options

Choose the insurance plan that best suits your unique needs by learning more about Gerber Life's insurance options.

Term Life Insurance

Gerber Life offers term life insurance that provides coverage for 10, 20 or 30 years. Your beneficiaries only get the death benefit if you pass away during that time.

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    The company's term life insurance policies offer coverage starting at $100,000. You can contact a representative for coverage up to $5 million. People aged 18 to 70 can apply for term policies. Qualified applicants can get no-exam policies for up to $1 million. Coverage availability and rates vary by state and individual circumstances.

    Term life insurance policies are a good fit for those who want to pay an affordable monthly rate and are looking for temporary financial protection. Gerber Life offers an easy online application process for its family plan term life insurance, and you’ll only need to undergo a health exam if you’re age 56 or older and apply for more than $100,000 in coverage.

Average Cost of Gerber Term Life Insurance
Data filtered by:
20
40
Female
No
$100,000$18$218
$250,000$35$425
$500,000$59$705
$750,000$85$1,024
$1,000,000$111$1,335
$2,000,000$211$2,528

Rates reflect average quotes for applicants with average weight and health conditions. Your premium depends on your health, lifestyle and coverage choices.

Whole Life Insurance

Whole life insurance policies have a cash value component that accrues over time and allow you to lock in a premium for lifetime coverage. Whole life insurance works well if you're looking for long-term coverage or for those who want to borrow against the cash value to help cover expenses.

Gerber offers the following whole life policy types, catering to children, college students, adults and seniors:

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    Gerber Whole Life Insurance Plan

    Adults and seniors can choose between $50,000 and $300,000 in coverage for a whole life policy. Your medical history is considered when you apply for a plan, although a health exam may not be necessary. To find out more about the availability of coverage amounts above $300,000, you'll need to contact Gerber Life by phone.

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    Gerber Life Grow-Up Plan

    Gerber's offering for children's whole life insurance is available to parents and grandparents to purchase for a child at least 14 days old. Coverage ranges from $5,000 to $50,000 and automatically doubles when the child turns 18 without an increase in premiums. When the child turns 21, they take over ownership of the policy and can either maintain coverage at the same premium level or surrender the policy for the accumulated cash value. Keeping the policy also guarantees them the option of purchasing extra coverage at adult rates.

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    Gerber Life Young Adult Plan

    This plan is comparable to the Gerber Life Grow-Up Plan and is intended for teens between the ages of 15 and 17. You can choose a coverage limit from $5,000 to $50,000, which doubles when the teen turns 18 at no extra cost. You'll need to apply over the phone.

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    Gerber Life College Savings Plan

    The College Plan is an endowment policy that provides a guaranteed payout of $10,000 to $150,000 at maturity. The money from the plan may be used by policyholders to pay for the cost of tuition or other expenses.

Whole life insurance provides lifetime financial protection with cash value that grows tax-deferred. You'll pay fixed premiums that never increase, and you can borrow against the cash value to cover expenses like long-term care costs. It works well if you're planning your estate, have lifelong dependents or want predictable monthly payments.

Average Cost of Gerber Whole Life Insurance
Data filtered by:
40
Female
No
$100,000$107$1,282
$250,000$259$3,108
$500,000$513$6,153
$750,000$767$9,202
$1,000,000$1,020$12,243

Rates are based on average quotes for applicants with average weight and health ratings. Actual premiums will vary depending on your profile, lifestyle, health and coverage needs.

Final Expense Insurance

Final expense insurance plans are whole life policies designed to cover end-of-life costs like funeral expenses and outstanding debts.

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    Guaranteed Life Insurance

    Gerber Life's guaranteed life insurance plan is its final expense product and is available to adults between 50 and 80 years old (up to 75 in New York). If you're within this age range, you can apply for a policy without undergoing a medical exam or filling out a long health questionnaire. This is an ideal option for those who may not otherwise qualify for other plan types. The downside is that coverage only ranges from $5,000 to $25,000 (or up to $15,000 in South Dakota).

Older adults are the ideal candidates for final expense insurance. This coverage type is less expensive than other life insurance plans but also offers less coverage, so it suits seniors looking to help their loved ones cover end-of-life expenses such as burial costs.

Average Cost of Gerber Guaranteed Life Insurance
Data filtered by:
50
Female
No
$5,000$18$212
$10,000$34$414
$15,000$51$615
$20,000$68$816
$25,000$85$1,017

Rates reflect quotes for our sample profile. Your premiums depend on your profile, lifestyle and coverage amount.

Gerber’s Life Insurance Riders

Riders are coverage add-ons that can modify an insurance policy, often at an added cost. If you'd like additional coverage, here are some options that Gerber Life offers.

Rider
Description

Guaranteed Purchase Option

This rider for the Gerber Life Grow-Up policy enables you to buy additional life insurance coverage at certain milestones, such as when you get married or have a child.

Payment Protection Option (PPO)

This rider can be added to the Gerber Life Grow-Up policy to cover premium payments until your insured child turns 21 in the event that you suffer a disability or pass away.

Accelerated Death Benefit (ADB)

This rider comes with both the Gerber Life Whole Life and Term Life policies at no additional cost. If you’re diagnosed with a terminal disease with a life expectancy of 12 months or less, this rider enables you to seek a one-time advance of up to 50% of the death benefit sum.

Child Insured

Some Gerber Life policies offer a child rider that adds coverage for eligible dependent children under the parent’s policy. It provides a small benefit amount and works as an affordable way to extend coverage to the entire household.

Spousal Insured

A spousal rider may be available on certain Gerber Life adult policies. It adds life insurance for a spouse under the same policy, allowing one contract to cover two adults with separate benefit amounts.

How to Get Gerber Life Insurance

If you’ve decided to buy Gerber Life Insurance, the following sections will walk you through the process and what to do in case your application gets denied.

  1. 1
    Do your research

    Read policy terms carefully before applying. Focus on coverage limits, exclusions and whether a medical exam is required. Once you’re ready, start by completing an application. You'll need to provide basic information about yourself or the person you're insuring.

    You can start by getting an estimate using our life insurance calculator.

  2. 2
    Compare quotes

    To get the best deals, you should also get quotes from other insurers to check whether Gerber Life’s policies are a good fit for your needs. Your rate may change depending on your location, gender, age and background.

  3. 3
    Health check

    Depending on your policy, you may need to complete a medical exam. Gerber doesn’t require a medical check for most policies, but you may be asked some questions about your medical history.

  4. 4
    Approval

    Gerber allows you to apply either online or by phone. Once you've sent in your application, you’ll receive a response in as little as one minute. You'll then need to start paying your premium to activate your policy.

Gerber Life Claims Process

Life insurance beneficiaries who need to file a claim with Gerber Life can start the process by calling the dedicated life claim phone line at 1-800-628-0560 to request a life insurance claim form. Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

You'll need to provide essential information about the deceased and submit a certified copy of the death certificate. Beneficiaries must be designated on the insurance policy to receive a payout. Complete all sections of the claim form accurately, including details about your relationship to the deceased and how you'd like to receive payment.

Send completed life insurance claims, forms and correspondence to Gerber Life Insurance Company Life Claims Processing Unit, 445 State Street, Fremont, MI 49412. The timeline varies depending on the specific case and required documentation.

For Guaranteed Life policies, if death occurs in the first two years, beneficiaries receive 110% of earned premiums. After the two-year period ends, the full benefit amount of your policy is paid.

Gerber Life Insurance vs. Other Insurers

When comparing life insurance providers, cost is likely a major factor in your decision. Gerber Life costs more than most alternatives, which means you'll want to weigh its benefits against the price difference.

A 40-year-old nonsmoker on a $500,000, 20-year term policy pays an average of $59 per month (women) and $75 per month (men). Banner Life, by comparison, averages $37 per month for women and $46 for men on the same policy, according to MoneyGeek rate analysis. That's a gap of $22 to $29 per month for identical coverage.

Gerber Life also caps term lengths at 10, 20 and 30 years and doesn't offer universal life insurance. Insurers like Protective, which averages $42 per month for women and $54 per month for men on the same profile, also include universal life options that Gerber Life doesn't match.

Is Gerber Right for You?

Based on MoneyGeek's analysis of major insurers, Gerber Life ranks among the best life insurance companies for seniors. If you're a senior looking for whole life insurance without needing to undergo a medical exam, you may find that life insurance plans from Gerber Life are a great option.

It's also one of the top companies for children life insurance. Gerber's child life insurance plan appeals to parents and grandparents who wish to buy coverage for a child. The coverage amount doubles when the child turns 18.

Gerber Life doesn't offer any universal life plans, so applicants may want to buy a policy from USAA if they’re looking for flexible lifetime coverage. Compare Gerber Life policies with products from different insurance companies to determine the best life insurance for your needs.

Gerber Life Insurance Company: FAQ

Is Gerber life insurance good?

Can you get life insurance from Gerber if you have cancer?

Do life insurance policies from Gerber cover death by drug overdose?

Do life insurance policies from Gerber cover death by suicide?

To rate Gerber Life, we gathered quotes using a baseline profile of a 40-year-old male nonsmoker in average health seeking $500,000 in coverage on a 20-year term. We then modified age, gender, weight and health rating to capture pricing patterns across demographics. MoneyGeek Score weighting: Affordability 50%, Customer Experience 30%, Coverage Options 20%. Customer experience data sources include J.D. Power scores, AM Best financial strength ratings and NAIC complaint indexes.

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About Mark Fitzpatrick


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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!