Ladder Life Insurance Review: Quick and Simple Coverage You Can Manage Online
Editor's Rating
Ladder offers great online term life insurance coverage with an easy application experience, particularly if you want a policy with a face value over $1 million. You can apply for life insurance coverage through Ladder online and manage all aspects of your policy through its web portal. Though some applicants need to take a medical exam before receiving an approval decision, those seeking $3 million or less in coverage can receive a decision immediately, reducing the typical application time by several weeks. Ladder is also particularly convenient, as the company allows you to decrease your policy size instantly online, as opposed to having to cancel and reapply for a new policy.
Ladder Term Life Insurance
Ladder offers level term life insurance policies, meaning premiums don't change for the entire term length of the policy. Policies are available with term lengths of:
- 10 years
- 15 years
- 20 years
- 25 years
- 30 years
Ladder's application is entirely online and typically takes around five minutes to complete. Once you've completed the application, you'll either receive an approval, rejection or request for more information. Ladder guarantees no medical exams for coverage up to $3M. If you’re seeking more than $3M in coverage and more information is needed, Ladder often sends a lab kit instead of requiring an in-person medical exam, which can be completed at home at no charge.
You can apply to purchase a term policy from Ladder with a face value between $100,000 and $8 million. This is significantly more coverage than you can typically purchase from a digital insurer. Haven Life, for example, only offers the opportunity to purchase up to $3M in coverage online. In addition, the best feature of Ladder policies is that they're simple to adjust as your financial needs change. Your policy is managed online, so you can always log in and update the details, such as payment information and your beneficiaries.
Ladder Up: You can apply to increase your policy's face value. If, for example, you have another child, you may want to increase your family's financial protection by adding to your life insurance coverage. This option typically isn't available through other insurers unless you cancel your existing policy and purchase a new one. Just note that added coverage will be priced separately, so you may receive a different cost per amount of coverage.
Ladder Down: If you need less life insurance, you can go online to reduce your policy's face value. This works by decreasing your premiums proportionately to the reduction in your policy's face value. So, for instance, if you had a $500,000 policy for $30 per month that you reduced to $400,000, your new premium would be $24 per month.
If you only need your coverage extended for a short period of time after your initial term expires, Ladder also gives you the option to renew your policy annually for up to five years. However, your premiums will increase over what they were during the initial term.
Ladder Coverage Restrictions
Ladder offers life insurance nationwide to those between the ages of 20 and 60. Policies may be referred to by the LadderLife product name outside New York State.
Ladder only offers term life insurance policies, which is typical for online insurers, but it doesn't offer any riders to customize your coverage. So, for example, most insurers offer an accidental death rider that would provide additional compensation to your family if you were killed in an accident. If you wanted this, or any other riders, you would need to apply for coverage with a different life insurance company.
Ladder Life Insurance Quotes
For smaller life insurance policies, Ladder's rates are similar to those you'd find from other online insurers, but they are not the cheapest available in the market.
Find Cheap Life Insurance in Your Area
While Ladder offers some of the largest policies available online, and particularly without a medical exam, for those who qualify, they're a solid option for people who need a large amount of life insurance coverage and want to avoid hassle. But you may be able to find better rates with other insurers.
Ladder Reviews and Ratings
Ladder's online life insurance application and management system is incredibly easy to use, and customers particularly enjoy how quick it is to receive an underwriting decision. While this feature can be helpful for those who are busy and comfortable managing financial decisions online, it's not ideal if you prefer to speak with a live agent. Ladder does have agents, but most communication with the company happens online.
For those looking for more information about life insurance, Ladder has two main learning resources on their website. This includes a guide to the basics of life insurance, as well as a calculator that allows you to quickly estimate your coverage requirements based on some simple questions.
While Ladder is a relatively young startup, founded in California in 2015, its policies are issued by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, (Policy form # ICC20P-AZ100 and # P-AZ100) and Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York (policy form # MN-26), both well-established insurers. Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America and Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York have been rated Superior (A+) based on an analysis of financial position and operating performance by AM Best, indicating the companies are capable of paying any claims by policyholders.