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Our latest review highlights Gerber Life’s niche in children’s whole life and simplified-issue coverage; overall value depends on your need for modest face amounts and no-exam underwriting.
Gerber Life Insurance offers protection for children, young adults, adults, and seniors with policies including children’s whole life (Grow-Up and Young Adult), adult term and whole life, guaranteed issue for seniors, and accident protection
Gerber Life Insurance Company maintains an AM Best Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) with a Stable outlook, affirmed in 2024 (rating details)
Consumers shopping for life insurance want to know their family is protected by a company they can trust. A familiar household name for over 50 years, Gerber Life Insurance Company provides both term and permanent life insurance policies for children, adults, and seniors, with simplified-issue underwriting and online quotes/applications.
Gerber Life Insurance reviews can vary by state, and complaint levels change over time. With a strong AM Best rating and accessible digital tools — including an online eService portal and mobile app — plus family-focused coverage options for children, a Gerber Life policy may be a good fit for many households (eService, mobile app, claims center).
Gerber Life Insurance Overview
Reviews.com Score:
3.5
In business since:
1967
AM Best: AM Best rates insurance providers creditworthiness. Ratings are based on the provider’s ability to follow through with a payout when a consumer files a claim.
A
J.D. Power: J.D. Power scores are based on surveys for customer satisfaction and product quality.
As a member of Western & Southern Financial Group Inc., Gerber Life offers flexible policy options for growing families, particularly those with young children. Its children’s whole life policies can expand as kids reach adulthood, and the company emphasizes streamlined digital servicing through its online eService portal and mobile app.
PROS
Positive rating from AM BestAwarded an “A” (Excellent) rating by AM Best in December 2020.
Convenient online policy management portalEasily manage your policy and pay your premiums through their online eService platform.
Easily receive a free quoteConsumers can easily receive a free quote online or by calling Gerber Life directly.
Large selection of policies availableChoose from a variety of plans and coverage types for children, adults, and seniors.
CONS
No Universal policy options availableUnlike some of its competitors, Gerber Life does not offer universal life policies.
Mixed customer service reviews availableGerber Life was not listed on J.D. Power’s life insurance review for satisfactory customer service.
Claims cannot be filed onlineTo file a claim, consumers must call a dedicated claims phone number and request a claim form.
Product availability varies by statePer Gerber Life Insurance’s disclosures, not all Gerber Life products are available in all states.
Gerber Life Insurance Highlights
Coverage & Riders
Customer Experience
Before You Buy
Gerber Life offers a variety of riders. AWaiver of Premium rider can be added to whole life insurance policies may be available on other policy types depending on the death benefit amount and a consumer’s age at time of purchase. The rider will waive the cost of premiums and keep a policy in force in the event a named insured becomes totally disabled.
Gerber Life also offerschild riders on term life policies. Once the term is over, the coverage through the child rider also ends so some consumers may find more value in a whole life policy for their children.
Guaranteed Purchase Option riders are also available through the Gerber Life Grow-Up® Plan and gives a child several opportunities to buy additional coverage throughout their adulthood at a standard adult premium rate with no medical exam required.
Despite a positive financial rating from AM Best, Gerber Life was not part of the 2020J.D. Power study of customer satisfaction among life insurance companies.NAIC shows that Gerber Life had a higher-than expected complaint index for individual life policies in 2018 at 1.37 and 2019 at 1.54 with complaints coming out of several different states. The complaint index was lower in 2020 at only 0.89 with 7 total complaints.
Gerber Life Insurance offers several policies that do not require any prior medical exam including both term and whole life policies.Medical exams may be required based on answers to basic health questions, especially if applicants have pre-existing conditions. Medical exams may also be required for applications of over $100,000 in coverage or for adults 51 and older.
The Gerber Life Grow-Up® Plan is an affordable alternative for parents who want to purchase coverage for their children. This policy is a whole life plan that is available to kids 14 days old to 14 years old that they will later take ownership of as an adult. This plan provides coverage for life and includes a guaranteed purchase rider that allows the insured several opportunities to buy additional coverage throughout their adulthood at a standard adult premium rate with no medical exam required. Plus, it builds cash value and coverage automatically doubles when a child turns 18. This policy is a great way to lock in a low monthly premium that will be unaffected by age.
Gerber Life also offers insurance for young adults (between 14 and 18 years old). Like the Grow-Up® plan, rates are locked in at a young age, coverage automatically doubles when the insured turns 18, and the policy builds cash value. This coverage guarantees that a young adult can have permanent insurance regardless of any future changes in their health or occupation. Up to $50,000 in coverage can be purchased with a minimum coverage of $5,000.
Gerber term life insurance is insurance designed to provide coverage for a specific number of years —10, 20, or 30. This type of coverage is great for young couples who just got married, purchased a home with a mortgage, or have decided to start a family and need to protect their financial future. Available coverage ranges from $100,000 to $300,000 and in some cases, a medical exam is not required depending on coverage amount, age and prior health. The premium will also be locked in for the duration of the term.
For consumers who want a peace of mind for life rather than coverage for a specific duration of time, Gerber whole life policies are available in amounts from $50,000 to $300,000. Whole life policies build cash value that can be borrowed against for future expenses and as long as premiums are paid, the monthly rate will be locked in for life. Gerber whole life policies are available for adults aged 18 to 70. For over $100,000 in coverage or for applicants over age 51, a medical exam is required.
Gerber guaranteed life insurance is a whole life policy specifically available for seniors aged 50 to 80. Coverage is guaranteed regardless of prior health and no medical exam is required. Coverage is available from $5,000 to $25,000 and is designed to cover burial expenses, unpaid debt, and outstanding medical bills. This policy will also build cash value.
Gerber’s accident protection insurance provides coverage in the event of an accidental death or a covered disabling injury which can help families cover medical costs, lost wages, and other expenses arising from an unexpected accident. Available coverage for an individual between 19 and 69 years old varies between $20,000 and $100,000 with no medical exam is required. Coverage is also available regardless of pre-existing health conditions or occupation. Premium rates are locked in and there is no waiting period for coverage to start.
The Gerber college plan is another great option available for children. This plan is specifically designed to provide a benefit up to $150,000 when the policy matures (depending on policy duration) to cover college expenses or other out-of-pocket costs while also doubling as a life insurance policy.
Gerber Life Insurance vs. The Competition
Provider
Reviews.com Score
J.D. Power*
AM Best
Available Policies
Gerber
N/A
N/A
A
Term life insurance Whole life insurance Guaranteed life insurance Accident protection insurance Whole life policies for children Young Adult whole life
Globe
N/A
N/A
A
Term life insurance Whole life insurance Final expense insurance Accidental death insurance Mortgage protection insurance Cancer insurance ICU insurance Hospital insurance Coverage for children
Protective Life
N/A
N/A
A+
Term life insurance Whole life insurance Universal life insurance Retirement policies
New York Life
N/A
N/A
A++
Term life insurance Whole life insurance Universal life insurance Variable universal life insurance Long-term care policies Retirement policies
Information reflects the latest available sources cited; verify current details with each insurer.
Globe Life focuses on direct-to-consumer simplified-issue term and whole life (including child coverage) with quick online or phone enrollment. Globe Life’s core life subsidiaries carry an AM Best rating of A (Excellent) (financial strength). While both brands emphasize convenience and modest face amounts, Gerber Life may be a better fit for families prioritizing children’s whole life features (such as automatic coverage increases) and straightforward no-exam options. For current customer satisfaction context, see the latest J.D. Power U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study.
Gerber Life Insurance vs. Protective Life Insurance
Protective Life offers competitively priced, fully underwritten level term (Classic Choice) with broad term-length options and conversion privileges, plus UL/IUL/VUL for permanent coverage (Classic Choice Term). Protective holds an AM Best rating of A+ (Superior) (ratings). Gerber Life is often a better fit for parents seeking children’s whole life or adults wanting modest, no-exam coverage; Protective suits shoppers seeking higher face amounts and broader policy designs.
Gerber Life Insurance vs. New York Life Insurance
New York Life is a mutual insurer known for participating whole life and comprehensive planning through career agents, with top-tier financial strength (AM Best A++ (Superior)) (ratings). It may be a better option for consumers seeking permanent coverage with potential dividends and agent-led guidance. Gerber Life may be preferable for families focused on accessible, simplified-issue coverage and dedicated children’s policies.
The Grow-Up® Plan is a whole life policy for children that builds cash value, doubles coverage when the child turns 18, and guarantees coverage for life at a locked in premium.
The Gerber Grow-Up® Plan builds cash value. When an insured child becomes an adult, they will have the option to continue the policy or cash it in for the cash value.
Gerber Life Insurance has been providing life insurance coverage to individuals since 1967 and is a financially secure company with an “A” (Excellent) rating from AM Best.
Methodology
We evaluated Gerber Life insurance based on riders, coverage, resources, financial strength and customer satisfaction to determine Reviews.com scores and create our best life insurance reviews. To compare life insurance companies with other providers across the board, we calculate each Reviews.com score based on the following:
Number of Riders: The more riders a life insurance company has, the higher it scores in our Reviews.com methodology.
Financial Stability: Reviews.com utilized AM Best ratings to assign a score based on each life insurance company’s financial stability.
Customer Satisfaction: With J.D. Power’s U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study, we assign a score to each company based on the latest available results on a 1,000-point scale.
Coverage: Life insurance companies scored higher if customers can convert term to whole and if they offered multiple options under different types of life insurance policies.
Resources: Reviews.com compared website functionality for life insurance companies based on ability to receive online quotes, submit online claims, and read information on different policies available.
