Gerber Life Insurance Review 2023

Gerber Life Insurance Review 2023

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Gerber Life offers highly-rated life insurance plans that can cover everyone in your family during each stage of life. This includes whole life insurance for children and adults, as well as guaranteed life insurance protection for senior citizens.

Gerber Life has been offering coverage for families since 1967, and the highly rated insurance provider received an "A" (Excellent) rating from AM Best in January 2023. This means the company has the financial strength to pay out claims, and that you can feel confident you're buying a policy that will hold up if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having to file a claim.

Gerber Life insurance policies likely work best for people seeking affordable premiums, lifetime coverage for their dependents, or guaranteed issue coverage as a senior citizen. If you're in the market for child life insurance, guaranteed life insurance for seniors, inexpensive term coverage or even help paying for college, read on to learn more about this company's products and how they work.

See our picks for the best life insurance companies »

Types of Life Insurance Plans from Gerber Life

Gerber Life offers term life insurance with no medical exam required, a whole life insurance plan for adults, guaranteed life insurance for seniors and whole life coverage for children and teenagers. One major benefit of this company is the fact you can get a free quote for coverage online, and that Gerber Life is very transparent when it comes to the details of the policies it offers.

The chart below provides an overview of each type of life insurance you can get through Gerber Life and how they work.

Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance from Gerber Life is offered in terms of 10 years, 20 years and 30 years. You can secure coverage in amounts from $100,000 to $300,000, and there's no medical exam required if you're approved. Gerber Life says premiums on this kind of coverage are fixed, so they will not change for the duration of the policy's term. 

Whole Life Insurance for Adults

Gerber Life also offers whole life insurance for adults ages 18 and older. This coverage is typically available in amounts from $50,000 to $300,000, although plans with a death benefit worth up to $1 million may also be available. 

Whole life coverage from Gerber Life builds cash value you can borrow against, and the death benefit is meant to last a lifetime as long as premiums are paid. The premiums on whole life from Gerber Life are also fixed, meaning they will not increase over time.

Gerber Grow-Up Plan

The Gerber Grow-Up Plan is for children under the age of 14, and it is essentially a whole life policy for kids that can be extended to last a lifetime. Parents buy these plans for children so their dependents have guaranteed coverage they can build on for life. The amount of coverage doubles when the insured turns 18, and higher coverage limits can be purchased in adulthood regardless of occupation or health. 

Gerber Life Young Adult Plan

This plan from Gerber Life is available for teenagers who are 15 to 17, and it is a whole life plan that doubles in value automatically at the age of 18. Plans are available in amounts of $5,000 to $50,000, and coverage can be continued into adulthood.

Guaranteed Life for Seniors

Applicants ages 50 to 80 can also consider guaranteed coverage from Gerber Life with no medical exam required. This protection is available in amounts from $5,000 to $25,000, and it can apply regardless of health. Guaranteed life insurance for seniors from Gerber Life also builds cash value you can borrow against to cover unexpected expenses. 

Gerber Life Insurance College Plan

Gerber Life also offers the Gerber Life Insurance College Plan, which is a unique type of policy that builds cash value for 10 to 20 years. This policy offers a guaranteed payment of $10,000 to $150,000 when it reaches maturity as long as premiums are paid, yet the beneficiary receives a death benefit from the policy if the insured passes away before the term ends. 

This type of plan is meant to help families provide a death benefit while also saving for college over a fixed timeline of 10 to 20 years.

Additional Coverage Options from Gerber Life

Gerber Life offers several riders and additional coverage options, including the following:

• Accelerated death benefit rider: This rider offers the insured the chance to receive part of their death benefit (up to 50%) while alive if they're diagnosed with a terminal illness. 
• Accident protection insurance: In addition to its life insurance products, Gerber Life offers accident protection insurance with no medical exam required. This coverage provides a payout of $50,000 to $250,000 when an insured passes away in an accident or becomes dismembered. 
• Guaranteed purchase option life insurance rider: This rider is added to some child life insurance policies to ensure the policyholder can buy more coverage or continue their coverage later in life regardless of health.
• Payment Protection Option (PPO) rider: This rider is available on the Gerber Grow-Up Plan, and it covers monthly premiums if the policyholder passes away or becomes disabled. 
• Waiver of premium rider: This rider lets you pause premiums if you become disabled and unable to work. 

How Much Does Gerber Life Insurance Cost?

We really like the fact Gerber Life makes it so easy to get a free life insurance quote online. After all, this benefit lets you find out how much you might pay for coverage before you apply, and it makes it considerably easier to shop around and compare rates.

The charts below show how much you might pay for various insurance products from Gerber Life based on age, coverage amounts and other factors.

Gerber Term Life Insurance

This chart shows sample premiums for $150,000 in coverage for a 30-year-old woman in good health.

This next chart shows premiums for $150,000 in coverage for a 30-year-old man in good health.

Gerber Guaranteed Life for Seniors

Here are example rates for lifetime coverage for a 65-year-old woman in good health:

And here are rates for the same coverage amounts but for a 65-year-old man in good health:

How to File a Claim with Gerber Life Insurance

Gerber Life is fairly transparent when it comes to its claims process, although there is no way to begin your claim online. Instead, Gerber Life says you have to call the company at 1-800-628-0560 to request a claims form.

Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST at this number, and the company says you can also send life insurance claims correspondence to the following address:

Gerber Life Insurance Company

Life Claims Processing Unit

445 State Street

Fremont, MI 49412

Unfortunately, many of the complaints lodged against Gerber Life are about its claims process and the company's customer services practices in general. Some past customers have complained that Gerber Life continued deducting premiums for a policy they already canceled, while others claim they can't get ahold of anyone at the company to help them complete the claims process. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) even shows that Gerber Life Insurance has 95 closed complaints on the platform from the last three years, and 33 complaints over the last 12 months.

To ensure a life insurance claim with Gerber Life goes off without a hitch, we suggest keeping careful documentation of all your correspondence with the company. Also make sure your claim form is completed accurately and sent in with a Certified Death Certificate (not a copy) and other documentation that backs up your claim.

Gerber Life Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Methodology: How We Reviewed Gerber Life Insurance

Our review of Gerber Life considered a range of details about the company including its third-party ratings for financial strength, its coverage options and its claims process. We independently researched all details about Gerber Life's policies, including all riders, policy limits and limitations. We also compared Gerber Life to a range of other life insurance companies that offer similar coverage in order to see how they compare on policy limits, pricing, the application process and more. Read more about our methodology for rating insurance products.

Gerber Life vs. Fidelity Life

Fidelity Life offers a few different types of life insurance including term life insurance, final expense insurance, and whole life insurance for seniors. This company stands out due to how easy it is to get a free life insurance quote online and options that don't require a medical exam.

Fidelity Life also offers a range of insurance riders you can use to tailor your policy, including an accidental death benefit rider, a terminal illness rider, a child rider, an inflation rider, and even a return of premium rider. This company can be a good option if you want to shop for life insurance coverage online, and if you want the chance to customize your coverage so you get exactly what you want.

Gerber Life vs.Bestow Life

Bestow is an online insurance company that promises fast and easy term life insurance policies with no medical exam required. Premiums start at $11 per month for healthy applicants, and coverage is available in amounts from $100,000 to $1.5 million. Terms are available from 10 to 30 years.

The downside of Bestow is that life insurance is only available for applicants ages 18 to 60, and that the company doesn't offer any permanent life insurance options. Bestow does not offer any riders you can use to customize your coverage, either.

Read our Bestow life insurance review

Gerber Life vs. MassMutual

If you want to select from a range of different life insurance products and you specially want to work with an agent who can explain your options and help you find the right policy, MassMutual should also be on your list. This company is known for offering coverage through specialized agents who can get to know you and make recommendations based on your lifestyle. MassMutual also offers more types of life insurance overall, including term life insurance, whole life, universal life and variable life insurance.

MassMutual also sells other financial products like annuities, long-term care insurance, disability insurance and more. This makes the company even more valuable for consumers who may want to buy different financial products over the course of their lifetime.

Read our MassMutual life insurance review