Ladder
Is This Your Business?Author: Kaitlyn Short
Ladder is an innovative insuretech company that offers term life insurance policies with coverage amounts that can be adjusted throughout the length of the term. The ability to make coverage adjustments to your term life policy makes Ladder stand out.
Coverage can be decreased at any time. Policyholders can also apply to increase their insurance coverage. A reduction in the death benefit amount will cause your premium to be lowered by the same percentage. This adjustable strategy can make it easier for people to have affordable life insurance and save money by just paying for the amount of coverage they need as their life changes.
Ladder's term life policies are issued by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. Policies sold in New York are issued by Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York.
Ladder is fully digital, and you'll apply online. If you qualify, you may be approved for a policy online.
If you're applying for less than $3,000,000 in coverage, you do not need to complete a medical exam. If you're applying for more than $3,000,000, you may be asked to complete a medical exam or an in-home saliva or blood test as part of the approval process and underwriting, which makes the application and approval process longer for some customers.
Those looking for a flexible and affordable term life insurance policy should consider coverage offered by Ladder. Learn more details by reading our Ladder review.
Top Ranked Companies
The Good
- Quick Online Application and Approval Process
- Adjustable Term Coverage
- Reliable Term Life Policies
- Licensed, Non-commissioned Insurance Professionals
Quick Online Application and Approval Process
Consumers can apply through Ladder for a term life insurance policy using a quick online application. Some applicants are required to undergo additional underwriting.
Underwriting is how an insurer decides whether or not to accept your application. Life insurance companies also use underwriting to determine your life insurance rate.
Additional underwriting steps with Ladder may include in-home saliva test, in-home blood test, or an in-home medical exam. If you need to complete a saliva test, you'll be sent a Spit kit.
You'll receive a Spot kit to complete the blood test. A Ladder technician will help you schedule a time for a medical exam if necessary.
The simple and convenient life insurance application process makes helping to secure your family's financial future easy and is a positive aspect of choosing Ladder.
Adjustable Term Coverage
Ladder stands out for the level of flexibility incorporated into its term insurance policies.
With a policy offered by Ladder, you can instantly decrease or apply to increase coverage as your financial needs change.
For example, if you pay off your student loans, mortgage, or your financial obligations change, this flexibility allows you to raise or lower your coverage. The coverage is the death benefit amount the insurance company pays to the policy beneficiaries if the insured were to pass away during the policy term.
Increasing how much life insurance coverage you have will also increase the monthly life insurance premiums. Lowering your coverage decreases the monthly premium you pay.
Ladder also offers a 30-day, money-back guarantee.
When purchasing a term life insurance policy from Ladder, customers can choose a term length of 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years.
Policies can be purchased by U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have been in the country for at least two years. Applicants must also be between ages 20 and 60.
Policy coverage ends at the end of the term length selected. However, Ladder does not provide life insurance coverage past age 70.
Reliable Term Life Policies
Policies offered by Ladder are issued by Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York and Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, which have received high financial strength ratings. A high financial strength rating indicates a life insurance company's financial stability and future ability to meet claims obligations.
Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York and Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America have been rated A+ (Superior) based on an analysis of financial position and operating performance - affirmed October 2021, by A.M. Best Company, an independent analyst of the insurance industry. For the latest rating, access www.ambest.com.
Policies offered by Ladder are also reinsured by multiple reinsurers: Hannover Life Reinsurance Company of America and PartnerRe. These companies also have high financial strength ratings.
Even though there are other companies with more industry experience, Ladder is trustworthy because the insurance policies it offers are issued by financially strong companies and reinsured by other financially strong companies.
Licensed Insurance Professionals
Ladder pays its licensed insurance representatives salaries, not commission. Customers can be confident that they will receive high quality customer service and will not be talked into a more expensive policy when working with a Ladder representative to buy life insurance.
The Bad
- Limited Customer Insight
- No Permanent Life Insurance
- No Replacement Life Insurance
- No Policy Riders
Limited Customer Insight
Ladder life insurance reviews are limited on BestCompany.com, so conclusions on the customer experience are not available.
More reviews would make it easier to assess Ladder. However, the ability to adjust your coverage level as your life insurance needs change makes Ladder stand out and advantageous for those interested in flexibility.
No Permanent Life Insurance
While some life insurers offer multiple types of life insurance policies —both permanent and term — Ladder only offers term life insurance. Ladder does not offer permanent life insurance policies.
Unlike term life policies that offer temporary coverage, permanent life insurance policies remain in effect for your lifetime as long as you pay the premiums.
Permanent policies also accrue cash value that you can use while living. Whole life insurance policies accrue cash value at a set rate. Universal policies have more flexibility in investment choices.
Customers looking for a whole life policy or universal life policy will need to consider other companies.
Ladder also does not offer final expense insurance. Final expense insurance or burial insurance is designed to only provide coverage for final expenses. You can only buy a lower coverage amount with a final expense policy.
However, Ladder is an excellent choice if you're interested in term life insurance.
No Replacement Life Insurance
Ladder does not take applicants who are looking to cancel and replace an existing policy with one from Ladder.
If you're planning to cancel your current policy and replace it with a new term policy, Ladder is not an option for you.
No Policy Riders
Many life insurance companies offer riders that provide additional coverage or flexibility at an additional cost. Ladder does not offer riders. If you're interested in an insurance policy with riders, you'll need to consider another life insurance option.
The Bottom Line
Although there are pros and cons with Ladder, the pros outweigh the cons for those buying a term life insurance policy. Customers can choose the length of the term and adjust coverage throughout the term.
This flexibility allows you to adjust how much coverage you have with the death benefit and premiums of your insurance policy as your financial situation changes. This flexibility makes a term life policy offered by Ladder stand out from other term insurance coverage offered by other insurers.
While Ladder does not offer riders with its policies, the level of flexibility within its term policies is hard to find elsewhere.
If you're interested in riders or considering other coverage options, you may want to look at another insurer.
Buying life insurance through Ladder involves an easy application process and underwriting process, which also makes it a good option for those seeking to buy life insurance quickly. If you're looking for a great term life insurance policy, you'll find affordable coverage and flexibility with Ladder.
Ladder Insurance Services, LLC (CA license # 0K22568; AR license # 3000140372) offers term life insurance policies: (i) in New York, on behalf of Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York, New York, NY (policy form # MN-26); and (ii) in all other states and the District of Columbia on behalf of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, Minneapolis, MN (policy form # ICC20P-AZ100 and # P-AZ100). Only Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York is authorized to issue life insurance in the state of New York. Insurance policy prices, coverages, features, terms, benefits, exclusions, limitations and available discounts vary between these insurers and are subject to qualifications. Each insurer is solely responsible for any claims and has financial responsibility for its own products.
