Gerber Life Insurance Review (2026)

About Gerber Life Insurance

Gerber Life Insurance is best known for its family-oriented and child life insurance products. The company has built broad name recognition by focusing on straightforward coverage options that appeal to parents, grandparents, and first-time insurance buyers.

In addition to children’s policies, Gerber Life offers coverage for adults, including guaranteed acceptance coverage intended for final expenses. Policies are sold directly to consumers, with an emphasis on simplified product design and accessibility across different life stages.

Gerber Life is a subsidiary of Western & Southern Financial Group, a diversified financial services organization. In 2022, Western & Southern acquired Fabric, which now operates as Fabric by Gerber Life. Fabric is a digital life insurance platform that focuses on online purchasing and policy management.

Gerber Life Insurance Review 2026

This section reviews Gerber Life through the lens of how consumers typically compare life insurance companies, focusing on factors that tend to matter most when choosing coverage.

Financial Strength and Ratings

Financial strength ratings help indicate an insurer’s ability to meet its long-term policy obligations. Gerber Life Insurance holds the following ratings:

• A+ (Superior) from AM Best¹
• A+ from the Better Business Bureau²

The AM Best rating reflects Gerber Life’s balance sheet strength, operating performance, and overall ability to pay claims over time. The Better Business Bureau rating doesn’t measure financial strength; instead it reflects BBB’s assessment of business practices and responsiveness to consumer issues.

Product Mix and Policy Flexibility

Gerber Life’s product lineup centers on whole life insurance, with options available for children, teens, adults, and seniors.

Main product categories include:

• Whole life insurance for children and teens, designed to provide lifelong coverage and accumulate cash value.
• Term life insurance for adults, offered for set terms and commonly used for time-limited protection needs.
• Whole life insurance for adults, intended to remain in force for life as long as premiums are paid.
• Guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance, designed for older adults seeking coverage for final expenses without a medical exam.

Coverage amounts, eligibility, and policy features vary by product and state. Some policies emphasize simplicity and guaranteed coverage, while others offer higher coverage limits but may involve additional underwriting.

Underwriting Approach

Gerber Life uses underwriting approaches that vary by product type, coverage amount, and applicant age. Some policies are designed to offer simplified underwriting, while others require a more traditional health evaluation.

Key underwriting characteristics include:

• No medical exam options for some policies, with eligibility based on age and product type.
• Simplified underwriting for some term and whole life policies, where applicants answer health questions as part of the application process.
• Medical exams required for higher coverage amounts or for applicants above certain age thresholds.

Overall, Gerber Life’s underwriting approach is designed to keep the application process straightforward for many shoppers, particularly those seeking smaller coverage amounts or simplified approval. Some applicants may need more detailed underwriting, including a medical exam.

Customer Experience and Accessibility

Gerber Life is structured to sell policies directly to consumers, with a focus on simple application paths and clear product explanations. Quotes are available online, and most policies can be applied for either online or by phone.

Customer access and support features include:

• Online quotes available through the company’s website.
• Online and phone applications, with some policies requiring phone-based enrollment.
• Phone and email support for customer questions and policy assistance.
• Online account access for managing existing policies.

Gerber Life does not offer a dedicated mobile app for policy management, which may be a drawback for customers who prefer app-based access. Policyholders typically manage their policies through the company’s online account portal. Overall, the experience is designed to be simple and approachable, prioritizing ease of entry over advanced digital tools or customization.

Pros and Cons of Gerber Life Insurance

Like most insurers, Gerber Life has strengths that will appeal to some shoppers and limitations that may matter depending on your needs and goals. Here are common pros and cons:

Pros of Gerber Life Insurance

• Offers life insurance options across multiple life stages, including policies designed specifically for children.
• Provides some coverage paths that allow applicants to qualify without a medical exam.
• Focuses on clear-cut product designs that are generally easy to understand and compare.
• Benefits from strong national brand recognition, particularly among families who are already familiar with the Gerber name.

Cons of Gerber Life Insurance

• Coverage options tend to emphasize whole life insurance, which may feel limiting for shoppers looking for more flexibility or alternative permanent policy structures.³
• The company’s simple and standardized product designs may not appeal to shoppers who want more customization or advanced features.³
• Digital tools are more limited than those offered by some newer insurers, including the absence of a dedicated mobile app for Gerber Life policyholders.⁴

Products Offered by Gerber Life Insurance Company

Gerber Life offers types of life insurance products designed to meet coverage needs at different life stages. Product availability, including maximum coverage amounts and eligibility requirements, varies by age, policy type, and state.

Life Insurance Policies for Adults:

• Term life insurance policies: Offers coverage for a set period of time.
• Whole life insurance policies: Provides lifelong coverage as long as premiums are paid, includes a cash value component.
• Guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance: Designed for older adults seeking coverage for final expenses.

Life Insurance Policies for Children and Teens:

• Grow-Up Plan: This whole life insurance plan for children provides lifelong protection with coverage that automatically doubles at age 18 for no additional premium cost. 
• Young Adult Plan: Whole life insurance designed for teens, with coverage that automatically increases at age 18 and transitions ownership to the insured in early adulthood.

In addition to their popular whole life policies for children, Gerber Life also offers specialty products, including an endowment-style college plan and accidental death insurance. For policies covering children and teens, an adult policy owner names the beneficiary while the insured is a minor.

Affordability Considerations

Gerber Life’s pricing varies based on the type of policy, coverage amount, applicant age, and health profile. Because the company offers term, whole life, and guaranteed life insurance, costs can differ significantly depending on whether coverage is intended for short-term protection or lifelong use.

Whole life policies, including those designed for children and older adults, generally carry higher premiums than term life insurance because they provide lifetime coverage and build cash value over time. Guaranteed acceptance policies are typically priced higher per dollar of coverage, reflecting the absence of medical underwriting and their focus on final expense needs.

Gerber Life also notes that some policies may be eligible for discounts, such as reduced premiums for customers who enroll in automatic payments. Discount availability and amounts vary by product and are subject to change.

As with most insurers, affordability ultimately depends on how well the policy aligns with the buyer’s goals. Shoppers comparing Gerber Life with other companies may want to consider not just premium cost, but also coverage duration, flexibility, and whether a permanent policy is the right fit for their needs.

Ethos vs Gerber Life Insurance

Ethos and Gerber Life both aim to make life insurance more accessible, but they differ meaningfully in how coverage is purchased, how underwriting works, and which types of shoppers each company is designed to serve.

Distribution and Application Experience

Gerber Life primarily sells its own branded policies directly to consumers. Shoppers typically choose a product first, then apply online or by phone depending on the policy. The experience is structured and product-driven, with clear paths for children’s, adult, and senior coverage.

Ethos uses a guided, digital experience designed to be completed fully online. Instead of selecting a carrier upfront, applicants complete one application and are matched to coverage based on their profile. This approach is intended to streamline the process while still providing access to policies from multiple highly-rated insurance companies.

Underwriting Approach

Gerber Life uses underwriting methods that vary by product and coverage amount. Some policies offer simplified underwriting or no medical exam options, while others require more traditional underwriting for higher coverage levels or certain age groups. Guaranteed acceptance policies are available for older adults seeking final expense coverage.

Ethos uses accelerated underwriting, which means no medical exam is required. Instead, applicants answer health questions during the application, and underwriting decisions are made using those responses along with third-party data sources. Coverage amounts and underwriting outcomes vary based on applicant health and profile.

Best-fit Customer Profiles

Gerber Life may appeal to shoppers who value a nationally recognized brand and are specifically interested in whole life insurance for children, teens, or adults, as well as older applicants looking for guaranteed acceptance or smaller permanent policies.

Ethos may be a better fit for shoppers who prefer a fully digital application experience, want to compare coverage options with multiple companies through a single application, or need higher coverage amounts than Gerber Life typically offers through its core product lineup.