Fabric Life Insurance Review 2024

Katia Iervasi
By Katia Iervasi 
Updated
Edited by Erica Corbin

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insurance-product-card-logo

Fabric

3.5

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: This online-only platform makes it easy to apply for life insurance without a medical exam, but policy options are limited.

on Nerdwallet

Financial strength rating

Exceptional

Online purchase

Yes

NAIC complaints

More than expected

Policies offered

Term & no-exam
insurance-product-card-logo

on Nerdwallet

Fabric

3.5

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: This online-only platform makes it easy to apply for life insurance without a medical exam, but policy options are limited.

Financial strength rating

Exceptional

Online purchase

Yes

NAIC complaints

More than expected

Policies offered

Term & no-exam

In our life insurance reviews, our editorial team considers the customer and the insurer. These are some of the factors we take into account:

Policies offered. There are many types of life insurance on the market, and they fall into three key categories:

  • Term life insurance offers temporary coverage and a guaranteed payout if the policyholder dies during the term.

  • Permanent life insurance typically lasts a lifetime and builds cash value that can be borrowed against in the future.

  • No-exam life insurance issues coverage without the need for a medical exam.

Financial strength. We use AM Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s long-term financial stability and ability to pay claims. For life insurance, NerdWallet typically recommends considering insurers with ratings of A- or higher. Here’s the breakdown:

  • Exceptional: A+, A++.

  • Strong: A-, A.

  • Moderate: B, B+.

Complaints. These ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The best life insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints.

Buy online. This indicates whether an insurer allows you to apply for and buy a policy completely online.

Launched in 2017, Fabric sells term life insurance via its site and mobile app. Fabric’s application process is simple, taking as little as 10 minutes to complete. You can choose from a wide range of term lengths and buy a large amount of coverage without the need for a medical exam.

Previously known simply as Fabric, the company recently changed its brand to Fabric by Gerber Life. Its policies are issued by a related insurer, Western-Southern Life Assurance Company. Gerber Life and Western-Southern Life have the same parent company.

Why you can trust NerdWallet: Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure the content on our site is accurate and fair so you can make financial decisions with confidence and choose the products that work best for you. Here is a list of our partners, and here’s how we make money.

Fabric life insurance

3.5

NerdWallet rating 

Fabric earned 3.5 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer experience, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and financial strength ratings.

Fabric life insurance policies

Term life insurance. Fabric sells term life insurance lasting 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years to people 21 to 70 years old. The term length(s) you qualify for will depend on your age. You can buy a policy worth $100,000 to $5 million if you’re willing to take a medical exam, or up to $1.5 million without an exam. Either way, you’ll need to fill out a health and lifestyle questionnaire to apply.

Fabric’s term life insurance also includes an accelerated death benefit rider, which allows you to access a portion of the policy’s payout early if you're diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Policies are currently available in all U.S. states except New York.

Western-Southern customer complaints and satisfaction

Over three years, Western-Southern Life Assurance — the company that issues Fabric’s policies — has drawn more than the expected number of complaints to state regulators for a company of its size, according to a NerdWallet analysis of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

How Fabric compares to other insurers

Fabric

Ladder

Haven Life

Star rating

3.5

NerdWallet rating 

3.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

Financial strength

Exceptional.

Exceptional.

Exceptional.

NAIC complaints

More than expected.

More than expected.

Far fewer than expected.

Policy types offered

Term, no-exam.

Term, no-exam.

Term, no-exam.

Read full reviews

More about Fabric

You can apply for a policy and manage your account through Fabric’s website or mobile app.

Fabric’s app, which is compatible with Apple and Android devices, has several added-value features. You can use it to create a free will, open a savings account or 529 college savings plan, and sync finances with your partner or spouse.

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Life insurance buying guide

Before you start comparing companies, choose the type of life insurance you want, such as term or whole life. Decide which life insurance riders, if any, you want the policy to include. Calculate how much life insurance you need and how long you want the coverage to last. Check that the insurers you’re considering offer the coverage you’re looking for.

When comparing rates, be sure the quotes are for the same amount of coverage over the same period of time. It’s also important to make sure the policy’s medical requirements match your needs. For example, if you want to skip the life insurance medical exam but don’t mind answering health questions, confirm that the application process for each policy you're comparing aligns with that.

Price may not be the biggest driver behind your decision to buy. Look at the number of consumer complaints each company receives, as high numbers can be a red flag about the quality of service.

For more guidance, see our life insurance buying guide.

Life insurance ratings methodology

NerdWallet’s life insurance ratings are based on consumer experience, complaint index scores from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for individual life insurance, and weighted averages of financial strength ratings, which indicate a company’s ability to pay future claims. Within the consumer experience category, we consider ease of communication and website transparency, which looks at the depth of policy details available online. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.

These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.

Insurer complaints methodology

NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2020-2022. To assess how insurers compare with one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.

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