Gerber Life
Bottom line: Gerber has lots of policies for children and teens but more complaints than expected. While it’s popular with parents, it may not be your best bet.- Offers policies without a medical exam.
- Sells policies for all phases of life: children, teens, adults and seniors.
- High number of complaints.
- No app available for consumers to manage their life insurance policy.
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Dive deeper: Ratings methodology for life insurance.
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About Gerber life insurance
Gerber earned 3 stars out of 5 for overall performance. Although the company is financially stable, it draws a lot of consumer complaints, and its best-known product — life insurance for children — may not always be the best choice. If you’re considering buying life insurance on a child, it’s important to look past the sales pitches and consider the pros and cons. Your money may be better put elsewhere, such as a 529 college savings plan.
In addition to children’s life insurance policies, Gerber also sells small term and whole life insurance policies for adults. In 2022, Gerber’s parent company, Western and Southern Financial Group, acquired Fabric life insurance, which now issues policies with the Gerber Life brand.
Pros
- Offers policies without a medical exam.
- Sells policies for all phases of life: children, teens, adults and seniors.
Cons
- High number of complaints.
- No app available for consumers to manage their life insurance policy.
» MORE: Compare life insurance quotes
Gerber life insurance policies
Term life insurance. You can buy $100,000 to $300,000 of term life insurance coverage for adults online, with terms lasting 10, 20 or 30 years. Most people won't have to take a medical exam and many will get a decision on the application in minutes. An exam is required for people 51 and older who apply for more than $100,000 of coverage. You can call a Gerber representative to discuss coverage amounts above $300,000, up to $2 million.
Whole life insurance. Gerber sells three types of whole life insurance.
Whole life: Coverage of $50,000 to $1 million is available for adults. Medical history is considered, but a medical exam may not be required. You can call a Gerber representative to discuss coverage amounts above $300,000.
Guaranteed issue whole life: In most states, adults between 50 and 80 can apply for $5,000 to $25,000 of coverage. The exceptions are South Dakota, where the maximum amount is $15,000, and New York, where the maximum age to apply is 75. No medical exam is required, and acceptance is guaranteed.
Guaranteed whole life for children and teens.
The Gerber Life Grow-Up Plan is a whole life insurance policy for children with coverage options of $5,000 to $50,000. Parents, grandparents and legal guardians can apply when children are between 14 days and 14 years old. The coverage amount doubles at age 18, and the child becomes the policy owner at age 21.
Gerber also offers a whole life policy for teens called Life Insurance for Young Adults. Parents or grandparents can purchase this for teens ages 15 to 17. Again, the coverage amount automatically doubles at age 18.
Endowment life insurance: The Gerber Life College Plan is pitched as a college savings plan that doubles as adult life insurance. The policy pays out a lump sum on a certain date or when the insured dies, whichever comes sooner. Typically, this type of insurance covers a parent, and the expiration date aligns with a child’s high school graduation. Coverage options range from $10,000 to $150,000. The rate of return varies depending on the policy. Returns are taxable income.
Accidental death and dismemberment insurance: Gerber’s accident protection insurance pays out if the insured person dies or suffers a disabling injury, such as the loss of a foot, hand or eyesight, from an accident. Unlike life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance doesn't pay out if the insured dies from illness or natural causes. Coverage is available in amounts from $50,000 to $250,000, and from $25,000 if you’re buying for a spouse.
Gerber customer complaints and satisfaction
Over three years, Gerber 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.
» MORE: Best life insurance companies
Gerber sample life insurance rates
Gerber Life’s rates are dynamic, and based on age, state and gender. The sample rates below reflect monthly premiums to insure a male child in Connecticut.
Age | Coverage amount | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
< 1 | $5,000 $25,000 | $3.70 $17.76 |
3 | $5,000 $25,000 | $4.09 $19.61 |
5 | $5,000 $25,000 | $4.41 $21.22 |
Source: Direct from insurer. The rates displayed here are standard rates for a male child in Connecticut, and were generated on 10/15/24. | ||
What Reddit users say about Gerber
Reddit is an online forum where users share their thoughts in “threads” on various topics. The popular site includes plenty of discussion on financial subjects like life insurance, so we sifted through Reddit forums to get a pulse check on how users feel about insurers. People post anonymously, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances.
Many Reddit threads about Gerber insurance are discussions on whether child life insurance, Gerber’s best-known type of coverage, is worth buying. Many commenters argue that children don’t need life insurance because they don’t have dependents, and that parents would be better off putting their money into a 529, investment or savings account. Others say having a small amount of life insurance on a child can help pay for funeral or medical expenses in case the worst happens.
There are also several Reddit posts from young adults wondering what to do with a Gerber whole life insurance plan their relatives bought for them when they were children. Instead of keeping the policy and paying the premiums, Redditors often advise them to cash out the plan and use the money for something else — especially if they don’t have dependents relying on their income.
Questions from Reddit: Our experts answer
Should I buy a Gerber life insurance policy for my child?
In general, it’s more important for parents to have life insurance for themselves than to buy a policy for their child. The payout can help cover lost income, child care or other expenses if a parent dies. If you do decide you want some coverage for your children, a child term rider is worth considering as an alternative to a separate policy. A child term rider is an extra type of insurance you can add to your term life insurance policy to cover your child. Learn more about whether you should buy child life insurance.
What should an adult do with the Gerber life insurance policy their parents or grandparents bought for them?
It depends on your circumstances. If you are in poor health and would have trouble finding life insurance elsewhere, it might be a good idea to keep the policy. But if you’re young and healthy, you might instead want to buy term life insurance, which could offer more coverage for less money. If you don’t have any dependents, you may not need life insurance at all — in which case you could consider cashing out the policy and putting the funds toward investing or paying off debt. A financial advisor can help you think through the decision.
Where Gerber stands out
Gerber offers a wide selection of term and whole life policies, with unique options for children and teens. The company’s website shows detailed information about all of its policies. Plus, you can apply for term life online, and may be approved for coverage the same day.
Where Gerber falls short
Gerber’s consumer complaint ratio is higher than other companies. Also, if you want term life coverage over $300,000 — a relatively low amount — you'll need to make your case with the insurer.
More about Gerber
Gerber Life’s website provides FAQs and blog posts to learn more about life insurance basics. You can also get a quote, pay your bill, view your policy and update beneficiary information via the customer portal.
How to contact Gerber Life
Gerber Life can be reached by:
Phone: Call 800-704-2180 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.
Email: Fill out the form on Gerber Life’s contact page.
Live chat: Not available.
- How we review life insurance companies
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.
Dive deeper: Ratings methodology for life insurance
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 2021-2023. 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.
