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TruStage Life Insurance Review 2026

TruStage offers small amounts of term and whole life insurance without a medical exam through credit unions across the country.
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Dec 17, 2025
Fact Checked
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Written by
Lead Writer & Content Strategist
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Edited by
Managing Editor
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Lead Writer & Content Strategist
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Our take on TruStage

TruStage allows you to bypass the medical exam and buy life insurance online. But if you want more than $300,000 of coverage, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Pros & Cons

PROS
  • Apply online or over the phone.

  • Get an instant decision in most cases.

  • No medical exam required for any policy.

CONS
  • More complaints than expected.

  • Limited rider options.

  • Low maximum coverage amounts.

Financial strength rating

Strong

Online purchase

Yes

NAIC complaints

More than expected

Policies offered

Term, permanent & no-exam

If you need more than $300,000 in life insurance, consider one of the insurers on our best life insurance companies list.

About TruStage life insurance

TruStage partners with more than 3,200 credit unions around the U.S. to offer term, whole and guaranteed issue life insurance without a medical exam. But the limited coverage and customization may outweigh convenience.

TruStage earned 3.9 out of 5 stars 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.

Where TruStage stands out

In partnership with credit unions, TruStage allows you to apply for life insurance online or over the phone. In most cases, you’ll get an instant decision on your eligibility for a life insurance policy without a medical exam.

Where TruStage falls short

While TruStage attracts those looking for speed, it falls short on coverage and customer experience. You can only get up to $300,000 in simplified issue term life insurance or $100,000 in whole life insurance coverage. Both policies have one rider option: an accidental death benefit. TruStage also doesn’t offer some types of policies in Washington or New York.

TruStage life insurance policies

Types of life insurance TruStage offers
Paper documents wrapped with a ribbon that has a checkmark on it.
Term
Green shield with accept mark
Whole

Term life insurance. Open to applicants ages 18 to 69, TruStage’s simplified issue term life insurance is sold in all states except New York. You can apply online to get an instant decision, and there’s no medical exam required, though you will need to answer some questions about your health and lifestyle.

TruStage offers $5,000 to $300,000 in coverage, and you’ll be given the option to renew the policy every five years until you turn 80. Your premium will go up each time you renew. The policy has a conversion feature, meaning you can convert all or part of it to permanent life insurance coverage later on.

Whole life insurance. TruStage’s whole life insurance policy is available nationwide to people ages 18 to 85. You can purchase $5,000 to $100,000 of coverage without a medical exam, and premiums stay the same for the life of the policy.

Whole life insurance builds cash value over time, and once you’ve accumulated enough, you can begin borrowing against your policy.

Guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance. If you want to skip the health questionnaire and medical exam, TruStage’s guaranteed issue life insurance policy might fit the bill. As long as you’re 45 to 80 years old and don’t live in New York or Washington, you’re guaranteed to be approved. However, like all guaranteed issue policies, you can expect to pay higher premiums because the insurer doesn’t have a complete picture of the person it’s covering. As for face amounts, you can buy $2,000 to $25,000 in coverage.

The policy has a “graded death benefit.” This means if you die of natural causes within the first two years of taking out the policy, your beneficiaries won’t receive the full death benefit. Instead, they’ll be reimbursed for the premiums you paid, plus 10%.

TruStage customer complaints and satisfaction

A strong sign of consumer satisfaction is how many people complain about their insurance company to state agencies. Over three years, TruStage 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 TruStage’s customer experience stacks up

TruStage’s site is organized and straightforward to use. You can quickly navigate to information on specific types of life insurance or learn more about paying your premiums, managing your account or filing a life insurance claim. However, TruStage provides little to no pricing information or policy details online.

When we called TruStage, it only took a minute to connect with a live representative after an automated introduction. We asked basic questions about TruStage’s policy offerings, which the representative was able to answer. She then suggested we speak to a licensed agent for more specific details.

TruStage doesn’t have an app or online chat feature, but policyholders can create and manage an account —including filing claims or changing beneficiaries —on the company’s website.

What it’s like to apply for a policy with TruStage

You can start a life insurance application with TruStage online or over the phone. To get a quote on the website, you’ll need to enter your ZIP code, birthdate and sex.

You’ll be given a simple quote for term life insurance, along with a comparison quote against other types of coverage.

When you click “Apply,” you’ll identify beneficiaries and answer questions about your medical history, tobacco use, driving and criminal records. Once you’ve completed the medical and lifestyle questionnaire, TruStage will ask for your personal and payment information to complete the application.

If you need help filling out the application, you have the option to call a representative. The company is part of the CUNA Mutual Group family of brands and its policies are issued by CMFG Life Insurance Co.

Page, Text, Document

Screenshot captured by our editorial team on October 14, 2025.

Page, Text, File

Screenshot captured by our editorial team on October 14, 2025.

How TruStage compares to other insurers

TruStage

AAA

Farmers

Star rating

Financial strength

Strong.

Strong.

Strong.

NAIC complaints

More than expected.

Far more than expected.

Close to expected.

Policy types offered

Term, whole, no exam.

Term, permanent.

Term, permanent.

Online experience

Can apply for and buy a policy, change beneficiaries and file a claim online.

Can apply for and buy a policy and file a claim online.

Can apply for and buy a policy and file a claim online.

Transparency on website

Average.

Above average.

Above average.

Read full reviews

AAA life insurance review.

Farmers life insurance review.

More about TruStage

If you’re a TruStage life insurance beneficiary, you can file a claim over the phone on weekdays or by email or mail at any time. To speed up the process, have the policy number handy as well as any supporting documents, such as a certified copy of the death certificate.

In addition to life insurance, TruStage sells prepaid funeral insurance, plus auto, homeowners, condo and renters insurance through Liberty Mutual.

TruStage also offers AD&D insurance through employers, and it made our list of the best accidental death and dismemberment companies.

How to contact TruStage

TruStage can be reached by:

  • Phone: Call 855-591-9026 on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.

  • Email: Fill out the form on TruStage’s Contact Us page.

  • Live chat: Not available.

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Frequently asked questions

Whether you can “cash out” or surrender a life insurance policy for its cash value depends on what type of life insurance you have. Permanent life insurance, such as whole and universal life insurance, builds cash value while term life insurance doesn’t.

TruStage does offer whole life insurance and you may be able to make a full or partial withdrawal once the policy has built enough cash value.

Like most life insurance companies, TruStage tries to settle claims quickly — usually within three to five business days. However, if further investigation of the claim is needed, there could be a delay. You can avoid this by ensuring you’ve submitted all the required documentation up front.

In life insurance, the death benefit is the money paid to your beneficiaries when you die. This is also often referred to as the “face amount” of your life insurance policy.

The maximum death benefit for a TruStage term life insurance policy is $300,000, and $100,000 for whole life insurance.


How we rate the best life insurance companies

✅ 445 life insurers reviewed

📝 210 policies assessed

🔢 1,515 data points analyzed

📊 Star rating categories

When NerdWallet evaluates life insurance companies, our editorial team considers the insurer's strengths and weaknesses, as well as the things that matter most to customers buying a long-term financial product. We then weigh these factors carefully:

💰 Financial strength (35%). We use AM Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s financial stability and ability to pay claims far into the future. The top life insurance companies have an exceptional financial strength rating of A+ or A++ (Superior).

🗣️ Consumer complaints (35%). Our top-rated life insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators over a three-year period, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners — so you can expect a smoother customer experience.

☎️ Consumer experience (20%). Insurers who allow consumers to contact them by email, phone and live chat earn the highest scores. The same goes for insurers who support online quotes, beneficiary changes and claims.

👀 Transparency (10%). Our methodology gives higher scores to transparent insurers who clearly display information about their policy options, coverage amounts and term lengths (if applicable) on their site.

What our star ratings mean

Companies with 5 stars are exceptional, with strong financials, diverse policy lineups and great reputations for customer service.

Companies with 4.5 stars are excellent, with solid financials and policy offerings, and good customer service track records.

Companies with 4.0 stars are good, and potentially great for people looking for niche coverage options.

Companies with 3.5 stars or fewer could do better in certain categories, like financial strength and customer complaints.

NerdWallet does not receive compensation for our star ratings or our reviews. Read more about our life insurance ratings methodology and editorial guidelines.