Insurance expert Maryalene LaPonsie has been writing professionally for 25 years, with the past decade focused on personal finance -- insurance, investing and retirement. She is a regular contributor to U.S. News & World Report, Forbes Advisor, USA Today Blueprint and Money Talks News.
Nupur Gambhir is an insurance expert and managing editor of Insure.com. She specializes in life and health insurance content, and has experience as a marketing consultant.
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Ethos is a digital-first life insurance broker that makes getting covered easy. Instead of scheduling medical exams or waiting weeks for an answer, most people can apply online, answer a few health questions, and get an instant decision. Behind the scenes, Ethos pairs you with top-rated insurers — like Legal & General America, Protective, Ameritas, TruStage, and John Hancock — so you get big-company strength with a simple, modern experience up front.
With term life, whole life, and indexed universal life options available, Ethos provides families, older adults, and small business owners with more choices than most online-first insurers. It’s also one of the few digital platforms where smokers can often find lower-than-average rates — a real advantage for people who typically face some of the highest life insurance costs.
What Ethos has to say
“The unfortunate truth is that 44% of households in America wouldn’t be able to pay their bills if they lost a breadwinner, but due to regulatory roadblocks, sales-incentivized agents and tedious/invasive application processes, nearly half – 41% – of adults don’t have sufficient life insurance coverage,” says Nichole Myers, chief underwriter at Ethos. “Ethos is on a mission to change that by reaching people traditionally un- and under-insured and potential policyholders that want easier access to their options.”
Ethos feels different from traditional insurers because it is different. Instead of working with agents or asking you to carve out time for a medical exam, Ethos keeps everything online and lets you move at your own pace.
Our honest take
Ethos makes life insurance feel surprisingly easy, offering real protection without the hoops. You can apply online in minutes, skip the medical exam, and still qualify for up to $3 million in coverage, which sets it apart from many online-first companies. It also stands out for groups that often struggle to find affordable options, including older adults and smokers, with guaranteed-acceptance whole life up to age 85 and term lengths that stretch to 40 years for families who want long-lasting protection.
When you get life insurance with Ethos, you also get access to a full suite of free planning tools that help you tackle important financial tasks. You can create a legally valid will, set up a trust, name guardians, and prepare a power of attorney — services that typically cost money when done elsewhere. It’s an easy way to get your plans organized and make sure your family’s financial future is clearly mapped out.
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Ethos earns an A+ rating from the BBB for transparency and overall service.
Policyholders are ultimately backed by leading insurers — including Legal & General America, Ameritas, Protective, TruStage, and John Hancock — all known for strong financial performance.
Ethos is a digital broker that streamlines life insurance by offering multiple coverage types — term, whole life, and indexed universal life — all backed by well-rated insurers like Legal & General America, Ameritas, Protective, TruStage, and John Hancock.
You can apply entirely online, skip the medical exam in most cases, and access up to $3 million in term coverage or guaranteed-acceptance whole life up to age 85, which makes Ethos a rare option for both younger families and older adults. Because Ethos works with several insurers, it can match applicants to the carrier most likely to approve them, helping more people get covered quickly.
Ethos covers a broader range of ages and needs than most online insurers. You can apply for high-limit term coverage without an exam, choose long terms up to 40 years, or secure guaranteed-issue whole life up to age 85. If you need long-term planning, its IUL option offers more flexibility than typical digital-only platforms. And because Ethos partners with multiple insurers, it can match you with the carrier most likely to approve your application — a helpful advantage if you have health concerns.
Ethos is known for eliminating medical exams for most shoppers.
The application is fully digital and designed to take as little as 5 to 10 minutes.
Ethos tends to price very competitively for healthy nonsmokers, especially for people in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s who want higher coverage amounts without a medical exam. For example, Ethos publicly states that a healthy 40-year-old woman can get $500,000 in coverage for about $28.69/month, and a healthy 40-year-old man for about $38.40/month.
The actual rates we pulled ourselves are shown below and they align closely with Ethos’ stated pricing, confirming that Ethos stays within — and often below — the typical online range for modern digital life insurance.
Ethos is often one of the most affordable digital choices for smokers — a group that typically sees much higher premiums across every insurer. In the data we pulled, younger smokers still qualify for comparatively moderate rates, while older smokers see the steep increases you’d expect due to long-term health risks.
If you smoke and want to avoid a medical exam, Ethos frequently beats the market on price.
Below are Ethos’ monthly premiums for smokers purchasing a 20-year term policy.
Ethos consistently lands in the competitive range for healthy applicants, but where it really stands out is pricing for smokers. Ethos is one of the most affordable online, exam-free options for smokers — offering pricing that’s often 30–60% lower than comparable digital insurers.
The table below shows where Ethos lands for a healthy 35-year-old buying $500,000 in coverage.
Ethos’s online calculator walks you through the basics — from income replacement to college costs — to help you choose a number that fits your family’s actual needs. The general rule of thumb is 10 to 15 times your annual income, but your ideal amount depends on:
Ethos operates fully online, with customer support available if you want help or have questions.
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Ethos is one of the most flexible online life insurance options available today. You can choose from term, whole life, or indexed universal life, skip the medical exam in most cases, and get matched with highly rated insurers in minutes — including affordable options for smokers and guaranteed-acceptance coverage for seniors.
If you want life insurance that’s easy to apply for, offers multiple policy types, and provides strong financial protection without the traditional hurdles, Ethos is a dependable and convenient choice.