Guardian Life Insurance Review [2024]

For persons up to the age of 75, Guardian offers flexible term life insurance plans. Depending on the policy, it also offers permanent life insurance for adults up to the age of 85. Guardian permanent life insurance policyholders are eligible for dividends.

This mutual firm, with its headquarters in New York City, was established in 1860 and offers individual life insurance. Other types of individual insurance include investment management, disability insurance, and retirement planning. The Guardian Life Insurance Company also provides perks like 401(k) plans and business insurance.

What You Should Know About Guardian Life Insurance Co.

Below you will find third-party ratings of Guardian’s financial strength and quality of service.

A.M. Best Rating

A.M. Best gave Guardian an A++ rating. An insurance company’s strength, stability, and likelihood of upholding its contractual insurance commitments are all evaluated by A.M. Best ratings, and the top grade awarded is A++.

NAIC Complaint Index

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a body responsible for regulating the insurance industry. The complaint index contrasts a business’ performance with that of other service providers in the sector.

The NAIC Complaint Index reveals that Guardian Life has fewer complaints overall than other leading insurance providers.

Even though Guardian Life is a trustworthy insurer, you should still conduct your own due diligence to be sure that it is the best option for you.

How can I buy life insurance through Guardian?

Although you cannot buy life insurance policies from Guardian online, you can access Guardian paperwork electronically via email or through an app. Use the form provided to locate a local agent, or enter your contact information, and Guardian will find a local agent for you.

Take into account your reasons for wanting life insurance in order to choose the best Guardian coverage for you.

For example, term life insurance is probably your best option if your main priority is economic coverage. Insurance is only available for a short time, making it the ideal policy to cover your mortgage or other debts should you die unexpectedly.

Whole and universal life insurance may be a preferable option in order to create more value and offer greater coverage. You can get assistance from a financial representative from Guardian.

Guardian Life Insurance Co. Insurance Coverage Options

Term, whole life, and universal life are the three different varieties of the four main life insurance policies offered by Guardian.

Term Life Insurance

The following are some characteristics and features of Guardian’s term life insurance:

• Available in 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-year durations with guaranteed level premiums
• The minimum coverage amount for a term insurance policy is $250,000.
• Customers under the age of 40 are eligible for coverage of up to $1 million, while those over the age of 40 are eligible for coverage of up to $500,000.
• You can get Guardian term life insurance quotes online, but you must apply for and purchase a policy through an agent.
• The conversion of Guardian’s term life insurance to whole life carries a charge.
• In most cases, death benefits are provided in one flat sum.
• There are only guaranteed term policies offered.
• Death benefits from Guardian’s term life insurance products are tax-free.

Customers of Guardian life insurance must be at least 18 years of age. Candidates up to the age of 75 may request a 10-year term, candidates up to the age of 70 may request a 15-year term, candidates up to the age of 65 may request a 20-year term, and candidates up to the age of 54 may request a 30-year term.

In some states, Guardian provides the following riders for term life insurance: accelerated terminal illness, whole life purchase option, prolonged conversion, and waiver of premium. Learn more about life insurance riders.

Whole Life Insurance

Permanent life insurance from Guardian, also known as whole life insurance, has the following qualities and features:

• Lifetime protection begins at $25,000
• Coverage available to ages 0-85, but some age restrictions may apply to whole life insurance policies
• Premium levels are assured
• Insurance is fixed
• Cash value increases tax-free
• Variety of limited-pay and level-pay products
• Numerous loan options available
• Limited pay, level pay, and restricted pay options are available
• Death benefits are provided in one flat sum
• Must buy life insurance through a Guardian agent
• There are no online tools for whole life insurance rates
• Income tax may be levied if a whole life insurance policy expires or is surrendered on any unpaid debts that are considered gains under the policy

Other advantages include the ability to pay the death benefit to the policyholder’s family or business and age-based accelerated underwriting. This will likely increase your life insurance rates, as will adding accelerated benefit, guaranteed insurability option, paid-up addition, or other life insurance riders.

Rider availability varies by state, and the Guardian’s index participation feature for whole policies will also vary depending on where you live. Learn more about whole life insurance companies and see how Guardian whole life compares.

Universal Life Insurance

The attributes and features of Guardian’s universal life insurance are as follows:

• Permanent life insurance with a minimum of $100,000 in coverage
• Premiums can vary, although the frequency and number of premium payments cannot be changed
• Regulation varies by state
• Must be between the ages of 18-85 to buy universal life
• Cash value of the policy is tax-deferred
• Can borrow against the cash value of the policy
• May owe taxes on outstanding loans that are considered gains if the policy expires or is surrendered
• Death benefits are paid in a flat sum or through a number of variable annuities
• Must buy coverage through a Guardian agent
• There are no online tools available
• Convertible to a whole life insurance policy, although doing so carries some risk because the cash value is based on market conditions

With a Guardian permanent universal life insurance policy, the following riders are possible, subject to state availability: long-term care, remission of monthly deductions, refund of premium, and charitable benefit.

The Guardian variable universal life insurance policy comes with the following riders: entire life buy option, increased accelerated benefit, and remission of monthly deductions.

Financial advantages of the variable universal life insurance policy from Guardian include a tax-free death benefit, a tax-deferred cash value that can be accessed or borrowed against, and various investment options.

Guardian Life Insurance Co. Insurance Rates Breakdown

The price of life insurance can vary, and there are a few things that affect it:

• Your age
• Your medical history and whether you have any pre-existing medical issues
• Tobacco use
• Lifestyle and hobbies, with more dangerous activities like skydiving, rock climbing, and motorbike riding can raise life insurance rates

The cost of your policy will increase with the length of the term and the level of coverage. The price may potentially go up if more beneficiaries are added, or you carry any additional riders.

You must consider that your family depends on your income and if you have significant debts, such as a mortgage, when determining the type of coverage you require.

You can be qualified for a discounted group rate if you purchase a Guardian life insurance policy through your place of employment.

How Guardian Life Insurance Co. Ranks Among Providers

Compared to its competitors, Guardian Life was slightly more expensive. Use the table below to compare life insurance rates from various companies.

Life Insurance Monthly Rates & A.M. Best Ratings by Provider

Read more: MassMutual Life Insurance Review

You should compare Guardian Life Insurance to at least two other companies in your state to see which can offer you the type of policy you need at the best price.

Guardian does not offer bundling or multi-policy discounts for life insurance.