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Ladder Review

Reviews 2,605
Ladder
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Ladder
Ladder
Excellent
Reviews 2,605
Bestmoney Staff
Apr. 16, 2023
2 min read
BestMoney Staff
Ladder Summary
Ladder offers term life insurance online issued by multiple insurers in all states and DC. U.S. residents aged 20 to 60 can apply for coverage online and get an instant decision. Policies through Ladder are designed to allow users to move their coverage amount up and down by applying online for more coverage or decreasing coverage with a few clicks.

Pros

  • Online application takes minutes
  • Instant decisions
  • 100% digital process from start to finish for coverage up to $3M
  • Ability to decrease or apply to increase coverage as needs change

Cons

  • No permanent coverage, only term life

Ladder at a glance

9.2
Editorial score

Coverage type

Offers either term or whole life insurance. Term life can be be for up to 30 years.
8.0

Customization of policies

Customizable rates and deductibles, upgrades and downgrades available, decide whether to buy with an agent or buy online
10.0

Customer services and support

Multiple communication options, ability to speak to an agent
8.0

Online experience

Online fast application, learning resources, access to rates before application
10.0

Direct insurer?

Yes, direct insurer
10.0

Ladder Ladder View Rates

Suitable For?

Ladder is designed for people who want coverage that can be increased or decreased in the future in accordance with their changing needs, or who prefer not to be locked into rigid terms. It’s best suited to people who feel comfortable applying for life insurance and other financial products and services online.  

Features

Ladder’s term life insurance product is built to give policyholders the flexibility to ladder their coverage in accordance with their needs. For example, if you pay off your mortgage or reach the age where all your children have graduated from college, you can evaluate your needs and reduce the amount of coverage. In doing so, you can potentially save thousands of dollars on premiums. On the flipside, if you decide to purchase a new home or have another child, you might want to apply to increase your coverage to take into account your higher level of liability.

Highlights include:

  • Streamlined, digital application process
  • Direct-to-consumer, term life insurance, without any policy fees or sales agents
  • Ability to adjust your level of coverage and monthly payments whenever you want
  • Grace period of 61 days in the event that policyholder misses a payment
  • Life insurance calculator offered on the site
  • Extensive support pages with information about term life insurance
  • 30-day “free look” period - if you aren’t happy, Ladder will refund your premium within the first 30 days

Application Process

Anyone aged 20 to 60 who is a U.S. citizen or has been a permanent resident of the U.S. for more than 2 years may apply for coverage. Ladder offers coverage nationwide. It can take just a few minutes to get a quote and complete a digital application process. It’s free to apply and get a quote, and there are no obligations.

Here’s how it works:

  • To get started, simply fill out your desired level of coverage and term length.
  • Answer a few questions about your activities, health, and your financial situation.
  • Review your answers, and hit “Submit” when prompted to complete your application.

It’s really that easy. Each qualified applicant is individually underwritten, and you may get an offer for a term life policy that you can accept right away. Health checks are not required for coverage up to $3M. For coverage above $3M,  a medical exam is required—these are always free and can take place at the applicant’s home or office, whichever is more convenient. Exams excluded, it takes just a few minutes to complete the application. With Ladder, many applicants are able to accept their offer and have coverage begin immediately (subject to payment of first premium).

Policy Types and Terms

Ladder offers one highly customizable product: term life insurance. Benefits are paid in one lump sum to beneficiaries if the policy holder dies during the term, subject to some conditions, such as suicide.

  • Coverage amounts range from $100,000 to $8 million
  • Term lengths are for 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years
  • Policy holders can decrease or apply to increase their coverage and payments at any time, all online

Ladder Ladder View Rates

How Safe Is It? 

Policies are issued by highly rated insurers in all states and DC. Investors in Ladder include Canaan Partners and Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, to name a couple, underpinning the market’s confidence in Ladder. Life insurance policy guarantees are backed solely by the issuing insurance company.

Help & Support

Ladder employs salaried agents, so whenever you contact them you can be assured you’re speaking to a directly-employed insurance licensed representative. Staff can be contacted via live chat or toll-free phone number at the following times: 

Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm Pacific Time / 11am-8pm Eastern Time.

Ladder at a Glance

Ladder is disrupting the life insurance industry with online, streamlined approval of term life insurance. The name “Ladder” refers to its flexibility, with policyholders able to adjust their coverage level up or down by applying for more at any time in accordance with their changing needs. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar insurance providers, Ladder can get customers who qualify covered in a few minutes.  

Physical Address

Ladder

P.O. Box 456, Menlo Park, CA 94026

Disclaimer

Ladder Insurance Services, LLC (CA license # OK22568; AR license # 3000140372) distributes term life insurance products issued by multiple insurers – for further details see ladderlife.com. All insurance products are governed by the terms set forth in the applicable insurance policy. Each insurer has financial responsibility for its own products. Coverage amounts vary by state.

BestMoney Staff
Written by
Bestmoney Staff
Our editorial staff consists of writers who are knowledgeable about financial services. We specialize in simplifying the process of choosing the right provider for your needs.
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Trustpilot reviews
See what some customers are saying about Ladder
Ladder
Excellent
Reviews 2,605
on
Excellent
89%
Great
6%
Average
1%
Poor
1%
Bad
3%
R
rebecca b.
2 days ago
Made the process very easy
Made the process very easy. Quick response. Would recommend.
K
karen s.
5 days ago
Very easy to work with
Very easy to work with. Would suggest to anyone
H
happy customer
10 days ago
Simple Streamlined Experience
Simple, communicative, and fair pricing. They may not be the cheapest or fastest you can find online but they are thorough and thoughtful in their underwriting process. I trust them more than the other online providers I received quotes from.
J
james p.
14 days ago
Very pleased with the painless…
Very pleased with the painless application process and the fact I could do everything online with no pesky phone calls and pressured up sales.
M
michael s.
22 days ago
A mixed experience
I was interested in getting life insurance quotes, and I saw that my auto insurance (Geico) appeared to offer it via a link that looked like it would go to another page at the Geico site. There was no indication that it was to a third party, but I ended up at Ladder. I was a bit put off by what seemed like dishonesty to me. Furthermore, it was unclear to me at first whether I was just getting a ballpark quote, or actually submitting an application. It turned out to be an application, which I wasn't really prepared for. As an application, the process was pretty streamlined, so I finished it. My application was accepted at a reasonable (but a bit on the high side) monthly payment. Most cheaper insurance requires a doctor to verify your health, which makes the process more burdensome. As I was still collecting quotes from various insurers, I sat on this for a while. At this point I was hounded daily via email and phone calls by Ladder representatives. I ignored them and wished they would get the hint that I didn't want people bugging me. I eventually decided to purchase the policy offered by Ladder. They didn't make a good impression on me, but the price was decent considering they didn't make me get a checkup from a doctor. The policy is underwritten by Allianz, who has a good reputation, otherwise I may have declined. So, all in all, a mixed experience.
consumer-image
matt witt- pcl
23 days ago
Scam, they publish fake monthly premiums to lure you in
Scam. Advertising for seniors everywhere for 250,000 of life for $15/mo. I went thru the application. It has sliding scale of amount of coverage, length, and price. I chose 1,000,000 for 15 years. The cost they showed me was $240 a month. That false number tricks you into filling out the full application and giving them everything about you including full name, address, phone, email, date of birth, your doctors name and address, all of you medical history, and the last 4 of your social security number so they can pull a "soft" credit report on you. When you finish and hit enter, it came back with a price of $467 per month, and that I will have to wait for a decision, up to 4 weeks, to investigate or have a rep they hire come to my home and do a physical. They partake in totally false advertising to seniors, tricking them to apply with a fake cost. None of what happened to me was in any of the online advertising. Do not get tricked into the fake internet rates.
B
bryant m.
a month ago
Application was easy and rate quoted…
Application was easy and rate quoted was very competitive. Highly recommended!
D
dymond w.
a month ago
Great Service
Fast, Easy, Efficient
B
b.
a month ago
Quick and easy process
Quick and easy process. Customer Service was also very helpful.
R
robert h.
a month ago
Easy process
Easy process. Very helpful customer service. Thank you!
D
david b.
a month ago
Easy peasy
Simple. Streamlined. Highly recommend
P
pooja k.
a month ago
Easy and simple process!
Easy and simple process!
M
mukasa m.
a month ago
Customer service
Customer service
R
ryan d.
a month ago
Excellent experience
Fast. Seamless transaction!
J
jeremie thomas
a month ago
Easy process no hassle
Easy process no hassle. I’m a lifer now.
S
sergio m.
2 months ago
It was an extremely easy process!
It was an extremely easy process!
T
terrell draper
2 months ago
The process took a few weeks
It took a few weeks to get approved, but they kept me informed entire process. Now that it’s done, it felt seamless in a way.
F
frank b.
2 months ago
Very easy application process
Very easy application process. Responsive customer service for any issues or questions. Fast turnaround time from application to policy in effect.
G
gary c.
2 months ago
This was very easy and the price was…
This was very easy and the price was great. Their rep Josh was readily available to answer any and all questions.
A
adi s
2 months ago
Seamless process
Seamless process
consumer-image
sunni chapman
2 months ago
Bravo Ladder for making buying peace of mind peaceful
The easiest, most pain-free, process to excellent life insurance coverage I have ever seen! Ultra clear and understandable coverage and peace of mind literally in minutes. Bravo Ladder for making the process of buying 'peace of mind' peaceful as well!
J
joseph g.
2 months ago
So easy
So easy! So Seamless! Great product!
S
shawna g.
2 months ago
Fast and simple
Fast, easy, straightforward, and reasonable
N
nick
2 months ago
Easy to sign up.
Easy to sign up.
c
customer
2 months ago
Quick/Easy
Quick, easy quote and activation of policy.
C
cara m.
2 months ago
Ladder
Ladder Ladder was extremely stubborn and made clear to me that my husband's life is worth more than mine by giving him more insurance coverage. I was deeply offended by this.
S
steve p.
2 months ago
Easy and Hassle Free
I had a great experience getting my term life insurance policy from Ladder. It was so easy to get my quote. And, Ladder did a great job of following up without being annoying. I would definitely recommend them to anyone interested in a hassle free process.
J
jonathan s.
2 months ago
I extremely happy with the phone calls…
I extremely happy with the phone calls and the emails I received recently about life insurance policy quote. Everything is perfect. Thanks.
C
carlos r.
2 months ago
Very affordable and good policy
Very affordable and good policy
J
j. patel
2 months ago
Easy to use
Easy to use. Great customer service if needed
D
denis b.
2 months ago
Amazing experience
Amazing experience, all the way around!
consumer-image
latonya elliott
2 months ago
easy to set up
easy to set up
V
verified buyer
2 months ago
easy online experience with limited red…
easy online experience with limited red tape and fair pricing.
C
charlotte menhennett
3 months ago
Ladder makes life insurance easy and…
Ladder makes life insurance easy and affordable
R
ricky h.
3 months ago
The lady i talked to was great at her…
The lady i talked to was great at her job, excellent customer service! I wish i would've signed up for a policy sooner.
J
jordan m.
3 months ago
Easy to set up and exactly what I was…
Easy to set up and exactly what I was looking for!
A
andrea f.
3 months ago
So easy and convenient.
So easy and convenient.
R
ronald b.
3 months ago
The fact that I could reduce my payments
The fact that I could reduce my payments
J
jonathon
3 months ago
Too Long
An extremely long review process that was starting my looking for another agency.
D
david a.
3 months ago
Easy to use and quick process.
Easy to use and quick process.
C
charizma m.
3 months ago
Liked how easy the estimate process was…
Liked how easy the estimate process was as well as how simple the terms are. Also really liked how I was able to communicate via text with Jackson, as this was sometimes easier than calling.
J
jw
4 months ago
Super easy and instant peace of mind!
Super easy and instant peace of mind is what you’ll get! Plus I’m an insurance agent for over 25 yrs too, imagine that.
C
callen calloway
4 months ago
Very simple
Very simple, quick and did what I wanted.
M
martin s.
4 months ago
Got insured in a couple of minutes
Got insured in a couple of minutes
S
steven kolb
4 months ago
Very understandable
Very understandable, coherent process; very informative; very easy-to-use format.
s
sarbjit s.
4 months ago
Best price and amazing service!
Best price and amazing service!
G
gage
4 months ago
It was just so easy
It was just so easy. Basically applications should be like this. Thank you
J
jared
4 months ago
Easy and simple
Easy and simple
Y
yolonda williams
4 months ago
The process was super easy
The process was super easy. The entire process took less than 10 minutes. I appreciated the option to pick a lower amount that was suggested in order to be more affordable for me on a monthly basis. The questions were simple and it was over in no time. Got the coverage I needed and it was a very smooth process.
J
jamar n.
4 months ago
Thank you for helping and securing my…
Thank you for helping and securing my life insurance policy the process was fast.
A
arthur luebano
4 months ago
It’s a pretty good insurance company
It’s a pretty good insurance company. I just wish to reach were a little better but all in all it’s great !!
S
scottie c.
4 months ago
Simple
The whole process was simple and and streight forward.
D
donna s.
4 months ago
Easy to use website and to apply for…
Easy to use website and to apply for life insurance. Great professionals to work with.
consumer-image
trevor clark-zamoider
4 months ago
Obtained information when I never applied!
Which is why Ladder processed a fraudulent release for a life insurance policy to a company called Milliman and obtained 15 pages of my medical information without my release. Then don't want to answer questions...hmm I did contact AG and Office of Civil rights for the Hipaa violation. In response to your reply: the application was fraudulent. You still processed it and obtained 15 pages you where not entitled to. Don't give me you verified any thing because your own 3 rd party verifier said you didn't at nexislexus. Nice try.dont worry several organizations are looking into it. You screwed up you own it.
consumer-image
m geiger
5 months ago
I’m worth a 100k! I feel pretty good about that!
Extremely easy and affordable. Wasn’t thinking about getting life insurance, but glad I did!
W
william w.
5 months ago
no meeting with agents
no meeting with agents, hassle free and priced affordable
M
mary s.
5 months ago
Easy and fast process to get a policy
Easy and fast process to get a policy, so far so good!
B
bevo bud
5 months ago
Too Easy!
Smooth process. Straight to the point!
M
michael
5 months ago
An easy and efficient process; no hassles.
An easy and efficient process; no hassles.
C
carlos c.
5 months ago
Super easy and what a great plan
Super easy and what a great plan. Definitely making me feel better
S
shauna r.
5 months ago
I had difficulties with another company…
I had difficulties with another company previously that left me feeling helpless. Ladder made me feel special!
c
customer
5 months ago
Quick and easy
Quick and easy! Straight forward.
T
tony v.
5 months ago
Texting is no an appropriate means of…
Texting is no an appropriate means of communication for discussions regarding life insurance. Ladder contacted me several times asking the same questions. I was asked to upload my drivers license 3 times. The whole process is broken and flawed.
L
leeron zion
5 months ago
Very easy quick and great service
Very easy quick and great service
B
bode o.
5 months ago
Life Insurance made simple
No barrier to complete my policy application and quick response to schedule a phone conversation with their representative for any questions.
J
julie t.
5 months ago
Ease of applying was super beneficial!!
Ease of applying was super beneficial!!
D
devin c.
5 months ago
The process was very easy and the price…
The process was very easy and the price is the best i have seen!
J
jody f.
5 months ago
Easy to complete
Quick and to the point.
A
ac
5 months ago
Well mapped out phone UI/UX
Well mapped out phone UI/UX. Direct and prompt questions. Easy process and decent pricing
Y
yasmeen
5 months ago
So easy
So easy! Best life insurance experience possible
E
elizabeth s.
5 months ago
It was quick
It was quick, simple and easy to apply.
R
rafael b.
5 months ago
Easy to enroll
Easy to enroll
K
karen duren
5 months ago
It was easy
It was easy. No forgetting passwords and multi-level identifications. A fairly seamless process.
J
john c.
5 months ago
It was simple and quick!
It was simple and quick!
D
dre
6 months ago
Straight to.the point insurance quote
Straight to.the point insurance quote. Easy application. Great experience
T
tim k.
6 months ago
Very simple and easy to use site & Great customer support
Very simple and easy to use site. Had one text from Josh who asked if I had any questions and when I asked my questions, his replies were straight to the point. No trying to upsell me on increased coverage, or anything. He was awesome!
S
sreedhar
6 months ago
Knowledge, Caring and Great Customer Service
My Experience was great right from day one. Ben was very Patient, knowledgeable and very helpful. I had so many questions and I was asking them one question at a time. Every time I asked a question he immediately answered it and followed it to make sure I completely understood and also was available to talk to me whenever I wanted to talk. My entire experience was great and customer service is top of the world. I would give 5 stars for Ben
B
brian f.
6 months ago
Had a little trouble figuring out…
Had a little trouble figuring out website but overall it was fairly easy.
C
candace hall
6 months ago
Very easy process
Easy and quick
R
ronald r.
6 months ago
Everything was laid out very well
Everything was laid out very well
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luke netjes
6 months ago
Quick and easy process providing peace of mind
The process was very quick and easy, and provides me with a great deal of comfort in the event that something happens to me. I am in the process of changing jobs, and my new employer has less generous life insurance benefits which necessitated this decision.
G
gg
6 months ago
Coordinators helpful; underwriting team difficult
Sophie was helpful, as much as she could be. But the underwriting process took entirely too long (over four months), and communication was scarce. The underwriting team made little to no attempt to make actual contact with the doctors to understand the context of the files, and mostly misinterpreted the doctors' analysis, confusing preventive care with treatment. I asked several times to arrange conversations between the u/w team and the doctors, and was declined. The process was long, arduous, and far more difficult than it should be -- and the worst part was that no one would pick up the phone when I called to try and expedite. Sophie was lovely and considerate as a coordinator, but unfortunately was not empowered to make any decisions other than acting as a go-between.
c
customer
6 months ago
I had a real person call me to follow…
I had a real person call me to follow up with how everything went and he answered all my questions
M
michelle r.
6 months ago
Easy to navigate
Easy to navigate. But I didn't give full 5 stars because there is no term life or full life option
C
christy e.
6 months ago
Applying was super easy
Applying was super easy
n
nicole leboeuf
6 months ago
So easy to set up!
So easy to set up!
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melissa may
6 months ago
Quick, Easy process w very competitive rates
Quick, easy process. I received instant decision. Provides way to see alternative options before finalizing. Very competitive rates. Agent was very helpful with my questions. Easy to set up a quick 15 min call and get your questions answered.
A
autumn h.
6 months ago
Easy breezy process
Easy breezy process. Good coverage for reasonable price.
c
cameron p.
6 months ago
It was great keep up the work
It was great keep up the work
J
jeff m.
6 months ago
Ease of use
Ease of use. I never thought it could be this easy.
P
phillip t.
6 months ago
The service was great!!
The service was great!!
J
john i.
6 months ago
So far the process is seamless
So far the process is seamless, although short of a total policy review I can not give an accurate review at this time.
c
customer
6 months ago
Easy application and they were very…
Easy application and they were very communicative throughout each step!
C
chad p.
6 months ago
Easy application
Easy application
A
amjad m.
6 months ago
Simple and easy
Simple and easy
R
ra
6 months ago
Very very slow process and poor…
Very very slow process and poor communication. However, their rates are competitive. What I worry about is whether I can get hold of them when I need to speak with someone once I have my policy in force.
J
jose m.
6 months ago
Easy process!
Easy process!
L
linda m.
6 months ago
Quick and easy to get a quote
Quick and easy to get a quote. Plus your quote was the best that I found.
N
nsc
6 months ago
Easier than ordering at Starbucks!
Easier than ordering at Starbucks!! Amazing rates and terms.
J
jaymey h.
6 months ago
Quick and easy application for…
Quick and easy application for affordable life insurance.