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10 Best Whole Life insurance

Looking for a whole life insurance policy that builds cash value and offers lifelong protection? Our expert-reviewed list ranks the best whole life insurance companies, covering both traditional whole life insurance with cash value growth and guaranteed issue life insurance for final expense needs. Compare policy riders, dividend potential, and coverage options to find the best fit for your goals.
#1 | Best Overall
Our Partner
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Visit Amplify's Official Page →
Invest Up to 90 % of Your Premiums for Tax‑Free Growth & Lifelong Protection
  • Tailor the split between investment and protection to your goals and risk tolerance with guided recommendations
  • Fast digital underwriting—applicants could receive coverage in days with no medical exam
  • Enjoy potential upside of up to 12 % per year, with a 0% floor that safeguards your cash value during market dips
  • Policy Amount varies by issuer
Policy AmountVaries by issuer
Medical ExamRequired
#2
Our Partner
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Visit Ethos' Official Page →
Skip Medical Exams—Get Lifetime Coverage in Minutes
  • Permanent life insurance up to $1M with cash value growth.
  • Tax-advantaged & safe from market downturns. 
  • Ideal for ages 25-50 with flexible premiums.
Policy Amount$50k-$1M
Medical ExamNot Required
#3
Our Partner
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Visit Corebridge's Official Site →
Quality Insurance Coverage Providing Cash Value
  • Dependable Lifetime Protection for Your Family
  • A Trusted Partner in Protection
  • Request a Free, Whole Life Insurance Quote
  • Policy Amount- $100k to $2M
Policy Amount$100k to $2M
Medical ExamRequired
#4
Our Partner
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Visit SelectQuote's Official Page →
Best for quick comparison of whole life options
  • Age Eligibility: Up to 85 years old
  • Allows easy comparison of policies from top-rated carriers
  • Access to licensed agents to guide you through the process
  • Policy Amount up to $40k
Policy AmountUp to $40,000
Medical ExamVaries by policy
#5
Our Partner
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Visit New York Life's Official Site →
  • Talk to an agent about the best coverage for your needs
  • Income tax-free death benefit
  • Convert some policies to long-term protection
  • Policy Amount starting at $50k

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Policy AmountStarting at $50k
Medical ExamRequired
Coverage basics

What Is Whole Life Insurance?

Permanent policies like whole life and universal life provide coverage that lasts your entire life and include a cash value component you can borrow against. They’re often used for estate planning, building wealth, or supporting a dependent with lifelong needs. Those benefits come at a higher cost, though — and they may be more than you need, especially if your main goal is protecting your income while raising a family or paying down debt.

Burial and Final Expense Coverage

For many older adults, the goal isn’t building wealth — it’s making sure loved ones aren’t left with the bill. That’s where guaranteed life insurance comes in. Also sold as final expense life insurance or burial insurance, it’s designed to cover end-of-life costs like funeral expenses, medical bills, and small outstanding debts. A burial insurance policy offers lifelong protection with guaranteed approval for most applicants between ages 50 and 85 — no medical exam, and fixed premiums that never increase. Coverage amounts are smaller, typically $2,000 to $50,000, which keeps final expense insurance affordable and the application simple.

Best for

Older adults who want to ease the financial burden on loved ones without the cost or complexity of a larger life insurance policy.

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Amplify Life Insurance

Amplify whole life insurance
Best for online buyers
Coverage
Apply
Carriers
Up to $5M
Online
A-rated

About Amplify

Amplify is a digital life-insurance platform (founded 2019) built around permanent, cash-value coverage you can shop for and buy entirely online. Rather than underwriting its own policies, it compares options from A-rated carriers and helps you treat a policy’s tax-advantaged cash value as a wealth-building tool — money you can borrow against, use to supplement retirement, or tap for major expenses while you’re still living.

Coverage highlights

  • Permanent coverage that builds tax-deferred cash value you can access during your lifetime
  • Shop, compare, and apply entirely online in minutes, with licensed agents on hand to help
  • Cash value you can borrow against for retirement income, college, or other major expenses
  • Policies placed with A-rated carriers such as Nationwide and National Life, with coverage up to $5 million

Considerations

  • Amplify is a brokerage, not an insurer — it doesn’t underwrite policies, so it carries no financial-strength rating of its own (the issuing carrier does)
  • Its focus is market-linked permanent policies like indexed and variable universal life; an IUL has a floor, but variable policies can lose value, and permanent coverage costs more than term
Eligibility

Geared toward buyers who want permanent coverage as a long-term, tax-advantaged savings vehicle — and who can commit to higher premiums than a term policy requires.

Underwriting

Underwriting is handled by the issuing carrier and varies by product. The online flow narrows your options and many applicants get a quick decision, with agent support whenever you want it.

Standout perk

A transparent, fully online experience that compares permanent policies from multiple carriers in one place — and lets you estimate your potential cash value before you apply.

Best for

You, if you want to buy permanent, cash-value life insurance online and use it as a tax-advantaged way to build and access wealth — not just leave a death benefit.

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Ethos Universal Life Insurance

Best for no-exam coverage
Coverage
Term lengths
Carrier rating
Up to $3M
10–30 yrs
A-rated

About Ethos

Ethos is a digital life insurance platform founded in 2016 that lets you shop, apply, and get covered entirely online. Rather than underwriting policies itself, it matches you with coverage from established carriers like Legal & General America, Ameritas, and TruStage — pairing big-name backing with a modern, paperwork-free experience.

Coverage highlights

  • Term life plus simplified-issue and guaranteed-acceptance whole life options
  • Free will and estate-planning tools included with your coverage
  • 30-day money-back guarantee and no cancellation fees
  • An optional fully underwritten path for lower rates or higher coverage amounts

Considerations

  • Ethos matches you to a carrier rather than acting as the insurer, so your policy is issued and paid by that partner
  • No-exam whole life is limited, typically up to about $30,000
Eligibility

U.S. citizens and permanent residents ages 20–85, in D.C. and every state except New York. Term coverage is available for ages 20–65, with guaranteed-issue whole life for ages 66–85.

Underwriting

No medical exam on standard policies — you answer a few health questions online, and many applicants receive a decision within minutes and can activate coverage the same day.

Standout perk

One application, multiple carriers. Ethos shops several insurers behind the scenes and matches you with the best fit, so you don’t have to apply to each company separately.

Best for

You, if you want to get covered quickly and entirely online, with established carriers standing behind your policy.

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Corebridge Direct Whole Life Insurance

Corebridge Direct Whole Life Insurance
Best for guaranteed acceptance
Coverage
Approval
AM Best
$100K–$2M
Guaranteed
A (Excellent)

About Corebridge Direct

Corebridge Direct is the direct-to-consumer arm of Corebridge Financial (formerly AIG's life and retirement business), with policies issued by American General Life. Its Whole Life Insurance is permanent coverage designed to protect your loved ones for a lifetime while building cash value you can tap during your own — a policy that stays in force as long as premiums are paid, with a rate that's locked in from the start.

 

Coverage highlights

  • Permanent protection that can cover you for your entire life, as long as premiums are paid
  • Builds cash surrender value over the life of the policy that accumulates over time
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Considerations

  • Premiums are typically higher than comparable Universal Life coverage, in part because the cost is fixed for the life of the policy and never varies
  • Policy loans and accrued interest reduce the death benefit if they aren't repaid, and loans on a policy classified as a modified endowment contract may trigger income tax and, before age 59½, a possible 10% penalty
Eligibility

Open to applicants ages 50–80, with acceptance guaranteed in that range — you can’t be declined for health reasons. Offered in 49 states (not available in New York).

Underwriting

No medical exam and no health questionnaire. Your rate is based only on age, gender, and the coverage amount you choose — your health doesn’t affect the price.

Standout perk

A fully online application most people finish in about 15 minutes, with guaranteed approval and nothing to schedule.

Best for

You, if you want permanent, lifelong coverage with a premium that never changes and the added benefit of cash value you can borrow against down the road. Whether your goal is protecting your family long-term, leaving a legacy, or simply having coverage you'll never outgrow.

 
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SelectQuote Whole Life Insurance

Select Quote Whole Life Insurance
Best for comparing carriers
Founded
Carriers
Apply
1985
A-rated
Agent-led

About SelectQuote

SelectQuote is one of the largest independent life-insurance brokerages in the U.S., in business since 1985. It doesn’t issue policies itself — instead, its licensed agents compare quotes from a network of A-rated carriers and help you apply. For permanent coverage, that usually means whole life or final-expense policies built to leave a guaranteed death benefit and, depending on the carrier, grow cash value over time.

Coverage highlights

  • Licensed agents compare whole life and final-expense quotes from a network of A-rated carriers, so you can shop several insurers at once
  • Whole life options come with a guaranteed death benefit, level premiums, and cash value that grows over time — with the specifics set by the issuing carrier
  • Final-expense (burial) policies for seniors are often available with no medical exam, helpful if health has limited your options elsewhere
  • Backed by nearly 40 years in business as one of the largest independent brokerages, with carrier partners such as Mutual of Omaha

Considerations

  • SelectQuote is a brokerage, not an insurer — it doesn’t underwrite policies or carry a financial-strength rating of its own, so coverage details, riders, and your rate come from the issuing carrier
  • Its strength is fast quote comparison from a limited pool of carriers; for highly customized permanent or cash-value strategies, a dedicated whole-life specialist may offer more options
Eligibility

Open to a wide range of ages and needs across its carrier network, including final-expense coverage aimed at seniors who want a simpler path to a smaller policy.

Underwriting

Underwriting is set by the carrier you choose, so medical-exam requirements, health classes, and approval times vary — some final-expense policies skip the exam entirely.

Standout perk

One conversation with a licensed agent surfaces side-by-side quotes from several A-rated carriers — handy if you’d rather compare options than research insurers one by one.

Best for

You, if you’d rather have a licensed agent compare whole life or final-expense quotes from several A-rated insurers at once, instead of shopping each carrier on your own.

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New York Life Whole Life Insurance

New York Life Insurance
Best for dividend history
Coverage
Dividends
AM Best
Lifelong
Since 1854
A++ (highest)

About New York Life

New York Life is one of the largest and longest-running mutual life insurers in the U.S., owned by its policyowners rather than outside shareholders. It’s the country’s leading provider of participating whole life insurance and has paid dividends to eligible whole life policyowners every year since 1854 — pairing permanent protection with guaranteed, tax-deferred cash-value growth.

Coverage highlights

  • Guaranteed death benefit with premiums that stay level for life once your policy is set
  • Cash value guaranteed to grow tax-deferred, with dividends (when declared) able to boost it further
  • Dividends can purchase paid-up additions that grow both your coverage and cash value at no added premium
  • Flexible premium options, including limited-pay (such as 10- or 20-year) to build cash value faster

Considerations

  • Sold through a New York Life agent, so you can’t complete a policy entirely online
  • Dividends aren’t guaranteed, and as permanent coverage whole life costs more than comparable term insurance
Eligibility

Open to a broad range of ages, with juvenile policies available too — starting young locks in insurability and gives cash value more time to grow.

Underwriting

Whole life is medically underwritten, so your premium reflects your age, health, coverage amount, and any riders — though some newer policies offer expedited, no-exam underwriting.

Standout perk

A record $2.78 billion in dividends declared for 2026, paid to eligible participating whole life policyowners — continuing a payout streak that reaches back to 1854.

Best for

You, if you want permanent coverage from a top-rated mutual insurer with one of the longest dividend track records in the industry, plus cash value that’s guaranteed to grow.