Ethos Life Insurance Quote

Updated November 12, 202614 min read

An Ethos Life Insurance Quote shows your monthly price, your coverage amount, and the benefits that come with the policy, often in about 10 minutes and without a medical exam. This page shows sample Ethos rates, what determines your price, and what your quote can include, so you know exactly what you are looking at before you buy.

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Written ByLicensed & Reviewed

Aaron PolkAaron Polk founded Golden Shield Life Insurance after a 2007 accident showed him how fast a steady life can change. He is a licensed independent agent in Atlanta with a background in medical underwriting, and he compares 130+ insurance companies to find coverage that fits.Read more on LinkedIn

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Key Takeaways

A healthy 40-year-old may pay around $29 to $38 a month for $500,000 of 20-year Ethos term coverage.3
Your quote is free, takes about 10 minutes, and does not commit you to buy. Approval and the date your coverage starts depend on underwriting.
Ethos Term – Choice can let eligible applicants access up to 90% of the death benefit after a qualifying critical, chronic, or terminal illness, at no extra cost.1
Ethos estimates that rates can rise about 8% to 12% for each year you wait, so applying sooner usually means a lower price.4
Ethos policies come with a 30-day money-back period, subject to the policy and state terms.7

Sample Prices

Ethos Life Insurance Rates

These published examples show what healthy nonsmokers paid each month for a $500,000, 20-year Ethos term policy. Your exact price comes from your own answers on the Ethos questionnaire.3

Age	Man	Woman
30	$22.59	$16.86
40	$38.39	$28.69
50	$89.08	$69.57
60	$297.79	$186.37

Ethos Life Insurance Quotes by Age

Life insurance rates generally increase as we get older, with premiums rising more noticeably after age 45 or 50. Purchasing coverage at a younger age can help you lock in lower monthly premiums and save money over the life of your policy.

Ethos 10-Year Term Life Insurance Rates

Ethos 10-year term life insurance is one of the options I recommend comparing in 2026 and 2027, especially for people who want $1 million in coverage without committing to a longer term. From my experience working with Ethos, its simple online application and no-medical-exam options for many applicants make it worth considering, but I always encourage clients to compare rates before applying.

What Ethos Term Life Costs per Day

One thing I appreciate about Ethos is how it breaks down term life insurance rates into daily costs, helping clients see just how affordable coverage can be. As the chart shows, a healthy, non-smoking 40-year-old woman could qualify for $1 million in 20-year term coverage for approximately $1.71 per day, subject to underwriting.

How Does an Ethos Life Insurance Quote Work?

Price and Coverage

Your monthly premium
Your coverage amount
Your term length, or lifetime coverage for whole life

The Insurance Company

The carrier that issues your policy
That carrier pays your claim, not Ethos
Which Ethos product you qualified for

Your Benefits

Whether living benefits are included
Optional riders, such as accidental death
Estate planning tools on eligible policies

Price Shop 100% Online
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We Can Do It for You

Buying life insurance can feel confusing. Ethos walks you through the questions online, one screen at a time, or we can quote you live online, over the phone, or in person at no cost.

Living Benefits: let you use part of your death benefit while you are still alive if you have a qualifying critical, chronic, or terminal illness.
Death Benefit: the money paid to your beneficiaries when you pass away, generally free of federal income tax.
Rider: an optional feature that adds to or changes what your policy covers.
Accidental Death: an optional rider that pays your family an extra amount, on top of the death benefit, if you pass away from a covered accident. It usually adds only a small amount to your monthly price.
Whole Life: often called permanent life insurance, designed to cover you for life as long as premiums are paid.
Term Life Insurance: covers you for a set number of years, such as 10, 20, or 30. It is one of the most affordable ways to buy a larger amount of coverage.

Got any questions about a word? Here is our life insurance glossary.

Step 1: Tell Ethos What the Coverage Is For

Start by picking what you want to protect, such as your family’s income, your home, or final expenses. This helps Ethos suggest an amount that fits your life.

Step 2: Tell Ethos Who Depends on You

Ethos asks who depends on you financially, such as a spouse, children, or parents. Your answer helps Ethos build a policy around you and your family.

Step 3: Add Your Mortgage Balance

If you own a home, Ethos asks how much you still owe. That way your coverage can be large enough to pay off the house if something happens to you.

Step 4: Pick Your Coverage and See Your Rate Live

Choose how much coverage you want and how many years you want it to last. Ethos shows the price you may qualify for right on the screen, and it changes as you move the amount up or down.

Step 5: Check Out and Get Covered

If you are approved, pay your first premium online and your coverage can start once the policy is issued. You still have 30 days to change your mind for a refund.

What You Will Need

To Apply

Your driver’s license number
Your Social Security number
Your cell phone
Your beneficiary’s name
A list of your current medications

To Purchase Your Policy

Your bank routing number
Your bank account number
The coverage amount and term you want

What Determines Your Ethos Price

Your Options

Coverage amount: more coverage generally costs more each month
Term length: a 10-year term generally costs less than a 30-year term
Timing: Ethos estimates rates can rise about 8% to 12% for each year you wait4
Nicotine: quit for 12 months and you may qualify for nonsmoker rates5

Underwriting

Age: every birthday raises the price of new coverage
Health history: past and current conditions and prescriptions
Height and weight
Driving record and lifestyle

Waiting has a real cost. In an Ethos example, a 40-year-old nonsmoking man could get a 20-year, $1 million policy for $792 a year. At 41, the same policy rises to $876, and at 42, to $972.4

Tobacco has an even bigger effect. Smoker rates can be 2 to 3 times higher than nonsmoker rates, and use in the last 12 months usually counts, including vaping, cigars, chewing tobacco, nicotine gum or patches, and often marijuana.5

Coverage through work rarely closes the gap. Employer life insurance is typically far less than the 10 times your income that experts recommend, and it may end if you leave your job.6

What Your Price Buys

Benefits That Can Come With an Ethos Quote

What you can add depends on the policy, the issuing insurance company, and your state.

Living Benefits

Ethos Term – Choice, issued by Ameritas, includes a Critical, Chronic and Terminal Illness Accelerated Benefits rider at no extra cost for eligible applicants. After a qualifying diagnosis, you may be able to access up to 90% of your death benefit while you are still living.1

Death Benefit

If you pass away while your policy is active, your beneficiaries receive the death benefit. They can use it to pay the mortgage, replace your income, clear debts, or cover final expenses.

Accidental Death Rider

Some Ethos policies let you add an accidental death benefit rider for an extra cost. If you pass away from a covered accident, your beneficiaries receive an additional amount on top of the base death benefit.

Estate Planning Tools

Eligible Ethos policies include online estate planning tools, such as a legal will, at no extra cost. Ethos values these tools at $898.6

30-Day Money-Back Period

If you change your mind within 30 days, you can cancel for a refund, subject to the policy’s terms.7 If you find a better written offer in that time, we can compare it for you.

Level Premiums

With term life, your monthly price is set for the length of the term. With whole life, it is set for life. Your rate does not rise as you get older.

Free Ethos Estate Planner

Ethos provides a free estate planning package with eligible client policies, a benefit that typically costs around $898.6 It includes a Legal Will, Living Trust, Power of Attorney, Medical Consent, and Healthcare Directive, making it a great fit for families, parents, homeowners, and anyone who wants to protect their wishes and make things easier for the people they care about.

See the 18 qualifying conditions for Ethos living benefits

Terminal illness: a life expectancy of 12 months or less.

Chronic illness: unable to perform at least two of six activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring, continence) for at least 90 days, or a severe cognitive impairment.

Critical illness: diagnosis of one of the following.

Invasive life-threatening cancer
Major heart attack
Stroke
Major organ transplant
End-stage renal failure
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery
Heart valve replacement
Aortic aneurysm
ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Paralysis of two or more limbs
Coma
Major burns
Blindness due to diabetes
Aplastic anemia
Benign brain tumor

How Ethos Living Benefits Work

Living benefits are one of the most misunderstood parts of a life insurance quote. Here is how a claim works with Ethos Term – Choice, step by step.

Step 1
You are diagnosed with a qualifying illness
It must be one of the terminal, chronic, or critical conditions listed in the policy.
Step 2
You contact Ethos
Call Ethos support at (888) 384-6754, or call us and we will help you start the claim.
Step 3
The insurance company confirms the diagnosis
Expect to provide medical records from your doctor.
Step 4
You receive an offer
The amount is based on how serious the condition is and how it affects your life expectancy, up to 90% of the death benefit.
Step 5
You choose how much to take
Accept the full amount or only part of it, and use the money for anything: medical bills, the mortgage, lost income, or time with family.
Step 6
Your policy continues
The death benefit is reduced and you pay a new, lower premium until the end of the term.1

How the Numbers Work: An Ethos Example

Here is how a living benefit can play out in real life. At 35, a man bought a $500,000, 20-year Ethos Term – Choice policy. Five years later, he was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer and had to take months off work for treatment.

The money did not depend on how long he had owned the policy. It became available once the insurance company reviewed his medical records and confirmed the cancer was a qualifying diagnosis.

His death benefit	$500,000
What he had paid in premiums	$2,464.20
Death benefit he chose to accelerate (90%)	$450,000
Cash paid to him while living	$136,337.63
Still left for his family	$50,000
His new monthly premium	$12.21

After paying about $2,500 in premiums, he received over $136,000 to cover medical bills, the mortgage, and everyday living costs while he could not work.

Why is the check smaller than the $450,000 he accelerated? Because he got the money years early. The insurance company pays a discounted amount based on how the illness affects life expectancy. A more serious diagnosis generally means a larger payment. His family still has $50,000 of coverage, and his monthly price dropped to $12.21.1

Is a Living Benefit Worth Having?

It Matters Most If

Your household depends on your income
Cancer, heart disease, or stroke runs in your family
You do not have a large emergency fund
You have no disability or long-term care coverage

It Matters Less If

You have strong savings to cover a serious illness
You already carry disability or long-term care insurance
Your family will need the full death benefit no matter what

With Ethos Term – Choice, the living benefit rider is included at no extra cost for eligible applicants, so the real question is not whether to buy it, but when it makes sense to use it. Payments from accelerated death benefits for terminal or chronic illness may be tax-free; ask a tax professional about your situation.

Ethos Consumer Guide

View & Print the Ethos Living Benefits Guide →

Which Ethos Policy Should You Quote?

Term life is generally the most affordable way to buy a larger amount of coverage for a set period. Whole life is designed to last for life as long as premiums are paid. Many families use both.

Ethos Term Life – Prime

Ages 20 to 65
$100,000 up to $3 million2
Terms from 10 to 40 years
Best rates for healthier applicants

Ethos Term Life – Choice

Ages 20 to 65
$10,000 up to $1 million2
Terms from 10 to 30 years
Living benefits for eligible applicants

Guaranteed Acceptance Whole Life

Ages 45 to 80
$2,000 to $25,0002
No health questions
Graded death benefit in the first two policy years

Ethos Consumer Guides

View & Print the Ethos Term and Whole Life Guide →Ver y descargar la guía en español →

Why We Trust Ethos

Ethos is a legitimate, licensed company with strong customer reviews, and it has been a good fit for many of our clients. In our experience, Ethos has approved clients that none of our other insurance companies would. If another company has told you no, an Ethos quote is worth a look.

Ethos holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), reflecting its commitment to addressing customer concerns and maintaining strong business practices.

See what real customers say, the ratings Ethos has earned, and how claims get paid on our Ethos Life Insurance Reviews page.

Ethos Life Insurance Quote FAQs

Is an Ethos quote free?

Yes. Checking your Ethos price is free, and seeing your quote does not commit you to buy a policy.

How long does an Ethos quote take?

Most people finish the questions in about 10 minutes. Finishing the quote is not the same as approval: some applicants get a decision the same day, others need more review, and coverage starts only after you are approved and the policy is issued.

Do I need a medical exam to get an Ethos quote?

Many applicants do not. Ethos uses your answers and records such as prescription history to make a decision, so most people never schedule a nurse visit or bloodwork.

Is the price on my quote final?

The price you see is based on your answers. Your final rate and eligibility are confirmed by underwriting, so answering every question accurately is the best way to make sure the price holds.

Can I change my coverage after I see my price?

Yes. Before you check out, you can raise or lower the coverage amount or change the term length to fit your budget.

Why does Ethos ask for my Social Security number?

Your Social Security and driver’s license numbers are used to confirm your identity and review records such as prescription history and driving record. That is how many applicants skip the medical exam.

What if Ethos declines me or the price is too high?

You still have options. Golden Shield Life Insurance compares 130+ carriers, including companies that work with health conditions and guaranteed issue life insurance with no health questions. Call us at (678) 884-4653.

Can I get an Ethos quote in New York?

No. Ethos coverage is not currently available in New York.8 Golden Shield Life Insurance can help you compare other carriers instead.

How much does $500,000 of Ethos term life insurance cost?

In published sample rates for a $500,000, 20-year Ethos term policy, a healthy 40-year-old nonsmoker paid about $29 a month for a woman and $38 a month for a man. Your price depends on your age, health, and underwriting, and may be higher.

Can a licensed broker help me with my Ethos quote?

Yes. Golden Shield Life Insurance is an appointed Ethos agent. We can walk you through your Ethos quote, explain the benefits, and compare it with other insurance companies at no cost. Call us at (678) 884-4653.

Free · Real Person · No Pressure

Have Any Questions You Want to Discuss?

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☎ Call Now: (678) 884-4653

Help reading your Ethos quote
Plain answers about living benefits
Help picking the right coverage amount
No obligation to buy

Aaron PolkFounder & Licensed Agent, Golden Shield Life Insurance

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DisclaimerView

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. This page is reviewed and updated as Ethos products, rates, and benefits change.

Facts on This Page Are Supported By

1Ethos, Term – Choice with Living Benefits from Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. Form ETC-LB-0524. Supports the up to 90% acceleration, the 18 qualifying conditions, the claim steps, the fee, and the illustration. Living Benefits Guide (PDF)
2Ethos Consumer Product Guides. Term and whole life ages, coverage amounts, terms, and graded benefit periods. Effective 2026. Term and Whole Life Guide (PDF)
3NerdWallet, Ethos Life Insurance Review 2026. Sample monthly rates for a $500,000, 20-year term policy, super preferred nonsmokers, generated October 15, 2025. nerdwallet.com
4Ethos, The Cost of Waiting. Rates as of March 26, 2026, citing Investopedia and Forbes. Supports the 8% to 12% yearly increase and the $792, $876, and $972 example. The Cost of Waiting (PDF)
5Ethos, Life Insurance for Smokers (2026). Supports smoker rates of 2 to 3 times nonsmoker rates and the 12-month nicotine lookback. Life Insurance for Smokers (PDF)
6Ethos, Life Insurance and Estate Planning (2026). Supports the $898 estate planning value and the employer coverage comparison.
7Ethos, The Life Insurance Free Look Period. Supports the money-back period of up to 30 days after a policy begins. ethos.com
8Ethos, Licenses. Lists the states where Ethos is licensed. New York is not listed. Accessed October 2026. ethos.com/licenses