The Fidelity Life Association

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While many of Fidelity Life’s policies come with small face amounts and above-average premiums, they could be a viable option for older applicants looking for basic coverage without a medical exam.

A.M. Best

A-

BBB

A+

J.D. Power

N/A

The Good

  • Financial security
  • 30-day trial period
  • No exam coverage
  • Several riders
  • Excellent user experience

The Bad

  • Small face amounts
  • Expensive rates
  • Whole life age restrictions

Product Availability

Policy Types
  • Term
  • Whole
  • Final expense
  • Accidental
Riders
  • Accelerated death benefit
  • Accidental death benefit
  • Children’s insurance
  • Inflation
  • Return of premium

Review Breakdown

Overall

3.86

Price/Value

3.7

Financial Strength

2.2

User Experience

4.1

Product Availability

2.6

Brand/Size

3.1

Price/Value

When you buy life insurance, it’s important to choose the company that offers you the most value at the most competitive price.

Life insurance providers will base your rates on factors including your:

  • Age
  • Height and weight
  • Health
  • Family history
  • Lifestyle
  • Tobacco use

However, one company may weigh a risk factor more heavily than another, meaning your rates can vary depending on the provider.

Though they aren’t outrageously priced, Fidelity’s policies are not the most competitive for most applicants.

However, applicants in their 50s and 60s looking for smaller term policies may find Fidelity’s rates to be favorable.

Financial Strength

Another crucial consideration when you choose a life insurance carrier is financial strength.

You should choose a company with a solid outlook for the future, so you can have confidence that your policy will be paid out as promised.

Credit ratings are an invaluable tool for assessing how stable a life insurance company’s financial future looks.

Fidelity Life Association is not rated by Standard & Poor’s, Fitch, or Moody’s, which contributed to its low financial strength score.

However, the company has been awarded an “A-” from one of the most trusted independent rating agencies, A.M. Best.

This score suggests Fidelity is financially sound, giving it a positive outlook in the coming years.

The company also boasts over $420M in total assets, with a surplus of more than $130M.

User Experience

A life insurance company should make performing tasks easy, whether you’re researching the company, applying for a policy, or filing a claim.

One of Fidelity Life Association’s strongest selling points is its user experience.

To evaluate Fidelity’s user experience, we’ve explored their consumer ratings, online resources, and the application process.

Ratings

Just as credit ratings provide insight into a company’s financial strength, consumer ratings can paint a picture of a company’s customer experience.

Two of the most credible sources for gauging a life insurance company’s user experience are J.D. Power’s annual life insurance survey and the Better Business Bureau.

While Fidelity isn’t included in J.D. Power’s most recent study, it is highly rated by the BBB.

The Better Business Bureau gives Fidelity its highest rating of “A+” based on its business practices, transparency, and communication with customers.

Fidelity Life is also a 3-time winner of the Newsweek Customer Service Award.

Website

Fidelity’s website is incredibly easy to navigate, whether you’re a shopper, policyholder, or beneficiary.

Users can easily access info on Fidelity’s history, community engagement, and financial performance.

Prospective customers can also obtain quotes and find important coverage details for each of the company’s policies.

Most significantly, you can apply directly online for no-exam coverage.

Policyholders can easily manage their payments and update personal information and beneficiaries on the site, too.

Application

Fidelity’s online application is simple and user-friendly.

Depending on the type and amount of coverage you select, you may be able to apply completely online, getting covered in a few minutes’ time after answering some basic questions.

However, Fidelity’s medically underwritten policies will require you to answer additional medical questions and schedule a medical exam.

While underwriting could take up to a month, Fidelity is known for a quick turnaround time, meaning you could have a decision in a couple of days.

Product Availability

Fidelity Life offers a few types of policies, providing shoppers with both term and permanent options.

While universal coverage is missing from the lineup, Fidelity offers:

  • Term
  • Whole
  • Final expense
  • Accidental

Term

Fidelity offers three term life insurance products, referred to as Rapid Decision policies.

The Rapid Decision line is impressive, making Fidelity one of the strongest no exam life insurance carriers today.

Here’s a quick look at each policy.

RAPIDecision℠ Life

With RAPIDecision℠ Life, you can be approved for a no-exam term policy with a relatively high death benefit.

This policy comes with an instant decision based on your online application, with the following features:

  • Ages: 18-65
  • Term lengths: 10, 15, 20, and 30-year terms
  • Face amounts: $50,000-$1 million

RAPIDecision℠ Express

The  RAPIDecision℠ Express is similar to the RAPIDecision℠ Life, though it comes with smaller face amounts.

Here are some of the main features:

  • Ages: 18-65
  • Term lengths: 10, 15, 20, and 30-year terms
  • Face amounts: $25,000-$100,000

RAPIDecision℠ Senior Life Term

Targeting the needs of life insurance for senior citizens is the RAPIDecision℠ Senior Life Term, which is a modified death benefit term policy.

Here are a few of the key policy features:

  • Ages: 50-70
  • Term lengths: 10, 20, and 30-year terms
  • Face amounts: $10,000-$150,000

It’s important to note that Fidelity’s senior policy doesn’t pay the full benefit in the first three years of the policy’s activation.

Whole

Fidelity offers a whole life insurance product geared towards older applicants.

The RAPIDecision℠ Senior Whole Life is the most basic permanent policy offered by Fidelity.

Here are some of the main highlights:

  • Ages: 50-85
  • Face amounts: $10,000-$150,000
  • Level death benefit and premiums up to age 121

While occasional medical exams are required, most applicants can get issued coverage without one.

Since there is no medical underwriting on most policies, expect a full benefit only after the policy has been active for 3 years or more.

Final Expense

In addition to its term and whole offerings, Fidelity has guaranteed issue and final expense products targeted towards seniors.

RAPIDecision℠ Final Expense

RAPIDecision℠ Final Expense offers an immediate payout, while still giving you the convenience of fast approvals.

Though it shares many of the same features as the RAPIDecision℠ Senior Whole Life product, this policy is designed to cover final expenses.

As such, it comes with the following features:

  • Ages: 50-85
  • Face amounts: $5,000-$35,000
  • Level death benefit and premiums

Compared to other final expense companies, Fidelity offers a high amount of final expense coverage.

RAPIDecision℠ Guaranteed Issue

RAPIDecision℠ Guaranteed Issue is the best option for applicants who need final expense coverage and have health concerns limiting them from the permanent options above.

Fortunately, there are no health questions or exams, so you can’t be turned down as long as you meet minimum applicant requirements.

  • Ages: 50-85
  • Face amounts: Up to $25,000
  • Full death benefit after 3 years

Accidental

In addition to its traditional life insurance products, Fidelity offers some of the best accidental policies on the market.

The RAPIDecision℠ Accidental Death Benefit lets you secure a payout for your family if you die in an accident.

The death must be as a result of an accident, or it will not pay any benefits to your beneficiaries.

Here’s an overview of the policy’s basic features:

  • Ages: 20-59
  • Face amounts: $50,000-$300,000
  • Family and inflation riders

Accidental policies are more cost-effective than term life insurance, though the coverage is limited.

It could be a suitable option for applicants who can’t qualify for term life insurance, or those looking to supplement their other policies.

Brand/Size

Few companies predate the 1900s, but Fidelity Life is one of them.

In the modern-day life insurance market, Fidelity is one of the best life insurance companies within the U.S. for more than one product.

Originally a fraternal benefit society called Mystic Workers of the World, Fidelity Life was founded in 1896, offering coverage primarily to active workforce members.

In less than twenty years, membership in the organization had surpassed 50,000 and the company had more than $100 million of coverage in place. By 1930, it assumed the name it has today.

The 1950s marked an integral time period for Fidelity Life as it transitioned its business model to a mutual legal reserve, which it continued to operate and grow under for the next fifty years.

In 2005, it reorganized back to an independent one focusing heavily on keeping current in the everchanging life insurance industry.

2007 was another landmark year, as Fidelity Life converted to a stock-held life insurance company under the supervision and direction of the Members Mutual Holding Company, where it remains today.

More recently, in 2009, the parent company of Fidelity Life, Members Mutual Holding Company, acquired eFinancial, which allowed for further expansion and distribution channels.

Today, the company has over $31 billion of life insurance in force.

Philanthropy

Fidelity Life is also hailed for its community involvement. The company and its employees regularly volunteer and financially support initiatives across the country.

For example, the company has recently partnered with the following organizations:

  • Greater Chicago Food Depository
  • Heartland Alliance
  • Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation
  • National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Brand Recognition

Though Fidelity Life has been recognized by sources like Newsweek and the BBB for its customer experience, the company’s brand is not as well-known as some of its competitors.

Fidelity Life doesn’t appear to advertise on TV or Youtube to the extent that many competitors do, or have a major social media presence.

The company routinely posts on Facebook and Instagram, with a few hundred followers between the two platforms.

Fidelity Life also has an inactive Twitter account.

Regardless, the company has built a solid reputation for itself over the last century.

Consensus

Because life insurance is such a significant purchase, you should weigh multiple opinions before choosing a company.

To gauge the consensus around Fidelity Life, we’ve analyzed company and consumer reviews from across the industry.

Fidelity doesn’t always rank as one of the top life insurance companies, due to its limited policies and pricing for younger applicants.

However, it does rank high as a no exam carrier, as well as for seniors.

Paired with an exceptional customer experience and financial strength, Fidelity Life is a solid choice.

The Fidelity Life Association

Phone
(800) 369-3990
Address
8700 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Ste. 900S
Chicago, IL 60631

Company Name (and subsidiaries)

  • Legal Reserve Life Insurance Company (Parent)

Author:

Jason Fisher

Jason Fisher is the founder and CEO of BestLifeRates.org, LLC. and a multi-state licensed life insurance agent who has helped over a million Americans seek out affordable coverage, compare quotes, or get their family and businesses covered.