Frequently Asked Questions

A common starting point is 10-12x your annual income, but the real number depends on your debts, your mortgage, how many years your kids still need support, and what you want to leave behind. We walk you through a 5-minute needs analysis so the number is yours, not a guess pulled from a chart.

Term covers you for a set window (10, 20, or 30 years) and is the cheapest way to protect a young family or a mortgage. Whole life costs more but lasts your entire life and builds cash value you can borrow against. Most families we work with start with term and layer in a smaller whole life policy for legacy or final expenses.

You fill out a short form, we shop your profile across our carrier panel, and you get real numbers — not estimates — usually within the same business day. There's no obligation, no hard credit pull, and no one will pressure you to buy on the call.

Often, no. Many of our carriers offer accelerated underwriting for healthy applicants under 60, which means you skip the exam and get a decision in days using prescription history and motor vehicle records. If an exam is needed, it's free and they come to your home.

If you qualify for accelerated underwriting, coverage can be in force within 24-72 hours of approval. Traditional underwriting with a paramed exam typically takes 3-6 weeks. Either way, your policy isn't active until you accept it and pay the first premium.

No. Life insurance applications use a soft inquiry that doesn't affect your credit score. Carriers also pull from the MIB and prescription databases, which are separate from credit bureaus.

Because the families we serve deserve someone who understands their reality. Veterans have benefits and gaps the average agent doesn't know how to navigate. Minority families have historically been underinsured and oversold — we built VeraLife specifically to fix both problems.

We're independent, so we shop multiple A-rated carriers instead of pushing one company's product. We're education-first — you'll understand exactly what you're buying before we ever ask you to sign. And we don't work on commission pressure: if term is right for you, we'll quote term.

Never. Your data is used to quote and underwrite your policy, period. We don't sell leads, share your info with marketing partners, or hand your number off to a call center.

We're licensed in most U.S. states and adding more. If you start a quote and we can't write in your state, we'll tell you upfront and point you to a vetted resource — not pass you off.

We work with a panel of A and A+ rated carriers including major names you'd recognize. We pick the carrier based on your health profile, age, and goals — not based on who pays us the most.

SGLI ends 120 days after separation, so the real question is what replaces it. For most veterans, a private term policy is cheaper per dollar of coverage than VGLI, especially if you're under 50 and in good health. We'll run both numbers side-by-side so you can see the actual difference.

VGLI lets you convert your SGLI to a renewable term policy without a medical exam if you apply within 240 days of separation. It's a great safety net if you have health issues that would make private coverage expensive — but if you're healthy, private term almost always beats VGLI on price.

Yes. Service-connected disability ratings don't automatically disqualify you, and they don't affect price the way many vets assume. The underwriting looks at your actual health conditions, not your VA rating. We've placed coverage for vets with PTSD, TBI, sleep apnea, and orthopedic ratings — it's about finding the right carrier.

Frequent moves, deployments, and dual-income transitions all change the math. We factor in BAH, pension vesting timelines, and survivor benefits like DIC and SBP so your private coverage fills the actual gap — not the imagined one.

VALife is a guaranteed-acceptance whole life product with a max benefit of $40,000 and a 2-year waiting period before full coverage. It's a useful backstop for veterans who can't qualify elsewhere, but for most families it's not enough on its own.

Your beneficiary is whoever receives the death benefit. You can name a person, multiple people with percentages, or a trust — and you can change it any time by submitting a form to the carrier. Keep it current after marriages, divorces, and births.

Every policy has a grace period — usually 30-31 days — where coverage stays in force. Miss the grace period and the policy lapses, but most carriers allow reinstatement within a few months without new underwriting. Tell us early if money is tight; there are almost always options.

If you have a permanent policy (whole or universal life) with cash value, yes. You can borrow against the cash value tax-free, and you set your own repayment pace. Term policies don't build cash value, so there's nothing to borrow against.

Every life insurance policy comes with a free look window — usually 10 to 30 days after delivery — where you can cancel for a full refund, no questions asked. Use that time to read the policy and call us with anything that's unclear.

Your premium and coverage are locked in at issue. A heart attack, cancer diagnosis, or new prescription after your policy is in force does not raise your rate or cancel your coverage. That's the whole point of locking it in while you're healthy.

They submit a certified death certificate and a claim form to the carrier. Most claims are paid within 14-30 days. We also stay on call to walk your family through the process — that's part of what you're buying.