You’re comparing Ethos and Globe Life. Let’s make the decision a little easier.
Both can let you apply for life insurance without a medical exam. Both have online applications. Both are designed to make buying life insurance simpler than going through a traditional, fully underwritten application.
But the similarities end pretty quickly.
Ethos and Globe Life are built around very different approaches to buying life insurance.
Why?
Globe Life is an insurance company offering its own products directly to consumers.
Ethos is a technology and distribution platform that works with multiple life insurance companies. Instead of limiting you to one company’s products, Ethos can evaluate you for available products from participating carriers through one digital, online application. Ethos currently says they can offer up to $2 million in coverage, depending on the product and applicant.
That difference matters.
If you simply want a relatively small amount of coverage and like the idea of buying directly from a company you already know, Globe Life may look familiar and straightforward.
If you’re looking for a straightforward, online life insurance experience, this is where you can try Ethos for yourself. See what coverage and pricing you may qualify for, and if you’re comfortable with what you find, you can move forward with coverage right then.
What Is the Difference Between Ethos and Globe Life?
The easiest way to understand the difference is this:
Globe Life is one insurance company selling its own products. Ethos is a platform that connects consumers with life insurance products issued by participating insurance companies.
Ethos currently partners only with highly regarded amd established carriers including Banner Life, Protective, North American, TruStage and Ameritas, among others. Ethos handles the technology and application experience; the participating insurance companies actually issue the policies.
That gives Ethos something Globe Life’s direct-to-consumer operation does not have in the same way:
multiple insurance companies and multiple product possibilities behind one application.
That does not mean every applicant will qualify for every product.
It means there can be more than one potential path to an offer.
And that can be important when your health, age, coverage needs or other underwriting factors don’t fit one particular insurer’s rules.
Which Is Easier to Apply For?
Both are relatively easy compared with a traditional life insurance application.
Globe Life says its term application can be completed online in minutes and does not require a medical exam.
Ethos also uses a fully online application. It asks health and personal questions, and you can apply without talking to an agent if you don’t want to. Ethos says applicants can get initial quotes immediately and complete the application online.
So if the question is simply:
“Can I apply online without talking to somebody?”
The answer is yes for both.
But Ethos gives you another advantage.
The application is designed to work across participating products and carriers rather than making you start over with another insurance company every time one particular product doesn’t fit.
That is one of the biggest practical differences between the two.
If you’re relatively healthy, know how much coverage you want, and prefer handling the process online, Ethos may be worth trying. You can see what it offers you without having to start with a phone call or an appointment.
Which One Gives You More Chances to Find an Offer?
This is where the difference becomes much more important.
Imagine you apply directly to one insurance company.
That company evaluates your application according to its own products and underwriting rules. If the product you’re applying for isn’t available to you, there isn’t another insurance company automatically sitting behind that application waiting to offer you something different.
With Ethos, the platform is connected to multiple participating carriers and products.
Ethos says its technology is designed to help find the appropriate policy type and can eliminate the need to shop around and apply with multiple carriers separately.
Think of it this way:
One application can open the door to more than one possibility.
If one available product isn’t a fit, another product or carrier may be available based on your information.
You don’t have to fill out a brand-new application simply because the first possibility doesn’t work.
That does not mean Ethos guarantees approval.
It means the structure gives you more opportunities to find a product that fits than applying to just one company’s product lineup.
What Happens If the First Option Doesn’t Work?
This is one of the most useful things to understand about the Ethos model.
You don’t necessarily have to start over.
Ethos uses technology to evaluate the information you provide and other electronic data to match applicants with available products and underwriting requirements. Its platform is specifically designed to reduce the need to shop around and submit separate applications to multiple carriers.
Think of it as having several possibilities available behind one application.
If the first available option isn’t a fit, another may be considered.
You don’t need to know which carrier is being considered at every step.
You don’t need to call another insurance company.
And you don’t need to fill out another application simply because one option isn’t available.
The goal is to get you to an actual offer from an available insurer.
If that approach sounds like it could work for you, this is a good point to try Ethos for yourself. See what options are available to you through the application, and if you find coverage that fits what you’re looking for, you can move forward with it.
Which Is Faster?
This is another significant difference.
Ethos is built around rapid, digitally driven underwriting.
Ethos currently says about 90% of applicants receive an instant decision, with policies available up to $2 million through its agent platform.
Ethos also says that if an application is approved, the policy can be issued right away.
That doesn’t mean every application is approved instantly.
Some applications still require additional review.
But the basic idea is that you can know where you stand very quickly.
Globe Life also offers an online application with no medical exam, but its direct-to-consumer process is not built around the same multi-carrier instant-decision model.
So if speed and immediate feedback are high on your list, Ethos has a meaningful difference here.
What Will I See When I Apply With Ethos?
This is important because some people hear “multiple carriers” and imagine that they will have to sort through a dozen insurance companies themselves.
You don’t.
The technology does much of that work behind the scenes.
You answer the questions. The available products are evaluated based on the information you provide.
If you’re offered coverage, you’ll be able to see the important details, including the insurance company, product, coverage amount and premium.
Then you decide whether you want to buy it.
You are not required to talk to an agent just because you used Ethos. Ethos specifically says you can apply without talking to an agent if you prefer.
Some people want an agent involved.
Some people absolutely do not.
Ethos allows you to choose.
How Much Coverage Can You Get?
This is one of the biggest differences between Ethos and Globe Life.
Globe Life’s current direct-to-consumer term offering advertises up to $100,000 of coverage.
Globe Life also offers whole life, with coverage amounts advertised up to $50,000 on its current whole-life page.
Ethos operates at a substantially larger range.
Its current agent-facing materials say the platform offers up to $2 million in face value, depending on the product and applicant. It also offers term lengths of 10, 15, 20 and 30 years.
That’s a substantial difference.
If you need $25,000 or $50,000 of coverage for a specific final-expense need, a smaller policy may be enough.
But if you’re trying to protect a spouse, replace years of income, cover a mortgage, protect children or provide substantial financial protection for your family, $100,000 may not come close to what you actually need.
That’s where the broader range available through Ethos becomes important.
Ethos is comfortable with relatively small policies, but it can also handle substantially larger amounts of coverage.
And that is something consumers should understand before assuming that a familiar life insurance brand represents the entire market.
Does Ethos Offer Level-Term Life Insurance?
Yes.
Ethos currently lists level-term life insurance among the products available through its platform. It offers term lengths of 10, 15, 20 and 30 years.
For many people, this is the type of coverage they are actually looking for.
With a level-term policy, the goal is generally straightforward:
You choose a coverage amount and a term.
The death benefit stays level during the term, and the premium is designed to remain level according to the policy terms.
That can make budgeting much easier than a policy where the premium increases as you get older.
But again, the specific product available to you depends on your age, health, state, coverage amount and underwriting results.
What About Globe Life’s Term Insurance?
Globe Life’s direct-to-consumer term product is a different type of proposition.
Globe Life advertises up to $100,000 of term coverage, no medical exam and a simple online application.
Its current materials also explain that the term rate schedule is based on age and is guaranteed according to the policy’s rate schedule.
That distinction matters.
A policy can have a level death benefit without having a level premium for the entire period you’re thinking about.
So when comparing life insurance, don’t look only at the words “term life.”
Look at how the premium changes over time.
A policy that looks inexpensive when you first apply may not be the same value as a level-premium term policy that costs more initially but keeps the premium level throughout the term.
What About Globe Life’s Whole Life?
Globe Life does offer whole life insurance.
The current whole-life product advertises coverage amounts from $5,000 through $50,000. Globe Life says the premium is based on your age when the policy is issued and stays the same for life, assuming the policy remains in force. It also builds cash value.
That can make sense for someone whose primary goal is a permanent, relatively modest death benefit.
For example, someone may want money available for final expenses rather than a large income-replacement policy.
But it is important to compare the amount of coverage with the purpose of the insurance.
A $25,000 or $50,000 whole-life policy and a $500,000 term policy are solving very different financial problems.
What If I Have Health Problems?
This is where people need to be realistic about online life insurance.
No legitimate life insurance platform can promise coverage to everyone.
If you have a serious medical condition, your choices may be more limited.
For example, someone with significant heart disease may not qualify for a large traditional term policy through a simplified online process.
That does not automatically mean there is no life insurance available.
It may mean the available product is different.
Depending on the circumstances, there may be a smaller simplified-issue policy, a whole-life option, or another product designed for a different level of underwriting risk.
And sometimes the right answer is to step outside the simplified online process altogether.
That’s where working with an independent brokerage can become valuable.
At Maple Valley Insurance Group, we have access to the Ethos platform, but Ethos isn’t the only life insurance market we work with.
If your situation is straightforward, Ethos may be an excellent way to get coverage without ever speaking with an agent.
If your health history is more complicated, we can look at other carriers and traditional underwriting options that may be better suited to your situation.
Which One Is More Likely to Give Me an Offer?
There is no honest way to promise that one company will approve you unless it is a guaranteed issue whole life policy.
Life insurance decisions depend on your individual circumstances.
But there is an important difference here.
When you apply directly to one insurer such as Globe, you’re being evaluated within that insurer’s lineup of life insurance policies. Globe offers 2.
With Ethos, the platform is designed around multiple participating carriers and products.
Ethos currently says its products are available to more than 95% of U.S. adults ages 18–85, although that does not mean every applicant qualifies for every product or every amount of coverage.
So the advantage isn’t that Ethos can insure everybody.
It can’t.
The advantage is that one application can give you more opportunities to find an available fit. You gain access to true guaranteed level premium term life policies. Globe does not offer this in their term life product. You can see what Ethos life insurance and their self-serve online process can obtain for you.
That’s a much more useful way to think about the comparison than simply asking whether one company “approves more people.”
Which One Is Cheaper?
This is one question where there isn’t a universal winner.
Your price depends on things such as:
- Your age
- Your health
- Tobacco or nicotine use
- Coverage amount
- Term length
- The type of policy
- The insurer’s underwriting rules
Ethos’s multi-carrier model can give you access to different products and pricing structures.
That can create opportunities to find a better combination of coverage and premium.
But you should never assume that Ethos will automatically be cheaper for everyone.
The right comparison is not simply:
“Which company has the lowest monthly premium?”
It is:
“What coverage am I getting, how does the premium work over time, and what will this policy actually do for my family?”
A $40 policy that provides the wrong type or amount of coverage isn’t necessarily a better deal than a $55 policy that actually meets your needs.
Do I Need an Agent With Ethos?
No.
And that’s worth saying clearly.
You can use Ethos yourself.
Ethos says you don’t have to talk to an agent if you don’t want to. You can complete the application online yourself.
That’s a major advantage for people who prefer to handle things on their own.
Maybe you don’t want a phone call.
Maybe you don’t want someone sitting across the table from you.
Maybe you’ve already researched life insurance and just want to see what you qualify for.
That’s perfectly reasonable.
But the opposite is also true.
Some people want someone to explain the options.
Some have complicated health histories.
Some need significantly more coverage than the simplified online process is designed to handle.
And some simply feel better having an experienced insurance professional involved.
That’s where Maple Valley Insurance Group comes in.
Ethos Is A Good Tool — Not the Entire Marketplace
This is an important distinction if you’re reading this article on the Maple Valley Insurance Group website.
We work with Ethos.
That does not mean we’re going to tell everyone that Ethos is the answer.
We wouldn’t do that.
Ethos is one tool in our life insurance toolbox.
For someone who is relatively healthy, wants a straightforward policy and would rather complete the process online without talking to an agent, Ethos may be exactly what makes the most sense.
You can apply yourself.
You can get a quick decision.
You can potentially access substantially more coverage than Globe Life’s direct-to-consumer products offer.
And you can do it without filling out separate applications for several different insurance companies.
But if your health history is complicated, your coverage needs are substantial, or you simply want someone to compare the broader market for you, that’s where our traditional brokerage work becomes more important.
We can look beyond the Ethos platform.
That’s the advantage of having both options available.
So, Ethos or Globe Life?
The answer depends on what you’re actually trying to accomplish.
Globe Life may appeal to someone who:
- Wants to buy directly from a familiar company
- Wants a relatively small amount of coverage
- Wants a simple online application
- Does not want a medical exam
- Is comfortable with the products and rate structure Globe Life offers
One important point to understand about Globe Life is the premium cost. One dollar is not the ongoing monthly cost for $100,000 of coverage. It’s an initial premium. Make sure you understand the actual cost of the coverage over the long term before you buy.
Ethos may appeal to someone who:
- Wants to apply online without talking to an agent
- Wants a quick underwriting decision
- Wants access to multiple participating insurance companies
- Wants the possibility of level-term coverage
- Needs substantially more than $100,000 of coverage
- Wants one application to open up multiple product possibilities
- Wants the option of agent help without being required to use it
And there’s a third option that is easy to overlook:
You don’t necessarily have to choose between “Ethos” and “an agent.”
You can use Ethos through an independent brokerage relationship and still have someone available if you need help.
That’s one of the reasons we use it.
So, Which One Is Better?
We’ve spent the rest of this article laying out the differences between Ethos and Globe Life.
If you want our professional opinion, Ethos is the better choice for most people comparing these two options.
That’s not because Globe Life can’t provide life insurance. It can.
It’s because the Ethos approach gives you a lot more to work with.
- More potential options: Ethos connects applicants with multiple participating insurance companies and life insurance products.
- More coverage: Ethos can offer substantially more coverage than Globe Life’s current direct-to-consumer limits, depending on eligibility and the product available.
- More potential paths to an offer: Different insurers have different underwriting guidelines, which can give you more opportunities to find a policy that fits.
- Faster decisions for most applicants: Ethos says about 90% of applicants receive an instant decision through its current platform.
- Level-term options: If you want traditional term insurance with a predictable premium during the selected term, Ethos gives you access to that type of coverage.
- You can do it yourself: You don’t have to work with an agent to apply through the standard Ethos process.
That doesn’t mean every person will see the same options or the same price through Ethos. Life insurance is still based on the information you provide, your overall health and risk profile, your prescription history, and the products available to you.
The good news is that you generally don’t have to gather and enter all of that information yourself. The technology used by Ethos, like the electronic underwriting systems used by Globe Life and other insurers, can pull third-party data to verify your health history, prescription history and other information as part of the application process.
Ethos does much of this electronically and in real time. That makes the process more efficient because the information can be pulled and evaluated right away rather than waiting for someone to manually get around to reviewing the application. The technology is powerful enough to do much of this automatically and, according to Ethos, results in an instant decision for about 90% of applicants.
With a direct-to-consumer option like Globe Life, you’re applying for the coverage they offer which is rather limited. You either get an offer for that policy you applied for or you don’t.
With Ethos, you’re giving yourself more opportunities to come away with coverage that fits what you’re looking for and your budget
That’s why, when we look at the choices we’ve discussed as a whole, we believe you’re more likely to come away with a workable life insurance solution through Ethos.
That’s the real advantage of having more options.
But if you’ve narrowed your choices down to Ethos vs. Globe Life, our professional opinion is straightforward:
We’d start with Ethos.
Do We Have a Horse in This Race?
Yes, we do.
We have a business relationship with Ethos. We often recommend to clients who want to handle the life insurance process themselves.
But that’s not the only reason we’re comfortable recommending it.
We believe the options available through Ethos are easy to access and can give most people a better opportunity to find coverage that fits their needs over the long run.
And if your health is a little rocky, we think having more alternatives can become even more important. Ethos works with multiple insurers and products, and different insurers can look at the same health history differently. That means you may have more than one potential path to an offer through a single application.
In a way, using Ethos can feel a lot like dealing directly with an insurance office like ours. You’re not limited to a particular insurer’s products. You provide your information once, and the platform can evaluate the available options rather than making you start over with a completely separate application every time one particular option doesn’t fit
That’s a meaningful advantage in our view.
But you still have to choose what’s best for your needs, your budget and your comfort level.
Ready to Make a Decision?
If you’ve decided Globe Life is what you want, that’s an option. You can apply directly with Globe Life online.
If you’ve decided Ethos makes more sense, you can apply directly through Ethos and handle the application yourself.
You don’t have to talk to us.
You don’t have to talk to an agent.
You can simply get it done.
One More Thing About Ethos
Yes, we work with Ethos.
That doesn’t mean you have to work with us to use it. If you want to apply directly and handle everything yourself, that’s perfectly fine.
But if you do use Ethos and something doesn’t make sense, we’re here if you need us.
Maybe you’re not sure what an offer means. Maybe you’re looking at the coverage amount and premium and want another opinion. Maybe you have a question about the policy you’re being offered.
Give us a call. We’ll be happy to talk it through with you.
There is no charge for that conversation.
And if Ethos isn’t the right solution for your situation, we can help you look at other life insurance options as well.
Don’t Let Another Review Become Another Delay
If you’ve been researching life insurance for a while, there eventually comes a point where another comparison isn’t going to give you the answer you’re looking for.
You’ve probably already answered the basic questions:
Which one is easier?
Which one is faster?
Which one costs less?
Those are reasonable questions. But they’re only the beginning.
The bigger questions are:
How much coverage do I actually need?
What kind of policy makes sense for my family?
Will the premium fit my budget?
Am I buying enough insurance to actually accomplish what I want it to accomplish?
And eventually, you have to act.
Another Google search isn’t going to put the policy in force.
Another insurance review isn’t going to protect your family.
At some point, you have to make a decision and get it done.
We’ve talked with people who have been thinking about buying life insurance for years. Then they finally do something about it and tell us, “I wish I hadn’t waited so long.”
Time matters when you’re buying life insurance. Your age is one of the factors that can affect your premium, and your health and circumstances can change as well.
That doesn’t mean you should make a rushed decision. It means there comes a point when more research stops helping and starts becoming another form of delay.
If you still can’t decide after reading all of this, that’s probably the point where talking with somebody may be more useful than reading another review.
Sometimes you need another person to look at your situation, explain what you’re looking at, and help you work through the uncertainty.
That’s what we’re here for.
There is no charge to talk with Maple Valley Insurance Group about your life insurance options.
But if you know what you want, you don’t need to call us.
Choose the option that makes sense to you and take care of the people who matter most.
At some point, the most important comparison isn’t Ethos versus Globe Life.
It’s protected versus unprotected.
Make the decision. Commit yourself to protecting them. Then get it done.
If you’ve decided Globe Life is what you want, that’s an option. You can apply directly with Globe Life online.
If you’ve decided Ethos makes more sense, you can apply directly through Ethos and handle the application yourself.
