Digital Life Insurance Companies in 2026: Who Still Sells Online and Who Issues the Policy

Which online life insurance companies still sell term life in 2026, and who actually issues the policies?

Ladder, Ethos, Lemonade and Fabric by Gerber Life still take term applications online, and Policygenius sells as an online broker, but none of them is the insurer that pays a claim. Their own pages name the issuers: S.USA Life, Amica Life or Fidelity Security Life for Ladder; Banner Life, Protective, Ameritas or TruStage's insurers for Ethos; Banner Life for Lemonade; and Western-Southern Life Assurance Company for Fabric. Haven Life no longer accepts applications, and Bestow sold its consumer insurer in 2024.

Every fact below comes from the companies' own websites, including legal footers and carrier lists, plus Haven Life's archived home page, rather than first-hand use. Nothing here is personal insurance advice; the aim is to show who sells and who insures.

Agency, broker or insurer: the three models behind online life insurance

None of the online brands on this page is itself the insurer behind these life policies. Each fits one of three models, and the model tells you whose promise you are buying:

• Agencies selling for named insurers. Ladder, Ethos and Lemonade take the application and place the policy with an insurer listed in their own disclosures. One of Ethos's carrier disclosures states the principle plainly: "Product guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing company."
• An agency inside the insurer's own group. Fabric by Gerber Life places its policies with Western-Southern Life Assurance Company, and the Western & Southern group also owns the agency.
• A broker comparing several insurers. Policygenius calls itself "an independent insurance broker" and explains how it is paid: "we get paid a commission by insurance companies for each sale."

The practical point: the issuing insurer, not the website, stands behind the claim, decides where the policy can be sold and carries the financial strength rating. That is why the insurer's name, not the brand's, is the one to research. Our comparison of term life insurance companies shows how to read an insurer's own ratings page and its date.

Who sells online and who issues the policy (checked October 2026)

Listed alphabetically. Every cell comes from the seller's own website.

Seller by seller

Ethos

Ethos says it works with carriers "to sell policies, including Banner Life, TruStage™ Financial Group, Inc., and Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.", and that it leaves "the actual insuring to the established insurance companies". Its carriers page gives each term relationship its own heading:

• Banner Life Insurance Company, described as "formerly Legal & General America, LGA", for fully underwritten and simplified-issue term.
• Protective Life Insurance Company, whose term policy form is offered "in all states except New York".
• Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., which issues Ethos Term Life – Choice; Ethos adds "The product is not available in NY."
• TruStage, whose products are "issued by CMFG Life Insurance Company, MEMBERS Life Insurance Company, and other leading insurance companies."

So the insurer behind an Ethos policy depends on the offer you receive, and that name is the one to look up. Ethos also spells out that "Ameritas and Ethos Technologies Inc., are separate, independent entities."

Fabric by Gerber Life

Fabric's about page says its policies are "issued by Western-Southern Life Assurance Company" and that "Western & Southern is the parent company of Gerber Life Agency." Unlike the Ethos and Ameritas arrangement, Fabric's agency and its insurer sit in one corporate group. Its term page offers terms from 10 to 30 years and coverage from $100k to $5M, and says qualified applicants could get instant coverage with no medical exam. Our life insurance guide for young families compares Fabric with three insurers on family features.

Ladder

Ladder's agency sells term coverage for three insurers. Amica Life of Lincoln, Rhode Island, and Fidelity Security Life of Kansas City, Missouri, are listed for DC and every state except New York; S.USA Life of Roanoke, Virginia, described as "a Prosperity Life Group company", also leaves out Connecticut. The home page describes an application with no medical exam up to $3M, a possible at-home health check above that, and a full refund for cancellations within 30 days. Ladder's sample starting price is $5 a month for a 20-year-old rated Preferred-Plus buying a $100K, 10-year policy, with the rate marked valid as of 4/7/26 (checked October 2026). Our Haven Life vs Ladder comparison covers its coverage limits and its laddering feature.

Lemonade Life

Lemonade sells life coverage through its own agency: "Lemonade Life Insurance Agency, LLC (LLIA) is acting as the agent of Banner Life, whose life insurance products are underwritten and issued by Banner Life Insurance Company Urbana, MD." Its footer says Banner Life products reach 49 states and DC, and that Banner Life holds no insurer authorization in New York. The policy you buy through Lemonade is therefore a Banner Life policy.

Policygenius

Policygenius describes itself as "a licensed independent insurance broker" and says "We’re an independent insurance agency, which means that we’re not owned by an insurance company, nor do we own one." On cost, it says "Insurance commissions are already built into the price of an insurance policy, so you’re not paying any extra for working with us to buy a policy." Its owner changed in 2023: "Policygenius was acquired by Zinnia, an insurance technology and digital services company." With a broker, the insurer is whichever company you pick from the quotes, so the checks below apply to that company.

Who stopped selling online: Haven Life and Bestow

Haven Life. In an Internet Archive capture of February 13, 2024, Haven Life's home page said: "Haven Life is no longer accepting new applications." The same notice told existing customers that their policies, issued by MassMutual or its subsidiary C.M. Life, would keep being administered and serviced by MassMutual. Shoppers can turn to our Haven Life review for alternatives; owners can use our Haven policyholder guide for servicing.

Bestow. Bestow now presents itself as a "new business and administration technology partner for life insurance carriers". Its FAQ answers the consumer question in one sentence: "Yes, Bestow used to sell term life insurance directly to the consumer under the name Bestow Life Insurance Company, but sold that carrier to Sammons® Financial Group in 2024, who renamed it Lantern Insurance Company." A list that still sends shoppers to Bestow for a term policy is out of date.

Checking an online seller before you apply

1. Find the insurer's legal name in the site footer, the carrier list or the application itself.
2. Look up that insurer with your state's insurance department to confirm it is licensed where you live.
3. Read the insurer's own ratings page, and note the date printed next to each grade.
4. Confirm your state is covered. Several of the insurers named above do not issue these policies in New York.
5. Note the refund window. Ladder publishes a 30-day full refund; your policy will state its own free-look terms.

Books for checking the fine print

If you would rather read up before applying, The Insurance Maze by Kimberly Lankford is one option (Check price on Amazon). For the household budget side, The Financial Planning Workbook is listed as well (Check price on Amazon).

If you are browsing for other comparisons, see our full shortlist.

FAQ

Does Ladder itself insure me? No. Ladder Insurance Services is an agency that sells term policies on behalf of Amica Life, Fidelity Security Life and S.USA Life, and its footer says each insurer is responsible for claims on its own products.

Who underwrites Ethos life insurance? It depends on the policy you are offered. Ethos's carriers page names Banner Life, Protective, Ameritas, and CMFG Life and MEMBERS Life under the TruStage name, and the issuing insurer appears in the policy disclosures.

Is Bestow still selling life insurance to consumers? Not directly. Bestow says it sold its consumer insurer, Bestow Life Insurance Company, to Sammons Financial Group in 2024, and that the insurer was renamed Lantern Insurance Company.

Can I still apply to Haven Life online? No. In early 2024 Haven Life's home page told visitors it had stopped taking new applications, and its notice said MassMutual would keep servicing existing policies.

Are online life insurance companies legitimate? Being online says nothing either way about the insurer's strength. Ladder, Ethos and Policygenius state their own licensing on their sites, and each agency here names the insurer behind its policies; check that insurer's license with your state and its ratings on its own site before you apply.

Sources

1. Ladder Life | Flexible life insurance in minutes. — Ladder Financial Inc. / Ladder Insurance Services, LLC (checked October 2026)
2. Our Life Insurance Carriers | Ethos Life — Ethos Technologies Inc. (checked October 2026)
3. Term Life Insurance offered by Lemonade — Lemonade Life Insurance Agency, LLC (checked October 2026)
4. About Fabric by Gerber Life — Gerber Life Agency, LLC (Fabric by Gerber Life) (checked October 2026)
5. Affordable Term Life Insurance Online - Fabric by Gerber Life — Gerber Life Agency, LLC (Fabric by Gerber Life) (checked October 2026)
6. About Us – Policygenius — Policygenius LLC (checked October 2026)
7. Bestow (platform home page and FAQ) — Bestow Inc. (checked October 2026)
8. Life Insurance That's Actually Simple | Haven Life (home page notice, Internet Archive capture of February 13, 2024) — Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC (archived by the Internet Archive) (checked October 2026)