Foresters Life Insurance began in the 19th century, before the Industrial Revolution and before electricity was invented. With all of that time behind them, you might ask yourself, “Is Foresters a good insurance company?” How do they compare to other top-rated life insurance providers?
Final Expense Benefits has answers to your questions and more, including the company’s history, details on their policy options, including whole life and burial insurance plans, and what third-party rating services and customers are saying about Foresters.
If you’re interested in applying for Foresters Life Insurance or other providers, call Final Expense Benefits at (866) 786-0725, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, to learn more. Don’t forget to check out our free online quoting tool for personalized rates today.
Key takeaways
- Foresters Life Insurance permanently shifted to commercial life insurance back in 2019.
- Whole life, term life, final expense, and universal life insurance options are available under Foresters Financial.
- You automatically receive special membership perks and benefits when you’re a Foresters policyholder.
- Despite positive feedback from third-party services, the general customer sentiment around Foresters Financial is mixed online.
A Look Back At Foresters Financial
Tracing its origins back to a British Friendly Society that cared for the sick, Foresters Financial was founded in 1874. Most known as the Independent Order of Foresters, the organization helped transform the insurance industry by extending insurance benefits to the average working family, admitting women as full members, and providing orphan benefits to the children of deceased Foresters members.
As of 2024, Foresters Financial Life Insurance serves more than two million clients across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Foresters Life Insurance Coverage Options
Foresters Financial offers seven life insurance policies across three main types of coverage: whole life, term life, and universal life. Across most of these plans, medical exams aren’t required, but you could receive higher limits or lower rates should you choose to go through with one.
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Foresters Insurance Whole Life Options
Whole life insurance plans, the most ideal for seniors seeking coverage, offer lifetime coverage and cash value growth. These types of policies are generally less expensive with more relaxed medical underwriting. Foresters Financial offers three whole life products: Advantage Plus II Participating, BrightFuture Children’s, and PlanRight Whole Life Insurance.
Advantage Plus II Participating offers level premiums for either 20 years or until the policyholder turns 100. This plan is available to policyholders from birth (0 years old) to 85, and they’ll be guaranteed at least $25,000 of coverage with this policy.
BrightFuture Children’s Whole Life Insurance offers their level premiums for either 10 years or until the policyholder turns 100. This option is open to applicants aged 0 to 18 years old and offers coverage amounts ranging from $5,000 to $75,000.
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Foresters Insurance Final Expense Options
Foresters Financial’s PlanRight Whole Life Insurance Policy is the provider’s final expense option. Final expense insurance, also known as burial or funeral insurance, is a type of whole life policy meant to cover end-of-life costs. As a type of whole life policy, coverage lasts until the policyholder’s death, premium rates remain level when the plan is issued, and it can grow in cash value over time.
The PlanRight plan markets itself as a lifetime death benefit protection until age 121, along with guaranteed cash value and guaranteed monthly premiums, like many other policies on the market. Coverage is available for ages 50 to 85 with amounts ranging from $5,000 to $35,000. Additionally, underwriting for this policy is on a simplified issue basis, meaning that approval for coverage depends on a health questionnaire.
Get familiar with how you can get the most out of your final expense insurance policy. Call one of our expert representatives at (866) 786-0725 or check out our online quoting tool to get personalized estimates.
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Foresters Insurance Term Life Options
Term life policies are designed to insure policyholders for a set period. However, due to those time limits, unguaranteed death benefits, strict underwriting, and medical requirements, this plan is not ideal for seniors.
Foresters Financial has three term life policies: Your Term Level, Strong Foundation Level, and Prepared II Accidental Death Term Life Insurance. The first two policies offer standard term coverage at 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years, while Prepared II Accidental Death offers a more flexible term of up to 80 years old. Coverage limits for Your Term Level range from $50,000 to $400,000 for non-medical bases or $100,000 for medical bases; Strong Foundation Level and Prepared II Accidental Death both offer anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000 in coverage (non-medical bases for Strong Foundation).
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Foresters Insurance Universal Life Options
Universal life insurance is a permanent policy that, like whole life, has a cash value element and offers lifetime coverage. However, unlike whole life, universal life policies allow policyholders to raise or lower their premiums within certain limits. Foresters Financial has a universal life option through their SMART Universal Life (SMART UL) Insurance product.
SMART UL Insurance is available for ages 0 to 85 with flexible premium rates. Coverage limits here will be $10,000 for insured juveniles (ages 0-17) under the plan or $25,000 for adult policyholders. SMART UL is also underwritten on a non-medical basis (up to age 75), meaning that coverage approval depends on a medical exam. However, this option is also available on an accelerated or medically underwritten basis.
Foresters Financial Life Insurance: Third-Party Ratings
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AM Best
AM Best aims to protect the average consumer by surveying, examining, and publishing their annual findings on the overall credit and financial strength of companies across the US.
As of October 2025, the Foresters Life Insurance Company has been rated an “A” (excellent by the org’s metrics) for its Financial Strength by this third-party rating service, and an “a+” (excellent) for Long-Term Issuer Credit.
BBB
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The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is known for helping customers identify trustworthy businesses by tracking filed complaints and helping with resolving disputes.
Foresters Life Insurance is not BBB-accredited despite having an A+ BBB Rating, indicating an excellent overall rating in their ability to resolve customer complaints and operate in good faith. Additionally, through the BBB, the company’s average customer review stands at 1.29 out of 5.00.
NAIC
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The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a third-party rating service responsible for tracking customer complaints. Those complaints against companies are then recorded and released annually using their complaint index. Ratings range from 0 to 10, and insurers should generally aim for a low rating average.
As of 2024, according to their National Complaint Index Report, Foresters Life Insurance’s overall customer complaint index average is 1.55, indicating an above-average level of complaints compared to competitors. In the same year, the customer complaint index average for individual life insurance claims is 1.53.
Foresters Financial Life Insurance: Customer Reviews
Mark M
5/5
David H
1/5
“They insisted later on after collecting an abundance of ‘copies’ of documents for Instance that my grandfather’s death certificate must be ‘original.’ He died out of country at home. So I arrange to […] to get this one document in original form to them not including the […] bill to them I might add. They assure me that the document will be return to me safely no [worries[.
Rather than confirm my address before sending anything out, they sent it back to wrong address and now grandfather’s death certificate is lost forever. They sent out snail mail too and not by a mail company that does signature required to collect ie safely like they promised. My address was not submitted by me in error to. I know where I live…their error.
Their ombudsman is a no reply/no acknowledgment person too to resolve anything.”
Mihailo P
5/5
Rider Options with Foresters Life Insurance
Insurance riders are benefits added to an insurance policy, typically at additional cost, which offer customizability and flexibility with your plan. Riders require minimal underwriting, making them a cost-effective option for enhancing policies and suiting specific needs.
Included Rider Options With Foresters Insurance
Depending on what Foresters policy you apply for, you’ll have several riders at no extra cost. Those standard riders include the following:
- Common Carrier Accidental Death Rider: provides coverage if you experience an accidental injury during a public transportation carrier incident. This includes plane, train, or bus transportation.
- Family Health Benefit Rider: a benefit will be paid if you sustain family health expenses from a natural disaster such as a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake.
- Accelerated Death Benefit Rider: allows the insured to access portions of their policy payout to help pay for any medical expenses or debts; only activates when the insured is diagnosed with a terminal illness, as stated in your policy.
- Charity Benefit Provision: when a claim is paid to a beneficiary, Foresters will pay an additional 1% (up to $100,000) of the amount to a charitable organization as determined by the policyholder.
Optional Rider Options With Foresters Insurance
In addition to the standard insurance rider options included with Foresters Financial’s policies, there are optional riders you can add to your policy. Those additional options include the following:
- Accidental Death: provides an additional amount paid to the beneficiary if the policy insured dies due to an accident.
- Children’s Term: extends life insurance coverage to children and offers protection against future uninsurability.
- Disability Income: provides protection in the event the insured becomes disabled.
- Guaranteed Insurability/Guaranteed Purchase Option: allows for the purchase of additional coverage without needing to provide evidence of insurability.
- Paid-Up Additions: small, fully paid life policies purchased with dividends or extra payments to supplement a whole life insurance plan.
- Return of Premium: refunds all or a portion of paid premiums if a policyholder outlives the timespan of their term life policy.
- Waiver of Monthly Deductions: covers all monthly deductions while the insured is totally disabled, for at least three months
- Waiver of Premium: relieves the insured of premium payments if the policyholder becomes critically ill, disabled, or seriously injured.
Unfortunately, you will have to contact a Foresters Financial representative to find accurate pricing for these additional insurance riders.
Why You Should Get Final Expense Insurance
For seniors seeking reliable coverage, final expense insurance can offer a simple, accessible, and affordable way to plan for end-of-life costs. Such costs could include funeral expenses, medical bills, hospice care, and other unsettled debts.
Thankfully, Final Expense Benefits is here to help you navigate the insurance market and help you find the policy that best suits your and your loved ones’ budget and preferences. Call us today at (866) 786-0725, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, and get connected with some of the best burial insurance providers today.
Foresters Financial Life Insurance Pros & Cons
Pros
- Unique perks for policyholders
When you purchase a life insurance policy with them, you automatically become a member and, thus, have access to member benefits. Some of those benefits include financial counseling, academic scholarships and opportunities, legal services, and the ability to acquire grants through their organization.
- High maximum coverage amounts, no medical exam required
Foresters Life Insurance allows members to acquire high coverage without medical exams. However, you will need to answer a health questionnaire for higher coverage levels. - Free insurance riders are available on most plans
All Foresters Financial policies come with insurance riders free of cost.
Cons
- No online quote tool
Most providers and brokerage companies like to offer customers the option to explore their pricing options before calling their agent. This option is unavailable with Foresters Life Insurance..
- Can’t apply for coverage online
To begin the application process for getting Foresters Financial Life Insurance, you will need to contact the company directly (email or phone). - Slightly more customer complaints than usual
According to several third-party rating services, customer complaints towards Foresters are slightly higher than average.
What Other Burial Insurance Companies Offer
Final Expense Benefits works with some of the most popular, top-rated burial insurance providers in the country. Our expert agents strive to help you get the best policy for you and your loved ones’ needs. Take a look at some of those insurers and the prices they currently offer:
| Company |
Male 50y/o |
Male 60y/o |
Male 70y/o |
Female 50y/o |
Female 60y/o |
Female 70y/o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$34 |
$50 |
$70 |
$27 |
$40 |
$56 |
|
|
$31 |
$43 |
$71 |
$26 |
$35 |
$53 |
|
|
$31 |
$44 |
$75 |
$24 |
$33 |
$53 |
|
|
$34 |
$45 |
$79 |
$29 |
$35 |
$59 |
|
|
$34 |
$45 |
$79 |
$29 |
$35 |
$59 |
For $10K policies with non-smoking applicants with no pre-existing conditions.
Final Thoughts
Not only does Foresters Life Insurance have a storied past spanning more than a century, but they also have numerous insurance products and customization options through their catalogue of riders. Those products also remain competitively priced when compared with the best of the best on the insurance market. The company even offers you special membership benefits when you become a policyholder.
Give Final Expense Benefits a call at (866) 786-0725 from Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, and get in touch with an expert agent today. And don’t forget to check out our free online quoting tool for personalized rates.
FAQ
What is final expense insurance?
Final expense insurance, sometimes known as burial or funeral insurance, is a whole life plan used to cover end-of-life costs. End-of-life costs might include funeral plot charges, bills for hospital and hospice care, and outstanding debt left by the deceased.
Who owns Foresters Life Insurance?
As of 2024, Matt Berman has served as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
Where is Foresters Life Insurance located?
Foresters Financial Life Insurance’s global headquarters is located in Toronto, Canada, while their U.S. headquarters is in Buffalo, New York.
Is Foresters Life Insurance a good company?
Foresters Financial has received high ratings by third-party services such as AM Best, highlighting their overall financial strength. However, customer reviews have been fairly mixed.
How can I get a Foresters Life Insurance quote?
Unfortunately, you can not get a Foresters Life Insurance quote online. You must contact them directly by email or by phone.