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The Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Who Offers the Best Life Insurance in Canada?

People are increasingly turning to the internet to explore their life insurance options. And why not? Traditionally, shopping for life insurance involved long meetings with agents or salespeople. Instead, people can shop for life insurance from the comfort of their home, whenever they feel like it.

Life insurance is one of those things you don't often think about until it's too late. Why is it important? The right policy can provide financial support to your beneficiaries - usually, your spouse and/or dependents - helping them cover expenses like final arrangements, replace your income, and continue to meet financial obligations in a worst-case scenario.

Saturday, September 14th

2024 Canadian Life Insurance Reviews

Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award Emma Review 5 Star Rating

Emma

5 Star Rating
  • Priced around $7.25 per month
  • Coverage depends on your needs
  • Term lengths up to age 65
  • Online quotes available
  • Available across Canada
  • Average rating of 4.9 stars from customers
Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award

Emma stands out as one of the more recent businesses joining the life insurance landscape in Canada. With a variety of insurance options like home, travel, and even pets on its roster, Emma stands out as a one-stop shop for insurance needs.

Application takes 20 minutes or less

The company places a strong emphasis on facilitating the acquisition of coverage for young families, offering a completely online process that takes 20 minutes or less. Notably, Emma's service is not exclusive to parents; anyone can utilize the platform to purchase a life insurance policy. Plus, Emma serves all provinces in Canada (including Quebec, which is often left out by other providers).

Detailed online application process

Eliminating the need for a blood test or a doctor visit, Emma streamlines the life insurance purchase process. Commencing with basic information such as email address and Canadian residence confirmation, you also need to provide details like gender, tobacco/marijuana/drug usage, height, weight, employment status, and family medical history. The questionnaire goes more in-depth compared to other online life insurance sources, given Emma's not requiring lab testing or medical reports from physicians.

Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Packages and term lengths designed for you

Emma adopts a tailored approach, allowing you to pay only for the coverage you genuinely need. The platform considers various factors, including marital status, children's details, annual income, mortgage amount, debts, and savings and investments, to recommend coverage that addresses outstanding debts and funeral expenses. Importantly, Emma recommends additional coverage only when necessary, displaying a user-friendly approach.

Easy recommendations

Just answer all their questions and then Emma recommends the best plan type for you at their best price. So, if you're not someone who wants to dig into deep research on every term length or type, Emma is a great way to get what you need as fast as possible. The policy finalization process involves a live online chat, allowing you to ask questions and complete the purchase of your coverage. Emma's policies, backed by Humania Assurance Inc., offer terms until age 65.

Emma only charges you for what you need

To keep our pricing comparison the same across all companies, we used a test customer to answer all the questions. Our test customer is an Ontario woman born in 1990 who never smoked (and does not have other medical complications). Now, at other companies, we looked at a 20-year term for $500,000 coverage. But for our single woman customer, Emma suggested a coverage amount of $110,000 for a term life up to the age of 65. Notably, this can be converted into permanent life insurance before the age of 55 without a medical exam. If you want to know more about the details of your plan, you can download a complete summary for review. Emma also notes that you can cancel your plan at any time, and you have a 10-day review period to explore the offer. The total cost for this plan is an affordable $7.25 per month.

Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Fan favourite with customers

Despite Humania Assurance's "NR" rating from the Better Business Bureau, Emma itself has over 1000 five-star reviews from satisfied clients, praising the service for its speed, ease, and even fun nature. The average score for Emma on third-party review sites is a near-perfect 4.9 stars out of 5. According to reviews, customers love talking with service reps at Emma, and they feel like the company is putting in the work to keep costs down across the board.

Top contender for quick and easy life insurance

Emma emerges as an excellent life insurance option for most Canadians, providing affordable policies and a seamless 100% online process that offers quick coverage. Emma stands out as an ideal way for individuals to secure life insurance in Canada, leading it to the top of the pack. For this reason, it earns a 5-star rating in our review.

Serenia Life Review 4.5 Star Rating

Serenia Life

4.5 Star Rating
  • Prices from $17.46 per month
  • Coverage up to $5,000,000
  • Term lengths from 10 years to whole life
  • Online quotes available
  • Available in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan
  • "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB

Founded all the way back in 1972, Serenia Life is another of the few sites in our review that offers its own insurance rather than brokering insurance for other companies.

Super competitive prices

Serenia Life offers a distinctive approach, with some of the most competitive prices in the industry along with a 25% discount for your first year of coverage. Their coverage options include Term Life, Whole Life, and Term to 100. However, their services are more limited than some companies as Serenia Life is currently available only in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.

Get your online quote in minutes

To get your quote from Serenia Life, you just complete a quick and simple quiz to determine your eligibility and you'll get a price listed right away. The questions are simple and take just minutes to complete. You'll be asked about some basic medical history, your age, and what kind of coverage you want, and you can customize it every step of the way.

Coverage from $50,000 to $5,000,000

There are four term lengths you can choose from at Serenia Life: 10, 20, 30, and 100 years. The coverage ranges from $50,000 to $5,000,000 which is on par with some of the best options in the industry. As an added bonus, you can choose whether you want to make payments monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on how you like to organize your finances. Plus, with the addition of the total disability waiver and accidental death benefit, you have a few extras you can add to your coverage if you want a more complete package. There are also extras like coverage for a child (though you do have to pay extra for it).

Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Second lowest cost

The price for our test customer was extremely low. Without any extras included, Serenia Life quoted our female customer from Ontario (with no smoking history) born in 1990 just $17.46 per month or $194 per year. This comes in as a close second to the least expensive option for life insurance in our review. While it doesn't say so explicitly, this could be the 25% off price promised on the main page, which means the first year would be $17.46 while subsequent years may be more expensive.

Impressive reputation across the board

While Serenia Life doesn't have a lot of reviews out there, what we could find was very positive. According to reviews via Google, customers rated Serenia Life 4.2 stars out of 5 on average while similar reviews from Facebook showed a 4.8-star average. On top of these impressive reviews, Serenia Life also holds an "A+” rating and accreditation with the Better Business Bureau, helping it stand out even further from the pack as a trustworthy option for your life insurance.

High recommendation

With all the benefits of a quick quote system, in-house insurance, and impressive prices, Serenia Life stands out from the pack for life insurance options in Canada. With those benefits coupled with the impressive review scores and a perfect "A+” from the BBB, Serenia easily earns a great rating in our review. Although it's more limited in coverage than some other companies, we highly recommend checking out Serenia if you want life insurance at a cost that even beats many brokers.

PolicyMe Review 4 Star Rating

PolicyMe

4 Star Rating
  • Price quoted around $54.88 per month
  • Coverage up to $5,000,000
  • Term lengths from 10 years to 30 years
  • Online quotes available
  • Free coverage for children up to $10,000
  • Discounts for spouses available
  • Available in 7 provinces and territories
  • "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB

PolicyMe operates as an impartial third-party broker, exclusively offering life insurance products from companies that meet their stringent criteria. Their team of experts assesses various insurers, considers different product options, compares pricing across providers, and takes customer feedback into account to provide you with optimal value. PolicyMe is licensed to connect people with life insurance in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Quebec.

2 pathways for your insurance

PolicyMe offers two pathways to obtain life insurance quotes right away. You can choose between "Searching for the right policy" if you want some extra help figuring out what you need, or you can try the "Ready to apply" approach if you've already conducted prior research and want to speed along the quoting process. Focusing on term life plans, PolicyMe presents you with detailed quotes without the option for permanent life coverage.

Approval in 20 minutes

The application process only takes about 20 minutes. As an added benefit, you'll immediately see if you've been approved, so you don't have to worry about waiting or worrying with PolicyMe. While exploring policy details, you may find unexpected extras, like the option to convert your term life plan into a permanent life plan within certain insurance provider listings.

Coverage from $100,00 to $5,000,000

In terms of what PolicyMe offers, you can expect a few benefits. First, PolicyMe promises to lock in your rates for the entire duration of your policy. Then you can choose coverage amounts ranging from $100,000 to $5 million with terms spanning from 10 to 30 years. If you have a special someone, you can enjoy a helpful 10% discount for couples during the initial year, and PolicyMe offers complimentary child coverage worth $10,000, something we haven't seen at other providers. And the best part? In the unfortunate event of a claim, beneficiaries receive the full payout, tax-free.

Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Limited details and higher prices

To give you an accurate cost estimate to compare to other insurance sites, we made a fictional customer and used the same details at PolicyMe as we did in other reviews. Our imaginary customer is a non-smoking woman born in 1990 in Ontario, seeking a 20-year term with coverage of $500,000. The initial estimate we received was $54.88 per month, which was much higher than other sites with similar terms and rate coverage. To see further details, you have to enter your email. After going through the entire process, we couldn't get any more details on the price than the same $54.88 without committing to background checks. Considering the level of detail offered at other companies, this was a little disappointing.

Top scores, though cost may be an issue

Despite being a relatively new entrant in the industry, PolicyMe has garnered positive feedback. With an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars from over 300 reviews, clients appreciate the affordability, simplicity, and clarity of the life insurance acquisition process. According to its page on the Better Business Bureau, PolicyMe also holds an "A+” rating and accreditation, confirming its positive reputation. Many customers emphasize significant cost savings by choosing PolicyMe over direct insurer engagement. Unfortunately, we didn't see cost savings compared to other brokers in our review.

High rating

PolicyMe emerges as a top recommendation for Canadians seeking life insurance online. By simplifying the process and providing tailored information, PolicyMe stands out as a reliable option for individuals navigating the complexities of life insurance coverage. While we wish we had more transparency for the price quote details, it still stands as a highly recommended life insurance provider due to the extras like free coverage for children and discounts for spouses.

PolicyAdvisor Review 3.5 Star Rating

PolicyAdvisor

3.5 Star Rating
  • Prices available for customers with an account
  • Coverage up to $5,000,000
  • Options include Term Life and Whole Life
  • Online quote system
  • Available only in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and British Columbia
  • "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB

PolicyAdvisor positions itself as a modern solution in the traditional realm of life insurance, blending technological advancements with human expertise to simplify the process of purchasing life insurance.

Limited coverage area

Currently available in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and British Columbia, PolicyAdvisor aims to expand its coverage to other regions "soon” (though it hasn't done so for the last several years). While the simplified process sounds nice, the location limitation means many customers will be unable to get life insurance from PolicyAdvisor at present. Unfortunately this keeps it from being as competitive as many other sites in our review.

Instant online quote

PolicyAdvisor stands out for quoting from a broad range of insurers, including Wawanesa, Empire Life, Canada Life, Manulife, La Capitale, Desjardins, Equitable Life of Canada, Foresters, iA Financial Group, BMO Insurance, RBC Insurance, and Assumption Life. This diversity surpasses the offerings of some online brokers. To get started with your quote, the process begins with a click on the "Get Instant Quote" button, where you'll be directed to a quiz to fill out. The form asks you to provide basic information such as gender, birthdate, smoking status, postal code, and residency status. You may need to complete a medical exam before completing your final enrollment.

Online quotes offered

PolicyAdvisor offers a range of choices, including coverage amounts from $25,000 to $5,000,00, terms from 10 years to age 65, and whole life insurance. After selecting between Term Life and Whole Life insurance policies, you'll be asked more detailed questions, covering height, weight, tobacco use, blood pressure, cholesterol, driving history, family medical history, and substance abuse. To see full details for quotes that match your details, you'll need to create a free account. This is different from other services that will offer you a full quote (or at least an estimate) without requiring an account.

Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Glitches in the system prevented the quote process

To compare prices at PolicyAdvisor to other companies in our review, we used the same test customer details to get our quote. We used information for a woman from Ontario born in 1990 who doesn't smoke to compare prices. However, when we went through the quote process, we repeatedly were told that our "session had expired” and PolicyAdvisor kicked us back to the main page. To try again, we had to resubmit all of the information and fill out the quiz. However, every time we tried to submit, the site kicked us out. We made attempts on two separate browsers, but we were ultimately unable to get even a basic estimate from PolicyAdvisor.

Solid reputation across the board

Despite our low expectations based on our struggles on the website, the customer feedback on PolicyAdvisor is generally positive. The site has over 1,000 reviews averaging at least 4.8 out of 5 stars. Reviewers commend the user-friendly website, emphasizing the transparent and easily understandable nature of the entire process. It's clear that most customers don't have trouble with the site like we did during the quote process, so we recommend you give it a try. On top of the solid reviews, PolicyAdvisor also has an "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. So, the site problems we encountered could just be something that needs a minor update or there may have been too many customers using the domain at the same time.

Low coverage area and quote problems affect its score

While PolicyAdvisor has garnered praise for its range of products and positive customer experiences, its current limitation to certain provinces may require some Canadians to explore alternative life insurance providers until its service expands more. Further, we couldn't get a quote due to errors on the site, so the only way at present to get an accurate quote is to call, which may frustrate customers who prefer online quotes. While there are elements we really like about PolicyAdvisor, there is also definitely room to improve.

RatesDotCA Review 3 Star Rating

RatesDotCA

3 Star Rating
  • Prices from $22.50 to $68.40 per month
  • Coverage up to $5,000,000
  • Term lengths from 10 years to whole life
  • Online quotes available
  • Available in most provinces
  • "A-" rated by the BBB

With over two decades of experience in the Canadian insurance industry, RatesDotCA has played a significant role in assisting millions of consumers in making well-informed decisions about their coverage.

Dedicated to transparency

The company is dedicated to transparency, vowing to present the lowest available rates based on your provided information. RatesDotCA promises to be a broker without bias toward insurers that might benefit their financial interests. RatesDotCA extends its offerings to residents of most provinces, including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.

Better UI than sister site

You should be aware that the transition from quote to purchase here involves providing personal information and waiting to be contacted by a dedicated advisor, so you may be dealing with a third-party company. For example, just to see quoted rates, you are transferred to a site called LowestRates. This is the same third-party site used by Insurance Hotline. Coincidentally, the details and plans were exactly the same as those offered by Insurance Hotline. However, the user experience to get from point "A” to point "B” was much better at RatesDotCA overall.

Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Coverage from $50,000 to $5,000,000

RatesDotCA offers a variety of choices to suit your needs. You'll discover term lengths ranging from 10 to 100 years, and there's also the option to go for Universal Life plans. When it comes to coverage, you can select an amount between $50,000 and $5,000,000. Although the coverage range may be narrower compared to some competitors, it still provides ample protection for most average individuals. While RatesDotCA initially provides estimated premiums, the actual quotes come from 15 different insurers, allowing you to compare policies before proceeding.

Pricing is outsourced to third-party sites

When we entered the details for our sample customer on the Lowest Rates site we were directed to, we were redirected again to another third-party insurance broker's page. From here we finally got a list of quotes for our non-smoking female resident of Ontario born in 1990. The site provided a quote for a 20-year plan for $500,000 coverage at the lowest rate of $22.50 per month through Foresters, although it appeared to be brokered by yet another third-party "partner." This raised doubts about whether (like with RatesDotCA's sister site) RatesDotCA handles its own brokering. The priciest option was with Assumption Life at $68.40 per month.

Solid reputation overall

RatesDotCA currently holds a Better Business Bureau rating of "A-" which is two steps lower than the "A+” it held previously. While this slide is a little concerning, it isn't a major change overall. And, according to third-party review sites, RatesDotCA holds an average score of 4.2 stars out of 5. However, you may want to make sure that you're comfortable with other "partner” sites or affiliates being introduced during the process. While most customers didn't seem bothered by the redirects, there were a handful of reviews noting confusion about how many times the insurance quote process jumped them around.

Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Good source for a variety of plans

If you're looking for a place to compare a lot of prices and different insurance providers, RatesDotCA proves to be a helpful option for Canadians seeking life insurance coverage. The quotes we received offered solid prices overall that were comparable to average costs in the industry. They provide easy comparison tools and an extensive customer feedback database.

Worth checking out

RatesDotCA has a good reputation in the Canadian life insurance industry. They have an intuitive online platform and provide some stand-out features. If you prefer a site that doesn't use third-party sites or redirects, you may want to keep searching for another provider. However, RatesDotCA provides a convenient way for you to get multiple life insurance quotes and is worth checking out.

Arbetov Insurance Review 3 Star Rating

Arbetov Insurance

3 Star Rating
  • Prices from $22.50 to $64.40 per month or $250 to $760 per year
  • Coverage up to $10,000,000
  • Term lengths from 10 years to whole life
  • Online quotes available
  • Available everywhere but Quebec, Newfoundland, and Labrador
  • "A+" rated by the BBB

Established in 2007 and situated in Vancouver, BC, Arbetov Insurance is an independent agency (insurance broker) specializing in health and travel insurance. Arbetov Insurance extends its services to life insurance policies to residents across Canada, excluding Quebec, Newfoundland, and Labrador. You can find Core Life insurance, Whole Life insurance, and Universal Life insurance at Arbetov Insurance, but the site is a little cluttered in places and comes across as needing an update.

New online form for quotes

Arbetov Insurance's website serves as a valuable resource for basic information on life insurance coverage. If you're seeking insights into various insurance types, trying to determine adequate coverage, or looking for the general steps involved in acquiring a policy, you can find plenty of helpful information on the site. We also were able to get quick responses from customer service members on the online chat, making it easy to browse. Additionally, you can now get a basic quote from Arbetov by filling out an online form.

Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Coverage from $10,000 to $10,000,000

Finding the packages is a little complex. Since Arbetov Insurance is a broker, they work with tons of insurance companies to provide you the best price. But to get started, you have to fill out a form with personal information to start seeing any options. According to the dropdown menus in the initial form, you can find companies through Arbetov Insurance that offer a variety of different plans including:

  • 10-40 year terms
  • Whole life terms
  • Decreasing terms

There are over 30 different term types to choose from, which could be confusing if you're just starting your research. You can also find coverage anywhere between $10,000 to $10,000,000, depending on how much you want to spend on your life insurance premiums.

Lots of options but light on details

To get an accurate price, we had to create a persona that we used across different insurance sites, so the pricing brackets would be similar each time. To this end, we created a customer who is a female non-smoker from Ontario, born in the year 1990, looking for a 20-year term, for $500,000 coverage. When you submit your details, you get access to a scrolling list of insurance policies that best fit your parameters. However, we were disappointed that there weren't many details beyond pricing and provider. Based on our example customer's details, the best price listed through Arbetov Insurance was $22.50 per month or $250 per year offered by both Foresters Financial and Sun Life. The most expensive was $64.40 per month or $760 per year from Assumption Life.

Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Not many reviews for life insurance

Despite having a website that may appear slightly less polished, complete with a few typos and minor issues, Arbetov Insurance maintains a commendable reputation. The Better Business Bureau gives the company an "A+" rating, with only a single complaint recorded in the last three years. Positive reviews are sparse on the internet, particularly in the context of life insurance, because it's evident that life insurance isn't the primary emphasis for Arbetov compared to their travel insurance offerings. However, on that side of things, Arbetov Insurance has an impressive 4.8-star average on Google Reviews.

Outdated feel

While Arbetov Insurance stands as a reputable and decent company overall, its strengths diminish with some of the user-friendliness issues. Though Arbetov Insurance has made improvements by adding an online quote program and fast responses through chat, it still has a bit of an outdated feel. The standout feature of Arbetov Insurance is the sheer number of term lengths and types to choose from. While this doesn't make the process of narrowing down your insurance plans any easier, you can find plenty of options to sift through.

Mid-tier service overall

If you want more direction during your search for life insurance, Arbetov Insurance might not be the best first stop. While their reputation is solid, we feel there are better choices available for your life insurance needs.

Insurance Hotline Review 2.5 Star Rating

Insurance Hotline

2.5 Star Rating
  • Prices from $22.50 to $68.40 per month
  • Coverage up to $5,000,000
  • Term lengths from 10 years to whole life
  • Online quotes available
  • Available in most provinces
  • "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB

Insurance Hotline, originating in 1994, aims to assist Canadians in securing optimal insurance rates by comparing policies from various companies. While this service has effectively aided millions of individuals nationwide in saving money, its primary focus has traditionally been on auto and homeowners' policies rather than life insurance.

User interface is not as polished

Notably, Insurance Hotline falls under the RatesDotCA brand family, another service in our review. Consequently, similarities between the two sites, including using the same launch site to offer quotes, can be observed when comparing the two side by side. In our experience, Insurance Hotline's website proved more challenging to use compared to RatesDotCA, as the user interface is not as polished, and it is harder to find what you need.

Get quotes after submitting personal info

Insurance Hotline's coverage is not available for residents in all provinces. Attempting to select Yukon Territory, for example, revealed that the service does not offer policies in that region. Unlike RatesDotCA, which clearly outlines its operational areas, Insurance Hotline requires extra research by clicking on different regions to determine service availability, making it less straightforward. But if your province is served, it's easy to get started. You fill out a quick questionnaire, and then you'll see a baseline quote. Once you submit your full name and phone number you can get a more complete quote list.

Coverage from $50,000 to $5,000,000

In terms of life insurance policies, the options are surprisingly varied. Despite the fact that Insurance Hotline doesn't specialize in life insurance, there are plenty of options available. You can find term lengths from 10 to 100 years, or you can choose Universal Life instead. In terms of coverage amounts, you expect quotes to include ranges from $50,000 in coverage to $5,000,000. While this isn't the broadest range in the industry, it is on par with its sister site and offers coverage that will fit the financial situation of most average customers in Canada.

Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Competitive but average prices

To get an accurate price comparison, we created a test customer (a female resident of Ontario who doesn't smoke and was born in 1990), to run through the forms for you. When we submitted the basics, Insurance Hotline redirected us to a third-party page called Lowest Rates. Here, we got our quotes for 20-year plans offering up to $500,000 in coverage. The cheapest option we were offered was for $22.50 per month. This offer was through Foresters, though it seemed to be brokered by another third-party "partner”, and if you clicked for more details, you would be redirected again. Due to being consistently sent to different websites, we're not sure if Insurance Hotline handles any of its own brokering. The most expensive option through Insurance Hotline was through Assumption Life for $68.40 per month. In general, the prices were on par with competitors, but nothing special.

Solid reputation despite challenges

Despite its operational challenges and outsourcing, Insurance Hotline maintains an outstanding reputation, with over 30 years in the industry and an "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. Impressively, the company has zero registered complaints with the BBB. On top of this, the average rating from Trustpilot is a solid 4 stars. Customers agree that it's easy to find insurance options with Insurance Hotline, though there are also a host of complaints about poor customer service.

Too many questions to score higher

While the company's reputation is solid overall, our experience with multiple outsourced links and partner companies raised questions about the absence of complaints on the BBB. It's possible a lack of customers could potentially explain the absence of negative reviews, though there are over 2,000 reviews on Trustpilot. We're still a little suspicious about the outsourcing of broker services (especially considering complaints about customer service). So, we offer a cautionary rating for Insurance Hotline.

Sun Life Review 2 Star Rating

Sun Life

2 Star Rating
  • Prices from $23.34 per month
  • Coverage up to $1,000,000
  • Term lengths from 10-20 years
  • Online quotes available
  • Available throughout most of Canada
  • "A+" rated by the BBB

When it comes to securing a vital investment like life insurance, the option of consulting a seasoned expert can instill confidence. With a rich history spanning over a century, Sun Life stands out as a highly regarded provider of coverage, known for its reliability.

Popular life insurance name

As a site that offers its own insurance rather than brokering for other insurance companies, Sun Life is a popular name, often popping up in pricing lists in some of our other reviews. We struggled to find concrete details about the areas of Canada that Sun Life is licensed to provide insurance for. Their only statement on the website is that Sun Life extends its service across "many territories".

Easy quote process but more limited selection

Sun Life distinguishes itself through an efficient application process, which is notably more streamlined than many of its counterparts. As the insurer directly handles the application, individuals can either select their desired coverage to view rates or input personal information to receive policy recommendations. For term policies, medical information may be required to complete your quote. Sun Life presents more restricted options concerning term lengths and benefit amounts. Choices become somewhat limited, with fewer offerings for coverage at different durations and benefit levels. This lack of flexibility in policies might be a drawback if you're hoping for a broad range of life insurance plans.

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Coverage from $5,000 to $1,000,000

There are only two terms to choose from at Sun Life: 10 and 20 years. While Sun Life does, however, provide add-on coverage options, including critical illness insurance and accidental death insurance, the coverage for regular life insurance is much lower than many other companies provide. The coverage ranges from $5,000 to $1,000,000 which is about $4,000,000 lower than its closest competitor.

Prices are within $1 of competitors

Quick quotes here require details such as date of birth, gender, nicotine usage, and province of residence. When we put in the details for our example customer, a woman from Ontario who doesn't smoke and was born in 1990, the price was comparable to many of the brokers who offered Sun Life coverage. Sun Life offered $23.37 per month for a $200,000 coverage option with a 20-year term. This is only a $0.78 difference from a broker on our list offering Sun Life insurance. On the other hand, in this case, you get the benefit of working with Sun Life directly, which may be preferable to customers who already have Sun Life for other kinds of insurance.

Bonus of temporary coverage

One commendable feature offered by Sun Life is temporary coverage during the application assessment period. Acknowledging that policy start dates have a waiting gap before approval, which might involve medical underwriting and a potentially time-consuming process, the company provides up to 90 days of temporary coverage. This unique offering sets Sun Life apart, as no other service in the review provided a similar benefit.

Best Canadian Life Insurance Plans

Not-so-sunny reputation

Sun Life has a pretty mixed reputation. While the company holds a solid "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, the customer reviews tell a different story entirely. According to Trustpilot, Sun Life has an average rating of just 1.4 stars out of 5. While most of the negative reviews are for health insurance rather than life insurance, customers repeatedly complain about difficulties with customer service members, getting denied coverage, and regularly having issues turn up when trying to file claims. Overall, customers are warned to stay away.

Low score for poor customer service

While Sun Life has been around for over a century, protecting countless individuals and collaborating with numerous Canadian companies, the website's reputation shows that customers aren't satisfied with their experiences at Sun Life. Despite comparable prices with competitors, the troubles with claims don't make even lower prices worth the hassle. For this reason, Sun Life receives a lower rating in our review.

Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

Determining the right amount of life insurance involves considering various factors, such as your annual income, number of dependents, outstanding debts, and anticipated funeral expenses. However, there's a cap on the amount of insurance you can secure. Referred to as "insurable interest," your coverage must align with your net worth and income. You can't, for example, acquire a $10 million policy if your net worth is $100,000 and your annual salary is $75,000. Thankfully, many of the modern quote processes on insurance sites and brokerages will walk you through the process and only show you coverage options that are relevant to your financial situation.

Some employers offer life insurance as part of a package when you're hired. But even if you have coverage through your employer, you may want to assess whether it's sufficient. Despite a record-high number of Canadian households having life insurance coverage, a recent LIMRA study revealed that many policies were inadequate to cover remaining mortgage payments in the event of death.

In essence, having life insurance doesn't necessarily mean you have enough coverage. This is where individual life insurance plans come in. There are plenty of options that you can select to bolster or replace any insurance you might have with an employer.

Affordability is another crucial aspect to evaluate when deciding how much insurance to get. Larger policies come with higher premiums, and your age at the time of coverage initiation impacts the cost too.

The type of life insurance you choose is also a factor. In Canada, the main types are term insurance, generally more budget-friendly but limited to a specific number of years, and permanent life insurance, lasting your entire life with potential cash value but higher premiums.

Exploring insurance options online is a convenient way to discover available policies, determine your eligible coverage, and get an estimate of potential premiums. While a medical exam is usually required before your policy takes effect, initiating the process online is an efficient first step.

As you shop for life insurance in Canada you might get overwhelmed with the many sites and brokerages out there. We totally understand. So, here are several criteria to keep in mind, to guide your decision-making:

  • Selection. Are you able to find a wide range of policies from your chosen provider? How much coverage do they offer? Do the term lengths match what you were looking for?
  • Cost. Are you looking for the lowest cost out there or a balance of cost and high coverage? Make sure you're not overpaying for your insurance plan by comparing rates from different providers and brokers.
  • Reputation. What do other customers have to say about the site? Has the company been rated by the Better Business Bureau? You want to make sure your life insurance company has a solid reputation in case of troubles during a claim later on.
  • Ease of use. How quickly can you find the plans you need on the website? Is the quote process simple and provides you with the details you're looking for? Make sure that you're not wasting time with an out-of-date website that's more hassle than it's worth.

To help you make the best decision to provide financial stability for your loved ones down the line, Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked the best sources of life insurance policies in Canada. We hope this information helps you find the right provider so you can have the peace of mind that comes from knowing the future is taken care of, and your loved ones will be covered by the policy you're setting up today!

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Canadian Life Insurance FAQ

In Canada there are two main types of life insurance: term and permanent (also known as whole life). Term policies last for a specified time period, usually 10, 20 or 30 years. The premiums are usually lower, partially because the policy has no cash value if you cancel before you die. Permanent policies generally have higher premiums but last until you pass away, and there's a cash value if cancelled prior to death.
While many Canadians do have life insurance policies through their work, the coverage amounts have dropped considerably over the past few years. Instead of a benefit representing a year or more of the employee's salary, it's now common for the coverage to include a flat payout (e.g. $25,000). Studies show that many people in Canada are underinsured, and for that reason they turn to privately-purchased life insurance policies.
There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but you can start by looking at your current situation. Do you have a partner or dependents who would face hardships without your salary? Do you have a mortgage that would be an undue burden on your loved ones? Consider future expenses as well, like paying for a child's university costs. And, don't forget to estimate any funeral costs. Those considerations can help you decide how much coverage you'd like to have in place.
It's obvious that the higher the benefit, the higher the premiums will be. Term life insurance will usually be more affordable than whole life.
Now. The older you are when you purchase life insurance, the more you'll pay in premiums (because it's more likely you'll pass away, making you more of a financial risk to the insurer). The younger and healthier you are, the less you'll pay in premiums.
Most of the time, yes. It may require blood and/or urine tests, a doctor visit, and several weeks to be underwritten and the policy issued. There are life insurance policies designated as "no medical” or "simplified issue”; these usually just have a few medical questions but no tests or doctors. Generally speaking, the larger benefit amounts require more in-depth medical underwriting.
Yes. You'll need "insurable interest”: in other words, your coverage has to match your life situation and the hardship your loved ones would experience if you passed away. For example, if you have an annual salary of $25,000, you wouldn't qualify for a $2 million life insurance policy. Your coverage limit will be determined by your salary, net worth, and several other factors.
Yes - to a certain extent. Depending on the insurer and policy you select, you may be able to complete the entire application process online and make your initial payment. But, most insurance policies will need to go through an approval process that includes medical underwriting, so you won't have your coverage immediately. Shopping for life insurance online is a great way to compare quotes and get an idea of what your options are - before working with an agent.
The Best Reviews of Canadian Life Insurance Plans