No single company sells the best military life insurance; government coverage is the starting point, and private policies sit on top of it or replace it. Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) is a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program with maximum coverage of $500,000.
At Rank and Pay, we write plain-language guides on military pay and benefits. After separation, SGLI and Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) run on three different clocks.
The companies in the comparison table fall into two groups. Military-focused associations and mutuals sell to uniformed-service members and their families. General insurers have a veterans or servicemember page, and some of those general insurers have no military-specific product.
Compare Military Life Insurance
| Company | Pricing | Best for | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
FeaturedYour company here, pinned above every listingGet featured → | |||
| USAA | Not published | Military families wanting a post-service coverage rider | USAA sells term and whole life insurance to the public, with a no-cost rider for buying more coverage after leaving service. |
| Navy Mutual | Term $50,000 to $1.5M; premiums not published | Uniformed-service members seeking term or whole life | Navy Mutual sells term and whole life insurance to uniformed-service members; its Level II Plus term has no war or aviation clauses for active duty. |
| AAFMAA | Term $50,000 to $1M; premiums not published | Military families wanting term with no combat exclusions | AAFMAA, a member-owned organization since 1879, sells term and whole life insurance and says it has no combat or hazardous-duty exclusions. |
| USBA | Quotes online; no membership fees or annual dues | Fast term life decisions for military members | USBA, a nonprofit association founded in 1959, sells group term and whole life insurance to military and federal members, with QuickDecision applications. |
| AFBA | Not published | Active duty, Guard and first responder families | AFBA, founded in 1947, offers life insurance through its affiliate 5Star Life to military members, veterans, federal employees and first responders. |
| Guardian | Not published | Converting SGLI or VGLI to permanent coverage | Guardian offers a whole life conversion for SGLI, VGLI and FSGLI holders, without proof of good health, up to the group term amount. |
| Prudential | Not published | Veterans adding private term or permanent coverage | Prudential is the insurer for VGLI and sells individual term and permanent life insurance to veterans through its financial professionals. |
| Fidelity Life | Not published | Veterans comparing term and final expense | Fidelity Life sells term, senior, final expense and guaranteed issue life insurance and says veterans may qualify for up to $2 million in some cases. |
| New York Life | Not published | Veterans adding permanent coverage to VA insurance | New York Life agents sell term, whole and universal life insurance and help veterans supplement VA coverage with permanent policies. |
| TruStage | Not published | Veterans and families buying term or whole life | Insurer selling term life, whole life and guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance. |
| American Fidelity Life (AmFi) | Not published | Separating members weighing SGLI conversion | Life insurer marketing to the military community, including universal life and options after leaving SGLI. |
| PinnacleQuote | Not published; no separate comparison fee | Shoppers comparing several carriers | Independent insurance agency comparing term, burial, final expense and senior life policies across carriers. |
Pricing is as each company publishes it. Confirm current terms before you sign up. Listed here? Update your listing.
How to Choose Military Life Insurance
No single policy is the best military life insurance for every service member, veteran, or spouse. SGLI while you serve, then VGLI after you separate, is the government baseline. Private insurers sell term and permanent policies that sit on top of that baseline or replace it.
Compare four things on every quote:
- The coverage amount, and whether it fills the gap above the $500,000 SGLI maximum.
- Whether the policy excludes deaths from war, aviation, terrorism, or combat.
- How the company handles the end of SGLI, such as a conversion option or a rider that adds coverage after service without a new health review.
- The premium quote you receive for your age, health, coverage amount, and term length.
None of the insurers in the table publishes a flat premium. Each company prices by age, health, coverage amount, and term length. To compare cost, request a quote at the same amount and term from each company.
SGLI and VGLI Basics
SGLI is group coverage for eligible service members, who are enrolled automatically through their branch. You can hold up to $500,000 in $50,000 steps, and the basic rate is 5 cents per $1,000 of coverage.
At the $500,000 maximum, 500 units of $1,000 times $0.05 equals $25.00. The VA table adds $1.00 for TSGLI, for a total of $26.00 a month. At $250,000, the basic premium is 250 times $0.05, or $12.50 before the TSGLI charge.
The full rate table sits on the VA's SGLI page.
What Happens to SGLI After Separation
SGLI coverage continues free for 120 days after you separate, or up to 2 years if you are totally disabled. During those 120 days, you can convert SGLI to an individual commercial policy without proof of good health.
VGLI is the government coverage you apply for after separation. You can buy $10,000 to $500,000 of coverage, with the amount based on the SGLI you held. Premiums are set by 5-year age bands and the coverage amount.
One year after you get VGLI, and every 5 years after that, you can add $25,000 of coverage, up to $500,000, until age 60. A veteran who starts with $400,000 could reach $425,000 at year 1, $450,000 at year 6, $475,000 at year 11, and $500,000 at year 16, if each step comes before age 60. OSGLI runs VGLI.
Three Deadlines After Separation
- 120 days: free SGLI coverage ends unless you are totally disabled, and the window closes to convert SGLI to an individual policy without proof of good health.
- 240 days: the last day to apply for VGLI with no health review.
- 1 year and 120 days: the last day to apply for VGLI at all.
The application and the full deadline rules are on the VA's VGLI page.
SGLI, VGLI, and Private Policies Side by Side
SGLI, VGLI, and private policies differ in who can enroll, how much coverage you can buy, and how the price is set.
| Feature | SGLI | VGLI | Private Policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who Enrolls | Eligible service members, enrolled automatically through their branch | Separated service members, with the amount based on the SGLI they held | Varies by company; eligibility lists include active duty, Guard, Reserve, retirees, veterans, cadets, federal employees, and family |
| Coverage Amount | Up to $500,000 in $50,000 steps | $10,000 to $500,000 | Published term ranges include $50,000 to $1 million and $50,000 to $1.5 million; one insurer says veterans may qualify for up to $2 million in some cases |
| How Price Is Set | 5 cents per $1,000; $26.00 a month at $500,000 including $1.00 for TSGLI | 5-year age bands and coverage amount | Quote based on age, health, amount, and term; no flat premium published |
| Health Review | Enrollment is automatic | None if you apply within 240 days of separation | Varies; one association offers quick online decisions with typically no exam |
SGLI is the base coverage while you serve, and enrollment is automatic. VGLI is the government coverage after separation, with no health review inside 240 days. Private policies are the SGLI alternatives, priced on a quote.
What to Compare Between Insurers
Insurers in the table differ on coverage range, eligibility, membership, and options for the end of SGLI. The premium is the fifth difference, and you only see it in a quote.
Coverage Range
Published term coverage ranges differ by company. One insurer sells term from $50,000 up to $1.5 million, and another sells $50,000 to $1 million. One insurer says veterans may qualify for up to $2 million in some cases.
Compare those ranges with the $500,000 SGLI maximum when you decide how much coverage to quote.
Eligibility and Membership
Eligibility lists on company pages include active duty, Guard, Reserve, retirees, honorably discharged veterans, cadets, federal employees, and family members. Some associations include membership with the policy, and one says it charges no membership fees or annual dues. Ask each association whether membership carries a fee so the quotes you compare include it.
Options for the End of SGLI
Two features in the table apply when you leave service. One insurer offers a no-cost rider on its term and whole life policies that lets you buy more coverage after you leave service without a new health review, though availability varies by state. One insurer offers a whole life conversion for SGLI, VGLI, and FSGLI holders without proof of good health, up to the group term amount.
Both features skip a new health review, so ask each insurer whether they apply. For life insurance for military spouses, a spouse covered by FSGLI can ask about the whole life conversion.
Questions to Ask Each Insurer
One association offers quick online decisions with typically no exam, so the application process differs between companies. Ask every insurer the same six questions so the quotes line up:
- What coverage amounts and term lengths do you sell to someone with my service status?
- Does the policy exclude war, aviation, terrorism, combat, or hazardous duty?
- Is there a rider or conversion option for when SGLI ends, and is it available in my state?
- Do I need a medical exam, or can you decide online?
- Is membership required, and does it carry a fee or annual dues?
- What is the monthly premium at the same amount and term I quoted elsewhere?
War and Hazardous-Duty Exclusions
Some policies carry war, aviation, terrorism, or combat exclusions, and exclusions differ by insurer and policy. For life insurance for active duty military, read that clause before anything else in the policy. Some insurers in the table sell term life with no war, aviation, terrorism, or combat exclusions for active duty.
One insurer says it has no exclusions for combat, hazardous duty, or pilots. Exclusions differ by insurer and by policy, so get the exclusions section in writing before you sign and compare it across quotes. Ask about aviation exclusions by name.
If a general insurer has no military-specific product, ask whether active-duty status changes the exclusions on its standard policy. Get that answer in writing too.
Before You Apply
Applying in the right order keeps your government coverage in place while you shop. Work through these steps:
- Write down the SGLI amount you hold or held, since your VGLI amount is based on it.
- If you are leaving service, put the 120-day, 240-day, and 1-year-and-120-day dates on your calendar.
- Add up the coverage your family would need and compare it with the government coverage you hold.
- Request quotes from at least two companies in the table at the same amount and term length.
- Ask each company the six questions above, with extra attention to exclusions and post-service options.
- Keep your current coverage in place and track the 120-day and VGLI deadlines until a private policy is approved.
Our guidance would change if the VA raised the $500,000 cap or changed the 5-cent rate. It would also change if insurers in the table began publishing flat premiums that let you compare cost without a quote.
For help fitting a policy into a wider household plan, see our guide to military financial advisors. Our military car insurance guide and the VA benefits hub cover related coverage decisions.
Write down your SGLI amount today, then request military life insurance quotes from two companies in the comparison table at that same coverage amount.