The short answer
"Direct" and "digital" term are sold by three kinds of company. An insurer selling its own policy, an agency selling other insurers' policies online, and a marketplace showing several insurers at once. The claim is always paid by the insurer named in the policy. As of November 11, 2026, Ladder sells policies issued by Amica Life, Fidelity Security Life and S.USA Life, Ethos lists six issuing carriers, and Bestow and Haven Life no longer sell to new buyers.
- Who pays the claim
- The issuing insurer, every time
- Brands checked
- 10
- Checked
- November 11, 2026
On this page
Three kinds of seller hide behind the word direct
The industry does not agree on the word. Policygenius, itself a broker, defines direct term as a policy "you buy directly from the insurance company instead of an agent or broker."[1] Ethos widens it to buying from "an insurance company or licensed online marketplace."[2] Aflac keeps the narrow meaning, a policy that "may be purchased directly from an insurance company".[3]
The useful split is by who you are dealing with.
- The insurer. It writes the contract, prices it and pays the claim.
- An agency. A licensed seller that places your policy with one or more insurers and is paid by them. Many online brands are agencies.
- A marketplace. An agency that shows quotes from several insurers side by side and lets you pick.
- The insurer that issues the policy and pays the claim
- Insurer direct, agency site with 1 to 3 insurers, marketplace with many
Who issues the policy behind each online brand
Each row comes from the brand's own footer, FAQ or product page, opened on the date in the caption. Where a page does not say, the cell says so.
| Brand | Seller type | Policy issued by | Limits the brand states | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladder | Agency, Ladder Insurance Services, LLC | Amica Life Insurance Company, Fidelity Security Life Insurance Company, or S.USA Life Insurance Company, depending on state | Terms of 10 to 30 years, no medical exam up to $3 million | Footer [4] |
| Ethos | Licensed producer and third-party administrator | Banner Life, Protective Life, North American Company for Life and Health, CMFG Life, MEMBERS Life, Ameritas Life | Term to age 69 at purchase, kept to 80 | Carriers page and FAQ [5][6] |
| Amplify | Agency, calls itself digital-first | Third-party carriers, naming Nationwide and F&G | Up to $2 million, product not stated | Own article [7] |
| Policygenius | Independent broker and marketplace | Several insurers, not listed on the home page | Not stated on the home page | Home page [8] |
| Fidelity Term Life | Sold through Fidelity | Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company | Not stated in the page opened | Fidelity article [9] |
| Fidelity Life | Insurer | Fidelity Life Association, a separate company | Term and permanent plans up to age 70 | Home page [10] |
| State Farm Instant Answer Term | Insurer, through its own agents | State Farm Life Insurance Company | $50,000 until age 50 or 10 years, whichever is longer | Term page [11] |
| Aflac | Insurer | Direct business by Tier One Insurance Company; the individual term brochure names American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus | Brochure, up to $250,000 | Footer and brochure [3][12] |
| Bestow | No longer sells life insurance to consumers | Its former insurer is now Lantern Insurance Company, owned by Sammons | None | FAQ [13] |
| Haven Life | Stopped selling January 12, 2024 | MassMutual, which services existing policies | None | NerdWallet review [14] |
Checked November 11, 2026 from each brand's own pages, except Haven Life, whose site did not load, from NerdWallet's review dated February 24, 2026. Brands change insurers. Read the insurer's name on your application and policy.
Ages and amounts each brand will sell online
Online limits are tighter than the insurers' full limits, and they differ more than the marketing suggests.
- Ladder says it is fully digital "when you apply for $3 million in coverage or less", and its terms run from 10 to 30 years.[4]
- Ethos says term is available "If you're 69 or younger" and can be kept "until age 80."[6]
- Fidelity Life puts its plans "up to age 70".[10]
- State Farm's Instant Answer Term is a small fixed policy, $50,000, and you buy it "on the same day at an agent's office."[11]
- Aflac's individual term brochure caps applications at $250,000, with 10-year terms issued from 18 to 70, 20-year from 18 to 60 and 30-year from 18 to 50.[12]
If you need more cover or a longer term than an online brand offers, the insurer behind it may sell more through other channels. The term policy database lists the full limits product by product.
Fast decisions and full underwriting
"Instant" means the application can be decided without an exam, not that everyone is accepted. State Farm's footnote says Instant Answer approval comes "with no physical or medical tests required" but that issuance "may depend upon the answers to the health questions".[11] Ladder routes applications above $3 million to "a quick, free, at-home health check."[4] A fast path is convenient. It is not a promise, and a person with a health history may get a better class through full underwriting.
Example. Reading one footer before you apply
- Brand on the screen
- Ladder
- Seller type
- Agency
- Possible issuers
- 3
- Not offered by S.USA Life
- Connecticut, New York
- Company that would pay a Connecticut claim
- Amica or Fidelity Security
From Ladder's footer, opened November 11, 2026. Ladder says Amica Life and Fidelity Security Life policies are not offered in New York, and S.USA Life policies are not offered in Connecticut or New York. All three are offered in DC.
Brands that closed or changed course
- Haven Life
- Stopped selling on January 12, 2024. Its policies were issued by MassMutual, which keeps servicing them.[14]
- Bestow
- Sold its insurer, Bestow Life Insurance Company, to Sammons Financial Group in 2024, which renamed it Lantern Insurance Company. Bestow now calls itself a "life insurance SaaS platform provider."[13]
- Quotacy
- Its blog address now forwards to easylifeinsurance.com.[15]
If you bought through a brand that closed, your policy stays with the insurer named in it. Keep paying the premium and send changes to that insurer.
Is buying direct cheaper?
Not by default. Policygenius says "Insurance commissions are already built into the price of an insurance policy, so you're not paying any extra for working with us".[8] The same Policygenius team writes that most people "will find a policy better suited to their needs by working with an independent agent or broker."[1] The price comes from the insurer's rates and your class. What changes between channels is how many insurers you see and who helps when underwriting goes sideways.
Where InsureTerm fits
InsureTerm is an independent agency, the second kind of seller above. The quote form on our home page starts a comparison across insurers, and the insurer that issues your policy pays the agency a commission. The details are on how we are paid.
Questions people ask
What is direct term life insurance?
In the narrow sense, term cover bought straight from the insurer that issues it. Many brands use the word for online agencies and marketplaces too, so check the footer to see which one you are using.
Is Ladder an insurance company?
Ladder's footer names Ladder Insurance Services, LLC as the seller and Amica Life, Fidelity Security Life and S.USA Life as the insurers it sells for, depending on the state.
What happens to my policy if an online brand shuts down?
The policy stays in force with the insurer that issued it, as Haven Life's policies did with MassMutual. Keep paying premiums and update your contact details with the insurer.
Last updated November 11, 2026. Found an error? Call (305) 699-5857 and it goes in the corrections log.
Sources (15)
- Policygenius, Direct term life insurance, modified May 30, 2024. Opened November 10, 2026. policygenius.com
- Ethos, Direct term life insurance, modified October 31, 2026. Opened November 10, 2026. ethos.com
- Aflac, What is Direct Term Life Insurance, page and footer, 2026. Opened November 11, 2026. aflac.com
- Ladder, home page and footer, 2026. Opened November 11, 2026. ladderlife.com
- Ethos, Carriers, no date shown. Opened November 11, 2026. ethos.com
- Ethos, home page footer and FAQ, no date shown. Opened November 10, 2026. ethos.com
- Amplify, 8 Best Instant and Online Life Insurance Options, no date shown. Opened November 11, 2026. getamplifylife.com
- Policygenius, home page and FAQ, no date shown. Opened November 11, 2026. policygenius.com
- Fidelity, Life insurance cost, no date shown. Opened November 10, 2026. fidelity.com
- Fidelity Life, home page, 2026. Opened November 10, 2026. fidelitylife.com
- State Farm, term life lineup and Instant Answer footnotes, undated. Opened November 11, 2026. statefarm.com
- Aflac, Aflac Term Life individual term life insurance brochure, form IC(6/19)B60275COM. Opened November 11, 2026. aflac.com
- Bestow, home page FAQ, no date shown. Opened November 11, 2026. bestow.com
- NerdWallet, Haven Life Insurance Review, February 24, 2026. Opened November 11, 2026. nerdwallet.com
- Quotacy, blog address checked for a redirect, no date shown. Opened November 10, 2026. quotacy.com
