Insurancy

Million Dollar Life Insurance

If someone offered you a million dollar life insurance policy, you may think that it is too much coverage; that you might not qualify. Contrary to popular belief, million-dollar3 life insurance is way more affordable and accessible than you might think.

Million Dollar Life Insurance
Brian Greenberg

Written by Brian Greenberg

CEO / Founder & Licensed Insurance Agent

Grant Desselle

Reviewed by Grant Desselle

Licensed Insurance Agent

Last updated: July 2022 | 4 min read

Million dollar life insurance at a glance

  • Annual income is the most important factor in qualifying for a $1 million policy.
  • Recommended coverage often ranges from 3x to 20x annual income, depending on age.
  • A million-dollar policy is typically meant as 5 to 10 years of income replacement.
  • Consider debts, mortgage balance, college costs, and existing savings before choosing coverage.
  • No medical exam policies can skip exams but still assess risk using records and lifestyle questions.
  • Life insurance coverage can be based on household income, so both spouses may qualify for $1 million.

Improvements in the insurance industry have made it much easier and commonplace to get these kinds of million-dollar policies. Over the course of many years, this policy will serve as income replacement in the event of your untimely demise.

With all of that in mind, here’s what you need to know about million dollar life insurance:

Q: What is the most important factor in qualifying for a million-dollar policy?

A: Your annual income.

Do your financial obligations warrant this kind of policy?

This is most often determined by a Multiple of your Annual Income

Your AgeRecommended CoverageMaximum Coverage
20-3015x annual income20x annual income
31-4015x annual income20x annual income
41-5010x annual income15x annual income
51-607x annual income10x annual income
61-655x annual income7x annual income
66 or Older3x annual income 5x annual income

As you would when considering any life insurance policy, you need to consider what financial obligations a potential policy would need to cover.

For example, if you are a 30-something making $50,000 a year, your recommended coverage amount would be somewhere between 15-20 times your salary. Using this metric, you’d be right in the sweet spot for $1 million coverage.

Once you know if your income qualifies, it’s important to consider the expenses that a million-dollar policy could cover. It’s important to consider the expenses that your family would have to cover in the event of your death. These are the kinds of questions you need to be thinking about:

  • Do you have outstanding student loan debt?
  • How much do you owe on your mortgage?
  • What would it cost to put your children through college?
  • Do I already have enough saved away as a safety net?

The idea of these questions is to make sure that you aren’t selling yourself short on the kind of coverage you actually need.
Like any life insurance policy, it is meant to be income replacement for 5-10 years after your death, not an increase in income. So, if your long-term expenses total out around $1 million, then this kind of policy might be right for you.

Best companies for no medical exam million dollar life insurance

Sagicor Life Insurance Company Get a Quote Learn more

Sagicor Life Insurance Company

Sagicor Life Insurance Company is one of the largest life insurance providers in the country.

They have been providing quality and value to their policyholders for over 60 years.

Their parent company, Sagicor Financial has approximately $5.5 billion in assets.

American National Life Insurance Get a Quote Learn more

American National Life Insurance Company

American National Life Insurance has been writing life insurance for more than 100 years.

They also carry A ratings from both Standard and Poors and A.M. Best.

Best companies for million dollar life insurance with a medical exam

AIG American General Life Insurance Company Get a Quote Learn more

AIG American General Life Insurance Company

AIG is one of the best, financially stable insurance companies that is internationally available.

They boast A+ ratings from both the Better Business Bureau and A.M. Best, as well as a AAA rating from Standard and Poors.

Banner Life Insurance Company Get a Quote Learn more

Banner Life Insurance

Banner Life Insurance has been writing life insurance for more than 50 years.

They boast A+ ratings from both the Better Business Bureau and A.M. Best, as well as a AA rating from Standard and Poors.

In many cases, this helps determine if you are actually healthy enough for this policy, and the risk of insuring you. But, there are some insurers who offer no medical exam policies which bypass this step entirely. Though, in doing this, they assess your risk by analyzing your medical history, driving records and questions about your lifestyle. All things to keep in mind when considering this avenue for coverage.

If you meet all of these eligibility requirements, then you’re one step closer to getting coverage.

Sample rates for million dollar life insurance

These rates are for a 40-year-old non-smoker from Missouri in the standard health class.
CompanyMale (Age 40)Female (Age 40)
Banner$91.82 per month$71.30 per month
AIG$91.83 per month$71.31 per month
American National (No Exam)$104.54 per month$82.02 per month
Sagicor (No Exam)$126.97 per month$103.63 per month

If one spouse qualifies for a million dollar policy, the other spouse qualifies as well!

You may think that only the main income earner in a family can get one million dollars in coverage. When one spouse has all or most of the coverage, the insurance companies run a higher risk of insurance fraud. In consideration of this life insurance coverage is based on household income. This means both of you can get a million in coverage.

P.S. We don’t want our spouses to be tempted :)

The general rule of thumb is that 2% of your yearly income should be spent on life insurance.

If you compare million-dollar term coverage to whole life, you may be surprised by the price difference. This means that you could be paying way more for a whole life policy versus an equivalent term policy with $1 million of coverage. For this reason, you should weigh your options. If you meet the eligibility and health requirements, then million-dollar life insurance might be right for you.

Is million dollar life insurance actually affordable?

In the end, you’re the only one who really knows if a million-dollar policy is right for your life insurance needs. As noted above, this often depends on your income and health, so you will want to take those into consideration before making any big decisions. You can even input some of that basic information into a calculator and see how affordable your monthly premiums might be as well.

Our recommendation is to purchase as much life insurance as you qualify for.

If you decide to explore these policies further, Insurancy has plenty of tools to help you compare quotes from many providers. This way you can find the million-dollar policy that will fit you best.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important factor in qualifying for a million-dollar policy?+

Annual income is the most important factor in qualifying for a million-dollar life insurance policy. Eligibility is often determined using a multiple of annual income that varies by age. The goal is to match coverage to financial obligations and income replacement needs.

How much life insurance can I qualify for based on my age and income?+

Qualification is often estimated using an age-based multiple of annual income, with recommended and maximum ranges. For ages 20 to 40, recommended coverage is 15x income and maximum is 20x. Multiples decrease with age, down to 3x recommended and 5x maximum for ages 66 and older.

What expenses should a million-dollar life insurance policy cover?+

Key expenses to consider include student loan debt, mortgage balance, and the cost of putting children through college. It is also important to think about whether you already have enough saved as a safety net. The purpose is to avoid choosing too little coverage for your total long-term expenses.

Is million dollar life insurance meant to increase my family’s income?+

A million-dollar life insurance policy is meant to replace income for 5 to 10 years after death, not increase income. If long-term expenses total around $1 million, this level of coverage may fit that need. Choosing coverage should be based on actual obligations and income replacement goals.

Can I get a $1 million policy without a medical exam?+

Some insurers offer no medical exam policies that bypass the medical exam step entirely. Instead of an exam, they assess risk by analyzing medical history, driving records, and answers to lifestyle questions. This approach can still be used to determine eligibility and the risk of insuring you.

If one spouse qualifies for $1 million, can the other spouse qualify too?+

Both spouses can qualify for a million dollars in coverage because coverage can be based on household income. When one spouse has all or most of the coverage, insurers may view the situation as a higher fraud risk. Spreading coverage across both spouses can address that concern.

What are sample monthly rates for $1 million life insurance?+

Sample rates are shown for a 40-year-old non-smoker from Missouri in the standard health class. Banner is listed at $91.82 per month for males and $71.30 for females, and AIG at $91.83 for males and $71.31 for females. No exam options shown include American National and Sagicor at higher monthly amounts.

How much of my yearly income should be spent on life insurance?+

A general rule of thumb is to spend about 2% of yearly income on life insurance. The cost can vary by policy type, and a comparison of million-dollar term coverage to whole life can show a significant price difference. This can mean paying more for whole life than an equivalent term policy.

About the authors

Brian Greenberg

Written by

Brian GreenbergCEO / Founder & Licensed Insurance Agent

Brian is the founder and CEO of Insurancy and carries Life, Health, and Property & Casualty licenses in all 50 U.S. states. Since 2013, Brian has been a member of Million Dollar Round Table, a designation for the top 1% of financial advisors worldwide. Brian has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, Money.com, Entrepreneur.com, Life Happens, Forbes, MSN, and Good Financial Cents. Brian’s goal is to show customers the best products, the quickest answers to their questions, and provide expert advice.

Grant Desselle

Reviewed by

Grant DesselleLicensed Insurance Agent

Grant's past experience includes work as a licensed sales agent for Hagerty Insurance. He has reviewed thousands of existing auto policies across the nation and issued hundreds of new ones on everything ranging from classic cars undergoing restoration to modern exotics and motorcycles.

30-second quiz

Find your best life insurance type

Answer a few quick questions and get matched with the right kind of policy.

Take the quiz

Full assessment

Get your complete coverage plan

How much coverage you need, which type fits, and what you should pay.

Start the assessment

Keep reading

Related articles

Decreasing Term Life Insurance: How It Works and CostLife Insurance

Decreasing Term Life Insurance: How It Works and Cost

Decreasing term life insurance is a term life policy whose death benefit drops on a fixed schedule over the life of the policy, typically aligned with a declining obligation like a mortgage payoff or business loan. Premiums are usually level, not decreasing, despite the falling death benefit. Decreasing term is much less common in the U.S. retail market than level term because the premium savings are typically small and the buyer is exposed to a coverage shortfall if the underlying obligation is paid down slower than the schedule assumes.

Brian GreenbergUpdated Jun 2026

Term vs Whole Life Insurance: Key Differences and CostLife Insurance

Term vs Whole Life Insurance: Key Differences and Cost

Term life and whole life are the two main categories of life insurance in the United States. Term life provides coverage for a defined period (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, or 40 years) at the lowest possible cost per dollar of death benefit. Whole life provides lifetime coverage with a fixed premium and accumulates cash value over time but costs 5 to 15 times more per dollar of death benefit. Term life is the right choice for roughly 90 percent of buyers; whole life is the right choice for a smaller set of buyers with permanent insurance needs (estate planning, special-needs dependents, lifetime income replacement).

Brian GreenbergUpdated Jun 2026

IUL vs Whole Life Insurance: 5 Key Differences To KnowLife Insurance

IUL vs Whole Life Insurance: 5 Key Differences To Know

Indexed universal life (IUL) and whole life insurance are both permanent life insurance products that combine lifetime coverage with cash value accumulation, but they differ on five fundamental dimensions: cash-value growth mechanism (IUL tracks a stock index with caps and floors; whole life grows by guaranteed rate plus dividends), flexibility of premium and death benefit, downside protection guarantees, ongoing carrier cost structure, and how dividends or interest are credited. Whole life suits buyers who want guarantees and dividend stability; IUL suits buyers who want upside participation with downside protection.

Brian GreenbergUpdated Jun 2026

Get the most accurate rates in 2 minutes or less

Making a financial decision doesn’t have to be stressful. See what you qualify for by answering some health questions.

Get a Free Quote