Quick answer
Fabric by Gerber Life is a digital term life brand built for young parents, issuing policies within the Gerber Life family, part of Western & Southern Financial Group. Qualifying applicants get accelerated no-exam underwriting with fast decisions, and every customer gets free extras like online wills and family finance tools. Term lengths run 10 to 30 years at meaningful face amounts. It fits busy parents who want coverage plus estate basics handled in one sitting, though price shoppers should still compare two or three carriers.
Our take on Fabric Life Insurance
Millennials aren’t exactly known for their eagerness to commit. That’s why it’s refreshing to find a company like Fabric that specializes in selling life insurance to young families.
Fabric began in 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Founded by Adam Erlebacher and Steven Surgnier, the company helps young families with planning for the future, providing assistance at every step along the journey. Not only can you obtain a simple, 20-year term life insurance policy, but their other planning tools can help you maintain your important financial documents such as wills and trusts.
The company relies on the latest technology to determine your coverage. After answering a few basic questions, a computer algorithm will turn you over to a human underwriter who will determine if any extra steps are needed for approval. If you’re healthy, you can be approved for life insurance without a medical exam.
Though the company is new, its policies are underwritten by Vantis Life, a subsidiary of Penn Mutual Life Insurance. The latter company was founded in 1847, giving Fabric credibility despite its newness to the market.
We highly recommend Fabric to young adults and young families, who will appreciate the hassle-free application process and simple online tools. If you’re a young professional, Fabric can have you “adulting” in a matter of minutes, granting you affordable life insurance that you can pay for using a credit or debit card.
| Fabric life Insurance Company Details | |
|---|---|
| A.M Best Rating | A+ |
| S&P Rating | NR |
| BBB Rating | A+ |
| Customer Service Phone | 917-765-3572 |
| Website | www.meetfabric.com |
| Address | Fabric Insurance Agency 20 Jay Street, Suite 438 Brooklyn, NY 11201 |
*Ratings are for Vantis, the underwriting company. Fabric has not been independently reviewed.
What we like
Simple Online Application
The online option is among the simplest in the industry, and applicants can expect approval in a matter of minutes.
Pay with Credit/Debit Card
Policyholders can pay with a credit or debit card, which may be attractive to those looking to rack up reward points.
Additional Planning Tools
Fabric also offers several online tools that young adults can use for future planning and organizing important documents such as trusts and wills.
What we don’t like
Few Customizable Options
The simplicity of their products is also the biggest drawback. Applicants looking for term coverage in various increments (e.g., 10, 15, or 25-years) or looking for lots of customizable options will have to look elsewhere.
Age Cap
Fabric’s policies are limited to applicants 60 and below. Accidental death coverage is limited to those under the age of 50.
Not Available in All States
Fabric’s term policies are currently unavailable in California, Montana, or New York. Their accidental death plans are not available in Colorado, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or Washington.
Fabric Life Insurance Products
Term
| Term Life Details | |
|---|---|
| Length of Coverage | 20 years |
| Minimum Coverage: | $100,000 |
| Maximum Coverage: | $5 million |
| Estimated Time to Approval: | Immediate |
| Product Features: |
|
Fabric’s main product is their term life insurance policy. This policy is available in 10, 15, or 20-year increments, and coverage ranges from $100,000 to $5 million. Applicants can specify coverage in increments of $50,000. While this isn’t the highest death benefit on the market, it’s still substantial.
No Medical Exam
If you’re between the ages of 20 and 55 and seeking a policy of $1 million or less, it’s possible that you can receive coverage with no medical exam. Fabric relies on a computer algorithm to process insurance applications. After filling out the application, human underwriters will evaluate your application and decide if an exam is necessary.
Level Premiums
Fabric’s term policies offer level premiums, which means that once your rates are locked in, they will never increase for the duration of your policy.
Conversion Option
Since the policy is underwritten by Vantis Life, policyholders have the option of converting their policy into a whole life insurance policy during the term, without having to retake a medical exam.
Accidental Death Insurance
Fabric offers accidental death insurance for applicants between the ages of 25 and 50. No health questions or exams are required. Policy coverage comes in three options, with costs that remain fixed, though vary slightly by state:
| Coverage Amount | Monthly Cost (Oklahoma & New Jersey) | Monthly Costs (all other states) |
|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $6.50 | $6.00 |
| $250,000 | $16.25 | $15.00 |
| $500,000 | $32.50 | $30.00 |
Living Benefits
Fabric allows policyholders to purchase an optional accelerated benefits rider, which provides a portion of the benefits if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness.
No Benefits for Dismemberment/Paralysis
As grisly as it sounds, many accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) will provide coverage in the event that you lose a limb or the ability to walk. Beneficiaries only receive payment if the policyholder dies in an accident, which is actually a low percentage of deaths, overall. Still, accident insurance plans can be helpful for policyholders who work in high-risk occupations or enjoy dangerous hobbies.
Policy benefits
Riders
Although the accidental death policy offers a living benefit, Fabric does not offer any additional riders at this time. It’s actually surprising that a product aimed at young families doesn’t offer a children’s rider, but perhaps this is something that will develop in the future.
Create a Free Will
Fabric can help you create a free will, even if you don’t purchase any of their life insurance products.
Grace Period
If you miss a monthly payment or your credit card fails, Fabric gives you 31 days to get your payment in, without losing benefits.
Pay with a Credit/Debit Card
The option to pay with a credit/debit card is relatively rare in the insurance industry. Fabric lets you pay these premiums with a card, and some customers may use the opportunity to rack up reward points on their favorite card.
Fabric Vault
Fabric can help you organize and maintain your important financial documents such as your will, trusts, and more. You can have this data at your fingertips through this online tool, and the contents of your Vault are shareable.
Conversion Options
As mentioned above, Fabric’s term policies can be converted to a whole life policy, thanks to the underwriting through Vantis Life.
Charitable Donation
If your policy pays out, Fabric will pay 1% of its total value to charity, which can give policyholders peace of mind that their life insurance policy makes a positive difference in their community and world.
Cost
Fabric offers a high level of transparency when it comes to their prices. Though they don’t provide online quotes, they do provide snapshots of what other policyholders are paying. Currently, their website lists the rates for three of their existing policyholders:
- A 29-year-old woman in excellent health pays $14.61/month for a $250,000 policy.
- A 35-year-old man in excellent health pays $34.1&/month for a $750,000 policy.
- A 42-year-old woman in good health pays $41.46/month for a $500,000 policy.
We immediately notice that the rates are highly competitive for younger applicants looking for policies with relatively low coverage. Rates become less competitive for applicants over 40, making this a policy best suited for young adults and young families.
Performance
Financial ratings
Fabric has been around for a very short amount of time, and has not been independently reviewed by outside agencies. However, its policies are issued by Vantis Life, a Penn Mutual company established in 1847. Vantis Life currently boasts an A+ (superior) rating from A.M. Best. This strong backing fosters great confidence in Fabric’s ability to fulfill its promises to its policyholders.
No Phone Number
Fabric’s simple user interface will surely appeal to those who are skeptical about insurance agents. But we’ve all experienced the frustration of trying to speak to a human being when we need customer service. Fabric’s website provides a live chat feature as well as a sign-in for membership services, but a phone number is conspicuously absent. While we don’t wish to rush to judgment about this fine company, applicants should be aware that the company emphasizes the app rather than the personal touch of agents, which can be a double-edged sword.
