Disclosure: This PolicyMe review is not sponsored—all views expressed here are honest and my own. Some of the links in this review are affiliate links. That means I may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking through my links (at no extra cost to you).
My PolicyMe review: NEW update for 2021!
Exciting news—PolicyMe now sells their own life insurance policies! Instead of being a broker for other insurance companies, they now sell directly to customers. This not only streamlines the process, but it also means faster service and lower prices for you!
PolicyMe’s term life policies* are fully-underwritten, fast, easy and affordable. Additionally, all applicants receive a decision instantly and most don’t require a medical exam. Best of all: they now offer even lower rates!
Still the same, great process
As if all these new improvements weren’t amazing enough, PolicyMe continues to provide their enjoyable, fully online life insurance quoting process. In the review below, I share my experience using PolicyMe and why I still think they’re a gamechanger.
(I think you’ll have a hard time not getting excited about buying a PolicyMe policy after reading this review!)
*PolicyMe’s policies are issued by Canadian Premier Life Insurance Company, one of Canada’s most reputable life insurance companies.
Life insurance: the old, hard way
If you’re like most people, purchasing life insurance isn’t high on your list of to-dos. While we all know we need it, many of us never find the time to deal with it. Why is that?
Personally, I think it’s due to more than simple procrastination. There are a host of other valid reasons—and most are the result of life insurance that’s sold the old, hard way.
I’ve purchased life insurance several times in my life, and I often found the experience to be less-than-satisfactory. Here are some of the things I really disliked:
It’s time-consuming
Getting multiple quotes, following up, comparing rates—it’s a lot of hassle and a lot of work. Who wants that?
It’s salesy
Unfortunately, many of us have been subjected to pushy sales tactics when buying insurance. Why would we willingly choose to engage in that?
It’s confusing
Unless you know what to ask for, it can be hard to understand what you need and what you’re paying for.
It’s boring
Does anyone look forward to hours of research and reading the legalese in insurance policies? I don’t have time for that, and I bet you don’t either.
It’s no wonder, even with the best of intentions, why we drag our feet. Getting life insurance just seems like a whole lot of boring, unpleasant work.
But what if I told you there’s a better way? (And, dare I say it—it’s even enjoyable!)
Related: I previously discussed the importance of estate planning in my review of The Family In Case of Emergency Binder. (Can you tell I’m passionate about motivating you to do your estate planning? 😬)
Life insurance with PolicyMe: the new, better way
PolicyMe is a Toronto-based startup with a mission to “make buying life insurance more transparent, customized and most importantly, convenient.” In short: they’re a gamechanger!
I tested out the new, improved PolicyMe process, and am pleased to report that they deliver 100% on their mission. Here’s what I found to be notably different from my past life insurance experiences:
It’s fast
PolicyMe gives you a quote and decision on your application immediately. In comparison, most insurance companies take weeks to do this. In mere minutes, I clicked through PolicyMe’s questionnaire, entered my info, and received an instant quote. Really—it was that fast.
It’s easy
The interface is simple, mobile-friendly, and very easy to use. PolicyMe guides you through the quoting process, one step at a time. It’s so easy to tinker with options, go backwards and forwards through the questions, and get a revised quote.
It’s enjoyable
It was a genuine pleasure using the PolicyMe website. (Honestly!) The interface is clear, clutter-free, and well-designed. I actually found their interface to be fun and entertaining to use. The UI is modern and very well-designed—all the buttons, sliders, and transitions are beautiful and oh-so satisfying to click through.
It’s convenient
Unbelievably, PolicyMe can offer some of the lowest prices in Canada—without a medical exam!* That’s just amazing. No more blood test, peeing in a cup, or half day spent with a nurse at your house! That’s the ultimate in convenience.
*Most people will not need a medical exam.
It’s pressure-free
Unlike other websites I’ve tried, you’ll get your quote immediately right on PolicyMe’s website. You won’t have to deal with sneaky tactics or high-pressure follow-up phone calls. (They do send follow-up emails, but they’re friendly and pressure-free.)
It’s transparent
From beginning to end, PolicyMe makes the quoting process totally transparent. You can see why they ask the questions they ask, how it affects your rates, and what you’ll be covered for.
It’s more than just a quote
If you have a unique situation or would like more advice, PolicyMe advisors are ready to take your call (or email).
What I didn’t love
In all my reviews, I aim to be as transparent as possible. That means I’ll tell you if there was something I didn’t like about a service or product. In this case, I have one minor gripe about PolicyMe: their emails.
*Note: PolicyMe’s latest improvements are still new, so this may no longer be the case. I’ll update my post once I receive their newest emails.
Who’s emailing me?
A couple of the emails I received from PolicyMe contained little or no branding. The PolicyMe name was buried in the body of the email, or in the tiny signature at the bottom. Perhaps this is a proven marketing strategy, but it made the emails seem spammy.
Additionally, only the first and last name of a staff member was in the ‘from’ field. When I see an email from a name I don’t recognize, this also looks like spam to me.
That’s it
Honestly, their emails were the only fault I could find with PolicyMe. Their process is so clean and simple, it’s hard to find much that’s wrong with this company!
My final thoughts on PolicyMe
Despite my minor misgivings about their emails, I love the PolicyMe process and wish they existed when we purchased our life insurance.
In my test run of their new, improved quoting process, I found it to be a pleasant, pain-free experience. I would wholeheartedly recommend them for your life insurance needs.
Note: I’ve heard that PolicyMe recommends to some people that they shouldn’t buy life insurance. (For example, someone who’s single with no dependents.) I really appreciate this transparency, and think it’s how all businesses should operate.
Questions?
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions I didn’t answer. Or, you can also visit this FAQ page at PolicyMe.
My other life insurance posts
Not sure if you’re ready for life insurance? I wrote two other posts that might be helpful:
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10 Comments
Bob Wen
April 21, 2020 at 7:15 pmOver the years I’ve spent a lot of money on life insurance on my own life, and to date it’s been a total waste of money!
I guess it’s just the cost of doing living.
Chrissy
April 21, 2020 at 10:42 pmLOL, Bob—I think it’s wonderful news if you ‘wasted’ your money on life insurance… it means you’re living a long, healthy life!
In this case, I hope all of us find that we wasted our money. 😉
Bob Wen
April 22, 2020 at 5:33 amThanks Chrissy. I’ll be sharing this blog post with two of our children who each have life insurance that they took out when they arranged their mortgages with the bank. Which as I understand it, can be quite expensive.
Chrissy
April 23, 2020 at 7:14 pmHi Bob—you’re wise to question mortgage insurance. I don’t like it because the premiums stay the same while the coverage shrinks.
I also don’t like that it only covers mortgage payments. That won’t help as much as a larger cash payout that will help with other expenses.
Whether your kids use PolicyMe or not, I think it would be wise for them to consider switching to term life insurance. 👍
Daniel Johnson
May 25, 2020 at 8:45 amGreat info! Thanks for sharing! Is there a similar option for business insurance?
Chrissy
May 25, 2020 at 8:18 pmHi Daniel, from what I can tell, PolicyMe only offers quotes for life insurance.
Mr. Dreamer @ VibrantDreamer.com
March 11, 2021 at 9:20 amAs always, very informative. However, I don’t think I am “yet” too scared to purchase a life insurance specially as we don’t have a mortgage.
Chrissy
March 17, 2021 at 5:30 pmHi Mr. Dreamer—sorry for my late reply to this comment. I was working hard on getting that currency converter working on the interview series (thanks again for your suggestion)!
I think you’re pretty well covered in your situation, with family help, low expenses, and no mortgage. It sounds like the right choice for your family!
David @ Filled With Money
March 13, 2021 at 8:45 pmGreat that you got life insurance! I’ve been thinking more and more about getting it, even though I have the standard boilerplate life insurance form my company, there’s always more that I could do. I don’t have any dependents so that’s the good part. But so many posts from personal finance blogs that I trust is making me re-think my choices.
Chrissy
March 17, 2021 at 5:33 pmHi David—with no dependents, it very well could be that you only need minimal insurance, just to get the low rates when you’re young and healthy.
When you need to increase coverage one day, hopefully you’ll be able to simply convert the policy and that it won’t require you to re-qualify.
Thanks for reading and commenting!