2024 Cincinnati Life Insurance Company Review

Cincinnati Life Insurance Company is a top provider of several affordable life insurance products. Coverage options include term life insurance, universal life insurance, and whole life insurance.

In addition to life insurance products, Cincinnati Insurance Company offers additional financial and insurance products such as home and auto, fixed annuities, and a wide range of business insurance options.

While Cincinnati Insurance Company can offer many different insurance solutions, our review will focus primarily on the company’s full line of life insurance products. Before choosing a policy, it helps to compare options and examine the details of each available product which we will provide for you.

The following Cincinnati Life Insurance review will help you determine whether or not they are the right fit for you? Start your life insurance search with our in-depth review of the top coverage options offered by The Cincinnati Insurance Companies.

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History of the Cincinnati Financial Corporation

Founded in 1950 by four insurance agents, the Cincinnati Insurance Company has grown to become one of the top 100 largest U.S. life insurance companies in the United States. Overtime, the insurance company restructured as Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CinFin), adding several subsidiaries.

Cincinnati Insurance Company Subsidiaries

• The Cincinnati Casualty Company
• The Cincinnati Indemnity Company
• The Cincinnati Life Insurance Company
• The Cincinnati Specialty Underwriters Insurance Company

Cincinnati Financial Subsidiaries

• CFC Investment Company
• CSU Producer Resources Inc.
• Cincinnati Global Underwriting Ltd.

Cincinnati Financial assets are valued at over $20 billion through their offering of casualty and property insurance and a wide range of financial services.

The success of the company is credited to the company’s core business strategies. The Cincinnati Insurance Company was founded on the idea of using a low-cost, conservative investment strategy combined with a strong network of independent insurance agents.

Early in the history of the company, Cincinnati Insurance Company (CIC) relied on agents with existing offices or those who worked out of their private properties. The company also used strict criteria for selecting clients. These features help the company maintain low operating costs, allowing CIC to offer more affordable rates compared to the competition.

At the present time, the insurance company’s headquarters can be located in Fairfield, Ohio, consisting of more than 3,200 associates along with an additional 1,700 associates in other field locations. Together, Cincinnati Life and its associates provide service to 1,740 independent insurance agencies that market the company’s full line of insurance products.

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Cincinnati Insurance Ratings

Financial ratings provide insight into the stability of a company. As people depend on insurance companies to pay claims, financial ratings are an essential detail to consider when selecting the right policy.

Cincinnati Life Insurance has been awarded some of the most reliable financial ratings from the most trusted ranking organizations in the insurance industry.

Cincinnati Life Insurance Company Ratings and Financial Strength

• AM Best: A (Excellent)
• Fitch: A+ (Strong)
• Moody’s: No Rated
• S&P Global Ratings: A+ (Strong)

Recent Cincinnati Life Insurance Company Rankings

• July 2019 Best’s Review ranks Cincinnati Financial Corporation a top 75 North American Insurers based on 2018 assets and revenue.
• July 2019 Best’s Review ranks Cincinnati Insurance Companies No. 23 of 200 U.S. property and casualty insurer groups based on 2018 net premiums written.
• July 2019 Best’s Review ranks Cincinnati Life Insurance Company No. 89 of 200 U.S. life and health insurers groups based on admitted assets in 2018.

Source

Cincinnati Life Insurance Options

Cincinnati Insurance offers a complete range of insurance products for both individuals and businesses. The company’s top individual life insurance products include:

• Termsetter
• Termsetter ROP
• Heritage & Pivot
• Lifesetter Flex
• Guaranteed Whole Life
• LifeHorizons Annuities

Along with these personal insurance options, Cincinnati Life has a wide variety of business solutions. Companies of all sizes can rely on CinFin for business liability insurance, commercial property insurance, workers’ compensation plans, and even cyber risk policies.

As mentioned, personal life insurance will be the main focus of our Cincinnati Life Insurance review. Here is a closer look at the company’s top life insurance products for consumers.

Termsetter

Termsetter is Cincinnati Life’s affordable term life insurance policy. The life insurance policy provides temporary coverage for a set amount of years. Depending on your age when you apply, Termsetter is available in contract lengths of 10, 15, 20, 25, & 30-years. Regardless of the contract length chosen, the premium payment will be locked in for the entire duration of the contract.

If you pass before the policy expires, your beneficiaries receive the full tax-free death benefit in one lump sum payment. If you outlive the policy, you may renew it or convert it to a permanent policy.

Termsetter Policy Features:

• Guaranteed level death benefit
• $25,000 minimum coverage
• Policies available for ages 0 to 75
• 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, or 30-year terms
• Convertible to permanent coverage

While the policy is only available for those between the ages of 0 and 75, you may continue to renew the policy each year after the initial term up to age 99. However, converting the policy to universal life or whole life allows you to switch policies without completing a medical exam or any new medical underwriting.

The Termsetter policy includes standard features available from most providers. An advantage that stands out from most of their competitors is the method used to calculate premiums.

Most companies calculate premiums based on your nearest birthday instead of your actual age, while Cincinnati Life uses your current age.

For example, if you are 59 years and within six months of your 60th birthday, most companies would round your age up and base the rates off of a 60-year old. Termsetter rates are based on actual age, so, in the example, rates would be based on a 59-year-old.

Along with using your current age, Cincinnati Life offers low premiums for this policy. Overall, Termsetter is best suited for both younger as well as older individuals seeking affordable protection for a limited amount of time.

 

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Termsetter ROP

Termsetter ROP includes most of the features found in the basic Termsetter policy. However, the Return of Premium (ROP) policy allows you to recoup up to 100% of every single one of your premiums if you outlive the contract.

Unlike the standard Termsetter life policy, CinFin does not offer a 10-year or 15-year plan in the ROP option. The available term lengths for this coverage include the 20, 25, and 30-year options.

Termsetter ROP Policy Features:

• Guaranteed level death benefit
• $25,000 minimum coverage
• Policies available for ages 18 to 65
• 20-, 25-, and 30-year terms
• Convertible to permanent coverage
• Full refund of all premium payments at contract maturity

As with the standard Termsetter policy, you may convert the ROP plan at the end of the term to one of the available permanent plans.

The age cutoff for Termsetter ROP is limited to applicants up to age 65. Younger adults may find the ROP option a suitable option based on price rather than applicants who are older than age 50.

Don’t Miss Out!

The return of premium life insurance options is becoming extinct. Over the last few years, several big-name life insurance companies such as AIG, Prudential, and Voya have discontinued their return of premium life insurance options.

Many financial experts believe that the reason for this is due to the life insurance coverage not being profitable to the insurance company. With people living longer, the chances of the insurance company having to pay back all premiums are high.

Cincinnati Life is just one of a very few companies to offer a term life insurance product with the return of premium feature. If you’re interested in a return of premium life insurance policy, don’t wait. There is a good chance that this coverage will be completely extinct in a matter of time.

Heritage & Pivot UL

Heritage & Pivot Universal Life is one of two available universal life insurance policies offered by Cincinnati Life. Heritage UL is designed for applicants that are 18 and older, whereas Pivot is for juvenile clients.

The two insurance options are interest-sensitive permanent policies that offer premium payment flexibility with potential cash value growth.

Heritage & Pivot Universal Life Features:

• Low-cost permanent life insurance
• $35,000 minimum coverage
• Coverage guaranteed to last until age 121
• Minimum guaranteed 3% interest rate
• Tax-deferred cash value growth
• 5-year no lapse guarantee
• Policies available for ages 0 to 80
• Optional Chronic Illness rider

The Heritage and Pivot universal life insurance plans build tax-deferred cash growth based on an interest rate declared by Cincinnati Life. It also comes with a guaranteed minimum interest rate of 3%.

One of the main advantages of cash value life insurance is the ability to take out policy loans or partial withdrawals from the cash account. This only works when the life insurance policy has built enough cash growth over time. Keep in mind that policy loans will have an annual interest charge, and partial withdrawals will reduce the death benefit amount.

While the policy is available for those between the ages of 0 and 80, protection is guaranteed through age 121. The life insurance plan also offers a 5-year no-lapse guarantee, which protects the premium from changing should there be an increase in the cost of insurance or a change in the interest credited to the cash value account.

Heritage and Pivot universal life insurance plans are designed to provide a simple solution for obtaining coverage. Cincinnati Life offers flexible premium payments and death benefits along with various riders to customize the policy for your specific needs.

You can add an accidental death benefit, disability waiver of premium, children’s term life insurance, or an accelerated death benefit rider for chronic and terminal illness.

This flexibility, combined with affordable premiums, helps make the universal life insurance option a top choice for anyone seeking permanent coverage with the potential to build cash value.

Lifesetter Flex UL

Lifesetter Flex UL is the second of the two universal life insurance options offered by Cincinnati Life. Flex UL was added to the line of available life insurance options beginning December 29, 2018. It replaced what was previously known as Lifesetter UL which offered a no-lapse guaranteed period to age 121.

Lifesetter Flex UL Policy Features:

• Fixed premiums
• Single, limited and level payment options
• Customizable no-Lapse guarantee periods
• $50,000 minimum coverage
• Guaranteed 2% interest rate
• Policies available for ages 18 to 75
• Permanent protection to age 121

Flex UL is what is known as guaranteed universal life insurance or GUL for short. This type of coverage focuses on providing no-lapse guarantee protection for the life of the policy. We have mentioned no-lapse guarantee a few times, and you may be wondering what that exactly means.

No-lapse protection is a feature offered on some universal life insurance policies. The no-lapse protection guarantees that as long as you pay your regular premium payment, the life insurance coverage will be protected from lapsing should interest rates fall or changes in the cost of insurance rises.

Flex UL comes with a no-lapse guarantee that is fully customizable to last up to age 121. In addition to determining how long you would like for the no-lapse guaranteed to last, you can also choose how often you would like to make premium payments. For example, Flex UL offers the option to make regularly scheduled level premium payments, limited payments, or a one-time single payment.

If you’re curious about the cash value growth potential Flex UL can offer, beware it provides very little to none. Flex UL option does not provide the same cash value growth potential that Heritage and Pivot plans can offer. Instead, Flex UL focuses on providing low-cost permanent insurance with a fixed premium, no-lapse protection, and a guaranteed death benefit.

Flex UL can be a great alternative to term life insurance. The rates will be slightly higher than term insurance, but the insurance coverage will last forever. Coverage starts as low as $50,000 making it affordable for all ages up to 75.

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Guaranteed Whole Life

Cincinnati Guaranteed Whole Life provides protection for life and is backed with multiple guarantees.

Guaranteed Whole Life Policy Features:

• Guaranteed fixed premium
• Guaranteed cash value growth
• Guaranteed death benefit
• $10,000 minimum coverage
• Policies available for ages 0 to 85
• Multiple payment options
• Various policy riders

If you’re looking for a simple and straightforward permanent life insurance plan, Cincinnati’s Guaranteed Whole Life Insurance may be the coverage for you. The non-participating whole life insurance plan offers several guarantees, which include a fixed premium payment, regularly scheduled cash value growth, and a death benefit that will last to age 121.

The whole life insurance plan is available in four different payment options starting with the traditional level pay followed by an optional 10-pay, single pay, or paid-up at age 65.

Coverage is available to applicants age 0-80 with death benefits starting as low as $10,000. Seniors who are seeking smaller amounts of life insurance coverage to cover expenses such as funeral and burial costs will find this coverage fitting.

In addition to many guaranteed features and optional payment modes, the life insurance coverage can offer many different policy riders.

It is essential to know that the whole life insurance plan offered by Cincinnati Life is not guaranteed acceptance insurance coverage. In most cases, traditional underwriting will be required when applying.

Whole life is better suited for those with more income or those wanting to complete their estate planning. The guaranteed coverage for life comes with higher premiums compared to term insurance or universal life policies. However, you never need to worry about an increased premium or your death benefit is reduced.

Cincinnati Life Insurance Riders

Accelerated Benefit Rider allows for advance payment of the policy’s death benefit if diagnosed by a physician with a terminal illness or expected to be permanently confined to a nursing home. Up to 50% of the death benefit (not to exceed $250,000) may be accelerated. Included at no additional cost.

Accidental Death Benefit Rider will payout an additional death benefit in the event of an accidental bodily injury that has resulted in death within 120 days of the injury. The maximum amount of accidental death insurance is $500,000. Available at an additional cost.

Children’s Term Life Insurance Rider provides up to $20,000 of level benefit term insurance to all children who can qualify for coverage. The rider can be converted into five times the death benefit amount on the child’s 25th birthday without evidence of insurability. Available at an additional cost.

Chronic Illness and Terminal Illness Accelerated Benefit Rider allows for advance payment of the policy’s death if diagnosed by a physician with a chronic or terminal illness. Up to one advanced payment is allowed per calendar year not to exceed a maximum lifetime benefit of $1,000,000. Available at an additional cost.

Disability Waiver of Premium Rider will waive all premium payments after four months of total disability. Available at an additional cost.

Insured Insurability Rider guarantees the option to purchase additional death benefit coverage without providing evidence of insurability at future policy dates. Available at an additional cost.

Paid-Up Life Insurance rider increases the death benefit and cash value through the purchase of additional paid-up life insurance. Available at an additional cost.

LifeHorizons Annuities

If you ever been concerned about outliving your money when in your elderly years, a Cincinnati Life annuity can alleviate those worries with one of their fixed annuity options.

Cincinnati Life offers a portfolio of both Flexible Premium Deferred Annuities and Single Premium Deferred Annuities. Any one of these options can complement any life insurance plan as well as assist in retirement planning.

Single & Flexible Premium Deferred Annuities Features:

• No fees, 100% of premium goes towards the account
• Guaranteed minimum interest rates
• Annual withdrawals up to 10% of cash value without a surrender charge
• Return of premium feature
• Payouts direct to beneficiaries without probate
• Optional maturity dates

Fixed annuities have proven to be a safe method of saving for retirement. With both options offered through Cincinnati, 100% of your premiums go towards your annuity. You can expect no charges or other hidden fees to be taken from your total premium.

Potential cash growth is protected with a minimum interest rate that is guaranteed throughout the entire life of the contract. The guaranteed interest rates can range from 1.0-3.0 percent. During the first full contract year, the current interest at the time of purchase is guaranteed even if interest rates lower with that 12 month period.

If you need money from your annuity, you are allowed to withdraw up to 10% each year without a surrender charge. Amounts that are withdrawn higher than 10% will have a surrender charge that decreases each year until the 10th contract year.

Both FPDA & SPDA include a return of premium feature that protects your initial investment should you need to cancel the contract. As long as the contract is surrendered prior to maturity, Cincinnati guarantees that the cash surrender value will be equal to the total premiums paid minus any amounts previously withdrawn.

A final feature to Cincinnati Life Annuities comes with providing peace of mind about outliving your savings. The SPDA and FPDA annuity options offer four different lifetime payout options. Should you pass away, rest assured that your beneficiary will receive your money, avoiding any concerns of probate.

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Cincinnati Life Insurance Application Process & Underwriting

	Preferred Plus	Preferred	Standard Plus
Tobacco Use	None Past 5 Years	None Past 3 Years	None Past 1 Years
Cholesterol	240	250	280
Chol/HDL	4.5	5.0	6.0
Blood Pressure	135/85	140/85	145/90

Cincinnati Life Insurance provides a simple application and underwriting process. Applicants can choose to complete a standard paper application or a Lite application. The Lite application is what is known as a telephone application process and is only available when applying for coverage that is greater than $100,000.

With the Lite application process, you will not need to worry about filling out forms or having to fax or mail anything back to the insurance company. The telephone interview generally takes up to 45 minutes and consists of completing the actual life insurance application over the telephone.

After the telephone interview has been completed, you will be provided the opportunity to schedule your life insurance medical exam with a date that fits your schedule.

The total time to be approved for coverage will vary from applicant to applicant. For those who are in good health, approval can generally be made within 1-2 weeks. Applicants with health issues that may require additional underwriting help, such as the need for medical records can take longer.

Does Cincinnati Life Offer A No Medical Exam Option?

Yes, but only to a certain extent. The need for a full medical exam, blood work, or a chest x-ray depends on the amount of coverage and your age.

The company does not require a medical exam for those between the ages of 18 and 60 seeking $99,999 or less in coverage. Keep in mind that the best health classification for this amount will be at “standard rates”.

For seniors ages, 61-70+ who require less than $99,999 of coverage will require a medical exam and urinalysis but no blood draw.

Higher coverage amounts will require a full life insurance medical exam, which will often consist of a full life insurance exam.

Cincinnati Life Underwriting Strengths

Cincinnati Life Insurance uses the traditional underwriting classes that most companies utilities. These include Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard. There are also two classes for smokers, which include Preferred Tobacco and Standard Tobacco.

Cincinnati Life can provide favorable underwriting to most people who apply for their life insurance coverage. However, not all companies underwrite risk the same. With that said, Cincinnati Life may not be your first choice if you have health conditions that would generally classify as high-risk.

For example, some heart-related issues, diabetes or sleep apnea may be better underwritten with a company that favorable to those health conditions such as AIG, John Hancock or Prudential

Best for Tobacco Chewers, Pipe Smokers & Occasional Cigar Use

Cincinnati Life may not offer many health-related underwriting niches, but they are one of the best companies when it comes to tobacco chewing and pipe smokers.

Whereas most companies would classify the use of these two tobacco-related items as tobacco rates, Cincinnati Life will consider you at non-tobacco rates even with a positive nicotine test.

Occasional cigar use of fewer than six cigars per year may also qualify for preferred plus rates with admitted use and a negative urine test for nicotine.

Read more: Non-Tobacco Rates for Cigar Smoker Life Insurance

Cincinnati Life Insurance Rates

The below table represents actual Cincinnati Life Insurance quotes for both males and females in excellent health. The health risk classification used for this example is at the Preferred Plus non-tobacco class, and the rates shown are at monthly premium payments.

For up to date rates, be sure to use our online quote tool, which is updated immediately whenever a company changes their rates.

Males
Females
Males

Females

*The sample rates shown above represent monthly rates for both males and females based on the Preferred Plus health class. The coverage amount used in the example is $250,000, and the term lengths are 10-,20- and 30-years.

Pros and Cons of Cincinnati Insurance Company

Along with the company’s underwriting strengths, Cincinnati Life offers additional advantages to its customers, including:

• Multiple coverage options
• Affordable rates for most ages
• Convenient claims process
• Helpful website and mobile app
• Superior customer service

Cincinnati Life Insurance does not have many drawbacks, especially when comparing their policies to their competition. The insurance company offers a wide range of affordable life insurance options that are capable of meeting just about any family’s life insurance needs.

Outside of life insurance products, Cincinnati Insurance Company offers a large variety of different insurance options genuinely making them a one-stop-shop for all your insurance needs. If you own a business, there is even a more extensive selection of coverage options available to protect both the company as well as your employees through voluntary group life insurance plans. (For more information, read our “Voluntary Employee Group Life Insurance Plan“).

Insurance Options Offered by Cincinnati Companies

Personal Insurance Options

• Home
• Auto
• Personal Articles
• Umbrella
• Life Insurance

Business Insurance Options

• Business Automobile
• Business Life Insurance
• Business Liability
• Commercial Property Insurance
• Crime
• Cyber Risk
• Excess and Surplus
• Inland Marine
• Management Liability
• Professional Liability (E&O)
• Reinsurance
• Surety Solutions
• Umbrella Liability
• Workers’ Compensations

Voluntary Employee Benefits

• Payroll Deduction Term Insurance (10 & 20-Years)
• Payroll Deduction ROP Term Insurance (20-Year)
• Payroll Deduction Whole Life Insurance

Depending on your overall health, Cincinnati Life can offer very competitive life insurance premiums at all ages. If you’re comparing quotes against other companies, there may be a good chance that Cincinnati Life is within the top five for the lowest price.

You also get peace of mind knowing that Cincinnati Life Insurance will pay the claim quickly in the event of your death. Your family or beneficiaries should not need to deal with the burden of a lengthy claims process.

MyCincinnati App

Additional benefits include the helpful features found on the website and mobile app. With the MyCincinnati app, you can access your policy and account directly from a smartphone or tablet. The app can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or on Google Play and does not require an extra cost.

The app has a simple interface that anyone can use to make payments, review policy details, make claims, provide agent contact information, and even request roadside services for accidents or emergencies.

If you cannot find the information that you need on the app, the Cincinnati Life Insurance company’s customer service team can help. The company has an excellent customer service department with limited call waiting times and helpful staff.

Potential Cincinnati Life Insurance Cons

As mentioned, Cincinnati Life has minimal drawbacks leaving there little to dislike about the insurance company. However, there may be a few reasons as to why they may not be the best company.

Shorter Company History: This shouldn’t be the leading cause for concern, but some people may feel like the company has only been around for a shorter period than some of the more prominent names that are available. Keep in mind though that Cincinnati Life and Cincinnati Financial are backed with high ratings from the industry’s top rating agencies.

Mediocre No Exam Option: Cincinnati Life has yet to jump on board of the no medical exam train. There are several companies out there now offering up to $1,000,000 of coverage without having to take a medical exam. Unfortunately, Cincinnati is limited to $99,999, and that’s at the 4th best health classification of standard.

Not Very High-Risk Friendly: Cincinnati Life can offer very favorable underwriting results, but at times, they may not be the choice for certain high-risk medical conditions.

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Should You Consider Cincinnati Life Insurance?

Should you consider purchasing a Cincinnati Life Insurance policy? The answer typically depends on a variety of factors, including your age, coverage amount, and pre-existing medical conditions. However, Cincinnati Life Insurance Company has many advantages and several coverage options that will suit most people.

The company has strong financial ratings and a wide variety of easy-to-understand policies. Whether you need a temporary or permanent life insurance policy, Cincinnati Life is likely to offer competitive prices. To find out if the rates match your budget, get a Cincinnati Life Insurance quote.

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