Skip Navigation

Have Questions? Call Us! (866) 868-0099

Lifeinsure.com

Life Insure.com

  • Life Insurance
    Term Life Insurance Quotes In minutes! No personal information required.
    Information
    • Life Insurance FAQ
    • Life Insurance Glossary
    • 8 Types of Life Insurance (and How to Choose the Right Policy)
    • Life Insurance Application Process
    • High-Risk Life Insurance
  • Final Expense Insurance
    Final Expense Insurance Quotes In minutes! We never sell or share your info.
    Information
    • Final Expense vs Burial Insurance
    • The Complete Guide to Final Expense Insurance
    • Guaranteed Life Insurance | A Senior’s Best Friend
  • Disability Insurance
    Get Disability Insurance Quotes Don't worry! We never sell or share your info.
    Information
    • FAQs
    • Disability Insurance Glossary
    • Disability Facts and Statistics
    • Disability Insurance for Dentists
    • Disability Insurance for Lawyers
    • Disability Insurance for Physicians
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Customer Reviews
    • Our Application Process
    • Privacy Policy
    • Legal Notice & Disclaimer
  • Blog
    • Life Insurance
    • Disability Insurance

Life Insurance with a Felony Conviction

is long term disability insurance worth it

When applying for fully underwritten traditional life insurance, most insurance carriers are going to inquire about any felony convictions you may have had in the past. It makes sense – if a life insurance company is willing to check your motor vehicle record for your driving behavior, then they would likely search your history for any felonies that may have been committed.

These are just some of the things that go into the underwriting process to determine how acceptable a potential insured person will be to purchase life insurance with a felony conviction. After all, lifestyle is part of the underwriting process. Here, we’ll discuss life insurance for felons.

There is one major point that should be made here. Simply because a person has been charged with a felony does not make them a felon. Only if a person has been convicted of a felony are they classified as a felon. The vast majority of the time, the insurance carrier will need to know how much time has passed since you were convicted of your felony charge.

Most carriers will also need to know the details of any sentences you were to serve for said conviction. Of all these things, the most important to almost any life insurance carrier will be, what was the nature of the charge and conviction you received.

Insurance Companies look at Felony Convictions Differently

As far as the underwriting process goes, many insurance carriers have very different criteria that are examined and weighed through the process. Each carrier interprets the information you provide differently, and many have completely different types of information that is required. Infractions, (whether felony or not) that are most likely to cause problems for a life insurance applicant would be:

  • Larceny
  • Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or alcohol (1st offense is a misdemeanor)
  • Crimes involving property
  • Drug-related crimes
  • Assault

Because these five crimes make up over half of the current prison population, these are the offenses that pose the greatest concern to life insurance carriers. These crimes, in some cases, are not life-threatening inherently when committed. However, the time that one will spend in prison once convicted could be.

Moreover to this point, convictions are much less likely to become a barrier to buying life insurance with a felony when the crime committed is larceny or assault. Knowing this, it’s safe to assume that life insurance for felons may not be as difficult as you may have assumed.

Some Good News

The bright side of this story for individuals seeking life insurance coverage that have one or more felony convictions is that not all insurers have the same guidelines. There are some carriers that will offer a convicted felon coverage, however, there are some that will not.

That being said, an individual’s first step when seeking insurance coverage should be to contact us and discuss your current situation in order for our licensed insurance professionals to be better able to determine ahead of time which insurers agree to offer coverage. You can rest assured, however, that we will find a way to provide life insurance for felons

The quality of the insurance professional you utilize is just as important as the insurance carrier you choose to apply to. Submitting a life insurance application with a life insurance carrier that has a track record of denying coverage to individuals with felony records would make no sense. The independent life insurance professional that we connect you with will know exactly who will be your best option after a short interview over the phone or electronically.

The Deal Breakers

Some felony convictions are all but a guarantee that a traditional life insurance company will deny life insurance coverage. These are :

  • Child molestation
  • Drug Trafficking
  • Rape
  • Murder
  • Kidnapping
  • Conspiracy to commit any of the offenses listed above

A conviction for any of the aforementioned charges will result in a declination of coverage from all traditional life insurance carriers. However, individuals in this category will still be permitted to purchase “Guaranteed Issue” life insurance from a carrier and also Accidental Death life insurance as well.

Drug-Related Felonies

Individuals who may have previously made an attempt to obtain life coverage through a traditional life insurance carrier and were denied may still have some options that are not simply limited to “Guaranteed Issue” life coverage. Generally speaking, most life insurance carriers will automatically decline applicants that have prior drug-related felonies. However, there are carriers that will still consider offering coverage depending on how the individual may answer the following questions:

  • Have you ever been incarcerated?
  • If so, how much time did you spend imprisoned?
  • How much time has passed since you were charged and then convicted of the crime?
  • How long ago were you released from your last incarceration?
  • Are you currently on probation or parole? If so, for what time frame?
  • If you were on probation or parole, how long ago was it terminated?

The answers given to these questions will be the best determining factors in allowing an underwriter to assess how eligible an individual is for life insurance coverage. The exact nature of an individual’s charges and convictions are important because some convictions have a higher recidivism rate than others. Generally speaking, underwriters use this information about an individual’s criminal record to determine how likely they are to be re-incarcerated for another criminal offense.

Be mindful of the fact that being incarcerated is considered a life-threatening circumstance. The amount of time that has passed between the date of application and the date an individual was convicted and or released from prison is the most important detail here.

The reason this detail is so important is that the underwriter assigned to this case will want to see exactly how much a potential insured’s lifestyle has changed since they were released from prison and what the rate of recidivism may be.

Felonies involving Alcohol or Violence

Primarily felonies involving alcohol usually are related to operating a vehicle while intoxicated. However, violence-related felonies can be just as likely contributed to the use of alcohol.

In cases of this sort, underwriters are on the lookout for at least a two-year gap between the time of conviction and the time of probation before considering the opportunity to offer life insurance coverage. In the event you have been denied life coverage after two years have passed, you have likely applied for coverage with the incorrect insurance carrier and should give our office a call for help.

Challenges Agents Face when You Reveal Your Felony

Good insurance agents know on initial contact that it will take a considerable amount of work to find life insurance coverage for an individual that has a record containing a prior felony conviction. If you take the typical call center agency approach, you will likely be denied coverage based on criminal history because the agent is not motivated to spend additional time and resources on your case because it may result in a declination even after the agent has invested the necessary time to properly scout the potential carriers to obtain life coverage for you.

This, however, should not deter you from contacting an independent insurance agent that has access to multiple life insurance carriers and is willing to put in the time, energy, and effort to see to it that you acquire life insurance with a felony conviction.

Call us now and speak with an insurance professional who can help you!

A knowledgeable independent insurance agent will know after your first conversation if traditional life insurance is the route that you should take, or if a “Guaranteed Issue” life insurance carrier will be more suited to your needs based on your particular situation.

Your agent will have the necessary experience and know-how to assist in your life insurance purchasing decision to allow you to make the most informed decision possible.

Independent insurance agents that specialize in hard-to-place and high-risk cases appreciate the challenge that comes along with this type of business and are more than willing to represent you and your best interest to block any hindrances and help you obtain the life insurance coverage you need.

 

For more information about obtaining affordable life insurance with a felony conviction, call the insurance specialists at LifeInsure.Com at (866) 868-0099 during normal business hours, or you can contact us through our website at your convenience.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Richard Reich
Follow Me
Richard Reich
President at Intramark Insurance Services
In my 20+ years as an independent life and disability insurance broker, I have personally assisted thousands of clients with their life and disability insurance needs.

I believe that when people shop for insurance (or anything else, for that matter) on the Internet, they are looking for a simple, non-intrusive, non-pressure method of doing so.

I strive to treat my prospective clients with the utmost respect and I believe an educated prospect can make the right decision without sales pressure.

Being independent, I represent many highly-rated insurance companies and, because I am not beholden to any one insurance company, my focus is to find the right company and policy for each individual client.
Richard Reich
Follow Me
Latest posts by Richard Reich (see all)
  • Own Occupation Disability Insurance - May 25, 2023
  • Long Term Disability Insurance – A Complete Buyers Guide - April 25, 2023
  • Corebridge Financial (Formerly AIG) - April 21, 2023

Lifeinsure.com

450 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 600
Glendale, CA 91203

Monday – Friday
8 A.M. – 5:00 P.M PST

  • 1-866-868-0099
  • Contact Us Online

© 2022 Intramark Insurance.
Privacy Policy
Legal Notice & Disclaimer

  • HOME
  • Life Insurance
  • High-Risk Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • About LifeInsure.com
  • Blog

RESOURCES

  • Life Insurance Types
  • Our Applicaiton Process
  • Term Life Insurance
  • No Exam Life Insurance
  • Final Expense Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • FAQs
  • Life Insurance Dictionary

RATINGS & SOCIALS

Intramark Insurance Services, Inc., Insurance Services Office, Glendale, CA

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn

Here is the legal information we're required to provide you. LifeInsure.com, a Califronia corporation and subsidiary of Intramark Insurance, is a licensed independent insurance broker. The information provided on this site has been developed by LifeInsure.com for general informational and educational purposes. We try hard to ensure that this information is up-to-date and accurate. Any insurance policy premium quotes or ranges displayed are non-binding. The final insurance policy premium for any policy is determined by the underwriting insurance company following application.