Last Updated: November 2019
Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with Zander Insurance. We are a competitor and this article is our review of Zander Life Insurance. If you’re having trouble finding 3rd party reviews of Zander Insurance, our update at the bottom of this article will explain why.
Before I get into my Zander Life Insurance review, let me clarify that I respect Dave Ramsey and think he’s a great advocate of debt-free strategies. However, I disagree with his recommendation of Zander Insurance.
The first thing every consumer should understand is:
Zander Insurance sponsors the Dave Ramsey Show.
In other words, Dave Ramsey receives some sort of compensation to recommend Zander. Perhaps that’s the reason why Zander received the endorsement? See the comment below this article from a Zander Insurance employee who explains it goes much further than the endorsement.
Beyond this paid endorsement from Dave Ramsey, here is what we’ll cover in this article:
- Zander Insurance has Fewer Life Insurance Carriers
- Zander Insurance Offers Blanket Advice
- Why Am I Writing This Zander Insurance Review?
- Alternatives to Zander for Life Insurance
- Why It’s Difficult to Find Zander Insurance Reviews
Life Insurance is Boring. Let’s Get To The Root Of It! Here are the key takeaways…
Zander Insurance sponsors the Dave Ramsey Show. When you use Zander to look for a life insurance policy, they have less life insurance companies to choose from than other agencies. This means you might miss a company that is a better fit for you. We can usually find cheaper alternatives to Zander Life Insurance.
Zander Insurance has Fewer Life Insurance Carriers
Zander Insurance offers fewer carriers than other life insurance agencies on the internet. There are several highly rated and competitive carriers they should be offering which most independent life insurance agencies represent.
If we have access to over 40 life insurance companies to find the lowest rates, there’s no reason Zander Insurance shouldn’t.
It baffles us why they wouldn’t offer more companies that are very competitive for certain risks.
We can only speculate that the carriers Zander Insurance Company represents pay them more commissions. Similar to how Zander pays Dave Ramsey.
The most important thing to understand when it comes to the selection of life insurance carriers is that each one looks at your risk differently.
It’s up to your agent to find a carrier that looks favorably at your unique risk, especially if you have any health concerns.
Zander Insurance Offers Blanket Advice
Above Zander Insurance’s Quote Engine, they feature a quote by Dave Ramsey that states:
“…most people with families need 10 times their income in coverage and I recommend 15, 20 and 30 year guaranteed level plans depending on your age…”
It’s this sort of blanket advice that will result in being over or underinsured.
The truth is, everyone’s situation is different and every family has unique needs. Some families only need coverage to cover final expenses, maybe $10,000 to $25,000. Other families with special needs family members or who have young children may need more than 10x your income. There are a lot of variables to consider for each and every situation.
Dave Ramsey also says to “buy term and invest the difference”. Again, this is blanket advice. While appropriate for most situations, it’s not appropriate for everyone. Some families may need permanent coverage for estate planning purposes.
And what’s hypocritical about this is that Zander doesn’t sell permanent of whole life insurance coverage because Dave Ramsey would never recommend it. However Zander owns a company called ReliaQuote that’s in the same building as Zander in Nashville, TN and guess what they sell? Whole life insurance.
So even though Zander says they only offer term life insurance, they’ll still able to write whole life insurance under their ReliaQuote shell.
We, however, do agree with Dave Ramsey that you should stay away from “Return of Premium” life insurance. At the end of the day, the extra premium you pay will do almost as good as a strong savings account and you have the access to the cash. Not to mention you may not need the life insurance policy for the full term.
All it takes is a few minutes to listen to what you are trying to accomplish for a good agent to make a recommendation.
Life insurance is not “one size fits all”!
Why Am I Writing This Zander Insurance Review?
I decided to write this Zander Insurance Review because I had a consumer (now a client) call me who was declined from Zander with one of their major life insurance companies.
The reason for the decline was his PSA’s were rising over the past 2 years so they told my client no other life insurance companies would cover him until he got his PSA’s under control since he was a high risk to the company.
However, his PSA’s have actually come down over the last 5 years and for a 70-year-old they are within normal range.
I secured this gentleman a Preferred Plus rating (the highest rating possible) with Prudential, even with his prostate cancer history. A top-rated life insurance carrier that Zander Insurance wouldn’t offer at that time. This client would have gone without protecting his family had he not shopped around.
There are even options out there such as no exam life insurance, which may be the best fit for your needs.
This isn’t an isolated case study either. We have many more instances where we’ve replaced Zander Insurance policies with more affordable options. Sometimes, there are instances where Zander term life insurance recommendations were spot on in our competitive analysis.
Our Recommendation: If you’re shopping for a Zander Insurance quote, simply compare their offering to an independent life insurance agency like ours.
If Dave Ramsey really cared about the debt-free strategies he preaches (which includes saving his followers money on their life insurance) he would recommend using a different agency.
Yes, we are a direct competitor to Zander Insurance and we write this article as a warning to consumers.
There are many agencies and agents out there that actually practice what Dave Ramsey preaches and will find the lowest cost life insurance on the market for their clients. We recommend contacting an independent life insurance agency.
A good litmus test is asking your agent how many companies they represent. If it’s over 25, chances are they are independent and work on behalf of you and not a single company.
Again, we mean no disrespect to Dave Ramsey. We just believe you should know that he gets paid to recommend Zander Insurance and it’s likely you can find better life insurance rates.
Alternatives to Zander for Life Insurance
Zander (commonly misspelled as Xander Insurance) may or may not be the most affordable option for you, but we do have some suggestions on getting a great rate with Zander. There are a few changes that you can make that will save you hundreds of dollars, even thousands in some cases.
The simplest way to get great insurance rates is to compare dozens of quotes before you decide which one is going to work best for you.
As independent insurance agents, we have a leg up on the competition. Our flexibility allows us to offer you quotes from over 50 life insurance carriers, making sure we put you in a policy that will benefit you the best.
We have other reviews to offer on companies such as Primerica Life Insurance and United Home.
Below you will find some more life insurance agencies to review along with Zander.
Why It’s Difficult to Find Zander Insurance Reviews
Zander Insurance has sent us “cease and desist” letters and complained to the Department of Insurance in all 50 states about this article complaining of unfair advertising. They’ve done this to other websites’ “Review” articles as well who in response decided to remove theirs. This is why you don’t see many reviews of Zander online. They have their attorneys all over us and most choose to remove the article.
I’ve decided to defend my 1st amendment right to free speech and hire an attorney to fend off their demands and I’d like everyone to know our stance until Zander stops their harassment of our agency.
Here’s a snippet on our stance in defense of Zander Insurance’s Complaints:
The content on my clients’ websites is not designed to create a negative image by a reader or to degrade the reputation of a competitor. Rather, the content is designed and intended to help consumers make informed insurance purchasing decisions. My clients’ reviews of Zander Insurance Agency’s (“Zander”) website and Zander’s paid advertising relationship with Dave Ramsey helps explain to consumers that they might not find the absolute best rates with Zander and should shop and compare. “Comparative advertising” is when a company compares their products/services to other similar products” Specifically, my clients’ comparative advertising helps consumers to make informed purchasing decisions and not assume that Zander provides the best solutions. The content of my client’s website constitutes truthful, non-misleading speech protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Such clearly identified, truthful and non-deceptive “comparative advertising” has routinely been protected by courts as free speech.
We won’t back down to a big corporation like Zander Insurance. I wish other agencies would follow suit, but margins are so thin that in most cases it’s not worth the legal fight.
That’s why you don’t see many Zander Insurance Agency review articles.
For any media inquiries, please contact Jeff Root directly at jeff (@) rootfin.com.
Hi, Jeff!
As a five-year employee of Zander Insurance, I’d like to take this opportunity to provide a rebuttal, of sorts.
First, our relationship with Dave goes far beyond being a paying sponsor of the Dave Ramsey show. Dave has a long-standing relationship with the Zander family, and carries his own policies through us. He also respects the fact that we are a debt-free company; a badge of honor that not many other brokers can boast of.
Contrary to your piece above, Zander quotes with more than just ten companies. However, the same 7-10 companies could show up in the quotes of many clients, simply by offering the lowest rates at the time. Also, keep in mind that we are a broker. While an Underwriter may decline a client based on his or her medical history, if we are aware of the history before submitting the application, we can get a preliminary quote with other companies to avoid a potential decline.
I respect your position, as well as your stance on addressing the competition. The reason that clients come to Zander Insurance is our friendly and knowledgeable staff, our commitment to outstanding service, and our ability to customize a quote to very specific needs.
Mr. Root, thank you for having the courage to speak up and tell the truth. Like you, I do respect what Mr. Ramsey has created in the way of a business and his effective marketing to have such a “following”. But at the same time, some of his technical analysis seems rigid and one-sided. Upon learning of his association with A.L. Williams (Primerica), it shed light on and told me enough to understand his financial bent. Just like many of our overly “charismatic” Christian pastors, who are on TV and rise to almost cult of personalities, Mr. Ramsey’s fans mirror this similar type of passion for his teachings. Some of which are bona fide and helpful. The truth is one can certainly do far worse than following his “snowball” debt system. Personally, I also like it when he speaks about his own life experiences (bankruptcy, etc.). To me, it makes him more human. However, his advice on some of the other more technical matters scare me because those listening take it as the gospel. And yet, it is not. Many more qualified professional and quantitative academics, disagree than agree with his investment tactics. For instance, I was shocked to read his belief that one can spend down 8% of their portfolio a year in retirement. I actually did my due diligence to check several sources to ensure that he actually believes that 8% is the number, as far off and high as it may seem. Yes, he does. Never mind that all the best minds in finance and in academia recommend a more conservative, safe withdrawal rate between 3-5%, typically 4%. In my estimation, 8% is not a safe withdrawal rate. Also, Mr. Ramsey also claims that he believes it is reasonable for a person to expect a 12% ROI (return on investments). It’s his basis for advising his followers to take out 8% of their savings annually after they’ve retired. Who knows the exact number? Whether the 4% rule is too rigid a guideline for a long term rate of spending during retirement may be up for analysis, but 8%, Mr. Ramsey? Please.
I appreciate your restrained, courteous, and
thoughtful mail regarding insurance costs. Do you have an opinion concerning ID protection service?
Hi Nancy,
I don’t know anything about that product unfortunately. Best of luck.
Help! I’m so confused. I need life insurance and was leaning towards whole life insurance but then I changed my mind and wanted term life insurance. I have two health issues so I need help in purchasing the right kind of policy so that my children can bury me and have a decent comfortable amount of money left over for themselves. Don’t know what to do and I don’t wanna get scammed! Thank you!
Hi Bridget,
It sounds like you need some clarity on if term or whole life will be best for you. Happy to provide some advice based on your situation, concerns and 2 health issues. Call us at 888-430-7668.