Official VA rates, real bracket math, and the deadline that closes forever
| Age band | VGLI monthly | Years in band | Paid in band |
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Official VA rates effective July 1, 2025. VA adjusts VGLI rates periodically; verify before relying on the later years.
VGLI is not level term. It is age-banded term. Your premium jumps every five years, and the jumps get steeper as you age. Using the official VA rates, coverage costs $1.40 per $10,000 per month in the 40 to 44 band and $8.50 per $10,000 in the 60 to 64 band. That is about six times more for the same death benefit, and it keeps climbing: $13.80 in the 65 to 69 band, $21.50 at 70 to 74. Comparing VGLI's premium today against a term quote today is the mistake that costs people the most, because you are comparing a number that will multiply against one that is locked.
Term life is level, and then it stops. A 20-year level policy holds the same premium for 20 years and then ends. That is its strength and its weakness. You get a low locked rate through the years when your kids and mortgage need protecting, and then you have no coverage at exactly the age when insurance gets expensive. If you still need coverage at that point, you re-underwrite as an older person, possibly with new medical history.
The 240-day window is the real asset. Enroll in VGLI within 240 days of separation and there are no health questions at all. That guaranteed issue is worth more than any premium comparison if your medical record has anything meaningful in it. Miss the window and you can still apply through 1 year and 120 days, but you must prove good health, which defeats the entire point for the people who need it most. The door closes once and does not reopen.
Your SGLI does not stop the day you out-process. Coverage continues free for 120 days after separation, automatically. That is your runway to shop, apply, and complete underwriting without a gap. Use it.
The honest summary: a healthy veteran under 40 usually finds a level term policy cheaper over any horizon that matters, and should buy it before the SGLI window closes. A veteran with real health conditions, or one who will keep serving in the Guard or Reserve where war exclusions matter, often finds VGLI is the better deal or the only deal. The full decision framework is in our VGLI vs term life guide.
For a young, healthy veteran, term life is usually cheaper over a long horizon, because term locks a level premium while VGLI steps up at every five-year band. For a veteran with health conditions that would make private coverage expensive or unavailable, VGLI is frequently better or the only option, because it needs no medical underwriting inside the 240-day window.
One year and 120 days after separation. Apply within the first 240 days and you skip the health questions entirely. Apply after day 240 and you must submit evidence of good health. Missing the 240-day mark loses guaranteed issue permanently, which is why it belongs on your out-processing checklist and not your someday list.
Rates are per $10,000 of coverage per month and are the same for everyone in an age band: $0.60 at 29 and under, $1.00 at 35 to 39, $1.90 at 45 to 49, $5.00 at 55 to 59, $13.80 at 65 to 69. So $400,000 of coverage costs $76.00 a month at age 45 and $552.00 a month at age 65. There is no health rating and no discount for being a nonsmoker.
Not immediately. SGLI continues free for 120 days after your separation date with no action required. Totally disabled members may qualify for a free SGLI Disability Extension of up to two years. Use the free window to shop before you commit.
Yes. Nothing stops you from carrying both, and layering is often the smart play: a large level term policy covering the mortgage-and-kids years, plus a smaller VGLI amount kept permanently for the guaranteed-issue coverage that never requires a medical exam again. You can also reduce VGLI coverage later to keep the premium manageable.
VALife offers up to $40,000 of guaranteed-acceptance whole life coverage to veterans age 80 and under who carry any service-connected rating. There is a two-year waiting period before the full benefit pays. It is small, but it stacks with VGLI and has no deadline tied to your separation date.
All VGLI and SGLI data on this page comes from official government sources. Verify independently:
📎 VGLI Rates and Eligibility (VA.gov)📎 SGLI Rates and Eligibility (VA.gov)📎 VALife (VA.gov)📎 Compare VGLI to Other Insurance (VA)📍 This is an estimate. For official guidance, talk to your installation's free financial resources:
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