Monthly premiums for Servicemembers’ and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance by coverage and age
Updated October 2026
SGLI: premium = coverage ÷ $1,000 × $0.05 + $1.00 TSGLI, deducted from base pay. Coverage runs from $50,000 to $500,000 in $50,000 steps. VGLI: VA publishes a monthly rate for each $10,000 of coverage in 12 age bands; within a band the premium is proportional to coverage, so premium = the band’s $500,000 rate × coverage ÷ $500,000. Example: at age 52, $200,000 of VGLI is $145 × 200,000 ÷ 500,000 = $58.00 a month.
| SGLI coverage | Basic premium | With TSGLI |
|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | $25.00 | $26.00 |
| $400,000 | $20.00 | $21.00 |
| $250,000 | $12.50 | $13.50 |
| $100,000 | $5.00 | $6.00 |
| $50,000 | $2.50 | $3.50 |
| VGLI age band | $100,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 and younger | $6.00 | $15.00 | $30.00 |
| 30 to 34 | $8.00 | $20.00 | $40.00 |
| 35 to 39 | $10.00 | $25.00 | $50.00 |
| 40 to 44 | $14.00 | $35.00 | $70.00 |
| 45 to 49 | $19.00 | $47.50 | $95.00 |
| 50 to 54 | $29.00 | $72.50 | $145.00 |
| 55 to 59 | $50.00 | $125.00 | $250.00 |
| 60 to 64 | $85.00 | $212.50 | $425.00 |
| 65 to 69 | $138.00 | $345.00 | $690.00 |
| 70 to 74 | $215.00 | $537.50 | $1,075.00 |
| 75 to 79 | $385.00 | $962.50 | $1,925.00 |
| 80 and older | $440.00 | $1,100.00 | $2,200.00 |
Because the rate steps up every five years, the cost of keeping the same coverage grows faster than most people expect. For $250,000 of VGLI kept from age 35, the monthly premium is $25.00 at 35 to 39, $35.00 at 40 to 44, $47.50 at 45 to 49, $72.50 at 50 to 54, $125.00 at 55 to 59, $212.50 at 60 to 64. Over those 30 years the premiums add up to $31,050, of which the last five years (ages 60 to 64) are $12,750. At the same coverage SGLI would have cost $13.50 a month at any age while serving.
SGLI continues free for 120 days after you leave the military. You can apply for VGLI within 1 year and 120 days of separation; apply within 240 days and no health review is needed. VGLI coverage can be up to the SGLI amount you had when you left, between $10,000 and $500,000. If you start below the maximum, you can add $25,000 one year after getting VGLI and every 5 years after, up to $500,000, until age 60. Premiums depend only on age, not gender or tobacco use, and rise as you move into older bands; coverage continues as long as you pay. VA has announced a premium holiday: eligible VGLI policyholders pay no premiums from November 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027, with coverage continuing.
It does not price Family SGLI (spouse and child coverage), part-time Reserve coverage, Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) or Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance, and it does not decide how much coverage you need; the life insurance calculator estimates that. Compare VGLI with private term quotes before choosing, especially at older ages, and check your eligibility with VA or the Office of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance.
Missing the 240-day window. After it, VGLI requires proof of good health.
Assuming VGLI is priced like SGLI. SGLI is the same price at every age; VGLI rises with age.
Forgetting TSGLI. The $1 a month is added to every SGLI premium.
Dropping coverage before a replacement starts. Keep one policy until the next is in force.