Compare
Modern Woodmen of America vs WoodmenLife
Two unrelated fraternals with similar names: Modern Woodmen of America in Rock Island, WoodmenLife in Omaha. They differ in ratings, products and reach.
Verdict
Modern Woodmen of America (Rock Island, Illinois) and WoodmenLife (Omaha, Nebraska) are separate organizations that are easily confused. Joseph Cullen Root founded Modern Woodmen in 1883 and then started Woodmen of the World, now WoodmenLife, in 1890. Each is a member-owned fraternal benefit society with no stockholders, sells only through its own captive representatives, and offers chapters, scholarships and community programs that are not part of the insurance contract.
The practical differences are in ratings and products. AM Best rates WoodmenLife A+ (Superior) effective February 2026, while Modern Woodmen is rated A (Excellent), affirmed December 2025. Modern Woodmen is larger by assets and life insurance in force in the profiles ($18.64 billion in assets and $46.04 billion in force, against $11.3 billion and $39.4 billion for WoodmenLife, both at year-end 2025). It also sells a fuller annuity and investment lineup, including fixed indexed annuities. WoodmenLife has family term and final expense products and indexed universal life, and publishes a no-exam final expense option that Modern Woodmen's profile does not list.
Neither was ranked in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study, and neither lets you complete a purchase online.
Choose Modern Woodmen if
- You want a return of premium rider on term life or a terminal illness accelerated benefit rider.
- You want fixed indexed or variable annuities from the same society, plus brokerage services.
- You value a second rating opinion: KBRA affirmed it at AA- in September 2025.
- A representative is available near you; it covers 47 states.
Choose WoodmenLife if
- You want the higher AM Best rating, A+ (Superior) as of February 2026.
- You want Family Term, covering two adults and all children under one policy for 10 or 20 years.
- You want no-exam final expense whole life up to $20,000 for ages 50 to 85, or indexed universal life with a 0% floor.
- You want whole life with paid-up-at-65, 10-pay or 20-pay schedules, often used for insuring children.
Key differences
| Modern Woodmen | WoodmenLife | |
|---|---|---|
| Based in | Rock Island, Illinois (founded 1883) | Omaha, Nebraska (founded 1890) |
| How you buy | Nearly 1,000 captive representatives in 47 states | Captive representatives; not available in all states |
| Term lengths | 10, 15, 20, 30 years | 10, 15, 20, 30 years; Family Term 10 or 20 |
| Universal life | MaxCL II and MaxCL Pro II | Indexed universal life; no-lapse guarantee universal life |
| Final expense | Not listed in its profile | Up to $20,000, ages 50-85, no exam |
| AM Best | A (Excellent), December 2025 | A+ (Superior), February 2026 |
| Other ratings | KBRA AA- (September 2025) | None published by S&P, Moody's or Fitch |
Before you decide
Confirm which society you are dealing with, since the names are close and a representative may be asked to show the legal entity. Get quotes for the same coverage from each and from an independent agent (how to compare life insurance quotes fairly, captive vs independent life insurance agents). Ask about conversion rights on term and about dividends, which are not guaranteed (whole life dividends: how participating policies pay). Check rating dates with AM Best, S&P, Moody's and Fitch ratings explained.
Side by side
| Modern Woodmen of America | WoodmenLife | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fraternal benefit societies | Fraternal benefit societies |
| Customer service | 800-447-9811 | 800-225-3108 |
| Website | modernwoodmen.org | woodmenlife.org |
| NAIC group | Modern Woodmen of America (single company, no group) | Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society |
| Headquarters | Rock Island, Illinois | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Founded | 1883 | 1890 |
| Ownership | Fraternal benefit society owned by and operated for its members | Not-for-profit fraternal benefit society owned by and operated for its members |
| Where it sells life insurance | Financial representatives in 47 states | Sold through WoodmenLife representatives; products are not available in all states |
| How it sells | Nearly 1,000 Modern Woodmen financial representatives (captive) | WoodmenLife sales representatives (captive agents), organized by area offices |
| U.S. individual life rank (2024) | 70 | 72 |
| Individual life premiums (2024) | $284.8 million | $273.3 million |
| U.S. market share (2024) | 0.18% | 0.17% |
| AM Best financial strength | A (Excellent) | A+ (Superior) |
| Term lengths | 10, 15, 20 and 30 years | Initial level terms of 10, 15, 20 or 30 years (Family Term: 10 or 20 years) |
| No-exam options | — | Final expense whole life up to $20,000 with health questions only and no medical exam |
| Maximum issue age | — | Final expense issue ages 50 to 85; other whole life from birth to 85, varying by plan |
| Policyholder dividends | Raised dividends on eligible life certificates effective July 1, 2026, bringing its projected 2026 dividend payout to $14.6 million | Paid $16.8 million in refunds to life and accident and health certificate holders in 2025 |
| Best suited to | Families in small towns and suburbs who want whole, universal or term life from a local representative plus fraternal programs, scholarships and community activities. | Families in WoodmenLife's footprint who want term, whole or final expense coverage from a local representative and value fraternal community programs. |
| Products |
|
|
| Riders |
|
|
Facts come from each insurer's profile, where every figure carries its source and review date. Premiums are personal: compare quotes for the same coverage, not just companies.
Last reviewed October 24, 2026