California State Firefighters Association

Why you need life insurance?



To put it simply, we invest for the known and insure for the unknown. Life insurance protects those who depend on you in the event you die prematurely. Life insurance provides your dependents with an ongoing income to replace yours, so they can at least cover the basic needs of daily living. If you are the primary breadwinner for your family, you are likely to need a substantial amount of life insurance coverage. After basic food and housing concerns are satisfied, life insurance needs to be in line in terms of priority.



CSFEWBC offers both the Group Life “Participating Unit” Plan as well as the Individual Life “Voluntary” Plan.

Participating Unit

To assist actively working and retired members of CSFA in providing for their family’s financial security, CSFEWBC has developed the Participating Unit Group Term Life Insurance Program. Under this program associations are able to insure their active members for up to $150,000 in Life/AD&D insurance coverage and their retired members up to $10,000 in Life/AD&D insurance coverage on a guarantee issue basis, no health questions. Members may elect to apply for up to $1,000,000 of coverage for themselves. Life insurance coverage for your spouse and children is also available.

Group Annual Term (5-year age bracketed product)

Features of the Plan

This Supplemental Group Term Life plan provides eligible members with group term life insurance protection at levels beyond what is provided to you through your employer’s participating unit coverage. To supplement this protection, you are eligible to apply for additional group term life insurance through the same endorsed program as long as you are an active member under age 60. The plan is underwritten by Reliastar Life Insurance Company, a member of the ING family of companies, and administered by Myers-Stevens & Toohey & Co. Inc.

New Academy Graduate Guaranteed Issue Coverage

First-time eligible new fire academy graduates can obtain $150,000 of group term life insurance on a guaranteed issue basis if applied for within 31 days of their initial eligibility period.

10-Year Group Level Term Plan

Features of 10-Year Group Level TermPlan

This Supplemental Group Term Life plan provides eligible members with group term life insurance protection at levels beyond what is provided to you through your employer’s participating unit coverage. With the CSFA-sponsored 10-year Level Group Term Life Insurance Plan, your initial premium may stay level, and not change, for up to 10 years. However, the insurance company does reserve the right to change the premium rates, but may o¬nly do so for all insureds covered under the group policy and with 60 days notice.

As a member of CSFA age 65 and under, you are eligible to apply for coverage with a 10-year level premium in amounts ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000, in increments of $50,000. Your spouse (under age 60) may apply for coverage in this same plan, in an amount not to exceed 50% of your coverage amount.

You can keep this level term protection for 10 years.

At the end of the 10 year level term period, evidence of insurability is required to enter another level term period (subject to the maximum age to begin a level term period). If evidence of insurability is not provided or not approved by ReliaStar Life, rates will be based on the five-year age brackets for the insured’s current age.

20-Year Group Level Term Plan

Features of 20-Year Group Level TermPlan

This Supplemental Group Term Life plan provides eligible members with group term life insurance protection at levels beyond what is provided to you through your employer’s participating unit coverage. With the CSFA-sponsored 20-year Level Group Term Life Insurance Plan, your initial premium may stay level, and not change, for up to 20 years. However, the insurance company does reserve the right to change the premium rates, but may o¬nly do so for all insureds covered under the group policy and with 60 days notice.

As a member of CSFA under age 50, you are eligible to apply for coverage with a 20-year level premium in amounts ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000, in increments of $50,000. Your spouse (under age 50) may apply for coverage in this same plan, in an amount not to exceed 50% of your coverage amount.

You can keep this level term protection for 20 years.

At the end of the 20 year level term period, evidence of insurability is required to enter another level term period (subject to the maximum age to begin a level term period). If evidence of insurability is not provided or not approved by ReliaStar Life, rates will be based on the five-year age brackets for the insured’s current age.

For more information about any of the above plans, please contact us at csfainsurance@myers-stevens.com or call at 1.800.827.4695

How much life insurance do you need?

To calculate your life insurance needs, consider the following:

• How much of your income will you need to replace? 


• Do you have young children who must be cared for?


• Will your surviving spouse need to work or stay at home with your children?  


• Do you want to pay for your child’s college costs?


• Are you financially responsible for other family members (i.e. parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles)?  


• Do you have a mortgage you want to fully or partially pay off?


• What is your level of savings?  Debt? 


• How much of a cushion for emergencies do you want to leave behind? 

Life Insurance Calculator

Group Life Insurance Brochure

Download Group Life Insurance Application up to $1,000,000