Use this VGLI calculator to see your monthly premium. Pick your age and an amount from $10,000 to $500,000. For example, $250,000 of VGLI costs $15.00 a month at 29 and under, $47.50 at 45 to 49, $212.50 at 60 to 64 and $537.50 at 70 to 74, using the VA rates effective July 1, 2025.
Your VGLI monthly premium
Set your age and the amount of coverage. The result uses the VA’s rate chart effective July 1, 2025. It is an estimate of the published premium, not a quote or an application.
Age band: 45 to 49
VGLI is sold in $10,000 steps, $10,000 to $500,000.
Per month
$47.50
Per year
$570.00
Cost per $10,000
$1.90
Premium holiday: the VA is waiving VGLI premiums for November 2026, December 2026 and January 2027 on coverage that is in force on November 1. At this amount that is $142.50 you do not pay. No action is needed.
Next step up: at age 50 the band changes to 50 to 54 and this amount costs $72.50 a month, which is $25.00 more than now.
What this amount costs as you age, band by band
| Age band | Your ages | Monthly | Cost in band | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 to 49 | 45 to 49 | $47.50 | $2,850 | $2,850 |
| 50 to 54 | 50 to 54 | $72.50 | $4,350 | $7,200 |
| 55 to 59 | 55 to 59 | $125.00 | $7,500 | $14,700 |
| 60 to 64 | 60 to 64 | $212.50 | $12,750 | $27,450 |
| 65 to 69 | 65 to 69 | $345.00 | $20,700 | $48,150 |
| 70 to 74 | 70 to 74 | $537.50 | $32,250 | $80,400 |
| 75 to 79 | 75 to 79 | $962.50 | $57,750 | $138,150 |
| 80 and over | 80 to 90 | $1,100.00 | $145,200 | $283,350 |
Assumes the rate chart effective July 1, 2025 stays the same, you keep the amount shown, and you pay through age 90. The VA can change VGLI rates, and the premium holiday months are not subtracted from the running total. The VA lets you lower or cancel coverage at any time.
Want a second opinion on your VGLI? A licensed professional will look at the amount you carry against what your family actually needs, free, and tell you plainly if you should keep it as is.
How VGLI pricing works
VGLI is Veterans’ Group Life Insurance, term coverage from the VA that you can keep after you leave the service. The premium is not based on your health. It is based on your age band, and it scales evenly with the amount: $150,000 costs half of $300,000 in the same band. That is why the calculator needs only two inputs.
The bands run in five-year steps, so a premium holds still for years and then moves. The steps are small early on and steep later. From 29 and under to 45 to 49 the cost per $10,000 goes from $0.60 to $1.90. From 60 to 64 to 70 to 74 it goes from $8.50 to $21.50. The full chart for every band and every $100,000 step is on our VGLI rates page, which prints cleanly if you want a copy for your records.
How to read the age-band table
The table under the calculator starts at your age and walks forward one band at a time. For each band it shows the monthly premium, how many of your years fall in that band, what you would pay in total inside it, and a running total. The running total is the number worth a look. It shows what holding the same amount to a later age adds up to, which is often more than the first monthly figure suggests.
If the later bands look heavier than you planned for, the amount is the lever. The VA says you can lower or cancel VGLI at any time. Drag the coverage slider down and the whole table recalculates. Whether a lower amount still does its job depends on what the coverage is for, such as a mortgage, final expenses or income for a spouse. Our guide to whether VGLI is worth it covers that decision, and the comparison of SGLI and VGLI explains how the two programs connect.
What this calculator does not do
- It does not quote private coverage. A private term policy is priced on your health, with its own rate. We do not show one here because we would be guessing.
- It does not predict future rates. The table assumes the chart effective July 1, 2025 stays in place. The VA adjusted VGLI premiums in 2025, and it can change them again.
- It does not replace the VA statement. The VA sets your premium on your record. If your payment differs, the VA statement is the number that counts.
If you want a person to look at your coverage next to your family’s real needs, a free policy review does that. It is a conversation with a licensed professional, and one possible answer is that you should keep exactly what you have.
Free help for veterans
See your VGLI next to your real needs.
A licensed professional will go through what you carry, what it costs as you age and what your family would need it to cover. If what you have is right, you will hear exactly that.
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Questions about the VGLI calculator
01How does the VGLI calculator work out my premium?
VGLI prices depend on two things only: your five-year age band and how many $10,000 units you carry. The calculator multiplies the VA's cost per $10,000 for your band by your units. At 45 to 49 that cost is $1.90, so $250,000 (25 units) is $47.50 a month. The rates are the ones the VA published effective July 1, 2025.
02Is this a VGLI quote?
No. It reads the VA rate chart for you. The VA sets the premium on your actual record, and only the VA can confirm what you owe. If your figure looks different from the VA statement, trust the VA statement and call the VA Insurance Center.
03When does my VGLI premium go up?
VGLI steps up in five-year age bands, not every year. Your premium holds until you cross into the next band, then holds again. Turning 50 moves you from the 45 to 49 rate to the 50 to 54 rate. The jump is largest in the later bands, which is why the table under the calculator shows the cost band by band.
04Is there a VGLI premium holiday?
Yes. The VA announced a three-month premium holiday for November 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027. If your VGLI coverage is in force on November 1, 2026, you do not pay premiums for those three months, no action is needed, and your coverage continues. The calculator shows what that is worth at your amount.
05What is the most VGLI I can carry?
The maximum is $500,000, in $10,000 steps down to a $10,000 minimum. You can start with no more than the SGLI amount you held when you left the military. If you started below the maximum, the VA allows added coverage in $25,000 increases at set intervals.
06How can I lower what I pay for VGLI?
The direct lever is the amount. The VA says you can request to decrease or cancel coverage at any time, and the premium falls in step with each $10,000 you drop. Moving the coverage slider in the calculator shows the effect immediately. Before you cut coverage, a free policy review can show you what the amount needs to cover.
07Do the premiums in the table include the premium holiday?
No. The band-by-band table shows the regular premium from the VA chart so that you can compare ages and amounts. The three holiday months, if they apply to you, come off what you pay and are shown separately above the table.