Burial insurance—also referred to as senior life insurance and final expense insurance—is a whole life insurance policy intended to cover funeral costs and other modest expenses when you die. The death benefit is usually under $50,000, and you can typically get approved without a medical exam. But if you are buying a policy for a family member, that person must be present in the process to get a policy. Though some policies may require you to answer questions about your health, others don’t. Those are guaranteed-issue policies, which means that as long as you fit the age requirements, you’ll get coverage, regardless of any health issues. Final expense policies are best suited for people with health issues that would keep them from being approved for a policy that requires a medical exam. While the low coverage amounts may keep burial insurance premiums affordable, these policies are actually more expensive per dollar of death benefit than policies that require an exam. Why Trust Us 91 Companies reviewed 55 Features considered 5,005 Data points analyzed We collected over 5,000 data points from 91 life insurance companies to measure financial stability, customer satisfaction, product and feature variety, and the overall buying experience. We then evaluated each company based on 55 metrics to develop unbiased, comprehensive reviews. Read our Full Methodology Compare life insurance quotes with our partner Covr Financial from multiple providers before buying. 4 Best Burial Insurance Companies 4 Best Burial Insurance Companies Final Verdict More Ratings of Top Life Insurance Companies FAQ Investopedia's Rating Pros and Cons Pros Policies available to 85 year olds Some policies include a terminal illness rider A+ financial strength rating Death benefit up to $40,000 available Some policies don’t have a graded benefit Cons More complaints than top competitors Mutual of Omaha offers a suite of attractive features for those interested in a final expense policy. To start, the company is A+ rated by AM Best, which means it has a superior ability to honor its insurance obligations, such as paying claims. You can also apply online for quick coverage of up to $25,000. But you also have the option to apply with an agent for a larger coverage amount and extra perks (not all companies offer this). With an agent, you’re eligible for a death benefit of up to $40,000, and may be able to get a policy without a graded death benefit and with a terminal illness rider. Mutual of Omaha is one of only a few companies to offer a final expense policy without a graded death benefit. It’s also the only company on this list to offer a terminal illness rider (on some policies) and burial insurance to 85 year olds. One strike against the company is that it doesn’t do as well as its peers when it comes to customer complaints. Mutual of Omaha received slightly more complaints than expected for a company of its size, as measured by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). All other companies in this list received fewer. Read the FullMutual of Omaha Life Insurance Review Investopedia's Rating 4.7 Pros and Cons Pros Instant-issue policies Fewer customer complaints than expected, relative to its size Some policies don’t have a graded benefit Coverage available up to $35,000 Cons On policies with a graded death benefit, the graded period lasts three years SBLI is a financially stable life insurance company that receives few customer complaints and offers instant-issue burial insurance policies for up to $35,000 in coverage. What’s great is that the company doesn’t put special coverage limitations on online applications. For instance, Mutual of Omaha offers final expense policies for up to $40,000 in coverage, but you can only get that amount if you apply with an agent—the maximum death benefit available with online applications is $25,000. Once you submit your online application with SBLI, you’ll know right away if you’re approved. This is one reason we think it’s the best for instant-issue burial insurance. SBLI is also offers some final expense policies without a graded death benefit; once you’re approved, you’ll find out whether your policy has one. But if it does, be aware that SBLI’s graded benefit period lasts for three years—one year longer than every other company on our list. That means if you die a natural death within that timeframe, your beneficiaries will receive a reduced death benefit. Read the FullSBLI Life Insurance Review Investopedia's Rating 4.6 Pros and Cons Pros Easy online application Fewer customer complaints than expected, relative to its size Same-day coverage Cons All policies have a two-year graded benefit TruStage Life Insurance Agency, whose policies are underwritten by CMFG, offers a very straightforward final expense policy that’s easy to apply for, which is why it’s our pick for best company for guaranteed-issue life insurance. There are zero health questions, the application is completely online, and it only consists of a few steps. You’ll name your beneficiaries, provide basic personal information, and make your first payment. Once your payment clears, you’re covered. If you’ve been refused life insurance before and want to get something in place without hassling with health questions, this policy may be one to consider. Just know that there is a two-year graded death benefit on all policies, and the maximum death benefit available is $20,000. Read the FullTruStage Life Insurance Review 2024 Investopedia's Rating 4.4 Pros and Cons Pros Highest financial strength rating No. 1 for customer satisfaction Very few customer complaints relative to its size Policyholders are eligible for dividends Cons Maximum $10,000 death benefit Must apply with an agent State Farm is a powerhouse of a life insurance company. It received an A++ financial strength rating from AM Best, which is the highest grade possible. That means the credit rating agency thinks State Farm has a superior ability to honor its insurance obligations, including paying claims. Plus, State Farm was the top-ranked company for customer satisfaction in J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study. Unsurprisingly, the company has received very few customer complaints over the past few years, according to NAIC data. We should also mention that its final expense policies are eligible to earn dividends. So why isn’t it our top pick for best burial insurance company? Because the only coverage amount available is $10,000—that’s half as much as what TruStage offers and one-quarter the amount you can apply for with Mutual of Omaha. Plus, you can’t get coverage online—you’ll need to talk to an agent to apply. Read the FullState Farm Life Insurance Review AM Best Rating AM Best is a credit rating agency that assigns insurance companies a letter grade from “A++” to “D.” A company’s grade indicates its ability to pay its claims and honor its financial obligations. Term Life Sample Cost Policy Types Accepts Credit Cards Reset All Hide, not for me Hide, not for me Hide, not for me Hide, not for me *Quotes above are examples of what a 40-year-old in excellent health might pay for a 30-year $250,000 policy.Get life insurance quotes from multiple companies to find your best rate. In determining which of these (or any other) burial insurance company is best for you, you should consider your needs and priorities. If you need something quick and easy, look to companies that offer an agent-free online application process like Mutual of Omaha, SBLI, and TruStage. If you need a higher-coverage final expense policy, your options are more limited: Mutual of Omaha and SBLI are two to consider. SBLI might offer the best of both worlds by providing an online application experience for death benefits up to $35,000. Just be aware that your SBLI policy might have a graded death benefit period of three years (one year longer than Mutual of Omaha's, for example). State Farm is also an option if $10,000 is all the coverage you need and you don’t mind applying with an agent. State Farm has the added benefit of being the most financially stable company on this list. Whichever company you go with, make sure it has at least an A-level AM Best rating (A- or above). It’s a good idea to check customer complaints as well with the NAIC. Burial insurance, also called senior life insurance, funeral insurance, and final expense insurance, is a small whole life policy designed to cover the immediate expenses your beneficiaries may face when you pass away. Like other whole life policies, burial insurance policies have a cash value and permanent death benefit (meaning coverage lasts your whole life, as long as you pay your premiums on time). Death benefits for burial insurance generally don’t exceed $50,000; in fact, $25,000 burial insurance policies are more common. Approval may be guaranteed regardless of any health issues, or you may need to answer a few health questions when you apply. A medical exam is not required in either case. For guaranteed-issue policies (those with guaranteed approval), the death benefit will usually be graded, or reduced, during the first two or three years of coverage, depending on the company. If you’re a healthy individual, it may be best to apply for a traditional whole life policy that requires a medical exam or has an accelerated underwriting process. This is because the premiums for final expense policies are designed for people who aren’t in good health, which means they’re more expensive. If your policy has a graded death benefit, it means that if you die of natural causes during the first two or three years, your beneficiaries will not receive the full death benefit amount. Instead, the premiums you paid will be returned to them, usually with an additional percentage, such as 10%, refunded. However, if you die as the result of an accident at any time, your beneficiaries receive the full death benefit amount. Graded benefits are how life insurance companies can provide coverage to people with severe health problems who would ordinarily be rejected for life insurance. With any policy you apply for, it’s important to research whether there is a graded benefit period and how long it is. Some policies will limit the period to two years while with others it lasts for three. Also consider what percentage is returned on top of your premiums if you die naturally during the graded benefit period. Some companies offer 10%, while others offer less. Final expense policies are generally either guaranteed issue or simplified issue. These are two different underwriting processes that companies use to determine premiums and whether you’re approved for coverage. With guaranteed issue, there is virtually no underwriting involved, and coverage is guaranteed to be approved, but it’s also more expensive. You simply need to fall within the age group that’s eligible for the policy. Simplified-issue policies are still very straightforward but do ask a few health questions. If you qualify for a simplified-issue policy, it may not have a graded benefit period, whereas guaranteed issue policies do. Some companies offer both types of coverage (e.g., Mutual of Omaha and SBLI), while others offer just one type of coverage (e.g. TruStage). If you have health problems and have been refused life insurance coverage in the past, a guaranteed-issue policy may be your only option. Just be aware that if you die of natural causes during the graded death benefit period, your beneficiaries will only receive the premiums you paid into the policy (plus a small percent) in lieu of the full death benefit. In order to compile our list of the best burial insurance companies, we developed a comprehensive life insurance methodology. We started off by researching what consumers want from life insurance companies, and for that, we looked to third-party consumer studies, including J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Life Insurance New Business Study and the 2021 Insurance Barometer Study, by Life Happens and LIMRA. With those findings in mind, we gathered more than 50 data points on 91 life insurance companies, including ratings for financial strength, customer satisfaction, and customer complaints, as well as information about years in business, online tools, no-exam options, dividends, maximum issue ages, and available riders. Our review process gave preference to companies with solid financials, an easy application process, and few customer complaints. Companies received ratings boosts for online resources, including an insurance needs calculator and educational information. We ranked each company according to the following categories and weights. To finalize our list, we compared individual offerings between top companies by considering third-party ratings and by delving deeper into product specifics, including death benefit amounts and graded benefit periods. We used this research to determine the best burial insurance companies.Best Burial Insurance Companies
Best for High Coverage :Mutual of Omaha
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Best for Same-Day Coverage :SBLI Life Insurance
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Best for Guaranteed Approval :TruStage
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Most Satisfied Customers :State Farm Life Insurance
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Compare the Best Burial Insurance Companies
Best For Mutual of Omaha Best for High Coverage A+ $28.38/month Final Expense, Indexed Universal (IUL), Term, Universal (UL) Yes Get A Quote SBLI Life Insurance Best for Same-Day Coverage A- $24.23/month Final Expense, Term, Whole Yes Get A Quote TruStage Best for Guaranteed Approval A N/A Term, Whole Yes Get A Quote State Farm Life Insurance Most Satisfied Customers A++ $35.24/month Final Expense, Term, Universal (UL), Whole Yes Get A Quote Final Verdict
More Ratings of Top Life Insurance Companies
What Is Burial Insurance?
What Is a Graded Death Benefit?
What Is Guaranteed-Issue Life Insurance?
How We Chose the Best Life Insurance Companies
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FAQs
What is the best company to get burial insurance? ›
Best burial insurance
- Best for customer satisfaction: State Farm.
- Best for immediate coverage: Ethos Life Insurance.
- Best for younger people: Mutual of Omaha.
- Best for seniors: AARP.
Purchasing a burial insurance policy (or a small life insurance policy designed to cover final expenses) can help prevent the passing of any substantial debt to surviving family members. In addition, a more robust whole or term life insurance policy can help you provide financial support to aging parents or siblings.
What does burial insurance cost? ›The average cost for a burial insurance policy is approximately $50-$100 monthly for roughly $10,000 in coverage. Multiple factors determine the net price, including your exact age, health, tobacco usage (if any), the type of policy, state of residence, and how much coverage you buy.
What are the two types of burial insurance? ›Luckily, there are many options available when it comes to planning your funeral in advance. We'll cover the two main options: pre-need plans and final expense insurance. But first, let's look at how much funerals can cost. Pre-Paid Funeral Plan - How Does It Work?
What are the disadvantages of funeral insurance? ›Potential Disadvantages of Burial Insurance
Limited Coverage: Burial insurance policies typically have lower coverage amounts than traditional life insurance, which may not be sufficient for other financial obligations or to provide ongoing support for your dependents.
If there is any money left over from the burial policy after these services are performed, the beneficiary can use it to pay for any other expenses you may have left behind, including outstanding loans, medical bills, and legal bills.