Our Top 10 Final Expense companies review will go over everything you need to know to make a smart decision before you buy this specific type of permanent life insurance. You’ll be able to quickly compare life insurance companies from the top carriers available. Let’s get started!
Who are the Top 10 Final Expense Whole Life Insurance & Burial Insurance Companies?
What’s better than a Top 10? …How about a Top 15?!
Our extensive list below is based on final expense life insurance rates by age, gender, benefit and coverage amounts.
Let’s see who made the cut.
Top 10 Best Burial Insurance Final Expense Insurance Companies
1. Aetna
Aetna offers final expense life insurance for applicants ages 45-89 years of age. They offer coverage from $5,000 up to $35,000.
Aetna has 3 policy options:
- Level Death Benefit
- Modified Death Benefit
- Graded Death Benefit
For more, see our Aetna life insurance company review
2. AIG
AIG Guaranteed Issue Whole Life
American General entered the scene like a tornado in 2017 by offering a new Guaranteed Issue Whole Life Policy.
You can get life insurance from AIG that does not require a medical exam or answering health questions.
This is a great policy for people between the ages of 50 to 85 with coverage up to $25,000.
This is a graded death benefit policy that pays 110% of premiums if the policyholder passes away in the first two years and full death benefit payout in the third year. Another great aspect, the payer of the policy can be someone other than the policyholder.
This is a great choice in life insurance for someone’s parents who need insurance coverage but cannot afford the premiums.
For more, see our American General life insurance company review
3. American Amicable
American Amicable provides a level death benefit policy that will give you day 1 coverage. This means you are covered immediately and do not have a waiting period.
Maximum coverage amounts are:
- $25,000 up to age 75
- $15,000 for applicants 76-85 years of age
American Amicable also has a Graded Death Benefit policy available.
The full benefit will be paid after the 3rd year. This means that there is a 3 year waiting period before the entire death benefit is available.
4. American National
American National Strategy Whole Life
American National provides level, graded, and modified death benefit plans.
Level face amounts run from $2,000 to $50,000 …
…while graded and modified are up to $25,000 for their death benefit plans.
There is a terminal illness rider on all these policies with face amounts of $25,000 or higher.
All these policies also build cash value that can be borrowed against.
For more, see our American National life insurance company reviews
5. Americo
Americo Ultra Protector Series
Americo has several whole life policies to help with final expenses and burial costs for those between the ages of 50 to 85.
Their burial policy provides guaranteed level premiums and the coverage cannot be canceled due to health issue or age.
The face amounts run from $2,000 to $30,000.
The Ultra Protector I and II have their accelerated benefit rider included. This permits up to 50% of the face amount being paid to the policyholder if they are diagnosed with a terminal illness.
These are no exam life insurance policies that does require passing a health screen which includes height, weight, and some health questions.
Americo offers a Level Death benefit as well as a Graded Death benefit final expense policy. For more, see our Americo Final Expense Life insurance review
6. Assurity
Assurity’s Simplified Level Benefit Whole Life & Graded Benefit
Assurity is a leading no medical exam company.
Their simplified issue level benefit plan is an excellent option for anyone looking for an affordable burial or final expense whole life insurance policy.
Their whole life plan offers whole life coverage that begins on the first day of coverage.
- The face amount offers between $5,000 to $50,000 for those up to age 65.
- The face amount offers between $5,000 to $25,00 for those between 66 and 85-years-of-age.
The premiums and face amounts stay the same for the life of the policy.
This is a simplified issue permanent life insurance so there will be some health questions that will have to be answered.
This is a great option for those looking for a permanent final expense or burial insurance policies who are in relatively good health and not being treated for cancer, heart or liver disease.
For more, see our Assurity Life insurance company reviews
Assurity Simplified Issue Whole Life Quotes
All rates are subject to change and are for comparison only:
50year-old Males:
- Age 50 for $25,000 = $68 and for $50,000 = $135
- Age 55 for $25,000 = $82 and for $50,000 = $162
- Age 60 for $25,000 = $100 and for $50,000 = $199
50-year-old Females:
- Age 50 for $25,000 = $60 and $50,000 = $118
- Age 55 for $25,000 = $70 and $50,000 = $138
- Age 60 for $25,000 = $83 and $50,000 = $164
7. Fidelity Life
Fidelity Life provides final expense polices for ages 50-85. Fidelity Life offers coverage amounts ranging from $10,000 – $150,000. Depending on how old you are, Fidelity Life offers 2 policy types:
- Whole Life Insurance
- Term Life Insurance
Fidelity Life’s Graded Death Benefit option will provide you coverage beginning in year 4.
For more, see our Fidelity Life insurance company reviews
8. Foresters
Foresters PlanRight Whole Life
Foresters is one of our top picks for life insurance in the United States. Their PlanRight Whole Life is a simplified issue final expense insurance policy.
There are some health questions that will have to be answered since it’s a simplified issue. Their pricing is good for those who qualify, making it one of the most affordable final expense insurance companies in the industry.
Also, their underwriting guidelines are very liberal so most clients will qualify.
Foresters PlanRight Whole Life is an excellent choice for those seeking final expense or burial insurance.
- This policy is available for people between the ages of 50 to 85 with a maximum face amount of $35,000 up to age 80.
- Those between 81 to 85-years-of-age have a face amount of $15,000.
For more, see our Foresters Life insurance company reviews
9. Gerber Life
Gerber Guaranteed Issue
Gerber provides an excellent guarantee issue whole life for those with serious health issues looking for cheap final expense or burial insurances with no questions asked.
There are no exams, no blood tests, and no urine samples.
Coverage is available for ages 50 to 80 for face amounts from $5,000 to $25,000.
The premiums are fixed for the life of the policy and have a cash account that accumulates cash value that can be used to pay premiums over a period of time or can be borrowed against.
If the policyholder dies from an accidental death, the full face amount will be paid due to the accidental death benefit which pays out from the issue date of the policy.
Should the policyholder die from natural causes during the first 2 years, the beneficiary will receive all premiums plus 10%.
For more, see our Gerber Life insurance company reviews
Gerber Guaranteed Issue Final Expense Life Insurance Sample Quotes
All rates are subject to change and are for comparison only:
Rates based on Males who are age 50
- $ 5,000 = $19
- $10,000 = $38
- $15,000 = $57
- $20,000 = $75
- $25,000 = $94
Rates based on Females who are age 50
- $ 5,000 = $14
- $10,000 = $28
- $15,000 = $41
- $20,000 = $55
- $25,000 = $68
10. Mutual of Omaha
Mutual Of Omaha’s Living Promise
United of Omaha Life Insurance Company (Mutual of Omaha) has an excellent level benefit policy for ages 45 to 85.
This is a whole life burial or final expense insurance policy that increases cash value and have face amounts from $2,000 to $40,000.
There is a background check involved including information from the Medical Information Bureau and from the prescription drug database.
Therefore, this is not a guaranteed acceptance plan.
The insurance is derived from an accelerated death benefit rider which pays early if the policyholder is diagnosed with a terminal illness and given less than 1 year to live or is in a nursing facility for more than 90 days and is believed will remain there for the rest of their life.
If you need an inexpensive burial life insurance that adds cash value along with several excellent life insurance riders this is an excellent choice.
For more, see our Mutual of Omaha Life insurance company reviews
11. Phoenix Life
Phoenix Life has final expense life insurance policies available for ages 60-80 years old.
Maximum coverage amounts:
- $50,000 for ages 70-80 years of age
- $75,000 for ages 60-69 years of age
12. Sagicor
Sagicor Sage NLUL Standard
Sagicor has an excellent simplified issue universal life insurance for those between the ages of 18 to 65.
If you are 66 to 85, you will need a full underwriting to qualify.
The No Lapse Universal Life has a face amount of $25,000 or higher.
Sagicor is a great choice for affordable final expense insurance because they have various health classes including standard, preferred, and rated up to Table 8.
Their included accelerated death benefit insurance rider covers terminal or chronic illnesses at no additional cost.
For more, see our Sagicor Life insurance company reviews
13. Transamerica
Transamerica’s Immediate Solution Standard
Transamerica offers level premiums up to 121-years of age for those who are not over 85.
When looking for an affordable final expense or burial whole life insurance, this is another excellent choice in carriers.
- This policy has a minimum face amount of $1,000 and a maximum of up to $50,000 for those who are 55-years-of-age or younger.
- There is a maximum face amount of $40,000 for those who are 75.
- $25,000 for those who are age 85.
This really is a great choice for older life insurance shoppers who need some coverage.
For more, see our Transamerica Life insurance company reviews
Sample Of Transamerica No Exam Whole Life Insurance Quotes
All quotes are based on a 50-year-old male and are for informational purposes only and should not be considered guaranteed rates.
Face Amount Of $25,000
- 10 Years = $11
- 15 Years = $12
- 20 Years = $14
- 25 Years = $18
- 30 Years = $21
Face Amount Of $50,000
- 10 Years = $20
- 15 Years = $22
- 20 Years = $26
- 25 Years = $34
- 30 Years = $40
Face Amount Of $100,000
- 10 Years = $26
- 15 Years = $31
- 20 Years = $36
- 25 Years = $58
- 30 Years = $63
14. United Home Life
United Home Life Express Issue Premier
Ages for this simplified issue policy range from 20 to 80-years-of-age.
- The face amounts run from $5,000 to $100,000 up to age 60
- $5,000 to $50,000 for those up to 80.
This makes this plan one of the best burial insurance policies for seniors.
This also a great inexpensive final expense policy for healthier people such as those with type 2 diabetes, non-insulin dependent.
For more, see our United Home Life insurance company reviews
Sample Quotes for United Home Life Express Issue Premier
These sample quotes are based on a 60-year-old male followed by a 60-year-old female.
All rates are subject to change and should only be used for informational purposes regarding Final Expense Life Insurance.
Males
- $ 5,000 = $24
- $10,000 = $44
- $25,000 = $105
- $50,000 = $206
- $100,000= 407
Female:
- $ 5,000 = $19
- $10,000 = $35
- $25,000 = $82
- $50,000 = $159
- $100,000= $315
15. Liberty Bankers Life
Liberty Banker’s Life has 2 final expense options. You can apply for either their Level Death Benefit or Graded Death Benefit policies.
Death Benefits
- Level Death Benefit: For ages 18-80. Coverage from $3,000 – $30,000
- Graded Death Benefit: For ages 40-80. Coverage from $1,000 – $20,000.
For more, see our Liberty Bankers Life insurance company reviews
Final Expense Sample Quotes
Level Death Benefit
The following monthly rates are for Final Expense life insurance for men with a Level Death Benefit (immediate coverage). All rates are rounded up to the nearest dollar and are subject to qualification.
Level Death Benefit for Men Ages 40-80
| AGE | $5,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | $11 | $18 | $41 | $93 |
| 50 | $13 | $24 | $56 | $114 |
| 60 | $19 | $36 | $86 | $181 |
| 65 | $25 | $48 | $115 | $236 |
| 70 | $32 | $61 | $149 | $312 |
| 75 | $43 | $83 | $205 | $494 |
| 80 | $62 | $121 | $299 | $676 |
The following monthly rates are for Final Expense life insurance for women with a Level Death Benefit (immediate coverage). All rates are rounded up to the nearest dollar and are subject to qualification.
Level Death Benefit for Women Ages 40-80
| AGE | $5,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | $12 | $20 | $45 | $98 |
| 50 | $11 | $17 | $37 | $69 |
| 60 | $15 | $23 | $50 | $96 |
| 65 | $19 | $36 | $85 | $127 |
| 70 | $24 | $39 | $92 | $179. |
| 75 | $32 | $61 | $149 | $338 |
| 80 | $45 | $88 | $217 | $506 |
Graded Death Benefit
The following monthly rates are for Final Expense life insurance for men with a Graded Death Benefit (waiting period). All rates are rounded up to the nearest dollar and are subject to qualification.
Graded Death Benefit For Men Ages 40-80
| AGE | $5,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | $16 | $30 | $71 | NA |
| 50 | $22 | $42 | $103 | $209 |
| 60 | $32 | $62 | $151 | $324 |
| 65 | $40 | $78 | $193 | $393 |
| 70 | $54 | $103 | $251 | $497 |
| 75 | $76 | $124 | $304 | $604 |
| 80 | $108 | $165 | $406 | NA |
The following monthly rates are for Final Expense life insurance for women with a Graded Death Benefit (waiting period). All rates are rounded up to the nearest dollar and are subject to qualification.
Graded Death Benefit for Women Ages 40-80
| AGE | $5,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | $15 | $27 | $64 | NA |
| 50 | $20 | $34 | $69 | $154. |
| 60 | $27 | $48 | $114 | $223 |
| 65 | $32 | $56 | $134 | $263 |
| 70 | $41 | $81 | $172 | $340 |
| 75 | $57 | $109 | $267 | $431 |
| 80 | $73 | $118 | $288 | NA |
Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance
The following monthly rates are for Guaranteed Issue Final Expense life insurance for men. All rates are rounded up to the nearest dollar and are subject to qualification.
Guaranteed Issue For Men Ages 40-80
| AGE | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | $39 | $73 | $108 | $177 |
| 50 | $20 | $38 | $57 | $95 |
| 60 | $29 | $57 | $85 | $140 |
| 65 | $35 | $68 | $102 | $169 |
| 70 | $44 | $88 | $131 | $218 |
| 75 | $63 | $124 | $186 | $308 |
| 80 | $89 | $175 | $262 | $435 |
The following monthly rates are for Guaranteed Issue Final Expense life insurance for women. All rates are rounded up to the nearest dollar and are subject to qualification.
Guaranteed Issue For Women Ages 40-80
| AGE | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | $31 | $57 | $83 | $136 |
| 50 | $15 | $28 | $42 | $69 |
| 60 | $24 | $45 | $67 | $110 |
| 65 | $28 | $55 | $81 | $133 |
| 70 | $35 | $69 | $103 | $171 |
| 75 | $46 | $90 | $135 | $224 |
| 80 | $69 | $135 | $202 | $335 |
Is there a difference between Final Expense and Burial Insurance?
For the most part, there is no real difference.
The biggest difference between the two, Final expense insurance includes final expenses as well as the burial costs. Burial insurance is strictly paying for the funeral and nothing else. Most people want enough coverage for both burial and final expenses.
These final expense policies are usually small whole life insurance policies. They typically are not term life insurance policies because of the coverage amount and age of the insured.
What is Burial Insurance?
Burial insurance is a rather small whole life insurance policy between $5,000 and $25,000 and its purpose is to pay for funeral home and burial expenses.
The policy pays out the entire death benefit to your beneficiary once you have passed away. Again, these are small whole life policies with an increased death benefit.
What is Final Expense Insurance?
Final expense is another small whole life policy that is also between $5,000 and $25,000. The purpose of final expense life insurance is to pay the death benefit to cover burial expenses.
These expenses include a gravestone, a cemetery plot, and other expenses including various outstanding debts that must be paid even though the policyholder has passed away.
When shopping for life insurance policies, keep in mind there are some that name the funeral home as the beneficiary. We would strongly advise that you name a family member you can trust.
What if you pass away and the funeral home goes out of business or is overbooked?
For those considering between life insurance or prepaid funeral plans. Most burial and final expense insurance policies are cash value whole life insurance policies. A prepaid funeral plan is a contract between the individual and the funeral home and is not an individual life insurance.
The biggest con is that you may not need this type of insurance. According to the CDC, there are only 5.4% of accidental deaths. What if you or a loved one passes away from another cause? In these instances, the accidental death policy isn’t going to do you or your family any good.
3 Types of Final Expense Life Insurance
Everyone want to be an informed shopper when buying something as important as life insurance. However, life insurance for seniors can get pretty confusing with all of the available options. There is no shortage of commercials and advertisements that only provide you the rock bottom price without explaining what you’re getting.
Let’s now look into the 3 types of final expense life insurance:
1. Level Death Benefit
When you buy a policy that has a level death benefit, you’re getting day 1 coverage. In other words, once your policy is in force, you are covered for 100% of the death benefit listed on your policy.
This policy is not guaranteed to be approved. In other words, you will have to qualify for this policy. These policies have a short list of questions that you must be able to pass in order to qualify for coverage.
Face amounts for level benefits range from a maximum of $50,000 for most companies. Some will go up to $100,000.
2. Graded Death Benefit
A Graded Death Benefit sounds great right? It has the word “benefit” so it has to be beneficial right?
Actually, a graded death benefit simply means that there is a waiting period before the total death benefit is available to you.
If you’re looking for life insurance with a preexisting condition that prevents you from traditional coverage with a level death benefit- a Graded Benefit is an option for you.
Most Graded policies have a 2 year waiting period.
Some are more, so make sure you’re aware of the length of the the graded death benefit.
3. Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance
With a Guaranteed Issue life insurance policy, you can’t be turned down due to health. Everyone who applies that can qualify as long as you’re within the ages offered for the policy you’re applying with. Maximum issue ages are from 80-89 depending on the company.
With Guaranteed Issue, also known as GI, you have a graded benefit. So you will have a waiting period for the guaranteed issue policy. The maximum life insurance payout amounts are typically $25000 in coverage. There are companies that focus on GI policies like the Great Western Insurance Company.
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What you need to know about Final Expense and Burial Life Insurance Companies
We believe the most important aspect to finding the right final expense whole life insurance and burial insurance companies is to work with an independent life insurance agent. You need to know the different life insurance types and make sure you understand the 3 types of final expense policies that we listed above.
There are many cases where a company will offer the sun, moon, and stars but once you read over the policy there are tons of restrictions or clauses that are hidden in the fine print.
This is why it’s critical to work with an agent who can read this fine print and let you know exactly what you are really getting.
Our team of experts at Life Insurance Blog can help navigate you from really bad policies and make sure you are getting exactly what you are looking for.
We believe the best life insurance companies for final expense whole life insurance or burial insurance should be at the top of their field, will offer competitive prices, offer a fixed premium for a fixed price that will last for your entire life.
Unfortunately, too many companies seem to be offering a great deal more than they really are. We are here to help shed some light on these policies and ensure you get the coverage you are looking for and need.
Keep in mind, what may be right for one person may not be right for someone else. Because one size does not fit all, we are here to help you differentiate between the various companies so you will be informed in order to get the right policy for you and your family.
What Kind Of Final Expense Life Insurance Is Best For You?
The reality is, the best plan for you is one that is affordable, you can quickly qualify for it and will last your entire life.
You typically have two main choices with Final Expense:
- Whole Life Burial
- Final Expense Insurance
These policies come with simplified issue and guaranteed issue options. Again, get with your independent life insurance agent to go over the fine print from insurance providers.
If you choose not to, you might find you signed up for a really lousy plan!
Burial Insurance Quotes
Which Burial Insurance company will get you the best deal? If you want to make sure you’re getting the most value, here’s what you need to do…
Bottom Line
No two people are alike so you need to shop around and find the one that will work best for you and your family.
Please contact us if you have any questions or if you would like a customized quote. Feel free to use our instant life insurance calculator on this page to compare rates based on your specific age.
We hope you have a better understanding of Final Expense life insurance and the best final expense companies. We’re here to help you sort through all of the available companies and options.
To learn more about life insurance, make sure to visit our page Life Insurance 101 and find out all the shopping and insider tips to buying cheap life insurance. You may also want to read our articles, Best life insurance for Seniors over age 60 and Burial insurance for seniors over 80 for more information on this topic.
Thanks for reading our Top 10 Final Expense companies review.
