Leave your family a plan, not a bill.
A small whole-life policy built to pay out in days, not months. One call to a licensed agent and you’ll know what you qualify for.
Speak with a licensed agent
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Free call · No obligation · We never call you first
- Built for ages 50 to 85
- Many policies ask no medical exam
- We never call you — you call us
Worth having to hand when you call
None of this is asked for on this website. It is what the agent will need in the first couple of minutes.
- Your ageAnd your date of birth. Age at application is what the premium is set on.
- Your stateWhich products are available, and at what terms, differs by state.
- Who it is forYourself, or a parent or spouse. You can insure someone else with their consent.
- A rough amountMost people work back from what a funeral costs rather than picking a round number.
What final expense insurance actually is
It is a small whole-life insurance policy. “Final expense”, “burial insurance” and “funeral insurance” are three names for the same thing — the names are marketing, the product is one category.
Whole life means it does not expire. As long as the premiums are paid it stays in force for the rest of your life, and on most of these policies the premium is fixed at the start and never rises with your age.
When you die, the money goes to the beneficiary you named — a person, not a funeral home. They decide what it is spent on. Because a named beneficiary is paid directly, the money does not wait on probate the way a bank account in your sole name would.
Why people take it out
Someone has to pay the funeral home
Funeral homes generally want payment before or at the service, not after the estate is settled. Without a plan the bill lands on whoever is closest, usually in the first week.
It stops the money question arriving with the grief
The most common thing families describe is not the cost itself. It is having to discuss money at the worst possible moment, with people who are also grieving.
Larger policies are often gone by this age
A term policy taken out at forty has usually ended. Employer cover ends with the job. A small permanent policy is often what is left that still works at seventy.
It can be had when bigger cover cannot
Health that rules out a large fully underwritten policy frequently still qualifies for final expense, because the amounts are small and the underwriting is lighter.
Ask someone who does this all day
A few minutes on the phone with an agent licensed in your state. No forms, nothing binding, and nothing to pay.
Call now
Call now(888) 000-0088
An agent is available now
Free call · No obligation · We never call you first
How it works, start to finish
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1
You talk to a licensed agent
They ask your age, state, health and what you are trying to cover, then tell you which products you are likely to qualify for. Expect a few minutes. Nothing is binding.
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2
You apply
A short application with health questions. Most final expense products need no medical exam. Some carriers give a decision on the call; others take a few days.
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3
The policy is issued
You get the paperwork and the first premium is taken. From the issue date the cover is in force — subject to the benefit structure below.
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4
Your beneficiary claims
They send a death certificate and a claim form. Final expense claims are usually paid within days rather than months, which is the whole point of the product.
Level or graded: the part worth understanding before you call
Level benefit. The full amount is payable from day one. This is what you want, and it is what better health qualifies you for.
Graded or modified benefit. If you die of natural causes in the first two to three years, the policy pays back your premiums with interest rather than the face amount. Accidental death is usually covered in full from day one. Policies that ask no health questions almost always work this way.
Which one you are offered depends on your health answers. It is the first thing to ask an agent, and the number that decides whether a policy does what you think it does.
Final expense compared with the alternatives
The four ways people cover a funeral. None is universally right; they fail in different ways.
| Feature | Final expense | Term life | Pre-need funeral plan | Saving the money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A small whole-life policy | Life cover for a fixed number of years | A prepaid contract with one funeral home | Your own money, set aside |
| Typical amount | $2,000 to $25,000 | $100,000 and up | The cost of one specific funeral | Whatever you have managed to save |
| Does it run out? | No, while premiums are paid | Yes, at the end of the term | No | No |
| Health questions | A few, or sometimes none | Full underwriting, often a medical exam | None | None |
| Who controls the money | The beneficiary you name | The beneficiary you name | The funeral home | Your estate |
| Realistic at 75+ | Usually | Rarely, and expensive | Yes | Yes |
| The thing to watch | A waiting period in the first two to three years | Outliving the term and being left with nothing | Tied to one funeral home — moving or closure complicates it | Probate can delay access for weeks or months |
What waiting actually costs
Not a sales deadline — there is no offer here to expire. These are the four things that genuinely change while you think about it.
The premium is set by your age when you apply
Whole life prices on issue age and then holds. A birthday between now and the application raises the premium for the whole life of the policy, not just the first year.
The waiting period starts at issue, not at purchase intent
If a policy carries a two-year graded benefit, that clock only begins when the policy is issued. Every month of deliberation is a month added to the end of it.
Health is the one thing that cannot be backdated
A diagnosis between now and applying can move you from a level benefit to a graded one, or out of a product entirely. You can only apply with the health you have on the day.
The bill it is meant to meet keeps rising
The median burial cost rose 5.8% in two years, cremation 8.1%. A policy sized to today’s funeral covers slightly less of tomorrow’s.
Who writes final expense cover in the US
Among the larger carriers in this specific market. Worth asking any agent which of these they are appointed with, and why they are recommending one.
- Mutual of Omaha
- Globe Life
- Gerber Life
- Aflac
- Foresters Financial
- Americo
- Transamerica
- Corebridge Financial
- Royal Neighbors of America
- Liberty Bankers Life
- Prosperity Life
- Aetna / CVS Health
- Baltimore Life
- Sentinel Security Life
We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any company named above. Their names and trademarks belong to them and are used here only to describe the US insurance market. GetMeInsure is not an insurance company, agency or broker, does not sell insurance, and cannot obtain a quote from any particular carrier. Which insurers an agent can place you with depends on that agent’s own appointments and on your state.
Questions people ask
Is final expense the same as burial insurance?
Yes. "Final expense", "burial insurance" and "funeral insurance" all describe a small whole-life policy intended to cover end-of-life costs. The names differ; the product category does not.
How much coverage do most people take?
Usually between $2,000 and $25,000. Most people work back from what a funeral actually costs rather than choosing a round number, which is why the cost figures on this page matter more than any default amount.
Will I need a medical exam?
Most final expense policies are simplified issue: a few health questions, no exam. Some products ask no health questions at all, and those almost always carry a graded benefit for the first two to three years.
What is a graded or modified death benefit?
It means that if you die of natural causes within the first two to three years, the policy returns your premiums with interest instead of paying the full amount. Accidental death is usually covered in full from day one. Ask which structure you are being offered before you apply.
Can I be turned down?
Yes. Final expense underwriting is lighter than for a large policy, but it is not absent. Some health conditions limit which products you qualify for or move you to a graded benefit rather than a level one.
Does the premium go up as I get older?
Not on most whole-life final expense policies. The premium is set by your age when the policy is issued and then stays fixed. Applying later means a higher fixed premium, permanently.
Who gets the money?
The beneficiary you name on the policy, not the funeral home. They receive it directly and decide what it is spent on. Because a named beneficiary is paid directly, the money does not wait on probate.
Is the payout taxed?
Life insurance death benefits are generally paid to a named beneficiary free of federal income tax. Estate tax is a separate question and rarely applies at these amounts, but a tax professional should answer for your own situation.
Can I buy it for a parent?
Usually yes, with their knowledge and consent, and if you have an insurable interest in them. They will need to answer the health questions themselves.
What does the call cost?
Nothing. GetMeInsure is paid by the marketing partners whose numbers appear on this site, never by you, and you are under no obligation to buy anything.
Talk it through with someone licensed
You will not be asked for anything on this website. The call is free, nothing is binding, and you decide what happens next.
Speak with a licensed agent
Call now(888) 000-0088
An agent is available now
Free call · No obligation · We never call you first
Calls may be recorded or monitored by the party you reach. GetMeInsure is not an insurer and does not sell insurance. See our terms.