Burial insurance, also called final expense insurance, is a type of whole life insurance policy that covers end-of-life expenses, such as burial, cremation and other associated costs. With the median funeral with casket and burial expenses topping $8,000, such costs can be significant. For that reason, if you decide to skip a more comprehensive life insurance policy, burial insurance can be worth looking into.
CNBC Select analyzed burial insurance providers based on customer satisfaction, coverage accessibility and other factors and picked the best options so you can make an informed choice. (See our methodology for more information on how we chose the best burial insurance providers.)
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
Best for customer satisfaction
State Farm Life Insurance
Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
App available
Yes
Policy highlights
State Farm offers a variety of term, whole, and universal life insurance products to choose from, alongside other types of insurance. It's rated highly for both financial stability and customer service.
Pros
- Outstanding customer service
- Reasonable rates
- Offers return of premium policy
- Bundling discount
Cons
- Policies must be purchased through a State Farm agent
- Doesn't sell policies in Rhode Island or Massachusetts
- Fewer riders than the competition
- Accelerated death benefit costs extra
Who's this for? State Farm is a top choice if you want a provider with a proven track of customer satisfaction. The company ranks first in JD Power's life insurance customer satisfaction ratings with 843 points out of 1,000.
Standout benefits: State Farm's final expense life insurance offers $10,000 to $15,000 in coverage. The policy has no medical questions and requires no medical exam. The coverage is instant and won't be denied. The company also guarantees that premiums won't increase.
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Best for immediate coverage
Ethos Life Insurance
Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
App available
Yes
Policy highlights
Ethos advertises term and permanent life insurance products and offers a free will and estate planning tools with a policy.
Pros
- No medical exam
- Guaranteed acceptance option
- Instant coverage
- Fully online application
Cons
- Limited customization options
- Not available in all states
Who's this for? Ethos is ideal for those who want a policy quickly. It offers a simple online application process and immediate coverage.
Standout benefits: With the guaranteed issue whole life insurance option, you'll be approved instantly for $10,000, $15,000, $20,000 or $25,000 in coverage for ages 65 to 85. This policy requires no health questions or medical exams. Your monthly premiums will stay the same for the life of your policy. Other perks include a free will and access to estate planning tools.
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Best for younger people
Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance
Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
App available
No
Policy highlights
Mutual of Omaha offers term, whole, indexed universal life and universal life policies, giving lots of options.
Pros
- Policies available up to age 85
- No medical exam options available
Cons
- Limited to $25,000 for Guaranteed whole life policies
Who's this for? Age restrictions are common for burial insurance or guaranteed whole life insurance. Mutual of Omaha, however, guarantees acceptance for ages 45 to 85 (in NY, 50 to 75), meaning you can get coverage earlier in life.
Standout benefits: You can get up to $25,000 in guaranteed whole life insurance coverage. You won't need to take a medical exam or answer any health questions to get this policy. Your insurance rates will remain the same as long as the policy is active. Plus, according to the provider, most claims are paid within 24 hours.
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Best for seniors
AARP Life Insurance
Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
App available
Yes
Policy highlights
AARP offers term and permanent life insurance products through New York Life, alongside other types of insurance.
Pros
- No medical exam
- Guaranteed acceptance option
- A++ financial strength rating
Cons
- Must be an AARP member to apply
- Not available in all states
Who's this for? AARP members have access to exclusive life insurance offers through New York Life.
Standout benefits: You can get up to $25,000 in coverage to help your beneficiaries with funeral costs, unpaid bills and more. AARP guarantees you'll be accepted for this coverage, with no medical exam or health questions required (benefits are limited in the first two years). Additionally, your rates won't go up.
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More on our top burial insurance companies
State Farm
State Farm is a household name in the insurance market. Founded in 1922, State Farm is a group of insurance companies providing various types of coverage — from life insurance to auto and homeowners insurance.
Medical exam requirements
None
Waiting period
The payout may be limited in the first two years.
Age eligibility
Not advertised
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Ethos
Ethos is a digital life insurance agency that partners with life insurance carriers to provide term and whole life insurance coverage. The carriers include Legal & General America, Ameritas Life Insurance, TruStage® Financial Group, Inc., Senior Life Insurance Company and Mutual of Omaha.
Medical exam requirements
None
Waiting period
Limited payout in the first two years
Age eligibility
65 to 85
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Mutual of Omaha
Founded in 1909, Mutual of Omaha is a leading insurance provider offering life insurance and certain types of health insurance. It also provides a limited selection of financial products and services.
Medical exam requirements
None
Waiting period
Limited coverage in the first two years
Age eligibility
45 to 85. In New York, 50 to 75.
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AARP
AARP is a large nonprofit focused on issues Americans over the age of 50 face. It offers an annual membership that provides access to special offers and discounts. The organization also endorses a few types of insurance plans, including life, health, pet, auto and homeowners insurance, through partner providers.
Medical exam requirements
None
Waiting period
Limited coverage for the first two years
Age eligibility
50 to 80, spouses or partners ages 45 to 80. In New York, 50 to 75 for policyholders and partners and spouses.
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FAQs
Is it worth buying burial insurance?
Burial insurance can be a worthwhile investment as it can help your family members cover your final expenses and avoid debt.
What is burial insurance?
Burial insurance is a whole life insurance policy designed to help your beneficiaries cover your end-of-life expenses, such as your funeral or cremation.
Which is better: life insurance or burial insurance?
Burial insurance is highly accessible as it typically doesn't require any medical exams or health questions, but a more comprehensive life insurance policy may be more affordable and provide more value.
How long does burial insurance last?
Since burial insurance is a type of whole life insurance, it's permanent and has no term.
Bottom line
Burial insurance can help your family and loved ones take care of funeral costs and other final end-of-life expenses when you pass away. Take your time to shop around for a reliable provider to get the coverage you need at a fair rate.
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Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of insurance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. Seeour methodologyfor more information on how we choose the best burial insurance companies.
Read more
The best life insurance for seniors, including policies that don't require medical exams
Is no-exam life insurance worth it? Here's what you should know
Why estate planning isn't just for the wealthy
Our methodology
To determine the best life insurance companies,CNBC Selectcollected data points on dozens of U.S. life insurance companies with a variety of policies.
When selecting the best burial insurance companies, we focused on insurance companies that offer final expense life insurance or guaranteed whole life insurance. From there, we considered ratings fromJD Power's life insurance customer satisfaction ratings,AM Bestfinancial strength ratings (which measure a company's ability to pay on debts), and market share data from theNational Association of Insurance Commissioners. We also considered the age requirements, waiting periods, the availability of online quotes, and medical exam requirements.
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Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
