5 Best Burial Insurance Companies of October 2024

Pay for your own funeral and burial costs with a final expense policy from one of our top-rated insurers.

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Written by Katia Iervasi
Assistant Assigning Editor
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Edited by Erica Corbin
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Fact Checked

If you want to buy life insurance purely to cover your funeral costs, medical bills and other end-of-life expenses, look into burial insurance. Also known as final expense insurance, these policies are designed for seniors who need only a small amount of coverage, and not all insurers offer them.

To narrow down the list of the best burial insurance policies, our experts analyzed policy features, age and state availability, and added value — such as free life insurance riders. We also looked at payment options and the amount of coverage you can buy, which typically starts at $1,000 and maxes out at $50,000 for this type of life insurance.

NerdWallet's life insurance content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in life insurance. We follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure the content on our site is accurate and fair so you can make financial decisions with confidence and choose the products that work best for you.

The best burial insurance in October 2024

Insurer

NerdWallet rating

Age eligibility

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

Issue age: 45 to 80 (50 to 75 in NY).

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

Issue age: 50 to 80 (50 to 75 in NY).

4.0

NerdWallet rating 

Issue age: 50 to 80.

3.5

NerdWallet rating 

Issue age: 45 to 85 (50 to 75 in NY).

3.5

NerdWallet rating 

Issue age: 65 to 85.

NerdWallet rates insurers at the company level, not the policy level. This means our star rating reflects the company as a whole, and not its burial insurance policy specifically.

Best burial life insurance policies for 2024

Learn more about each company in our list by reading the brief summaries below and checking out the NerdWallet review links.

Jump to:


Best for customer satisfaction
insurance-product-card-logo

State Farm

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: If reliable support is a top priority for you, State Farm has an excellent reputation for customer service.

on Nerdwallet

Financial strength rating

Exceptional

Online purchase

No

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Policies offered

Term, permanent & no-exam
Best for customer satisfaction
insurance-product-card-logo

on Nerdwallet

State Farm

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: If reliable support is a top priority for you, State Farm has an excellent reputation for customer service.

Financial strength rating

Exceptional

Online purchase

No

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Policies offered

Term, permanent & no-exam
Pros

Ranked first in J.D. Power’s latest customer satisfaction study for life insurance.

Broad range of term products, including instant answer life insurance.

Cons

Life insurance policies not available in Massachusetts.

Some restrictions for Android smartphones when accessing policy details through online portal.

Company overview: State Farm consistently ranks No. 1 in J.D. Power’s annual customer satisfaction study for individual life insurance.

State Farm’s burial insurance policy earns cash value over time, and once you’ve accumulated enough, you can take out loans or withdraw money from that fund during your lifetime. Since State Farm is a mutual company, your policy might also pay out dividends based on the insurer’s financial performance.

Policy name: Guaranteed Issue Final Expense Life Insurance (known as $10,000 Whole Life in New York).

Eligibility age range: 45 to 80 (50 to 75 in New York).

Coverage amount: $10,000 ($15,000 in some states).

Availability: All states. Note: State Farm isn’t offering policies to new customers in Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

» Read the full review: State Farm life insurance review


Best for low consumer complaints
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AARP

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: AARP’s policy is available to its members and their spouses, and the insurer has a relatively low complaint volume for a company of its size.

on Nerdwallet

Financial strength rating

Exceptional

Online purchase

No

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Policies offered

Term, permanent & no-exam
Best for low consumer complaints
insurance-product-card-logo

on Nerdwallet

AARP

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: AARP’s policy is available to its members and their spouses, and the insurer has a relatively low complaint volume for a company of its size.

Financial strength rating

Exceptional

Online purchase

No

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Policies offered

Term, permanent & no-exam
Pros

No medical exams required.

Fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators.

Anyone age 50 and up can get access through AARP membership.

Cons

Term life insurance premiums rise every five years.

Company overview: Open to AARP members as part of a partnership with New York Life, this policy is a type of group life insurance. You’re guaranteed to be accepted as long as you’re an AARP member who meets the age requirements, and coverage typically lasts your entire life. In most states, AARP also allows members’ spouses who are 45 to 80 to apply for a policy. In New York, the age eligibility for spouses is slightly different: 50 to 75.

Policy name: Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance.

Eligibility age range: 50 to 80 (50 to 75 in NY).

Coverage amount: Up to $25,000. You may be able to request a higher coverage amount by calling New York Life on 1-800-607-6957.

Availability: Not available in all states. Non-members in Arkansas, Louisiana and Oregon may not be eligible.

» Read the full review: AARP/New York Life insurance review


Best for bundling
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American Family Life Insurance

4.0

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: American Family allows you to bundle life insurance with other insurance products and possibly save money on the latter.

on Nerdwallet

Financial strength rating

Strong

Online purchase

No

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Policies offered

Term, permanent & no-exam
Best for bundling
insurance-product-card-logo

on Nerdwallet

American Family Life Insurance

4.0

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: American Family allows you to bundle life insurance with other insurance products and possibly save money on the latter.

Financial strength rating

Strong

Online purchase

No

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Policies offered

Term, permanent & no-exam
Pros

Fewer customer complaints than expected for a company its size.

Offers a variety of term and whole life options.

Cons

Not available in all states.

Company overview: American Family received fewer complaints to state regulators for a company of its size, making it a trustworthy choice. The company sells a range of insurance products, including vehicle insurance, property insurance and business insurance. In some cases, you can bundle your policies and save money. 

Policy name: DreamSecure Senior Whole Life Insurance.

Eligibility age range: 50 to 80.

Coverage amount: $10,000 or $15,000.

Availability: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

» Read the full review: American Family insurance review


Best for instant coverage
insurance-product-card-logo

Ethos

3.5

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: You can be approved within minutes of applying and coverage starts as soon as you make your first payment.

on Nerdwallet

Financial strength rating

Strong

Online purchase

Yes

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Policies offered

Term, permanent & no-exam
Best for instant coverage
insurance-product-card-logo

on Nerdwallet

Ethos

3.5

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: You can be approved within minutes of applying and coverage starts as soon as you make your first payment.

Financial strength rating

Strong

Online purchase

Yes

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Policies offered

Term, permanent & no-exam
Pros

No medical exam required.

Fully digital application.

Offers both term and whole life insurance online.

Cons

No live chat feature, which is unusual for insurtechs.

Can't customize coverage with riders.

Company overview: Ethos’ whole life application takes five minutes to complete and coverage goes into effect once you pay the first premium, making this policy ideal for those who need a policy quickly. You don't need to take a life insurance medical exam. You stop paying premiums at age 100, and the coverage stays intact.

Policy name: Guaranteed Issue Whole Life.

Eligibility age range: 65 to 85.

Coverage amount: $10,000 to $25,000.

Availability: Not available in New York.

» Read the full review: Ethos life insurance review


Best for accessibility
insurance-product-card-logo

Mutual of Omaha

3.5

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: Most burial insurance policies are open only to seniors 50 and older, but Mutual of Omaha allows 45-year-olds to buy coverage in all states but New York.

on Nerdwallet

Financial strength rating

Exceptional

Online purchase

No

NAIC complaints

Close to expected

Policies offered

Term, permanent & no-exam
Best for accessibility
insurance-product-card-logo

on Nerdwallet

Mutual of Omaha

3.5

NerdWallet rating 
Bottom line: Most burial insurance policies are open only to seniors 50 and older, but Mutual of Omaha allows 45-year-olds to buy coverage in all states but New York.

Financial strength rating

Exceptional

Online purchase

No

NAIC complaints

Close to expected

Policies offered

Term, permanent & no-exam
Pros

Whole life insurance available without a medical exam.

Ranks highly in J.D. Power’s latest consumer satisfaction study.

Cons

Close to the expected number of complaints for life insurance for a company of its size.

No online quotes for term life insurance.

Company overview: Mutual of Omaha’s broad issue age range means people can get a policy at a younger age, when rates are likely to be cheaper. You can buy as little as $2,000 in coverage — making this option good for those who don’t need too much life insurance.

The insurer says it pays roughly 80% of claims within 24 hours, which can help your loved ones cover your funeral costs and any other immediate expenses when you die.

Policy name: Guaranteed Whole Life Insurance.

Eligibility age range: 45 to 85 (50 to 75 in New York).

Coverage amount: $2,000 to $25,000 ($5,000 to $25,000 in Washington).

Availability: All states.

» Read the full review: Mutual of Omaha life insurance review


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How we ranked the top life insurers

NerdWallet’s life insurance ratings are based on consumer experience, complaint index scores from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for individual life insurance, and weighted averages of financial strength ratings, which indicate a company’s ability to pay future claims. Within the consumer experience category, we consider ease of communication and website transparency, which looks at the depth of policy details available online. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.

These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare life insurance quotes from several companies to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews.

In our life insurance reviews, our editorial team considers the customer and the insurer. These are some of the factors we take into account:

Policies offered. There are many types of life insurance on the market, and they fall into three key categories:

  • Term life insurance offers temporary coverage and a guaranteed payout if the policyholder dies during the term.

  • Permanent life insurance typically lasts a lifetime and builds cash value that can be borrowed against in the future.

  • No-exam life insurance issues coverage without the need for a medical exam.

Financial strength. We use AM Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s long-term financial stability and ability to pay claims. For life insurance, NerdWallet typically recommends considering insurers with ratings of A- or higher. Here’s the breakdown:

  • Exceptional: A+, A++.

  • Strong: A-, A.

  • Moderate: B, B+.

Complaints. These ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The best life insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints.

Buy online. This indicates whether an insurer allows you to apply for and buy a policy completely online.

Alternatives to the best burial insurance

Final expense policies are designed to help you cover the costs of your own funeral and burial, but they’re expensive and capped at small amounts so they don’t suit everyone. If you crunch the numbers and decide you need more life insurance, you can apply for a traditional term life insurance or permanent life insurance policy.

More about top-rated life insurance companies

Looking for a specific type of life insurance policy? Check out NerdWallet’s top picks across these categories:

Frequently asked questions

Burial policies cover end-of-life expenses, like funerals or lingering medical bills. These policies are relatively small, usually in the $1,000 to $50,000 range, which means they have limited application beyond those final expense needs.

Burial insurance that doesn’t require a medical exam can be more expensive per dollar of coverage than many other life insurance policies. For instance, a healthy 50-year-old woman might pay about $360 a year for $10,000 in guaranteed issue life insurance, according to data from Choice Mutual, a brokerage specializing in burial insurance coverage. To compare, a $250,000 whole life policy would cost her about $4,740 — over ten times as much per year but for 25 times as much coverage.

The cheapest burial insurance will depend on your needs and health. While many policies can be issued with no medical questions or exams, they're usually much more expensive. The best way to get cheap life insurance coverage for any type of policy is to shop around.

Methodology

Life insurance ratings methodology

NerdWallet’s life insurance ratings are based on consumer experience, complaint index scores from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for individual life insurance, and weighted averages of financial strength ratings, which indicate a company’s ability to pay future claims. Within the consumer experience category, we consider ease of communication and website transparency, which looks at the depth of policy details available online. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.

These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.

Insurer complaints methodology

NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2020-2022. To assess how insurers compare with one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.

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