Is Burial Insurance Worth It in 2024?

“Is burial insurance worth it”? is a common question we get asked from time to time.

Burial insurance can be a great way to ensure you can cover all the costs associated with your end of life. It can eliminate the financial burden on your family during a challenging time.

Most of your family members will be unable to come up with $5,000-$15,000 immediately upon your death for your cremation or burial expenses. Leaving behind funds to cover your final expenses will be an important financial safety net for those left behind.

This article will help you decide if burial, funeral, or final expense insurance is right for you.

FOR EASIER NAVIGATION:

• What Is Burial Insurance?
• Is Burial Insurance And Life Insurance The Same Thing?
• Types Of Burial Insurance
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
• Who Needs Burial Insurance?
• How Much Does Burial Insurance Cost?
• Is Burial Insurance Worth It?
• Additional Questions & Answers On Is Burial Insurance Worth It?

What Is Burial Insurance?

Burial insurance is a type of whole life insurance with a specific purpose: to pay funeral, burial, and final expenses. It does not expire and will remain in force if you pay the premiums on time.

The insurance company will pay a tax-free check to your beneficiary when you die. There are no limitations on how the death benefit payout can be used.

Your beneficiary can use the payout to pay for your funeral and other expenses. If something is left over after paying the final expenses, your beneficiary can use the money however they want to.

How does burial insurance differ from funeral insurance or final expense insurance?

Burial insurance is also called funeral insurance and final expense insurance. They are, in fact, all the same thing. These terms are interchangeable throughout the insurance industry.

Purchasing a final expense or funeral insurance policy will going to give you the same benefits as burial insurance.

Burial insurance policies are small policies meant to cover the end of life expenses. You can rest assured that your loved ones will not have undue stress because of your passing.

You can call it final expense insurance, funeral insurance, or burial insurance. All of these terms describe the same thing but is burial insurance worth it?

Is Burial Insurance And Life Insurance The Same Thing?

Burial insurance is, in fact, a form of life insurance with a smaller face amount than traditional life insurance policies. It’s because burial insurance is designed to cover your final expenses.

On the other hand, life insurance policies are purchased to cover a wide variety of needs like income replacement or mortgage protection – the difference between the two lies in your purpose of buying.

The death benefit payout from burial insurance can be used for other expenses depending on your beneficiary. However, benefit payouts are designed to cover final expenses primarily.

That’s the reason why burial insurance policies are generally offered in the amounts of $2,000 to $25,000, whereas life insurance provides benefits of hundreds of thousands of dollars up to millions of dollars.

Types Of Burial Insurance

You have 2 basic options when applying for burial insurance.

SIMPLIFIED ISSUE BURIAL INSURANCE

Simplified issue burial insurance is easy to obtain because it does not require a medical exam and lengthy application to get coverage. There is no physical exam, and you are only required to answer some basic health questions on the application.

Here are some sample health questions that you may see on the application:

1. Are you currently residing in a hospice or nursing facility?
2. Are you diagnosed with a terminal illness like cancer?
3. Do you have HIV or AIDS?
4. Do you smoke?

The majority of applicants can answer no to these health questions and qualify for simplified issue burial insurance with coverage from the very first day.

Simplified issue burial insurance is generally cheaper and allows for higher death benefits. It’s burial insurance with no waiting period.

How Simplified Issue Burial Insurance Companies Determine Your Eligibility

Every life insurance provider will evaluate your health to determine your eligibility.

They will often check the following to verify your overall health:

• Your answers to the health questions on the application
• Your prescription history
• Your Medical Information Bureau file

After reviewing these things, they will determine if you are qualified. Most insurance companies will decide within minutes of submitting your application.

However, some companies can take up to three days before you will know if you are approved for coverage or not.

Pros of Simplified Issue Burial Insurance

Is burial insurance worth it? Let’s examine the pros

• No medical exam
• First-day coverage
• No waiting period
• Minor health issues like high blood pressure and high cholesterol are accepted.
• Less expensive than guaranteed issue burial insurance

Cons of Simplified Issue Burial Insurance

Is burial insurance worth it? Let’s check the cons

• Higher premium than term life insurance (this is because it is permanent life insurance up to age 121).

GUARANTEED ISSUE BURIAL INSURANCE

Guaranteed issue (GI) burial insurance is a no health questions policy. You skip the medical exam and the health questions.

You will be approved for coverage regardless of your medical condition.

GI policy is the best insurance option for people with a terminal illness or severe medical condition who can’t qualify for any life insurance.

Guaranteed issue burial insurance works this way:

• There is a mandatory two to four-year waiting period (NEVER go with a 3-4 year waiting period plan!) before the insurance company will pay the full death benefit for natural causes of death.
• The insurance company will refund all your premiums plus 7-10% interest if you pass away during the waiting period.
• If you survive the waiting period, the company will pay your beneficiary’s full death benefit amount.
• 100% cash death benefit will be paid for accidental deaths even during the waiting period.

Pros of Guaranteed Issue Burial Insurance

• No medical exam
• No health questions to answer
• Guaranteed approval regardless of the medical condition

Cons of Guaranteed Issue Burial Insurance

• A waiting period before the policy will pay the full death benefit
• Probably the most expensive insurance policy you can buy

Advantages

What’s good about burial insurance?

1. No medical exam – burial insurance does not require you to undergo a physical or medical exam. It can be completed on a simplified basis by answering some health questions. Guaranteed issue burial insurance doesn’t even have any health questions at all.

2. No health questions policy available – if you have severe medical conditions and don’t want to take a medical exam, you can opt for a guaranteed issue no health question policy. You will be approved for coverage regardless of your health.

Those with chronic illnesses like COPD or renal failure and the elderly often have difficulty getting life insurance. In this case, burial insurance will be your best option for insurance coverage.

3. Relaxed underwriting – health issues like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes are accepted for first-day coverage.

4. Fast approval – burial insurance for seniors doesn’t require a medical exam, so you save time in underwriting. The application can be approved within minutes to a few days after applying.

5. Fixed premium – the amount you will pay will remain the same throughout the policy’s life. It will not increase due to age or health conditions.

6. Permanent coverage – burial insurance policies are whole life insurance that will remain in force as long as you pay the premiums. The coverage will not expire when you reach 80 years old. The death benefit is guaranteed to never decrease for any reason.

7. Accumulates cash value – burial insurance has a cash value component that accumulates over time. The cash value may be used to pay your premiums, or you can borrow from it during emergencies.

8. Fast claims payout – since burial insurance is designed to pay for the funeral and final expenses, the beneficiary gives payouts quickly. Once all the paperwork is submitted, they will pay the death benefit within a few days to a week.

9. Flexible – burial insurance plans are not locked up with any funeral home. The insurance provider pays in cash, and your beneficiary can use the funds in any way they see fit.

10. Small face value options – you can purchase as little or as much insurance coverage as you need. The face amount you can purchase ranges from $2,000 to $25,000; some companies offer up to $50,000 in coverage.

Disadvantages

What’s bad about burial insurance?

1. If you live long enough, there is a chance that you may end up paying more on your policy than the cost of a funeral. This may happen after you hold your insurance policy for many years.
2. Burial insurance plans are a little more expensive than traditional life insurance.
3. If you stop paying your premium for a significant period, your policy will be canceled, and you cannot get your premiums back.
4. Low coverage amount averaging $5,000 to $25,000.
5. Waiting period for some plans – Guaranteed issue burial insurance comes with a waiting period. If you die from natural causes during the waiting period, the insurance company will refund your premiums plus 7-10% interest.
6. Contestability period – burial insurance policies have a two-year contestability period where the company can investigate your death. If they discovered that you died from a medical condition you did not disclose on your application, your beneficiary would be denied the death benefit.

Who Needs Burial Insurance?

Burial insurance is your best option if you are under these situations:

1. If you have no life insurance coverage.
2. If you want a different insurance policy to cover his final expenses
3. If your savings are not enough to cover the cost of a funeral
4. If you have cash but would prefer it not to be used for final expenses
5. If you don’t want to burden his family when he passes away
6. If your family and friends do not have the financial capacity to cover the cost of funeral and burial expense
7. If you are paying off medical bills or debts
8. Those who have an outstanding debt
9. If you want to leave a charitable donation to an organization or person important to you.

How Much Does Burial Insurance Cost?

Burial insurance premiums are incredibly affordable. Monthly burial insurance costs are affordable, and the most common benefit amount purchased is $10,000. Your specific premium amount might be higher or lower depending on some factors.

AGE

Every final expense company has a set premium amount for each particular age.

For example, they have a range for age 50, then age 51, and so on. However, some burial insurance companies set their premium by age bracket. Typically, each age bracket is set in the increment of 5. For example, they have one price for 50-55 years old, then 56-60. It is wise to avoid these term life policies as they grow more expensive over time.

Most life insurance companies have an 8-10% annual premium rate difference for each year of age. Each year you wait to purchase a policy would significantly increase your monthly premiums.

They do this because each additional year is putting you closer to death. Older people are closer to the end of life; that’s why they are more expensive to insure.

GENDER

Being male or female will also determine the cost of burial insurance.

Insurance companies find it more expensive to insure men than women. Men pay a higher premium than women because women live longer than men on average. The average life expectancy of women is 83.5, while men are only 79.5 years. Women live 5% longer than men.

Burial insurance rates are based on life expectancy. Since women live longer than men, so life insurance premiums are cheaper. Men are considered a higher risk to life insurance companies; they pay more for coverage.

HEALTH

Your health will also determine the amount you will pay.

The older you get, the more chances of having health issues. The more health problems you have, the more it will affect your burial insurance costs.

Your health will determine which risk classification you will fall under. Insurance providers usually use words like Preferred of Level benefit to describe their best rating. People who are in perfect health get this rating.

People who are in good health usually qualify for Standard or graded benefits. People with severe medical conditions will always be eligible for guaranteed issue burial insurance.

TOBACCO USE

Final expense companies typically have a lower pricing for non-tobacco users and a higher premium for tobacco users. Smoking increases the chance of dying from various diseases; that’s why smokers are considered higher risk applicants than those who do not smoke.

Tobacco users pay more premiums because of the health risk associated with smoking and how it shortens life expectancy.

Is Burial Insurance Worth It?

While you can find experts debating the pros and cons of burial insurance, in the end, you will decide if it’s right for you.

If you believe your death will cause a financial burden on your family, you may need to get burial insurance. Burial insurance is worth it. One of the best things you can do for your family is to ensure they will not financially struggle after you’re gone.

Don’t wait until it’s too late to invest in burial insurance. The younger you are, the lower your premiums will be. Your family will not have to worry about paying your end-of-life expenses by purchasing a policy now.

How Can Funeral Funds Help Me?

Is burial insurance worth it? Finding a burial insurance policy needn’t be frustrating; working with an independent agency like Funeral Funds will make the process easier and quicker.

If you have any health issues, let us help you; we will work with you side by side to find a plan that fits your needs.

We will work with you every step to find the plan that fits your financial requirements and budget. You don’t have to waste your precious time searching for multiple insurance companies anymore because we will do the dirty work for you.

We will shop your case at different insurance carriers and get you the best price.

We work with many A+ rated insurance carriers that specialize in covering high-risk clients like you.  We will search all those companies to get the best rate. We will match you up with the best burial insurance company that gives the best rate.

We will assist you in securing the coverage you need at a rate you can afford. So, if you are looking for funeral, burial, or life insurance.

Fill out our quote form on this page or call us at 888) 862-9456, and we can give you accurate burial insurance quotes.

Additional Questions & Answers On Is Burial Insurance Worth It?

Is burial insurance worth it?

Burial insurance can be worth it if you want your loved ones to have one less thing to worry about after you die. It can also give you peace of mind knowing that your funeral expenses are covered.

What are the benefits of burial insurance?

Burial insurance can help your loved ones cover the costs of your funeral and other end-of-life expenses. It can also give you peace of mind knowing that your funeral expenses are covered.

Who needs burial insurance?

Anyone who wants their funeral and other end-of-life expenses covered can get burial insurance. It’s especially beneficial for people who don’t have life insurance or enough life insurance to cover their funeral costs.

How much does burial insurance cost?

Burial insurance rates depend on a few factors, including your age, health, and coverage amount.

How do I compare burial insurance policies?

The best way to compare burial insurance policies is to work with a qualified insurance agent who can help you understand your options and choose the right policy for you.

Who is burial insurance best for?

Burial insurance is best for people who want their funeral and other end-of-life expenses covered. It’s especially beneficial for people who don’t have life insurance or enough life insurance to cover their funeral costs.

What is the cheapest way to get burial insurance?

The cheapest way to get burial insurance is to work with a qualified independent life insurance agent. They can help you compare policies and find the most affordable option for you.

What is the average cost of burial insurance?

The average cost of burial insurance varies depending on your age, health, and coverage needs. Generally, older people and those with health issues will pay more for their policies.

What are the benefits of first-day coverage insurance?

First-day coverage insurance policies have a few benefits, including:

• You can get coverage even if you have some health issues.
• There’s no waiting period, so your loved ones can use the policy immediately to cover your funeral and other end-of-life expenses.
• The premiums are usually lower than other types of burial insurance.

What is the cheapest way to get burial insurance?

The cheapest way to get burial insurance is to work with a qualified independent life insurance agent. They can help you compare policies and find the most affordable option for you.

Is burial insurance a good deal?

Burial insurance can be a good deal if you are over the age of 50 and you have some health issues.

How much do you get from burial insurance when someone dies?

The death benefit from a burial insurance policy is usually between $5,000 and $25,000.

How long after someone dies can you claim burial insurance?

You can usually claim burial insurance within 24 hours of the claim approval.

Is burial insurance right for you?

Only you can decide if burial insurance is right for you. Consider your age, health, and coverage needs to make the best decision for you and your family.