So The People You Love Are Never Handed The Bill.
A funeral comes due in days. Final expense insurance — a small whole life policy, $2,000 to $25,000, premiums that never rise — makes sure the money is there before the grief is. For ages 50 to 85, with or without health questions, from the carriers we represent.
Licensed agents · No obligation · The carrier pays us; you pay nothing extra
Sources: NFDA 2023 General Price List Study; NFDA 2025 Cremation & Burial Report; SSA Handbook §428.
A 30-second explainer with music. Illustrative stock photography; no real customers or staff.
Dear Maria and Tom,
I have been thinking about what I would want for you after I am gone, and the honest answer is: no bill, no scramble, no arguing with a funeral home while you are crying.
So I took care of it. The policy is in the blue folder. It pays you directly, it is not tied to any funeral home, and the premium has been the same since the day I bought it. Use what you need for the service and keep the rest.
Love you both,
An illustrative letter, not a real customer.
A Small Policy With One Job
Final expense insurance is whole life insurance sized for a funeral instead of a mortgage. It does three things well: it pays fast (a death certificate and a claim form), it pays cash to the person you choose, and its premium never rises. It is not an investment, and it is not meant to replace income.
- Ages 50–85 (some carriers from 45)
- $2,000–$25,000 typical; up to $50,000 with health questions
- Level premium for life; never cancelled for health
- Income-tax-free to your beneficiary (IRC §101(a))
- Builds a small cash value
With Health Questions, Or Without
Final Expense (A Few Health Questions)
No exam. A short list of yes/no questions. If approved, the full amount is payable from day one. Many people over 50 with managed conditions qualify — and pay less. NerdWallet's 2026 example for a 60-year-old woman buying $20,000: $744 a year.
Guaranteed Acceptance (No Health Questions)
Acceptance guaranteed inside the age band, whatever your health. The trade: a two-year waiting period (three at Fidelity Life) during which natural death returns premiums plus interest instead of the face amount. Same example: $1,008 a year.
Which Door First? Three Taps
Not a quote and not underwriting — just the order a licensed agent would try, from the carriers' published rules.
Rules from carrier materials, Oct 2026: guaranteed acceptance bands 45–85 (50–85 at several carriers), amounts typically to $25,000; final expense with health questions typically 50–85 and to $50,000. The carrier's application decides.
Accident: full amount
Graded rules from Mutual of Omaha, Gerber Life, Corebridge Direct, Fidelity Life. Price example from NerdWallet, Sept 2026. We always check the first door before offering the second.
Carriers available through our brokerage for final expense and guaranteed acceptance
United of Omaha (Mutual of Omaha)Ask for options →
Fidelity LifeAsk for options →
Gerber LifeAsk for options →
Corebridge (American General)Ask for options →
AmericoAsk for options →
CICA LifeAsk for options →
Carrier names and logos identify the companies whose products are available to quote through our brokerage relationships; they do not imply endorsement of this site by any carrier. Colonial Penn and Great Western appear in our tables for comparison. Availability varies by state.
Buying A Policy For Mom Or Dad
Many of the people who call us are sons and daughters. You can own and pay for a policy on a parent, with their signature, and name yourself the beneficiary so the money lands with the person who will be paying the funeral home. We walk both of you through it on one call.
The Adult-Children Guide
What $10,000 Of Guaranteed Acceptance Costs Per Month
| Age | Mutual of Omaha Man | Mutual of Omaha Woman | Gerber Life Man | Gerber Life Woman |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $40.20 | $30.40 | $44.09 | $34.47 |
| 60 | $56.90 | $42.70 | $63.89 | $51.06 |
| 70 | $86.70 | $63.90 | $99.18 | $75.53 |
| 80 | $157.10 | $126.90 | $247.32 | $176.37 |
Sources: Mutual of Omaha rate chart (CA) and Gerber Life consumer brochure (bank-draft rates). Final expense with health questions usually costs less. Your state's chart may differ.
Why Buying Earlier Costs Less Every Month For Life
Mutual of Omaha, $10,000, women, monthly. The premium you lock at 65 is the premium at 85.
Get My Exact PriceRate Finder — $10,000 Guaranteed Issue
Tap an age and sex — published $10,000 monthly rates for guaranteed acceptance at two carriers. Not a quote: your state's chart and your exact age set the final premium.
Mutual of Omaha California rate chart; Gerber Life consumer brochure (bank-draft rates). Ages between the chart rows are priced by the carrier.
A Licensed Agent, Not A Call Center That Sells Your Name
Your request stays with the licensed agents of our operating agency. It is not sold to a list of strangers. Ambient video is an illustrative render.
The Final Expense Planning Checklist
Three pages to keep with your important papers: the amount, your wishes, and where everything is for the person who will handle things.
- The amount worksheet with the NFDA medians and the $255 offset built in
- A 'where everything is' sheet your family will thank you for
- Opens instantly after you submit
Three Ways To Get Covered
Talk To A Person
A licensed agent, ten minutes, no pressure. We check whether you can get a policy with a few health questions and no waiting period before offering one with a waiting period. Business hours, Eastern time.
Call 561-816-3446Ask For Options By Text Or Email
Tell us your age, state and the amount you have in mind. A licensed agent sends the options — including the price difference between answering a few health questions and answering none.
Ask For My OptionsApply On My Own, Online
Open our carrier tool, answer a few screens, get a decision. The waiting period, if any, is shown before you sign.
You will leave this site for a carrier tool. Rates shown there are estimates until the carrier confirms. Agent of record: Phamella Bauer (NPN 22053821), NovaVida Group.
Mutual of Omaha, Gerber Life, Corebridge and the other carriers we represent are quoted by an agent — call 561-816-3446.
Questions People Ask
What is final expense insurance?
A small whole life policy — usually $2,000 to $50,000 — bought to cover a funeral, final medical bills and the loose ends a death leaves behind. It pays cash to the person you name, who can spend it anywhere; it is not tied to a funeral home. Premiums are level for life and the policy never expires while paid.
What is the difference between final expense and guaranteed acceptance?
Final expense policies usually ask a few health questions (no exam) and pay the full benefit from day one if you are approved. Guaranteed acceptance asks no health questions at all, accepts everyone in its age band, and pays a graded benefit for natural death in the first two or three years. If you can answer the questions, final expense is usually cheaper for the same amount.
How much does a funeral cost in 2026?
The National Funeral Directors Association's most recent published study (2023) put the median funeral with viewing and burial at $8,300 and with viewing and cremation at $6,280. Those medians cover the funeral home's goods and services; cemetery, monument or marker costs, flowers and obituaries are typically billed separately. We have not found a newer NFDA figure; costs have likely risen since.
How much final expense insurance should I buy?
Add the funeral you want, cemetery costs if burial, final medical bills, any debt you do not want to leave behind, and a cushion for the family's first few months. Subtract savings you have set aside. Many families land between $10,000 and $20,000. Our calculator does the math in a minute.
Does Social Security pay for a funeral?
It pays a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment to an eligible surviving spouse or child. That is all.
Ask For My Options
A licensed agent checks both doors — with health questions and without — and texts or emails what you qualify for. No obligation.