5 Best Burial Insurance Companies

Burial insurance premiums for the same coverage amount can vary by 40 percent or more — it depends on which carrier you apply to and which rate you qualify for. After placing burial insurance policies across 30+ A-rated carriers for over 21 years, the pattern is consistent: most people who buy direct from one company either overpay or land in a more expensive policy type than they needed.

These five carriers are the ones I recommend most often for burial and final expense coverage. Each one leads for a specific situation — your age, health, and how much coverage you need. For current premiums by age before you pick a carrier, see final expense insurance rates.

How I Evaluate Burial Insurance Companies

Quick Comparison

Top 5 Burial Insurance Companies

After running quotes for final expense clients across dozens of carriers, these five stand out — each leading their category for a specific health profile or coverage need.

1. Transamerica

Transamerica leads this category on two fronts most lists miss: aggressive acceptance for applicants with health issues, and speed from quote to a bound policy. Their automated underwriting is the most lenient in the final expense space for day-one coverage. Clients with diabetes, heart history, COPD, and other pre-existing conditions often land in Premier or Standard with full payout from day one — not graded or guaranteed issue.

Most carriers give you full payout from day one or a graded plan with nothing in between. Transamerica's Standard tier accepts significantly more health history than competitors while still paying the full benefit immediately.

The application is built for same-session completion. Quote, apply, and get an underwriting decision in about 10 minutes. If approved, you can buy the policy on the spot and adjust the coverage amount without starting over. Transamerica also offers up to $100,000 with no medical exam — useful when you need more than the $25,000 cap most final expense carriers allow.

Sample Rates — $10,000 Coverage, Transamerica Simplified Issue

Best for: Applicants ages 50–85 with pre-existing conditions who want day-one coverage — especially when other carriers push you toward graded or guaranteed issue. Also the top pick when you need more than $25,000–$50,000 in simplified issue coverage. Consider: Premier requires the cleanest health history for the lowest rate; Standard is where most applicants with health issues land.

2. Mutual of Omaha

Mutual of Omaha's Living Promise is the most competitive final expense product for healthy applicants with no serious health conditions. Their A+ AM Best rating is the highest in this group, and their claims process scores well on J.D. Power surveys. When someone in their 50s or early 60s has a clean health history, this is the first quote I run.

Most burial policies use no-exam simplified issue — a short health questionnaire, not a doctor visit or blood work.

The trade-off: Mutual of Omaha's health guidelines are tighter than Transamerica or Fidelity Life. If you have several managed conditions, you are more likely to get a graded policy or a decline here than with carriers built for applicants with health issues.

Best for: Applicants ages 45–70 with clean or near-clean health who want the lowest monthly premium and full payout from day one. Consider: Less competitive for applicants with multiple health conditions — check your options before you apply.

3. Fidelity Life

Fidelity Life's RAPIDecision Final Expense is a solid backup when you want a second simplified issue option to compare against Transamerica. When someone in their 70s or early 80s has controlled diabetes, a prior heart issue, or other managed conditions, Fidelity can still offer full payout from day one on qualifying policies. See life insurance over 80 for how age and health change your options.

Pricing is not always the lowest in the category, but it is competitive for what you get: no exam and full payout from day one on qualifying policies. Start with Transamerica for the most aggressive day-one acceptance — then run Fidelity if you want a comparison quote.

Best for: Applicants ages 50–85 who want a second day-one quote to compare after running Transamerica. Consider: A- AM Best rating (not A or A+); not available in New York or Wyoming; Transamerica is usually the first call for pre-existing conditions.

4. Foresters Financial

Foresters Financial is the carrier I reach for first when a client has diabetes or uses tobacco. They treat controlled diabetes more favorably than most carriers — people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who would get a graded policy elsewhere often qualify for full payout from day one with Foresters. See our life insurance with diabetes guide for how carriers weigh A1C, medication, and complications before you apply.

For smokers and tobacco users, Foresters' rates are meaningfully lower than what most final expense carriers charge for the same coverage.

The fraternal benefits are a genuine plus — not marketing language. Members get access to emergency financial assistance, legal programs, and family scholarships. For price-sensitive buyers who want something beyond the policy itself, that adds real value.

Best for: Applicants with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, tobacco users, or anyone graded or declined by another carrier who needs full payout from day one. Consider: Coverage tops out at $35,000; fraternal membership is required to hold a policy.

5. Corebridge Financial (AIG)

Corebridge (formerly AIG) fills the guaranteed issue slot when every other door is closed. No health questions, no medical exam — if you are between 50 and 80 and willing to pay the higher premium, you are approved.

The trade-off is real. Natural death benefits have a two-year waiting period, and the cost per dollar of coverage is the highest on this list.

Guaranteed issue is a last resort, not a default. Before recommending it, I run Transamerica first — their Standard tier accepts more pre-existing conditions with day-one payout than most agents realize. Foresters is the next check for diabetes and tobacco. In most cases, people who assume they can only qualify for guaranteed issue actually qualify for something better. When they genuinely cannot, Corebridge is a reliable, A-rated fallback. See guaranteed issue rates by age for how much the waiting period and higher premium cost compared with simplified issue.

Guaranteed Issue vs. Simplified Issue — Cost Comparison at $10,000

Best for: Applicants with serious health conditions — active cancer, organ transplant, dementia, congestive heart failure — who cannot qualify for any simplified issue product. Consider: Two-year waiting period for natural death; highest cost per dollar on this list. Always run Transamerica and Foresters first.

How to Match the Right Carrier to Your Health Profile

The carrier that makes sense depends on your health profile, not just your age. Most people default to guaranteed issue because they assume their health conditions disqualify them. In most cases, that assumption is wrong. If you need term, whole life, or guaranteed issue alongside final expense, our best life insurance companies for seniors rankings cover the full product range by age and health profile.

The most expensive mistake in this category is buying guaranteed issue when simplified issue was available. A 65-year-old who qualifies for a Transamerica Standard policy at $53/month pays $25 more every month than necessary on Corebridge guaranteed issue — $300 extra per year, locked in permanently for the same coverage.

An independent agent can review your health history before you apply — the most practical way to avoid landing in a more expensive policy type than you need.

Frequently Asked Questions