Burial insurance is a small whole life policy that pays out quickly so your family can cover a burial, cremation, or funeral service without borrowing. Policies range from about $2,000 to $50,000, premiums lock in at purchase, and coverage never expires.
Burial insurance covers the cost of laying someone to rest — and the bill is bigger than most families expect. The National Funeral Directors Association's 2023 study puts the national median funeral with viewing and burial at $8,300, and $6,280 with cremation (our funeral costs page breaks the numbers down). Social Security's one-time death payment is $255 — the rest lands on the family unless coverage is in place.
The benefit arrives as cash, not credit at a funeral home. Your beneficiary covers the service you wanted, and anything remaining pays medical bills, travel, or everyday expenses.
Most burial insurance uses simplified underwriting: a few health questions, no exam, and quick decisions. If health questions are a barrier, guaranteed issue coverage accepts eligible ages without any health questions, and our no-waiting-period guide explains how to secure full first-day coverage. The umbrella product is the same either way — see the final expense insurance overview for the full picture.
Still weighing it up? Read how burial insurance works step by step, whether it's worth it, and how it differs from other life insurance. Seen ads for free burial insurance? Here's the honest truth about what "free" really means.
| Age | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| 50–54 | $24.50/mo | $29.80/mo |
| 55–59 | $29.75/mo | $36.20/mo |
| 60–64 | $36.40/mo | $44.90/mo |
| 65–69 | $45.20/mo | $56.70/mo |
| 70–74 | $58.90/mo | $74.30/mo |
| 75–79 | $78.60/mo | $99.80/mo |
| 80–85 | $106.30/mo | $135.40/mo |
Estimates only, based on illustrative sample rates — not a quote or an offer of coverage. Actual premiums are set by the issuing carrier and vary by state, age, health, and tobacco use. Coverage is not bound until confirmed in writing by the carrier.
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Estimates only, based on illustrative sample rates — not a quote or an offer of coverage. Actual premiums are set by the issuing carrier and vary by state, age, health, and tobacco use. Coverage is not bound until confirmed in writing by the carrier.
Burial insurance pays out a cash benefit your beneficiary can spend on anything — the burial plot, casket, funeral service, cremation, or unrelated bills. The money is not restricted to one funeral home or itemized service.
Enough to cover the disposition you want plus a cushion. The national median funeral with viewing and burial runs $8,300 per the NFDA; many families choose $10,000–$15,000 in coverage.
No — they are two names for the same small whole life policy. "Burial insurance" is simply the name shoppers use when the funeral bill is the main concern.
Yes, with the parent's consent and signature — adult children commonly arrange and pay for coverage on a parent. The parent is the insured; you can be the payer and a beneficiary.
Policies approved through health questions usually pay in full from day one. Guaranteed acceptance policies carry a two-year graded period instead — see our no-waiting-period guide for the difference.
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