Final Expense Insurance
Whole life coverage from $2,000 to $80,000 that pays for funeral costs, medical bills, and other end-of-life expenses. No medical exam, fixed premiums for life, and coverage that never expires. Available for ages 45–85.
Get your estimated monthly rate.
Answer four quick questions to see an estimated price range — about two minutes. No medical exam, no obligation, and we never sell your information.
- Ages 45–85
- $2,000–$80,000 of coverage
- No exam, health questions only
- Not available in New York
Prefer to talk it through? Call 480-576-7911 and skip the form.
From estimate to a real offer.
After you submit, you'll get a reference code. Have it ready when we call — it lets the agent pull up your estimate immediately.
- 1
You submit the estimate
Takes about two minutes. You'll land on a confirmation page with your reference code.
- 2
A licensed agent reviews your file
Within one business day we look at your age, state, coverage amount, and health answers against the carriers that write this product.
- 3
15-minute call
We go through the carrier health questions, tell you whether you're looking at a level or graded benefit, and quote exact premiums. Mention your reference code so we can skip the recap.
- 4
You decide
You review the actual offer before anything is signed. No pressure, and we never sell your information.
What is final expense insurance?
Final expense insurance — you'll also see it sold as burial insurance or funeral insurance — is a small whole life policy, usually $2,000 to $80,000, designed to cover the costs that land on your family in the first two weeks after you die. It never expires as long as you pay the premium, the rate is locked the day it's issued, and the death benefit is paid in cash directly to whoever you name.
There's no medical exam. You answer health questions on the application, the carrier checks prescription and claims databases, and you get a decision — often the same day. That's the entire appeal: it's the product that still says yes when age or a diagnosis has closed the door on everything else.
The catch nobody puts on the front page: some of these policies come with a graded death benefit, which means if you die of natural causes in the first two years, your family gets your premiums back plus a small percentage — not the face amount. A level benefit pays in full from day one. Which one you're offered depends on your health answers, and it is the single most important line in the policy. We tell you which one you're being quoted before you sign anything.
How final expense insurance works.
- 01
You pick a face amount
Anywhere from $2,000 to $80,000, including amounts of $50,000 and up. Most Arizona families land between $10,000 and $20,000 — enough for the funeral, the plot, and a cushion for whatever paperwork is still open.
- 02
You answer health questions
No paramed visit, no blood draw, no urine sample. A short list of yes/no questions about your health history plus an electronic records check. Ten to fifteen minutes on the phone.
- 03
The carrier issues a level or graded policy
Clean health history usually means a level benefit that pays the full amount from day one. Serious recent conditions may mean a graded benefit with a two-year waiting period on natural death. Accidental death is typically covered in full immediately either way.
- 04
Your rate is locked for life
Whole life premiums don't step up at renewal the way term does, and the policy doesn't expire at 80 or 90. As long as the premium is paid, the coverage is there.
Who this coverage is for.
- Adults 45–85 who were declined or priced out of traditional life insurance
- Anyone whose only remaining goal is not leaving the funeral bill to their kids
- People managing diabetes, heart disease, COPD, or a cancer history
- Retirees whose term policy expired and who don't want to re-qualify at full underwriting
- Families who want money that skips probate and arrives in weeks, not months
- Anyone who wants a fixed, modest premium they can carry on a Social Security budget
What determines your premium.
- Age at application. The largest single driver. Every year you wait costs real money, and the curve steepens sharply after 70 — a $20,000 policy roughly doubles in price between 65 and 75.
- Tobacco or nicotine. Expect roughly 50–60% more. Most carriers count vaping and chewing tobacco, and most ask about the last 12 months rather than the last 5 years.
- Level vs. graded benefit. Your health answers decide this, and it changes both the price and what your family actually receives if you die in the first 24 months. Always ask which one you're being quoted.
- Face amount. Small policies cost more per thousand because the carrier's fixed policy fee is spread across fewer dollars of coverage. A $5,000 policy is not one-quarter the price of a $20,000 one.
- Sex assigned at birth. Women pay roughly 20% less at the same age because of longer average life expectancy. Carriers rate on this directly.
- Carrier selection. Final expense underwriting varies more between carriers than any other product. The same health history can mean level at one carrier and graded at another — which is the entire reason to use a broker here.
Estimated monthly rates by age and coverage amount.
Figures below are for non-tobacco applicants with a level death benefit, shown as ranges because final rates are set in underwriting. Tobacco use adds roughly 50–60%.
| Age | Sex | $10,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | Male | $33–$83 | $63–$113 | $93–$143 |
| Female | $28–$78 | $52–$102 | $77–$127 | |
| 65 | Male | $49–$99 | $95–$145 | $141–$191 |
| Female | $39–$89 | $75–$125 | $111–$161 | |
| 75 | Male | $86–$136 | $168–$218 | $251–$301 |
| Female | $68–$118 | $133–$183 | $198–$248 |
Illustrative estimates, not quotes or offers of coverage. Real premiums are set by the carrier after underwriting and move with your health answers, whether you're placed on a level or graded benefit, your state, and which carrier writes the policy.
Level vs. graded death benefit.
Two policies can look identical on a rate sheet and behave completely differently for the first 24 months. Always confirm which one you're being quoted before you sign.
Pays the full amount from day one.
You die in month three of a $15,000 level policy, your beneficiary receives $15,000. This is what most people assume they're buying, and it's what a reasonably healthy applicant should be offered.
- Full face amount immediately
- Offered on clean-to-moderate health histories
- Slightly lower premium than a graded policy
Two-year wait on natural causes.
Die of natural causes inside the first two years and your family gets the premiums you paid back plus a small percentage — commonly around 10% — not the face amount. On that same $15,000 policy after six months of premiums, that could be under $600.
- Premiums refunded plus a small percentage in years 1–2
- Full face amount from year three onward
- Accidental death usually still paid in full immediately
A graded offer isn't a scam — it's how a carrier says yes to someone they'd otherwise have to decline. It's only a problem when nobody tells you that's what you bought. If your health history means graded is the realistic outcome, we'll say so on the first call, and we'll check whether another carrier will write you level before we recommend it.
Total premiums vs. the death benefit.
Final expense is whole life, so premiums continue for as long as you live. If you live long enough, the total you've paid in can exceed the death benefit. Here's where that line sits for a $20,000 level policy on a non-smoking man, using the same estimates as the table above.
| Age at purchase | Estimated premium | Years to break even | Break-even age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | $63/mo | 26 years | 81 |
| 65 | $95/mo | 18 years | 83 |
| 75 | $168/mo | 10 years | 85 |
Buy at 55 and the crossover point sits in your early eighties — close to average life expectancy. Buy at 75 and the break-even arrives in about a decade. Buy at 65 and it lands right around the average life expectancy for a 65-year-old man.
The policy's advantage is timing: it pays the full $20,000 from the very first month, while a savings account opened at 65 holds about $1,140 after a year — and only if it's never touched. For many applicants at these ages, the practical choice is between final expense and no coverage at all, because age or health has closed the door on larger policies.
One honest caveat: if you're healthy and under about 55, price simplified-issue whole life or a small 20-year term policy first. The same monthly premium frequently buys ten times the coverage, and we'll tell you if that's the case before you apply.
What the death benefit can be used for.
The National Funeral Directors Association puts the median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial at roughly $8,300 — before the cemetery plot, the headstone, and the opening and closing fees, which in the Valley routinely push a traditional burial past $12,000. The death benefit is paid in cash with no restrictions, and the funeral is rarely the whole bill.
- Funeral home services, casket or urn, and the plot
- Outstanding medical and hospice statements
- Credit card balances and small personal loans
- A few months of a surviving spouse's household expenses
- Travel and lodging for out-of-state family
- Estate settlement costs and legal fees
Your beneficiary is paid directly — no probate.
A funeral home in Maricopa County generally expects payment before or at the service — about a week. An estate that has to pass through probate here commonly takes six months to a year before anyone can access the money. That gap is what forces families to cover funeral costs out of pocket.
A life insurance policy with a named beneficiary doesn't enter probate at all. The money moves by contract, straight to the person you named, typically within two to six weeks of the claim. Arizona has no estate or inheritance tax, so for the overwhelming majority of families the benefit arrives whole.
Pros and cons of final expense insurance.
Pros
- No medical exam — health questions and a records check only
- Very hard to be declined outright compared with fully-underwritten coverage
- Premium is locked for life and the policy never expires
- Builds a small cash value you can borrow against later
- Pays cash to a named beneficiary, bypassing probate entirely
- Face amounts small enough to be genuinely affordable on a fixed income
Cons
- Costs far more per dollar of coverage than term life — often 10x or worse
- Graded-benefit policies pay only premiums back plus a small percentage for the first two years
- Coverage is typically $2,000–$80,000, so it can't replace an income
- Live long enough and you can pay in more than the policy pays out
- Cash value grows slowly and is not a savings vehicle worth buying the policy for
- Not available in New York
How to apply.
- 1
Estimate it yourself first
Use the calculator on this page to see a realistic range before you talk to anyone. If the number surprises you in either direction, that's useful information.
- 2
A 15-minute health conversation
We go through the carrier health questions with you and tell you plainly which carriers will offer a level benefit on your history and which will only offer graded. Have your reference code ready when we call.
- 3
Apply, decide, and lock the rate
Most applications get a same-day or next-day decision. You review the actual offer — level or graded, exact premium, exact face amount — before anything is signed.
Final expense insurance FAQs.
How much does final expense insurance cost?
It depends almost entirely on age. A $20,000 policy for a non-smoking 55-year-old man runs roughly $63–$113 a month; the same policy at 65 is around $95–$145, and at 75 it's roughly $168–$218. Women pay about 20% less at every age, and tobacco use adds 50–60%. These are estimates for orientation — your actual offer depends on your health answers and which carrier you're placed with.
What is the difference between a level and a graded death benefit?
A level benefit pays the full face amount from the day the policy is issued. A graded benefit pays only your premiums back plus a small percentage — commonly around 10% — if you die of natural causes during the first two years, then pays in full afterward. Accidental death is usually covered in full from day one on both. Graded policies are offered when health answers rule out level underwriting, and they are the most common unpleasant surprise in this product.
Can I be turned down for final expense insurance?
It's uncommon but possible. Simplified-issue policies have a short list of knockout conditions — typically things like being in a nursing home, currently in hospice, on dialysis, or having had certain cancers within a recent window. If those apply, guaranteed-issue coverage exists as a fallback: nobody is declined, but the waiting period is always two years and the price is higher.
Do I need a medical exam?
No. There's no paramed visit, no blood or urine sample, and no doctor's appointment. The carrier relies on your application answers, prescription history, and the MIB claims database. That electronic check is real underwriting, so answer honestly — a discrepancy discovered at claim time can void the policy.
Does the money have to be spent on a funeral?
No. The death benefit is paid in cash to your beneficiary with no strings attached. Families routinely use it for the funeral and plot, then put the rest toward outstanding medical bills, credit card balances, a few months of a surviving spouse's expenses, travel for out-of-state relatives, or clearing the last of a mortgage. It's their money to direct.
Is final expense insurance worth it, or should I just save the money?
Run the break-even. A $20,000 level policy at 65 costs roughly $95 a month, so you'd pay in $20,000 after about 18 years — around age 83. Die before that and your family comes out ahead; live well past it and you'd have done better in a savings account, assuming you actually saved every month and never touched it. The real argument for the policy is that it pays in full from the very first month, which no savings plan can do.
How is this different from term life insurance?
Term is dramatically cheaper per dollar of coverage but expires — usually at the end of a 10, 20, or 30 year period — and requires more underwriting to get. Final expense never expires and takes almost anyone, but you're paying a premium for that certainty. If you're healthy and under about 55, price a term policy first; you'll frequently get ten times the coverage for the same money.
How is it different from regular whole life?
Mechanically it's the same product — permanent coverage, level premium, small cash value. The differences are scale and underwriting: final expense is written in face amounts from $2,000 to $80,000 with simplified issue, while traditional whole life often starts around $100,000 and requires full underwriting including an exam.
Does final expense insurance build cash value?
Yes, but modestly. A portion of each premium accumulates in a cash value account you can borrow against or surrender the policy for. On a $15,000 policy that's meaningful after a decade or two, not next year. Buy this product for the death benefit; treat the cash value as a footnote, and remember any outstanding loan reduces what your family receives.
How fast does the money actually arrive?
Typically two to six weeks from when the beneficiary files the claim with a certified death certificate. That timing is the entire point — a funeral home in Maricopa County generally wants payment within about a week, while assets that have to pass through probate can be tied up for six months to a year.
Is final expense insurance available in New York?
Not through us. New York regulates these policies separately and our final expense carriers don't file there, so we can't quote or write this product for New York residents. Every other state we're licensed in is fair game.
I'm a veteran — should I look at VALife instead?
Probably yes, first. The VA's VALife program is guaranteed-acceptance whole life up to $40,000 for veterans with any service-connected disability rating, and it is usually cheaper than anything on the private market. It has its own two-year waiting period. We'll tell you honestly if VALife beats what we can offer.
Start with the free Will Kit. No pressure, no obligation.
We'll mail your kit, then schedule a 15-minute review whenever you're ready.