Final expense insurance costs most Los Angeles clients between $25 and $200 a month, depending on three things: your age when you buy, how much coverage you choose, and whether you qualify for simplified issue (health questions) or need guaranteed acceptance (no questions). Gender and tobacco use matter too.
The tables below show realistic ranges from the carriers we work with. They’re ranges rather than single numbers because the same person can be quoted 30-40% differently by different companies – which is the whole reason to use an independent agent instead of buying from the first TV ad you see.
Every rate here is fixed for life. Once your policy is issued, your premium never increases.
Final Expense Rates by Age and Coverage Amount
Monthly premiums for simplified issue (no exam, a few health questions), non-smoker. Ranges span female (low end) to male (high end) across carriers.
| Age | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $14-22 | $24-38 | $33-52 | $52-84 |
| 55 | $16-25 | $27-42 | $37-60 | $58-96 |
| 60 | $19-30 | $32-50 | $45-72 | $70-115 |
| 65 | $23-36 | $38-62 | $54-90 | $85-145 |
| 70 | $29-46 | $50-82 | $70-120 | $112-195 |
| 75 | $38-62 | $68-112 | $95-165 | $150-268 |
| 80 | $52-85 | $92-158 | $130-235 | $210-385 |
| 85 | $72-118 | $130-225 | $185-335 | $300-550 |
Guaranteed Acceptance Rates (No Health Questions)
Add roughly 30-50% to the figures above. For example, $10,000 of guaranteed acceptance coverage at age 70 runs about $68-125/month versus $50-82 for simplified issue. Guaranteed policies also carry a two-year graded period. Details on the guaranteed acceptance page.
Tobacco Rates
Smokers and tobacco users typically pay 20-50% more than non-smokers. Some carriers count nicotine patches and vaping as tobacco; others don’t. Cigar smokers who don’t smoke daily may qualify for non-tobacco rates with certain carriers.
What Determines Your Final Expense Premium
Age
The biggest factor. Rates roughly double between 60 and 75, and again between 75 and 85. Buying at 65 instead of 70 saves money every month for the rest of your life.
Coverage Amount
Premiums scale close to linearly – $20,000 costs about twice what $10,000 costs. Choose the amount that covers your actual plan; more isn’t always better on a fixed income.
Health Class
Simplified issue (full benefit day one) is cheapest. Some carriers have a middle "graded" tier for moderate conditions. Guaranteed acceptance is the most expensive.
Gender
Women live longer on average, so they pay 15-25% less than men of the same age.
Tobacco
Tobacco use adds 20-50%.
Carrier
This is the factor you control most easily. Each company prices its own health niches – one carrier is cheap for diabetics, another for people with a heart history, another for healthy 80-year-olds. TermHero compares them all.
Is Final Expense Insurance Worth the Cost?
A useful way to look at it: a 68-year-old woman buying $15,000 of coverage at $65/month pays $780 a year. If she lives another 20 years, she’ll have paid $15,600 – roughly the face amount – and her family receives $15,000 the week she passes, tax-free, no probate. If she passes sooner, her family receives far more than she paid in. Either way, the funeral is funded, and the bill never lands on her kids.
Compare that to a savings account: $65/month for 20 years produces about the same total, but only if nothing happens sooner, and the money is subject to probate and other claims.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the cheapest final expense insurance? For any given person, it’s the simplified issue policy from whichever carrier is most lenient about that person’s health profile. There’s no single cheapest company – it depends on you.
Can I lower my premium later? You can reduce your coverage amount, which lowers the premium. You can’t get a lower rate for the same coverage after issue – but you also never get a higher one.
Are there policies under $20 a month? Yes. $5,000 of coverage at age 50-60 runs $14-30/month. For people who just want a cremation covered, that’s often enough.
Are TV and mail-order final expense rates competitive? Usually not. Those ads are typically for one carrier’s guaranteed acceptance policy – the most expensive type – marketed to everyone regardless of whether they’d qualify for something cheaper.
Do premiums ever go up? No. Final expense is whole life insurance; the premium is contractually fixed.
Related Coverage
- Final Expense Insurance – The complete guide
- No Medical Exam Final Expense – How to qualify for the lower simplified issue rates
- Final Expense vs. Life Insurance – Comparing cost per dollar of coverage
- Cremation Insurance – The lowest-cost option
Get Your Exact Final Expense Rate
Tables show ranges. Your actual rate depends on you – and we can have it in five minutes. Free, no exam, no obligation.