Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage: Ultimate Review 2021

Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage review will look at the different insurance products and how well the company measures up to its competitors.

Funeral costs and other end-of-life expenses can be a financial shock to unexpecting families, which can leave loved ones in difficult financial situations.

Thankfully, there is no shortage of final expense insurance products for seniors looking to defray their end-of-life expenses and relieve their families of the needless stress and confusion.

Final expense insurance policies promise permanent benefits and financial protection for loved ones, especially when they are grieving.

However, with many insurance companies claiming to have excellent burial insurance plans, it is always a good idea to do your due diligence before making a purchase.

Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage is one of the options out there for seniors looking to purchase whole life insurance policies.

Although it is a one-stop final expense solution for seniors and their families and offers good prices, its agents have a reputation for being aggressive, particularly for in-person consultations.

This post will thoroughly review Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage to help you see whether or not its Funeral Advantage program is best for you and your family.

About Lincoln Heritage

Founded in 1963 by Jack Londen, the Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company (LHLIC) is a family-owned life insurance company that specializes exclusively in one type of life insurance: final expense.

With its Funeral Advantage policies, the company has become a major carrier in the burial insurance market.

If you want a simple policy to ensure that your loved ones won’t struggle to pay for your end-of-life expenses, Lincoln Heritage might be for you.

They require no health examination and offer easy qualification and lifetime benefits. Even better, Lincoln Heritage gives all policyholders access to the Funeral Consumer Guardian Society, which can help you with arranging your funeral in advance. This makes it a unique option.

Make no mistake; Lincoln is very financially secure with A- rating by AM Best. The company is also accredited by Better Bureau Business (BBB) with an A+ rating.

Even though its maximum coverage is pretty ordinary, with an overall good reputation and sound financial rating, it is a solid choice for ages 40 through 85.

What is Funeral Advantage?

Lincoln Heritage is famous for its final expense policy: Funeral Advantage, one of the leading final expense programs in the nation. Essentially, Funeral Advantage is a whole life insurance policy underwritten by Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company.

With Lincoln Herirage’s Funeral Advantage whole life insurance policies, you can obtain a face amount of up to $20,000. Their policies also accumulate cash value, which you can borrow against for emergency expenses or cover premiums.

As with most other whole life insurance providers, you can qualify for immediate coverage or Lincoln Heritage’s “modified plan”. Of significance, if you don’t qualify for immediate coverage, there is a three-year waiting period for policyholders under 50 years and two years for ages above 50.

If you die within the waiting period, Lincoln Heritage will pay (to your beneficiary) your premiums plus 10-30% interest. This is very common for whole life insurance policies.

Notably, Funeral Advantage whole life insurance is usually combined with a membership to the Funeral Consumer Guardian Society (FCGS), which is more or less a family support service.

How does the Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage program work?

The Funeral Advantage program is more or less a simplified issue life insurance because there are physical or medical exams involved.

All you need to qualify for a policy is to answer a few health and lifestyle questions and prescribe your health history. Sometimes they may require you to complete a phone interview as part of the application.

As for plans, Lincoln Heritage offers two final expense insurance plans for seniors looking to buy whole life insurance policies: Funeral Advantage and Modified Plan.

The plans are whole life insurance policies, which makes them pretty easy to understand even when you’re new to life insurance policies. The most exciting thing is that each plan comes with three guaranteed benefits.

No matter the policy you buy, here are the things you need to know about Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage policies:

• Coverage lock:

Lincoln Heritage guarantees policyholders that the financial protection amount will never decrease as long as they make the monthly premium payments.

This gives seniors and their families peace of mind knowing that Lincoln Heritage will pay the death benefits when the policyholder passes away.

• Price lock:

This is good news for seniors on a fixed income. Because Lincoln Heritage guarantees that the monthly premiums will remain unchanged throughout the policyholder’s lifetime, seniors will have an easy time planning because they know the exact amount to pay every month.

• Builds Cash value:

All Lincoln Heritage final expense policies accumulate cash over time. With each monthly payment, a portion will go to your cash-value account.

This account builds value over time and can be borrowed from or against to fund emergencies or even pay premiums. Interestingly, Lincoln Heritage allows you to borrow up to 100% of your cash value.

As with other types of whole life insurance policies, Funeral Advantage’s whole life insurance policies are very simple. When you pass, your policy will pay out the set death benefit tax-free to your beneficiary.

Lincoln Heritage Insurance products

Lincoln Heritage Insurance Company has two final expense insurance products available to all states except New York.

1. Funeral Advantage

Lincoln Heritage is one of the largest purveyors of burial insurance policies, and its most commonly purchased whole life insurance plan is certainly the Funeral Advantage.

This plan offers immediate coverage with additional riders and benefits available. As such, it is safe to say that it is a one-stop final expense solution for seniors looking to defray their end-of-life expenses.

Funeral Advantage is designed for people aged 40 through 85 years and is available in all states except New York.

Applicants who qualify for Funeral Advantage policies get a full death benefit protection starting from the very first day the policy is issued.

Nevertheless, to be eligible for a policy, you must go through a considerably extensive underwriting policy, but still without a medical exam.

The application involves completing a detailed underwriting, and, as with other no waiting period policies, certain health conditions can disqualify you.

Regarding qualification, it may be worth noting that there are no height and weight requirements, meaning you can qualify for coverage easily because you are not required to have a certain Body Mass Index.

With the Funeral Advantage program, you can obtain face amounts of up to $20,000. The policies are reasonably priced, but the Funeral Advantage life insurance policies are 20-300%, relative to similar offers from other carriers.

If you are considering this plan, beware that the underwriting is vastly inferior compared to other insurance carriers.

Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage program also requires you to pay substantially higher premiums when you have certain health issues. That said, if you have health issues for which Lincoln Heritage forces you to pay exorbitant premiums, you may consider alternatives with better offers.

Mutual of Omaha is one of the best whole life insurance policies companies should you be considering an alternative to Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage. With Mutual of Omaha, you can buy a policy even when you have chronic health problems.

2. Lincoln Heritage Modified Plan

If you have been diagnosed with or treated for health conditions that impede you from qualifying for Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage programs, you may qualify for Lincoln Heritage’s modified plan.

While the life insurance component to this plan is still a small value simplified issue whole life insurance policy, it is relatively easier to qualify for a policy.

Depending on your age, the plan has a two-year or three-year waiting period. This should be no surprise considering that other carriers also have waiting periods for offers similar to Lincoln Heritage’s modified whole life plan.

What makes this plan favorable is that there are just two questions to obtain a policy. As such, more seniors, including those with chronic health problems, have a higher chance of qualifying for a policy.

You can qualify for Lincoln Heritage’s moderate plan if you were diagnosed with or treated of:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Kidney, liver, or lung disease
• Complications related to diabetes, including amputation
• Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia, or ALS
• Coronary artery disease

If you are between the age of 40 and 85 years, you can qualify for Lincoln Heritage’s moderate plan and obtain coverage of up to $15,000, but with a waiting period.

The only problem is that the modified plan is very overpriced and, honestly, should be avoided. There are many other whole life insurance providers with the same underwriting standard for far less money.

Before buying a policy, it is extremely important for you to understand the payout schedule associated with the moderate plan.

For aged 40 to 49, Lincoln Heritage pays (to the beneficiaries) a sum of premiums plus 10% interest if death occurs in year 1, premiums plus 20% interest if death occurs in years 2, and premiums plus 30% interest if death occurs in years 3.

The beneficiaries will be eligible for full death payment if the policyholder dies after the third year, i.e., after the waiting period.

If you buy a policy when you are 50 years and above, your beneficiaries will get the premiums you paid plus 10% interest when you die within a year after obtaining a policy and premiums plus 20% interest if you die within the second year after purchasing a policy.

When you pass away after the waiting period, Lincoln Heritage will pay the set death benefit to your beneficiaries.

Lincoln Heritage claims that all approved death benefit claims are paid in as little as 24 hours.

Qualifying for Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance policies

When it comes to underwriting, Lincoln Heritage is known to have one of the most inferior underwriting processes.

To qualify for a policy, particularly the Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage program, you need to be in good health, which means answering “NO” to all the underwriting health questions.

You will still qualify for their modified plan if:

• You have been hospitalized two or more times in the past six months
• You were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, or cerebral palsy when under the age of 25.
• You have been advised to have a diagnostic test for which you have not received the results.
• You have been positively diagnosed or treated for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
• You need assistance performing daily activities such as eating, bathing, dressing, getting in and out of a chair or bed, etc.
• In the past two years, you have been diagnosed with, treated for, taken medication for congestive heart failure, COPD, disease of the circulatory system, heart diseases such as heart attack, TIA, stroke, organic brain syndrome, heart surgery, insulin shock, emphysema, diabetic coma, complications of diabetes, blindness, angina pectoris, aneurysm, amputation, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, or Dementia.
• You have been diagnosed with or received treatment for alcohol abuse or drug abuse in the past two years.
• You have been diagnosed with or treated for cancer malignancy other than basal cell skin cancer in the past two years.
• In the past two years, you have been diagnosed with or treated for Kidney disease, including kidney dialysis, lung disease, or liver disease, including hepatitis C and cirrhosis.
• You have had an organ transplant.
• You need oxygen to assist in breathing.

While you can qualify for Lincoln’s Heritage moderate plan with the above-mentioned chronic health problems, it doesn’t mean there are no knockout conditions. That said, you will be denied coverage if:

• You have been diagnosed with AIDS or a terminal illness
• You are hospitalized, bedridden, or incarcerated in a special care facility.

Costs of Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage life insurance policies

Funeral Advantage life insurance is one of the most expensive in the industry, with moderate plan offers being costlier than immediate coverage.

Relative to other providers of whole life insurance policies, Lincoln Heritage life insurance policies can be up to 300% more expensive for an inferior, depending on your health.

It is worth noting that Lincoln Heritage life insurance is expensive for all, including healthy folks. This can be very disadvantageous, considering that they throw a waiting period before beneficiaries can receive full death benefits.

Comparing the rates, an alternative like Mutual of Omaha blows their rates out of water. In fact, nearly all whole life insurance providers (except Colonial Penn, AARP, Metlife) offer substantially better rates than Lincoln Heritage.

This is primarily because Lincoln Heritage charges you heavily for health conditions, for which most other carriers will not charge even one dollar extra or impose a waiting period on a policy.

In a nutshell, Lincoln Heritage will subject you to substantially higher premiums and at least a 2-year waiting period if you have been diagnosed with or treated for any blood thinner or heart disease.

For females:

• Funeral Advantage:

Monthly premiums range from $34 to $172 for non-smokers buying $10,000 coverage and from $50 to $255 for those buying a coverage of $15,000.

This is up to 40% more expensive than Mutual of Omaha, which is arguably the best alternative.

• Moderate plan:

Monthly premiums range from $84 to $197 for non-smokers obtaining coverage of $10,000 and $123 to $295 for female non-smokers purchasing $15,000 coverage.

The cost of Lincoln Heritage’s moderate plan is up to over 200% more expensive than similar products from other carriers.

For males:

• Funeral Advantage:

Males not using tobacco pay monthly premiums of anywhere between $41 and $201 for $10,000 coverage and from $62 to $300 for a $20,000 policy.

• Moderate plan:

Monthly premiums for non-smokers purchasing $10,000 coverage range from $98 to $213, while non-smokers buying $15,000 coverage pay anywhere between $144 and $319.

It is clear that Lincoln Heritage’s whole life insurance policies are super expensive. Considering that they charge extra for virtually every health condition, tobacco users with pre-existing chronic health conditions may end up paying up to the previously mentioned 300% for an inferior product.

To ensure you are getting a reasonable offer, make sure to request a quote online and compare Lincoln Heritage offers with similar products from other carriers. This is very important, considering that Lincoln Heritage doesn’t disclose its pricing until you request a quote.

As is the case with any other life insurance company, the price of Lincoln Heritage whole life insurance policies varies with age, state, the health level of the applicant, and face amount restrictions.

Additional Riders

Most life insurance providers allow you to customize your coverage by adding multiple riders to your policy. Lincoln Heritage is not different in this case.

Essentially, a rider is an additional benefit that is either included with your life insurance policy or added for a small additional fee.

With Lincoln Heritage, there are multiple add-on policies and riders available for purchase when you are taking out cover. The most prominent and marketed riders are:

1. Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) rider

While the accidental death and dismemberment rider can be purchased as a standalone product, it can be added to a final expense insurance policy. The rider is broken up into units and can provide up to $100,000 of supplemental coverage.

Each unit you add to your policy will raise your premium and the cash payout as well. Here are the units that make up AD&D rider:

• Common carrier accident death – $20,000
• Death due to act of war or terrorism (available in limited states) – $20,000
• Automobile accident death – $10,000
• Accidental death benefit – $5,000
• Single dismemberment – $2,500
• Maximum for transport of mortal remain if death occurs more than 200 miles from homes – $1,000

2. Child rider

Available for children 30 days old and under the age of 18 years, this is a rider that allows the policyholder to cover any of their children, grandchildren, stepchildren, and possibly a great-grandchild.

Like in the case of AD&D rider, Lincoln Heritage breaks the child rider into using, with each unit of coverage providing up to $5,000 in level term coverage.

You can purchase up to 5 units, and each unit costs $2.00.

Pros and cons of Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage program

Though not the best, Lincoln Heritage is a highly reputable company with an A- rating regarding financial capabilities. Bearing in mind its good reputation, it obviously has positive and negative issues evident in its daily activities.

These activities are very considerate to anyone who is planning to buy life coverage from the company.

The Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage Life Insurance has several pros and cons that you may wish to know before deciding on whether to be their customer or not.

This article shall discuss some of the pros and cons to give you, the prospective customer, a solid basis to decide on whether to buy a cover from Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage Life Insurance company or not.

Pros of Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage program

• No medical exam:

The policies set by Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance are advantageous to those who fear or wish to avoid the long process of taking a medical examination.

They have simplified underwriting that doesn’t have an aspect of a medical exam. Most people who have health complications are often left out of several insurance plans due to the restrictions set by companies concerning their health conditions.

Failing to partake in a medical exam protects individuals from disclosing their illness but being offered a chance to be covered by insurance.

• Accidental death benefit:

The company offers a lump sum of up to $100,000 for those who died accidentally. The premium costs are slightly higher compared to other covers.

This explains why the coverage is also relatively very high. Your beneficiaries can be given an additional death benefit.

• The policy links to the funeral guardian society:

Buying a funeral insurance policy from Lincoln Heritage automatically links you to being a member of the Funeral Consumer Guardian Society.

This organization is beneficial, especially to the beneficiaries.

It helps them to navigate through the funeral and burial planning processes easily and quickly determine and pay for all funeral costs.

Your relatives and friends will have ample time to mourn for your demise since they already have a strong, stable, and qualified organization to help in burial plans.

• Allows for policy cancellation:

Lincoln Heritage offers a cancellation policy that includes a 10 day free look period. You have the freedom to choose or decide to cancel the policy and get a refund that amounts to all your paid premiums.

Additionally, you are free to cancel your policy anytime without any state obstacles. You may also, by good luck, receive a surrender cash value of your account.

Lincoln Heritage charges a small cancellation fee on any cancel request after the 10 days free look period. Try to review all your contracts keenly before signing up for any and avoid the great tassel of canceling a policy.

• Well-organized customer service:

Lincoln Heritage serves its customers through agents whose reputation is far much better, both attitude-wise and profession-wise. They help any new client to join by guiding them to fill in the one-page quick questions.

You can reach the company’s customer service desk over a phone call during its operating hours. From six in the morning up to five in the evening on weekdays, you can find them from 6 am to 2 p on Saturday.

• The short payment time frame for the coverage:

The coverage runs up to $20,000, meant for your final expenses. This amount is paid to the beneficiary account within twenty-four hours, as stated by the company management.

The family can then start planning for financial rites and give the deceased a respectable send-off.

• Offers policy loans:

You qualify for 100% of your cash value as a tax-free loan. Unfortunately, the loan lowers your cash value and is automatically subtracted from the death benefit. The loans a tract interests at varied rates.

• Easy policy management:

Once you obtain a policy, you can manage it online through the Lincoln Heritage portal. You can view and download forms containing policy details and edit where necessary.

• High graded death benefit:

When you die within the waiting period, especially when you are between 40-49 years, your beneficiaries receive a payout of the total premiums with up to 10%-30% interest rate.

This rate is higher compared to that offered by other companies.

Cons of Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage program

• Has one type of insurance:

Unlike other companies that offer multiple life insurance riders, Lincoln Heritage only has one final expense insurance policy. This blocks out many customers who wish to have a wide range of policies to choose from.

• Coverage amounts are very low:

Lincoln Heritage has small policies and covers only the final expenses. Your loved ones can get a maximum of $20,000 to carter for your final ceremony and send-off.

Other companies, like Mutual of Omaha, offer several policies with huge amounts that can keep your family safe for a more extended period after you are buried.

• Agents earn an incentive when you buy a policy:

Agents of the company get their pay through an incentive they get from making a single sale. They might therefore give you wrong information about the policy for them to convince you to buy it.

They may not tell the drawbacks of the policy even though they know them.

• No online application:

You may request a quote online, but you have to wait for an agent to help you finish the application process. Typically, you cannot complete the application and registration process alone; an agent should help you.

• High complaint index:

Lincoln Heritage complaint ratio in 2020 was1.4. This is relatively higher than the standard ratio of 1.0. The ratio is literally too high for a company with such qualities as Lincoln Heritage.

• Expensive:

Comparing the coverage paid and the premiums, Lincoln Heritage is more costly than other companies. The premiums are 20%-300% more expensive than other companies.

• Not available in New York:

This is very disadvantageous, especially to those who live in New York and wish to buy a policy from this company.

• Seniors beyond 85 years cannot qualify:

It is only offered to people of up to a given age bracket. Unfortunately, if you are above that age, then you do not qualify.

• Longer waiting period:

For example, those within 40-49 years have to wait for at least 3 years. This is too long compared to other final expense insurance companies.

How to apply for a Lincoln Heritage funeral insurance

Applying for a final expense coverage from Lincoln heritage insurance company is simple if you get an agent to help you out. Typically, you cannot acquire the cover on your own. Here are a few steps to follow.

• Request a quote online and select rates and coverage:

You can request a quote online and discuss it with your family members to see which suits them best. With the help of an agent, you will first analyze and select the rates and coverage that suits you.

Remember that the coverage runs up to a maximum of $20,000, and the payment rates vary. Your agent will guide you appropriately on each.

• Complete the underwriting:

your preferred agent will help you complete the extensive underwriting and choose the best plan for you.

• Determine the beneficiary:

A beneficiary is a person who will be given the coverage amount once you pass on. A beneficiary can be your close relative, son, daughter, wife, or husband.

• Submit the application:

Your agent will submit the application to Lincoln Heritage company for verification.

• Approval:

Once the information submitted is verified, it will be approved, and you will receive a congratulations message to confirm that you have qualified for the policy.

• Activate your policy:

this is done by making the first premium payment.

• Policy delivery:

The policy can now be delivered after 7-10 days from the day you pay the first premium.

 Is The Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage program worth it?

Lincoln Heritage is a well-known, credible, and legitimate company. It holds an excellent rating financially; thus, it is in a position to pay up for all claims without depleting its resources.

Additionally, it does not delay paying out any submitted claims; payment is usually made within 24 hours.

To qualify for this coverage, you don’t need to take a medical exam. You only fill up a simple one-page questionnaire, and you are good to go.

If you have medical complications, you should worry less when applying for the cover because the condition won’t prevent you from qualifying. This might be the best and most worthwhile final expense insurance you can qualify for.

With all this positive reputation, someone may still ask, is Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage insurance plan a good investment? When you compare it to other companies and what they offer, Lincoln Heritage is not worth it.

Other companies like Mutual of Omaha have better final expense insurance plans. Considering the fact that Lincoln Heritage insurance has only one plan, it automatically becomes the last option since the other companies have several plans with a good number of riders.

The customer reviews are pretty satisfying but still do not beat those of Mutual of Omaha.

The one major disadvantage of Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage is the price. The price is higher than that of other companies in the same whole life insurance sector.

On many occasions, the company qualifies for this high price because you automatically join the funeral consumer guardian society. In essence, you can even pay less when you join the FCGS service individually than when you go through an insurance company.

Another aspect that puts this company out of the best list is its long waiting period. Insured people within the age of 40 to 85 have to wait for up to2 to 3 years. The period is longer and discourages some prospective clients.

Applying for a cover of Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage cannot be successful without the help of an agent. The policy is sold through independent agents who may give misleading information for the sake of making sales.

When planning to buy a final expense insurance policy, please look at different companies and what they offer before choosing the most satisfying one regarding your expectations and financial ability.

Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage insurance policy may not be worth your investment unless you have no other option.

Funeral Consumer Guardian Society (FCGS)

Like everything today, funeral costs are rising, sometimes running to tens of thousands of dollars. This can potentially leave your loved ones with an enormous financial burden and challenges planning for your send-off.

That’s why you might need to consider a whole life insurance provider that offers funeral planning assistance. Thankfully, Lincoln Heritages gives all policyholders access to the Funeral Consumer Guardian Society.

Funeral Consumer Guardian Society is a family support service that promises funeral planning assistance to families of holders of Lincoln Heritage whole life insurance policies.

Per their website, FCGS is an independent senior advocate organization. This means they are not affiliated with any funeral home, cemetery, religion, or particular funeral approach.

Sometimes, before 2015, anyone could directly obtain membership to FCGS but, now, the only way to access membership to FCGS is by buying a Lincoln Heritage life insurance policy.

Once you become a member, FCGS will send you a questionnaire to fill out. The questionnaire will contain a number of questions relating to your final arrangements, including whether you want to be buried or cremated.

FCGS will file your completed questionnaire, and your loved ones will be able to access it when you pass.

However, considering that FCGS membership is the reason why Lincoln Heritage agents will attempt to justify their exorbitant prices, it is a good idea to consider alternative ways to achieve these benefits.

In fact, you can accomplish all FCGS benefits on your own and for free. It is all about documenting what you want at your funeral, which you absolutely don’t need an insurance policy to accomplish.

Instead of purchasing the overpriced Funeral Advantage burial insurance plan, you can buy an affordable whole life insurance policy from other carriers like Mutual of Omaha, then write down your wishes and leave it in a safe place for your loved ones. You can even talk to your family about the special request.

Before entering into this contract, it is worth noting that if you part with Lincoln Heritage, you will have also parted ways with FCGS. It is common knowledge that this means your ones won’t have access to your last wishes.

This can be a very big challenge, and that’s why Lincoln Heritage should be avoided.

All in all, FCGS claims to offer multiple benefits to Lincoln Heritage life insurance policyholders.

“Benefits” offered by FCGS.

FCGS has two key objectives: helping policyholder’s survivors cope with the funeral planning process and assisting policyholders to save money. Here are benefits you may receive as an FCGS member:

1. Funeral planning assistance

There are many moving components to a funeral that require survivors to quickly decide how they will execute the funeral for their loved ones. This is where FCGS promises to offer an ideal solution.

When you sign up for a final expense insurance policy with Lincoln Heritage, FCGS sends you a questionnaire with questions related to your final arrangements. The questionnaire will address all possible options related to a funeral, which you have to complete and send back to FCGS.

From there, they will file it until you pass. The completed questionnaire provides your surviving loved one’s clarity regarding your final wishes.

NOTE: While documenting your final wishes is such a wonderful thing, it should not be a reason for you to pay up to 300% more on your insurance. In fact, it is super easy to document your final wishes on your own.

Remember, it is also possible for you to terminate business with Lincoln Heritage. In such a case, your loved ones won’t be able to access your documented wishes. That’s why this is not necessarily a benefit.

2. Funeral funding information

If you are an FCGS member, the service could help ensure that the payout is timely transferred from Lincoln Heritage to your beneficiary’s bank account.

They ensure this by notifying Lincoln Heritage that the policyholder has passed. This is not different from your survivors calling the carrier directly.

Considering that every life insurance policy should be notified about the insured’s passing, it is a petty claim that this is a benefit that FGCS offers.

3. Funeral plan security service

FCGS promises to keep your end-of-life arrangements safely on their computers, which sounds nice. The information is also available to your family, which gives you and your loved one peace of mind knowing that your final wishes are safe.

Well, while this feels like a premium benefit, remember that you should always store your final arrangements where your family can access them easily. After all, there is nothing confidential included in a funeral plan.

The specially coded ID card your family gets from FCGS is more or less a way of tracking members, nothing too special.

4. Funeral plan activation help

With this benefit, FCGS promises to contact the funeral home on behalf of your survivors and help the person(s) handling your funeral with the process. The service also claims to help your grieving loved ones find price discounts.

According to the Lincoln Heritage website, FCGS can help grieving families save an average of $1,800 on burial and up to $600 on cremation.

Lincoln Heritage flaunts immense savings that FCGS can offer, but, honestly, any savings your family may get through FCGS negotiations may not be worth the expensive premiums.

Is it possible to name a funeral home as your beneficiary for a Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage?

Naming a funeral home as a beneficiary to your Funeral Advantage insurance premium is not a big deal. There are some benefits that come with the act of giving a funeral home as a beneficiary.

First, you will get the funeral and burial cremation that you desire once you are dead. You will also save your family from the stress and emotions of taking care of the enchantment they get from the security company.

Literally, the possibility of naming the beneficiary as a funeral home does not guarantee you the power to do so. There are some states in which you are not allowed to name a funeral home as a beneficiary.

They include; New Jersey, Montana, Michigan, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland, Texas, South Dakota, and New Mexico.

The FCGS is just a sales gimmick

Every single benefit provided by the FCGS is neither unique, special, or inaccessible elsewhere. Furthermore, ALL of these services can be easily acquired for free.

Go to www.dignityplanning.com if you want a free funeral planning service like the FCGS. It’s totally free.

• You can and should have your own final wishes guide. Google “final wishes guide”. Print your own and keep it with your important papers. If you want, contact us and we will email you one for free!
• Don’t have your family rely on any third party to notify your insurance company that you have passed. Your beneficiaries should do that themselves. Keep all your life insurance policies together so your beneficiaries know what companies to call.
• Tell your family to call a handful of funeral homes to compare prices. Funeral homes all charge different rates, and they are all required to give you an itemized price sheet. Your family can easily identify which one will charge the least.

Those three bullet points completely encompass the “benefits” provided by FCGS, and it won’t cost you a dime.

Why do they push the “value” of the FCGS

The harsh reality is that Lincoln Heritage talks up the great value that is Funeral Consumer Guardian Society for one simple reason.

The FCGS “value” is pushed to justify Lincoln Heritage’s overpriced burial insurance.

Their final expense insurance is among the most expensive on the market, but the way they make it stick to unsuspecting customers is via the FCGS membership.

In the end, the FCGS is the logic they feed their patrons. It’s how they convince them why it’s reasonable to pay 20%-300% more for their final expense insurance.

All in all, the Funeral Consumer Guardian Society is a nothing benefit. It’s just a sales gimmick. It certainly is no reason why you should drastically overpay on your funeral insurance.

They should be saying that the Funeral Advantage program assists seniors in overpaying for final expense insurance.

How to find better life insurance options than Lincoln Heritage

If you are looking for life insurance for final expenses or anything else, you can 100% get a much lower price. In addition, you can very likely get coverage that has no waiting period.

The biggest issue with Lincoln Heritage is that they are a captive insurance company. That means they can only offer you one insurance company. When you speak to a Lincoln Heritage agent, they cannot shop around and show you another insurance company that would give you a better deal.

The trick to finding the best and most affordable final expense life insurance (or any other type of life insurance) is to work with an independent insurance agency. Only an independent agency can compare offers from multiple providers.

In essence, they shop the market for you to determine which carrier has the best price and coverage for your unique situation.

Believe it or not, it does not cost you a fee to work with an independent agency, and the insurance doesn’t cost more.

Working with an independent agency can save you as much as 70% on your life insurance (this is not an exaggeration).

You can call us at 1-860-783-4360, and we can assist you. We’re independent and have over 15 different A rating companies that we will shop for you.

FAQs

What is a funeral advantage?

It is an insurance plan that covers immediate funeral expenses. The applicant will answer a short series of medical questions and submit the funeral advantage policy to the company. The company will analyze and approve the policy before awarding you permanent coverage.

What is the monthly price of a Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage Policy?

The only way to determine the price is by requesting a quote; otherwise, the company does not disclose its price on the website though it is not fixed.

The payable premiums are calculated based on your health state, age, and coverage expected. For example, a 60-year-old person who needs $10,000 in coverage pays lesser premiums than a 70-year-old who expects $20,000.

Does Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage pay dividends?

Lincoln Heritage is not a mutual company, and therefore, it does not pay out dividends to its policyholders. Unlike other companies that pay dividends according to financial performance, Lincoln Heritage does.

It solely enjoys the benefits earned from its operations. The only payment you should expect from Lincoln Heritage is the payment to claims.

Do you require a medical exam to qualify for Lincoln Heritage Advantage?

There is no medical exam offered in pursuit of a Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage. The application consists of a few questions regarding your basic health, and you must answer the questions appropriately. You may be having some health issues but still, qualify for the coverage.

Can you cancel your Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage insurance?

Of course, yes, but with the help of an agent. The company does not allow policyholders to cancel a policy anyhow. You are therefore advised to contact an agent and get the process started. Keep in mind that you will be expected to pay for the cancellation process.

Can a smoker get a funeral Advantage policy from Lincoln Heritage company?

You will still get coverage if you are a smoker but at a higher cost compared to non-smokers. In addition to smoking, the company charges very high premiums to people with health conditions.

You may therefore opt for another company for your final expense insurance, especially if you smoke.

Are Lincoln Heritage Agents Captive?

Lincoln Heritage agents are only allowed to sell one specific burial insurance; they are therefore captive agents.

Who are insurance agents?

Insurance agents are individuals or companies that partner with and link an insurance company to its customers. There are two types of agents; captive and independent agents.

Captive agents are those who are restricted to working only for one company. They cannot sell other insurance products from different companies even when they seem to be cheaper.

One disadvantage of captive agents is they don’t have a chance to sell more affordable or favorable options to clients.

On the other hand, an independent agent who deals with multiple life insurance companies can sign up.

An independent agent is more flexible than a captive agent. They are not tied up to one company or policy; therefore, they can compare various policies and help clients choose the best.

Is the funeral consumer Guardian Society Worth it?

The funeral consumer Guardian Society is an excellent add-on to an aged person’s funeral insurance plan. Even so, it does not qualify the high price attached to the final expense insurance being sold.

It is advisable to document all your final wishes and hand them over to your family to have a framework for planning your burial while they mourn your demise.

In addition, you can find a burial planning sheet on the internet and use it to draft your own. Therefore, it is not necessary to pay a lot of money to be a funeral consumer guardian association member.

Conclusion

Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage is one of the leading final expense programs in the United States. But does this means it is the best? Absolutely NO.

Funeral Advantage whole life insurance policies are overpriced and even hyped for what they can offer.

For this reason, Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage should be your last resort when purchasing a burial insurance policy. One of the best alternatives providing similar products at an affordable price is Mutual of Omaha.