State Farm Burial Insurance: Complete Guide for 2022

If you are in the market for a life insurance policy, you apparently want to be confident that the company you choose will be able to honor its future claims.

After all, a life insurance policy is an investment to provide long-lasting financial support to your loved ones or, at minimum, keep them from having to cover your end-of-life expenses.

That said, for seniors looking for a policy to defray their final expenses, State Farm is a well-known burial insurance provider that deserves a close look.

Although the company is best known for its home and auto insurance policies, it offers a diverse range of life insurance products, including final expense coverage for seniors.

State Farm burial insurance is essentially a whole life insurance policy designed to help seniors set aside money for their end-of-life expenses.

This post will cover everything you need to know about State Farm burial insurance to help know whether it is good for you or not.

Overview

Established in 1922, State Farm has long established itself as a reputable insurance carrier for all lines of insurance.

Although the company started as an auto insurance company, over the years, it has diversified its offerings and now operates as a mutual insurance company, providing its products in all sorts of lines of insurance.

Importantly, while State Farm has a broad range of insurance products, this post will focus on State Farm’s burial insurance and other closely related products.

Based on all its offerings, State Farm has a stellar reputation and was top-ranked for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power.

They have also received a surprisingly small number of complaints despite being one of the largest providers of burial insurance policies.

For seniors considering State Farm burial insurance, it is worth noting that the coverage is set steadfastly at $10,000, not anything more or less.

However, this strictness should not be an issue as $10,000 is enough to cover the burial expenses of an average person.

When it comes to qualifying, State Farm is considered to have a relatively strict underwriting compared to rivals.

Even so, seniors don’t need to take an in-person medical exam to qualify for a policy. You are only required to answer some health questions, and then your answers are compared against MIB health records.

Overall, State Farm burial insurance functions like comparable products from other carriers, except for a few minor differences that distinguish it from rivals.

State Farm burial insurance

For people looking to provide financial support to their loved ones after death, State Farm offers an assortment of life insurance products to help you achieve just that.

Their products range from term life, whole life, and universal life to no-medical exam insurance policies.

Collectively, State Farm offers 10 different life insurance plans designed to cater to different groups.

For seniors planning to keep their loved ones from having to pay for their burial costs, the company offers a final expense plan with a face amount just enough to cover burial costs.

With State Farm burial insurance, seniors aged between 50 and 80 (50-75 in New York) can obtain a coverage amount of $10,000 upon qualification.

As with most life insurance policies, State Farm burial insurance won’t expire at any age, and the coverage will never decrease for whatever reason. The premiums also remain level and

Perhaps the most exciting thing about State Farm burial insurance is that there is no waiting period. In other words, State Farm’s final expenses plan offers first-day coverage.

How to qualify for State Farm burial insurance

State Farm final expense insurance is a no medical exam whole life insurance policy designed to alleviate the cost of funeral and burial expenses. However, this doesn’t translate to a lenient underwriting process.

To qualify for a burial insurance policy from State Farm, you need to answer some questions relating to your health.

State Farm will then run a prescription check to inspect for any prescription medications indicating treatment for the conditions asked on their application.

With State Farm, it is either you have the health issues they ask on their application, or you don’t; there is no gray area.

As such, your application will be declined if you have filled any medications consistent with the health problems specified on the application.

Here are health conditions that will result in a decline:

• Amputation due to diseases
• Dialysis
• Heart defibrillator
• Cirrhosis
• HIV or AIDS
• Multiple sclerosis
• Huntington’s diseases
• Parkison’s diseases
• Hepatitis A, B, or C
• Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
• Organ or tissue transplant
• Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS)
• Muscular dystrophy
• Cancer or tumors
• Chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD
• Diabetes
• Bipolar disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia disorder, depression, and other forms of mental or nervous disorders
• Heart attack
• Congestive heart failure
• Blood thinner usage
• Aneurysm
• Blood clots
• Irregular pulse rate
• Kidney disease
• Stroke or mini-stroke
• Treatment for alcohol and drug abuse

While it is not uncommon for burial insurance providers to decline applications because of these health conditions, some providers accept applicants with some summon issues.

State Farm will also decline your application if you are bedridden, receiving home health care, confined in a nursing facility or hospital, require oxygen to assist with breathing, need a wheelchair, or require assistance with daily activities.

For the most part, this means they will decline most applicants.

Overall, considering that many final expense insurance providers accept conditions for which State Farm declines applicants, it is safe to say State Farm burial insurance is not a good option for seniors looking to defray their end-of-life expenses.

State Farm burial insurance rates

If you are approved for State Farm’s burial insurance policy, you are guaranteed that a death benefit of $10,000 will be paid to your beneficiaries when you pass away.

While this amount is enough to cover funeral and burial costs, anyone considering State Farm products would want to know if the prices are worth it.

First off, you can run quotes on the State Farms website and see how they compare with the prices of comparable products from other providers.

Generally, State Farm burial insurance prices are higher compared to prices of similar policies by other providers.

Here are sample rates for State Farm burial insurance:

Female non-tobacco

• $27.71 at 50 years
• $34.88 at 55 years
• $42.40 at 60 years
• $53.92 at 65 years
• $72.31 at 70 years
• $98.08 at 75 years
• $136.60 at 80 years

Male non-tobacco

• $33.15 at 50 years
• $41.60 at 55 years
• $53.25 at 60 years
• $71.36 at 65 years
• $90.79 at 70 years
• $123.95 at 75 years
• $155.40 at 80 years

As with most burial insurance companies, State Farm will subject tobacco users to higher premiums. Here are sample rates for Tobacco users

Female tobacco user 

• $31.50 at 50 years
• $40.97 at 55 years
• $51.17 at 60 years
• $67.28 at 65 years
• $67.87 at 70 years
• $118.36 at 75 years
• $147.25 at 80 years

Male tobacco user

• $42.88 at 50 years
• $52.94 at 55 years
• $66.39 at 60 years
• $91.35 at 65 years
• $115.80 at 70 years
• $140.23 at 75 years
• $1171.08 at 80 years

Although State Farm’s burial insurance rates for tobacco users are slightly lower, it is by no means that State Farm’s final expense whole life insurance is a cheap product.

In fact, you can qualify for a cheaper plan elsewhere, even when you have one or more of the conditions for which State Farm declines applications.

State Farm burial insurance riders

Insurance riders are additional benefits added to an insurance policy to enhance the coverage the policy provides.

Importantly, while State Farm offers a wide variety of riders, they DO NOT offer any riders or additional benefits to their burial insurance products.

This can be very disadvantageous, especially if you want a funeral insurance policy that covers you and other family members.

Pros of State Farm Burial Insurance 

State Farm burial insurance companies offer coverage to cater to different burial expenses.

Like other insurance companies, some of the services they offer to policyholders make it a good option in the market.

The most well-known advantages of buying a policy with State Farm Burial insurance are listed and explained below.

• Offers first-day coverage:

Once you qualify for a State Farm Burial Insurance policy, coverage starts immediately on the first day.

Unlike all insurance companies that have a two years waiting period restriction, State Farm burial insurance company has no waiting period on their burial insurance policies.

State Farm burial insurance covers start being effective after one qualifies.

• No medical exam:

To qualify for life insurance coverage with State Farm burial insurance company, you do not need to be examined medically. You will only answer a few questions relating to your past and present health conditions.

Depending on your answers to each of the quoted questions, you may or may not qualify for coverage. This is advantageous to people with medical issues that they do not wish to expose to insurers or other people.

Even if you fail to qualify for coverage, you will not have gone through the long and stressful medical examination process.

• Premiums are level up to age 100:

The life length of premiums is long, beyond 100 years. For seniors who are privileged to live over 100 years, their beneficiaries are not restricted to the payouts because of the long age of the deceased.

Additionally, the premiums do not change even as the age factor raises.

• The death benefit is guaranteed:

As long as the insured keeps paying premiums, the coverage is guaranteed. When the insured’s death occurs, the beneficiaries will receive the policy payouts once they inform the insurance company about the death of the policyholder.

• Favorable for seniors:

Seniors aged 80 and 75 in New York can sign up for a burial insurance policy that will run for a lifetime as long as premiums are paid

. Seniors who may be locked out from accessing burial insurance from other companies can get refuge by purchasing the  State Farm burial insurance policy.

• Open choice premium payment method:

for this plan, you are not restricted on how to make premium payments. You can either pay monthly or annually or depending on how you manage to raise funds for premium payments.

Their system will allocate the premiums in a monthly order and carry forward any additional amount to the next month or year.

• The policy may earn dividends:

even though this is not a guarantee, there are times when your burial policy will earn dividends that you can choose to use and pay for due premiums, pay for add-on policies, or even withdraw for personal use.

Remember, dividends to a policy can only be used by the policyholder and not the beneficiaries.

• No restrictions on how to use the payouts:

The beneficiaries are not restricted on how to spend the payout amount. They can choose to use it for burial expenses or their use.

• Tax-deferred cash value:

The cash value gained on the premiums paid does not attract tax. For this reason, most people use the burial insurance policy as an investment that does not attract taxation.

• Has a strong financial rating:

State Farm life insurance has a high rate by A. M. Best financial rating company of A++. Policyholders are assured that the company will not get bankrupt, and their payouts will be made when claims are made.

• Excellent customer service:

State Farm life insurance has stellar customer service and fewer customer complaints.

Cons of State Farm burial insurance

• The online platform is not comprehensive:

State Farm has an online platform where policyholders can access some of the aspects of their policy. However, the platform does not support the download of documents, and it is not compatible with Android devices.

• The policy is sold through captive agents:

You may not get coverage directly from the company, but instead, you will need to go through agents who will help you buy the policy.

The agents licensed to sell insurance policies for State Farm are captive agents. They are only allowed to sell products of the State Farm company and not any other insurance company.

In such a case, they will convince you to buy the policy even when it is not the best for your needs.

• Not available in all states:

While State Farm is a nationwide recognized insurance carrier, residents of Rhodes Island and Massachusetts do not get access to their life insurance policies.

• Diabetic unfriendly:

People who have diabetes can not qualify for State Farm’s final expense policy coverage. However, those with diabetes and other health issues can get a policy elsewhere. Companies like Mutual of Omaha

• Low and strict coverage amount:

The coverage amount for burial insurance sold by State Farm is strictly $10,000. While this amount is enough to cover the costs of an average funeral and burial or cremation, you can not obtain a face amount higher or lower than $10,000.

They further do not offer a rider for burial insurance, which can be inconvenient for people who want to cover their family members within their policy.

• Strict underwriting:

State Farm has a very strict underwriting process, which ends up disqualifying many applicants who apply for the policy.

• High price:

Generally, the burial insurance plan prices are higher compared to the price of similar offerings by rivals.

• No riders for burial insurance:

Even though the State Farm insurance company offers many riders to customize its products, none of the available riders are sold to final expense insurance policyholders.

FAQS

1. Do State Farm burial insurance policies have a waiting period?

There is no waiting period for a State Farm burial insurance policy once an application has been approved. Precisely, you are covered immediately after your policy application has been approved and you have paid the first premium.

2. Does the State Farm burial insurance policy build a cash value?

Like most other final expenses insurance products, State Farm burial insurance policies usually build a cash value. The cash value allows the policyholder to benefit from their policy while alive.

3. Does State Farm offer good customer service?

State Farm is a reputable insurance company known for its stellar customer service. They also have a surprisingly small amount of complaints, meaning they offer great quality products.

4. Can you borrow from your State Farm burial insurance policy?

Definitely yes. State Farm burial insurance policies build a cash value over time, and you have the option to borrow against this accumulated value should you run short of finances.

The maximum amount you can borrow depends on your policy’s cash value.

Final thoughts

State Farm has grown to become one of the largest insurance companies in the continental United States.

That said, while there’s no life insurance company that is the best fit for every person, it is pretty clear that State Farm burial insurance is far much inferior compared to similar offerings by other reputable final expense insurance providers.

The rates are relatively high, and they have an inferior underwriting process that declines most applicants.

Overall, State Farm burial insurance is not a good option for seniors, especially those in pristine health.

However, this doesn’t diminish the company’s stellar reputation. They offer a vast range of insurance products that are really worth it.