Transamerica Burial Insurance Review (2026): Express Select Rates & Verdict
Published on June 3, 2026 last updated on July 23, 2026Financially strong (A) and unusually lenient on tough health — but you’ll pay 20–30% more than Mutual of Omaha, and its complaint record runs about 4× the industry average (mostly service, not claims).
Transamerica is one of the oldest names in American insurance — over a century in business, with the old pyramid tower on the San Francisco skyline to prove it. For burial insurance, its plan, Express Select, has one real superpower: it says yes to health conditions that get people turned down almost everywhere else. That makes it a lifesaver for the right person — and the wrong choice for a lot of others.
Here’s what Express Select covers, what it costs at your age, the two catches to know about, and exactly who it’s the right call for.
Key takeaways
- Lenient underwriting — often approves diabetes, COPD, and heart conditions that others decline.
- Day-one coverage on the Level tier, with a higher ceiling than most ($100,000 under age 76).
- Two real caveats: ~20–30% pricier than Mutual of Omaha, and a complaint record about 4× the industry average.
- Includes Everest funeral concierge free — a genuine perk most carriers don’t offer.
What Transamerica Actually Sells
Transamerica sells all kinds of insurance, but the plan that matters for funeral and final costs is called Express Select — a simplified-issue whole life policy issued by Transamerica Life Insurance Company. It’s built for burial coverage: small, permanent, and easy to qualify for compared with a full medical policy.
Because it’s whole life, the price is locked for life, the coverage never shrinks, it never expires, and it builds a little cash value over time. There’s no medical exam — you answer about eight health questions over the phone and usually get a decision the same day.
Coverage runs from $2,000 all the way up to $100,000 for applicants under 76, which is far higher than the typical $25,000–$40,000 burial policy. Issue ages are 50 to 85, and for ages 76 and older the ceiling drops to $25,000.
How Express Select Works: Level vs. Graded
Express Select comes in two versions, and your health answers decide which one you’re offered.
Level is the one you want. If your answers clear the bar, your family gets the full payout from day one — no waiting. This is Transamerica’s real draw: its underwriting is more forgiving than most, so people with conditions that trigger a decline or a waiting period elsewhere often still land here, at day-one coverage.
Graded is the backup for tougher health. It carries a two-year wait: if you pass away from natural causes in the first two years, your family gets back the premiums you paid plus interest, not the full amount. Accidental death is covered in full from day one, and after two years the full benefit applies no matter the cause.
Every Express Select policy also includes the Everest Funeral Concierge service at no extra cost. When a claim is filed, Everest helps your family compare funeral-home prices, negotiate on their behalf, and handle paperwork like death certificates and Social Security notifications. Most burial carriers include nothing like it, and at a hard moment it’s a real help.
Real Costs vs. What You Actually Get
A funeral in the U.S. runs about $8,000 to $12,000 once you add a plot, a headstone, and services. Here’s what Transamerica’s Express Select Level plan costs for $10,000 of coverage.
| Age | Female — $10,000 (Level) | Male — $10,000 (Level) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | $33/mo | $39/mo |
| 55 | $37/mo | $45/mo |
| 60 | $41/mo | $52/mo |
| 65 | $52/mo | $64/mo |
| 70 | $65/mo | $86/mo |
| 75 | $86/mo | $117/mo |
| 80 | $134/mo | $172/mo |
| 85 | $205/mo | $251/mo |
Representative Express Select Level rates, non-tobacco, retrieved July 2026; your exact price depends on your state, age, health, and tier and is confirmed by the carrier at application. Tobacco users pay roughly 30–50% more. Coverage is capped at $25,000 for ages 76+.
To scale it: final expense is priced per $1,000 of coverage, so a $15,000 policy costs about 1.5× the $10,000 row at the same age. Most families land between $10,000 and $20,000.
The Catch: You Pay More Than the Cheapest
Transamerica’s leniency comes at a price — literally. Across the board, Express Select runs about 20 to 30 percent higher than Mutual of Omaha for the same coverage. At age 65, a non-smoking woman pays about $52 a month here versus $41 with Mutual of Omaha.
The gap gets wider with age, not smaller. By 80, a woman pays $134 a month with Transamerica against $98 with Mutual of Omaha — a $36 difference, or more than $430 a year. If your health lets you qualify for a cheaper carrier, there’s no reason to pay Transamerica’s premium.
One more limit: coverage drops to a $25,000 maximum at age 76. The bottom line on price — Transamerica is worth it when it’s buying you access to coverage you couldn’t get elsewhere, and hard to justify when it isn’t.
Customer Complaints and Claims Experience
Here’s the part to go in with your eyes open. Transamerica draws a lot of complaints. Its NAIC complaint index for individual life sits around 4.2 — more than four times the 1.0 industry average — and it placed near the bottom of J.D. Power’s 2025 customer-satisfaction study for life insurance (NAIC). The complaints cluster around service and paperwork — slow responses, administrative snags — more than outright denied claims, but it’s a steady pattern, not a one-year blip.
To be clear about what that does and doesn’t mean: Transamerica is financially rock-solid and pays its claims. On strength, AM Best rates it A (Excellent). The company has been around more than 100 years and is part of Aegon, a global financial group. The money to pay is there — the knock is on service speed, which is why it’s worth keeping your paperwork and confirmations in order.
The free Everest Funeral Concierge service (included with every policy) softens this a little: when a claim is filed, Everest steps in to help your family with the funeral home, the paperwork, and the process — support that matters most on exactly the kind of day when a slow insurer is the last thing you want to deal with.
Who Transamerica Is Actually Right For
Transamerica earns its place for one clear reason — reach. It’s the right call when:
- You’ve been declined or given a waiting period elsewhere. Transamerica often approves insulin-dependent diabetes, diabetes paired with COPD, or heart disease with stents at day-one Level coverage.
- You need more than about $40,000 of coverage without a medical exam — Express Select goes up to $100,000 under age 76.
- Funeral-planning help matters to your family. The included Everest concierge is a real, uncommon perk.
It’s the wrong fit for a lot of people, though. If you’re healthy enough to qualify for Mutual of Omaha, you’ll pay 20–30% less for the same coverage — start there. If you’re over 80 and on a tight budget, Transamerica’s rates climb steeply, and cheaper options usually exist. And if your health is serious enough that even Transamerica grades you (a recent hospitalization, home oxygen, an organ transplant), a guaranteed-acceptance plan may be simpler and sometimes cheaper.
Better Alternatives to Consider
For most healthy shoppers, Transamerica shouldn’t be the first stop. Here’s how it lines up against the carriers we compare it with most.
| Company | Best for | Day-one coverage | Complaint record | AM Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transamerica | Hard-to-place health | Yes (Level) | High (~4× avg) | A |
| Mutual of Omaha | Lowest price for the healthy | Yes (Level) | Very low | A+ |
| Aetna | Older seniors (to 89) | Yes (Level) | Around average | A |
| Aflac | Strong all-around value | Yes (level) | Below average | A+ |
AM Best ratings and NAIC complaint patterns as published by each carrier and the NAIC; product features are for level/simplified-issue final expense plans and vary by state and health.
The short version: Mutual of Omaha wins on price and service for healthy applicants, Aetna stretches coverage to age 89, and Transamerica is the specialist you call when a health condition has closed the other doors.
Transamerica is the carrier I reach for when someone’s health has gotten them declined everywhere else — its underwriting says yes when others say no, and that is genuinely valuable. I just set expectations on two things: you’ll pay more than Mutual of Omaha, and Transamerica’s service can be slow, so keep your paperwork and confirmations. For a healthy client I start with MoO. For a hard-to-place one, Transamerica has saved the day more times than I can count.
Sources
- Transamerica — Express Select / final expense whole life product details (tiers, coverage amounts, issue ages, waiting period, Everest concierge). transamerica.com, retrieved July 2026.
- AM Best — Transamerica Life Insurance Company Financial Strength Rating A (Excellent). ambest.com.
- NAIC Consumer Information Source — company complaint index, individual life (~4.2). naic.org.
- NFDA — 2023 median cost of a funeral with burial ($7,848). nfda.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Transamerica good for burial insurance?
It’s strong for one thing: hard-to-place health. Transamerica is financially solid (AM Best A) and more lenient than most carriers, so it often approves conditions others decline. The caveats are real, though — it costs 20–30% more than Mutual of Omaha, and its complaint record runs about four times the industry average, mostly for service and paperwork.
What is the difference between the Level and Graded tiers?
Level gives you the full payout from day one, with no waiting. Graded applies if your health answers place you there, and it has a two-year wait: natural death in the first two years returns your premiums plus interest, while accidental death is covered in full from day one. After two years, the full benefit applies either way.
Does Transamerica have a waiting period?
Not on the Level tier — full coverage starts on day one. The Graded tier has a two-year waiting period for natural death. Your health answers decide which tier you’re offered.
How much does Transamerica burial insurance cost?
For $10,000 of Level coverage (non-tobacco), a 65-year-old woman pays about $52 a month and a man about $64 — roughly 20–30% more than Mutual of Omaha. Rates are locked for life once the policy starts.
Can I get Transamerica with diabetes or heart problems?
Often yes. Transamerica is more lenient than most carriers on insulin-dependent diabetes and paired conditions like diabetes with COPD or heart disease with stents, frequently at day-one Level coverage. If another carrier declined you, Transamerica is usually the next step to try.
Is Transamerica financially strong and does it pay claims?
Yes. AM Best rates it A (Excellent), it has been in business over 100 years, and it is part of Aegon, a global financial group. It pays its claims — the common complaint is about service speed and paperwork, not solvency.
Pros
- Lenient underwriting — approves tough and paired health conditions.
- Day-one Level tier and coverage up to $100,000 (under 76).
- A (Excellent) strength plus free Everest funeral concierge.
Cons
- About 20–30% pricier than Mutual of Omaha.
- Complaint record roughly 4× the industry average (service).
- Coverage capped at $25,000 for ages 76+.
The bottom line
Transamerica isn’t where most healthy seniors should start — Mutual of Omaha is cheaper and has a far cleaner service record. But when a health condition gets you declined elsewhere, Transamerica’s lenient underwriting is often the difference between coverage and none, and it still beats a guaranteed-issue plan. Go in knowing you’ll pay a bit more and that service can be slow.