Foresters Burial Insurance Review (2026): PlanRight Rates, Perks & Verdict
Published on June 3, 2026 last updated on July 24, 2026Foresters is a solid, A-rated fraternal carrier whose real edge is what comes free with the policy — help preparing a will, scholarships, and family benefits most companies don’t offer. The main limit: there’s no guaranteed-issue plan, so the hardest health cases can’t always get covered here.
Most burial insurance is just a payout and nothing more. Foresters is one of the few carriers that hands you a stack of extras on top — free help writing a will, scholarships for your kids or grandkids, even money toward family health costs. For a lot of families, those member benefits are the reason to give Foresters a serious look.
Here’s what Foresters’ PlanRight plan covers, what those member perks are actually worth, what it costs, and the one gap to know before you apply.
Key takeaways
- Genuinely useful free perks — will preparation, scholarships, orphan and family health benefits, all included at no extra cost.
- Two ways to qualify — a day-one Level plan for healthier applicants and a graded plan for those with more health issues.
- Financially strong and time-tested — A (Excellent) by AM Best for 25 years running, and a 150-year-old fraternal society.
- The gap — no guaranteed-issue option, a $35,000 cap, and middle-of-the-road pricing.
What Foresters Actually Sells
Foresters Financial — officially The Independent Order of Foresters — isn’t a normal insurance company. It’s a fraternal benefit society, which means it’s owned by its members instead of shareholders, and it puts money back into member programs and communities.
It’s also been around a very long time: founded in 1874, based in Toronto, and today holding around $14 billion in assets. That’s a serious, well-funded company behind your policy.
The plan seniors care about is PlanRight Whole Life, built for burial and final expenses. Here’s the shape of it:
- Coverage amount: $5,000 to $35,000
- Ages: 50 to 85
- No medical exam — just health questions
- Level payments that never rise, coverage that lasts your whole life, and cash value that builds over time
How PlanRight Works
PlanRight has no medical exam, but it does ask health questions. Your answers decide which of two plans you get — and that’s the part worth understanding.
Level plan (day one). If your health is reasonably good, you qualify for full coverage from the very first day. If you pass away a month after your policy starts, your family gets the entire payout.
Graded plan. If you have more health issues, you get the graded version. It pays 30% of your coverage in year one, 70% in year two, and the full amount from year three on for a natural-cause death. Accidents are typically covered in full right away.
One thing to know up front: PlanRight is not guaranteed issue. There’s no plan here that skips the health questions entirely. If your health is bad enough that you can’t pass, Foresters can’t cover you — and you’d need a guaranteed-issue plan from another carrier.
The Member Benefits That Set Foresters Apart
This is the real reason to consider Foresters. Because it’s a fraternal society, every policyholder becomes a member — and membership comes with free extras you won’t get from a regular insurer. There’s no added premium for any of them:
- Free will and legal document preparation. Help creating a simple will and other basic legal papers — genuinely handy when you’re already planning for final expenses.
- Competitive scholarships for members and their children or grandchildren.
- Orphan benefit — financial support for a member’s children if the worst happens.
- Family health benefit reimbursements toward certain medical costs.
- Community grants and volunteer programs, plus member discounts through MemberDeals.
None of these replace the payout — they sit on top of it. For a family that would otherwise pay a lawyer to draw up a will, the free legal help alone can be worth real money.
What It Costs
Foresters prices in the middle of the pack — not the cheapest, not the priciest. The bigger driver of your cost is which plan you land on. Here’s how the graded plan pays out if that’s the one you qualify for:
| Graded plan — natural-cause death | What your family receives |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | 30% of your coverage amount |
| Year 2 | 70% of your coverage amount |
| Year 3 and later | 100% of your coverage amount |
Graded benefit structure per Foresters’ PlanRight product guide, retrieved July 2026. The Level plan pays 100% from day one.
As a benchmark, a $10,000 simplified-issue whole life policy for a non-tobacco applicant in their mid-60s typically runs somewhere in the $50–$70 range per month across carriers, with men paying more than women. Your exact Foresters rate depends on your age, sex, tobacco use, and which plan you qualify for. For context, the median cost of a funeral with burial is now about $8,300, according to the National Funeral Directors Association — so a $10,000 policy is a sensible target for most families.
The Catch
Foresters is a good carrier, but it isn’t the right fit for everyone. Three things to weigh:
No guaranteed-issue safety net. This is the big one. If your health is poor enough that you can’t pass PlanRight’s questions, Foresters has nothing to offer you. Carriers like Gerber and Royal Neighbors keep a can’t-be-turned-down plan for exactly those cases.
A lower coverage cap. PlanRight tops out at $35,000. That’s plenty for most burials, but some carriers go higher if you want more.
Middle-of-the-road pricing. If your only goal is the lowest possible payment, you can often beat Foresters elsewhere. You’re partly paying for the member benefits — which is a fair trade only if you’ll actually use them.
Financial Strength and the Company Behind It
Foresters is rated A (Excellent) by AM Best, the main agency that grades how well an insurer can pay claims — and it has held that rating for 25 years in a row. Its capital position is strong, well above the regulatory minimum. In plain terms: the money will be there when your family files a claim.
As a fraternal society founded in 1874, Foresters operates in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., though PlanRight isn’t sold in every U.S. state — worth confirming for your state before you get attached to it.
Who Foresters Is Actually Right For
Consider Foresters if:
- You’re in reasonable health and can qualify for the day-one Level plan.
- You’d actually use the member perks — especially the free will and legal document help.
- You want a long-established, financially strong company and don’t need more than $35,000 in coverage.
Look elsewhere if:
- Your health is poor and you need a guaranteed-issue plan you can’t be turned down for.
- You want the absolute lowest monthly payment and won’t use the extras.
- You need more than $35,000 in coverage.
Better Alternatives to Consider
Foresters is a strong all-rounder, but depending on your health and priorities, one of these may fit better — it’s always worth comparing:
| Carrier | Best for | AM Best | Guaranteed issue? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foresters | Free member perks + day-one coverage | A | No |
| American-Amicable | Fairest, most flexible underwriting | A | No |
| Aetna | Easiest, most predictable approval | A | No |
| Gerber | Can’t-be-turned-down guaranteed issue | A | Yes |
| Royal Neighbors | Hard-to-place health conditions | A | Yes |
Phillip’s Take
I like Foresters, and the member benefits are the reason. Most burial policies are just a check to your family. Foresters adds real, usable extras — the free will preparation especially, since almost every family I work with needs that anyway. For a reasonably healthy client who’ll take advantage of the perks, it’s an easy recommendation. The one place it falls short is the hardest health cases: with no guaranteed-issue plan, I have to send those folks to Gerber or Royal Neighbors. That’s why it lands at a strong 4.4 — excellent for the right person, just not a fit for everyone.
Sources
- Foresters Financial — PlanRight Whole Life (product details, coverage, ages). foresters.com
- Foresters Financial — A (Excellent) AM Best rating maintained. prnewswire.com
- National Funeral Directors Association — median funeral cost statistics. nfda.org
- NAIC Consumer Information Source — complaint and company lookup. naic.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Foresters a legitimate insurance company?
Yes. Foresters Financial (The Independent Order of Foresters) is a fraternal benefit society founded in 1874, rated A (Excellent) by AM Best, with roughly $14 billion in assets. It has paid claims for 150 years.
Do I need a medical exam?
No. PlanRight is a no-exam plan. You answer a set of health questions, and your answers decide whether you get the day-one plan or the graded plan.
What is the waiting period?
It depends on your health answers. Healthier applicants get the Level plan with full coverage from day one. If you have more health issues, you get the graded plan, which pays 30% of your coverage in year one, 70% in year two, and the full amount from year three on.
How much coverage can I get, and at what ages?
PlanRight offers $5,000 to $35,000 in coverage for people ages 50 to 85.
What makes Foresters different from other burial insurers?
Its member benefits. Every policy comes with free extras at no added cost, including help preparing a will and other legal documents, scholarships, an orphan benefit for children, family health reimbursements, and community grants.
Does Foresters have a guaranteed-issue plan I can’t be turned down for?
No. PlanRight always asks health questions, so it isn’t guaranteed issue. If your health is bad enough that you can’t pass the questions, you’d need a guaranteed-issue plan from a carrier like Gerber or Royal Neighbors instead.
Is the free will benefit actually useful?
For many families, yes. A simple will and related legal documents normally cost money to prepare, and having them in place alongside the payout makes settling an estate easier. It’s one of the more practical perks in this market.
Is Foresters available in my state?
Foresters sells in most U.S. states, but not every one. Check that PlanRight is offered in your state before you apply.
The bottom line
Foresters PlanRight earns its spot on member perks — competitive final-expense rates plus fraternal benefits like scholarships, grief counseling, and community grants that pure insurers don’t offer. Underwriting is reasonable and coverage runs day one for most health profiles. If you want more than just a death benefit for your premium, Foresters is an easy carrier to recommend.