10 Questions to Ask Any Burial Insurance Agent Before You Buy
Published on June 5, 2026 last updated on August 1, 2026Before you buy, a few questions separate an honest broker from a high-pressure salesperson. Ask whether they compare multiple carriers, whether there’s a waiting period, whether the price is locked for life, and whether they charge you any fees.
Serving families since 2008, I can tell you the difference between a good agent and a salesperson comes down to how they answer ten questions. Print this list. Ask every question. A good agent will love that you asked.
The ten questions
A captive agent can only sell you their employer’s product, whether or not it fits. An independent broker shops the market. Good answer: I am independent and contracted with multiple carriers.
If the answer is one, you are getting a pitch, not a comparison. I compare 25 carriers before recommending anything.
The single most important policy question. Some agents sell guaranteed issue with a two-year wait to people who could qualify for cheaper day-one coverage. Make them say it out loud.
The right answer is yes, to the penny. Walk away from anything age-banded, where the price climbs every five years.
Whole life stays level forever. Some term and accidental products quietly reduce coverage as you age.
Term can expire before you do. For final expenses, whole life is almost always the right tool. Make the agent name which one it is.
You want to hear about the grace period, usually 31 days, and reinstatement options. An honest agent explains how to keep the policy alive, because a lapsed policy helps nobody.
You sign what the agent submits. If they fudge an answer to get you approved, your family pays for it during the contestability period. Review every health answer before you sign.
Brokers are paid by the insurance company, not by you, and you pay the same premium with or without a broker. Any agent who dodges this question is hiding something.
Every legitimate agent has an NPN you can verify through state insurance records. Mine is 8895251. If an agent will not give you theirs, hang up.
My answers, for the record
Independent broker. 25 carriers compared on every quote. I tell you plainly whether your policy is day-one or graded, the premiums I quote are locked for life, I only recommend whole life for final expenses, I am paid by carriers and never by you, and my NPN is 8895251. That is the standard. Hold every agent to it, including me.
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See My RatesFive more questions that reveal a lot
The first ten questions are about the policy. These five are about the person selling it to you.
1. Are you an independent broker, or do you work for one company? An independent broker can shop many carriers for you. An agent tied to a single company can only offer what that one company sells. Both can be honest — but only one can compare.
2. How do you get paid? Agents earn a commission from the insurance company, not from you. A good one will say so plainly. You should never be charged a separate fee for help buying a policy.
3. Which carrier is best for my health, and why? If the answer is the same company every time, no matter what you say about your health, treat that as a warning sign.
4. What happens if my health changes after I am approved? With whole life burial insurance, the answer should be “nothing.” Your rate and coverage are locked in for life.
5. Can you put the quote in writing? A real quote can be emailed or mailed. Pressure to decide “today only” usually means the deal was never that good.
What a good agent should ask you
The questions go both ways. Before anyone can recommend the right plan, they need to understand you.
Expect to be asked your age, your state, whether you use tobacco, and a short list of health questions. On a burial insurance application there is no medical exam — just those questions.
You should also be asked what you want the money to do. Covering a funeral is the usual goal. The national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial was about $8,300, and closer to $6,300 for a funeral with cremation, in the most recent industry price study. If you also want to leave a little extra for final bills or a gift to a grandchild, say so — that changes how much coverage makes sense.
An agent who skips these questions and jumps straight to “sign here” is selling a product, not solving your problem.
How to compare two quotes side by side
Once you have two or three quotes, comparing them is simple if you line up the same four things.
The coverage amount. Make sure every quote is for the same amount — say, $10,000 — or the prices are not comparable.
The monthly payment. This is the number most people watch, and it matters. But it only means something when the coverage amount and plan type match.
The plan type. A plan with full coverage from day one should not be compared against a guaranteed acceptance plan with a two-year wait as if they were the same. They are not.
The company behind it. You want a carrier that will still be around decades from now to pay the claim. Any agent should be able to tell you the insurer’s financial rating.
When two quotes match on all four, the cheaper one wins. When they do not match, the cheapest quote is often cheapest for a reason.
Take your time — the offer will still be there
Burial insurance is not a limited-time deal. The rates are filed with your state and do not change from day to day. If someone tells you a price is good only for the next hour, that is a sales tactic, not a fact.
It is perfectly reasonable to ask for a quote in writing, sleep on it, talk it over with family, and call back. A broker who respects that is one worth working with. If you would rather see real numbers for your age and health first, you can compare rates online and go from there.
What “no medical exam” really means
People hear “no medical exam” and worry there is a catch. There usually is not, but it helps to know what the phrase covers.
It means no nurse visit, no blood draw, and no urine sample. What it does not mean is “no questions at all.” Most burial insurance plans still ask a short list of yes-or-no health questions, and your honest answers decide which plan and price you qualify for.
Answer those questions carefully. If a policy is issued based on wrong answers, the insurance company can review the claim during the first two years and reduce or deny it. Telling the truth up front is what protects your family later.
If your health makes those questions hard to pass, that is exactly when a guaranteed acceptance plan — which asks no health questions at all — can be the right tool. A good broker will point you there instead of forcing a plan you cannot qualify for.
When to get a second opinion
You would not buy the first car on the lot without checking another dealer. The same rule applies here.
If a quote feels high for your age, if the health questions seem tougher than you expected, or if you simply are not sure you are being shown the best carrier, get a second quote from a different independent broker. Because burial insurance rates are set by each company and filed with your state, the same person can get very different prices from different carriers.
Comparing is free, it costs you nothing but a few minutes, and it is the single best way to make sure you are not overpaying for the rest of your life.
The Bottom Line
The questions above exist to protect you from the three things that cause the most regret later: a waiting period you did not expect, a premium that climbs as you age, and a benefit that shrinks over time. An agent who answers all ten clearly and without pressure is one worth working with.
If you cannot get a straight answer on whether your plan is level, graded, or guaranteed issue — or on which carrier is actually issuing the policy — treat that as a reason to slow down. A good independent broker compares several A-rated carriers for you, explains the trade-offs plainly, and charges you nothing for the help.