Final Expense University Chapter 4

Do I need Final Xxpense insurance?

That depends. If you already have term or whole life insurance, your loved ones can use your existing policy to pay final expenses. If you have term life insurance and you outlive the policy’s term, you may want to consider final expense insurance at that point.

Alternatively, if your family will have plenty of assets to work with when you die, you could use what’s called “self-insurance.” “Self-insurance” is one of those terms that sounds more complicated than it is. To self-insure is just to use your own money rather than use a life insurance payout.

Could your family self-insure for your final expenses? It’s a good idea to figure around $15,000 for total funeral expenses, but what about other expenses? Will there be costs associated with possibly bringing the family together after the memorial service or a trip to the deceased favorite spot where they requested their ashes to be scattered?

Could there also be medical bills or other debt left unpaid upon death? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, final expense insurance may be right for you.

Not to be the bearer of bad news… But it’s probably best not to count on the lump sum death payment from Social Security to pick up the slack. It’s only $255 and may not be available as soon as you need the funds.