Worried About Funeral Costs? Final Expense in Colorado
A traditional funeral with viewing and burial had a national median cost of $8,300 in NFDA's latest study, before the cemetery. Here is how final expense insurance can cover it.
Key takeaways
- The National Funeral Directors Association's 2023 study put the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial at $8,300, and with viewing and cremation at $6,280.
- Those medians leave out the cemetery plot, monument or marker, and cash-advance items such as flowers and obituaries.
- Final expense insurance is a small whole life policy meant to pay these bills. It is subject to underwriting, and some policies have a waiting period before the full benefit is paid.
- For eligible veterans, VA lists a $1,032 burial allowance and $1,032 plot allowance for deaths on or after October 1, 2026, and Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver has space for burials.
Most people who ask us about final expense insurance are not thinking about themselves. They are thinking about their children: who will pay for the funeral, and whether the family will have to scramble for money in the same week they are grieving.
A funeral is one of the largest bills many families face with little notice. The bill arrives quickly, often before an estate is settled or a bank account can be unlocked. Final expense insurance exists to put a known amount of cash in your family's hands for exactly that moment.
Below we lay out what funerals and burials cost based on the most recent national figures we could verify, what is often left out of those numbers, how final expense coverage works, and how it compares with paying from savings or a prepaid plan. We take a commonsense approach: we ask questions, listen to your answers, and only then recommend coverage.
How much does a funeral and burial cost?
A funeral with viewing and burial had a national median cost of $8,300 in the 2023 NFDA General Price List Study, up from $7,848 two years earlier. A funeral with viewing and cremation had a median of $6,280, up from $5,810. These are the most recent national figures from the NFDA that we could verify, and they are not Colorado-specific.
Source: National Funeral Directors Association, 2023 General Price List Study (released December 8, 2023). Excludes cemetery, monument or marker and cash-advance charges.
What costs are easy to forget?
The items outside the funeral home's package are the ones families most often underestimate. Ask for prices on each before you settle on a coverage amount.
- Cemetery costs: the plot or niche, opening and closing the grave, and any required outer burial container.
- Monument or marker: the headstone and its installation.
- Cash advances: items the funeral home pays for you and bills back, such as flowers, obituary notices and death certificate copies.
- Travel and gathering: family travel, a reception after the service.
- Final bills: the last medical bills, utilities and other small debts that need cash right away.
You have rights when you shop. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, a funeral home must give you price information on the telephone if you ask, give you a General Price List to keep, show you a casket price list before you see caskets, and let you provide a casket or urn you buy elsewhere. You can also arrange a funeral without embalming and use an alternative container for cremation.
What is final expense insurance?
Final expense insurance is a small whole life insurance policy, usually with a face amount sized to cover a funeral and final bills. When you die, the benefit is paid to the person you name, who can use it for the funeral, the cemetery or anything else.
| Type | How you qualify | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Simplified issue | A short set of health questions, no medical exam | Full benefit from day one if approved at the standard level |
| Graded benefit | Health questions; some answers lead to a graded policy | A reduced benefit for death from illness in the first years |
| Guaranteed issue | No health questions within the age limits | Usually a waiting period before the full benefit for death from illness |
Coverage is subject to underwriting, and premiums depend on your age, health and the amount you choose. Final expense is protection, not an investment: buy it for the death benefit your family will receive.
Is final expense insurance better than savings or a prepaid funeral?
Each path can work. The right one depends on how much you already have set aside, your health, and how much flexibility your family will need.
Final expense insurance
- Pays a set amount to the person you name
- Money can be used at any funeral home, or for other bills
- Premiums for life; benefit can be reduced early on under graded or guaranteed policies
Savings or a prepaid funeral
- Savings stay yours and flexible, but may be needed for other things first
- A prepaid plan locks in choices with one funeral home
- Ask what happens to a prepaid plan if you move or the home changes hands
Many families use a mix: savings for part of the cost and a modest final expense policy so the funeral does not depend on how much is left in the bank at the end.
What burial benefits do Colorado veterans have?
If the person who died was a veteran, check VA benefits before you decide how much coverage you need. VA's burial allowance page lists a $1,032 burial allowance and a $1,032 plot allowance for deaths on or after October 1, 2026, for eligible situations, and the page also lists a separate maximum of $2,000. Eligibility depends on the veteran's service and circumstances, so confirm with VA.
- VA burial allowance, deaths on or after Oct 1, 2026 (eligible situations)
- $1,032
- VA plot allowance, same date
- $1,032
- Fort Logan National Cemetery, 4400 W Kenyon Avenue
- Denver
Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver has space available for both casketed and cremated remains. Families still pay for the funeral home's services, so a veteran may need less coverage, not none.
How much final expense coverage should I buy?
Start with the funeral you want, price it, add the cemetery and the extras, then subtract what is already set aside. The gap is your coverage target.
- Decide burial or cremation and the kind of service you want.
- Call two local funeral homes and ask for their General Price List. You are entitled to prices by phone.
- Add cemetery, marker and cash-advance items.
- Subtract savings, any existing life insurance and veterans benefits.
- Choose a premium you can keep paying for life. A policy you can afford at 80 is worth more than a larger one you drop.
The bottom line
A funeral with viewing and burial had a national median cost of $8,300 in the NFDA's latest study, before the cemetery, marker and extras. Price your own plan, subtract savings and any veterans benefits, and choose a final expense policy whose premium you can keep for life so your family has cash when they need it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a funeral cost in the United States?
The National Funeral Directors Association's 2023 study found a national median of $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial and $6,280 with viewing and cremation. Cemetery, marker and cash-advance costs are extra.
What is the difference between final expense and burial insurance?
They are usually two names for the same thing: a small whole life policy meant to cover a funeral and final bills. The benefit goes to the person you name, who can use it as needed.
Can I get final expense insurance without a medical exam?
Often yes. Simplified issue policies ask health questions but have no exam, and guaranteed issue policies ask no health questions, usually with a waiting period before the full benefit for death from illness.
Does the VA pay for a veteran's funeral?
VA can pay a burial allowance and a plot allowance in eligible situations. For deaths on or after October 1, 2026, VA lists $1,032 for each. Burial in a national cemetery such as Fort Logan in Denver is also available to eligible veterans.
Sources
- 2023 NFDA General Price List Study (news release) National Funeral Directors Association
- FTC: The FTC Funeral Rule Federal Trade Commission
- VA: Veterans burial allowance and transportation benefits U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Fort Logan National Cemetery U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration
Please note: Final expense, annuity and supplemental products are subject to underwriting and carrier approval. Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing company. Nothing on this site is tax, legal or investment advice. This article is general information, not medical, tax or legal advice.
