Two medians worth knowing
The National Funeral Directors Association's 2023 General Price List Study put the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial at $8,300, and a funeral with viewing and cremation at $6,280. Both are national figures, not Hawaii prices, and neither includes cemetery, plot, monument or marker costs.
The gap between the two is a useful starting point for choosing a face amount. A burial usually brings more costs beyond the funeral home, such as a plot, an opening and closing fee, and a headstone. A cremation may still involve a service, an urn or a place to keep the remains.
If you are leaning toward burial
With a burial, add the cemetery side to the funeral home's bill. Find out what a plot, a grave marker and the opening and closing of the grave would cost where you'd like to be buried. Some families already own a plot, which changes the math. Once you know those costs, you can choose a face amount that covers the parts that aren't already paid for.
Talk to a licensed agent: (949) 807-3995
If you are leaning toward cremation
Cremation can still include a viewing, a memorial service and a reception. Think about whether you want an urn, a niche or a scattering, and whether family will travel. A smaller face amount may cover it, but leaving a little extra for final bills can help your beneficiary.
Either way, final expense insurance is a smaller whole life policy meant for funeral costs and final bills. Premiums are usually level and coverage doesn't expire as long as premiums are paid. Face amounts often range from a few thousand dollars up to about $50,000, and the benefit goes to your beneficiary, who decides how to use it.
Which plan you are offered depends on your health answers rather than your funeral plans. Many insurers ask a short list of health questions and check prescription history. If you qualify for a level benefit plan, the full benefit is usually paid from the first day. Graded plans pay a reduced benefit for natural death in the first two or three years, and guaranteed issue plans, which ask no health questions, usually pay a limited benefit for natural death in the first two years.
Calling from Hawaii
Eterna's agents take calls every day, 9am to 9pm Eastern time. Hawaii doesn't change its clocks, so in Hawaii that is 4am to 4pm from November to early March and 3am to 3pm the rest of the year. Morning is the easiest time to reach an agent.
Eterna is an independent insurance agency. Its licensed agents help Hawaii residents compare plans from several insurers, and the policy is issued by the insurer you choose. On the call, the agent asks your age, whether you're planning a burial or cremation, the amount you have in mind and the health questions, then compares quotes from several insurers. You can apply by phone. The quote is free, there's no obligation, and plans, prices and availability vary by state, insurer, age and health.
An agent's license can be looked up through the Hawaii Insurance Division at https://cca.hawaii.gov/ins/. The division also regulates insurers and takes consumer questions and complaints.
