Gerber Life is the stronger pick for most burial insurance shoppers because it shows you a clear dollar face amount upfront. Colonial Penn uses a unit-based pricing model that can make it hard to know exactly how much coverage you’re buying until you do the math. Both companies offer guaranteed acceptance whole life policies with no medical exam, but they work very differently.
Gerber Life vs Colonial Penn: Quick Burial Insurance Comparison
The table below compares the two carriers across the details that matter most when you’re shopping for final expense coverage.
| Feature | Gerber Life | Colonial Penn |
|---|---|---|
| Policy type | Guaranteed issue whole life | Guaranteed acceptance whole life |
| Acceptance rules | No medical exam, no health questions | No medical exam, no health questions |
| How coverage is priced | Fixed face amount (e.g. $5,000 to $25,000) | Unit-based: each unit costs a set monthly premium but buys less coverage as you age |
| Waiting period | 2-year graded death benefit | 2-year graded death benefit |
| Who it fits | Shoppers who want to know their exact coverage amount | Shoppers comfortable doing unit-to-dollar math |
Both policies include cash value accumulation and level premiums that never increase after issue.
Is Gerber Life Or Colonial Penn Better For Burial Insurance?
Gerber Life is better for most shoppers because it states a clear dollar face amount, while Colonial Penn requires unit-to-dollar math to confirm actual coverage.
That said, “better” depends on your situation. If you’ve seen Colonial Penn’s TV ads and already have a quote in hand, it’s worth doing the unit math before dismissing it. The graded death benefit rules are essentially the same at both companies, so neither has a meaningful edge on waiting periods. Where Gerber Life consistently stands out is in straightforward policy design: the face amount you see when you apply is the face amount printed on the policy.
How Does Gerber Life Burial Insurance Work?
Gerber Life sells guaranteed issue whole life insurance for final expenses, meaning no health questions, no medical exam, and no denial for health history.
Coverage Amounts and Age Bands
Gerber Life’s guaranteed issue whole life policy is available to applicants between the ages of 50 and 80. Coverage amounts range from $5,000 to $25,000. Your premium is based on your age at the time of application, your gender, and the face amount you choose. Those premiums are locked in for life once the policy is issued.
Graded Death Benefit Explained
Like most guaranteed issue burial insurance, Gerber Life uses a graded death benefit during the first two years. If the insured dies from natural causes in that window, the policy pays beneficiaries the total premiums paid plus interest rather than the full face amount. Deaths from accidental causes are typically covered at the full face amount from day one. After the two-year period passes, the full death benefit applies regardless of cause.
Cash Value
Because Gerber Life’s burial policy is a whole life product, it builds cash value over time. The cash value grows slowly in the early years and can be borrowed against if needed, though any outstanding loan reduces the death benefit paid to your family.
How Does Colonial Penn Burial Insurance Work?
Colonial Penn sells guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance priced in units, with no health questions or medical exam, matching Gerber Life’s basic acceptance promise.
What Is a Unit?
Here’s where Colonial Penn requires more attention. You don’t choose a dollar face amount directly. Instead, you buy units of coverage, and each unit has a fixed monthly premium. The problem is that each unit buys fewer dollars of coverage as you get older. Two people paying the same monthly premium could hold very different face amounts because one applicant is 55 and the other is 72.
To know exactly how much coverage you’re purchasing, you need to look up the dollar value of one unit at your specific age.
Acceptance and Waiting Period
Colonial Penn’s guaranteed acceptance policy carries the same two-year graded benefit structure as Gerber Life. During those first two years, a natural-cause death results in a return of premiums plus interest, not the full face amount. After that window, the full benefit pays.
Gerber Life Burial Insurance Pros And Cons
Pros
- Face amount is stated clearly in dollars from the start
- No health questions or medical exam required
- Coverage available from $5,000 to $25,000
- Premiums are fixed for life
- Policy builds cash value
- Available to applicants age 50 to 80
Cons
- Coverage tops out at $25,000, which may not fully cover all funeral and final expense costs in high-cost areas
- Two-year graded death benefit applies to natural-cause deaths
- Not available above age 80
Best For
Gerber Life’s burial insurance is best for shoppers between 50 and 80 who want a simple, clearly stated death benefit without any medical underwriting. It’s also a good fit for adult children helping an aging parent pick a policy quickly without confusion.
Colonial Penn Burial Insurance Pros And Cons
Pros
- Heavily advertised with high name recognition
- No health questions or medical exam
- Guaranteed acceptance regardless of health history
- Fixed monthly premium per unit
Cons
- Unit pricing model makes it hard to compare coverage amounts without doing additional math
- Coverage per unit decreases with age, so older applicants get less value per premium dollar
- The same monthly outlay buys significantly less coverage at 75 than at 55
Best For
Colonial Penn tends to fit people who are already familiar with the brand from TV advertising and who take the time to calculate their actual face amount before signing up. It’s not the easiest product to evaluate at a glance.
What Do Burial Policies Cost At Each Company?
Burial insurance premiums at Gerber Life and Colonial Penn depend on three factors: your age at application, your gender, and your chosen coverage amount.
Gerber Life Pricing
With Gerber Life, pricing is direct. You choose a face amount between $5,000 and $25,000, and the company quotes you a monthly premium based on your age band and gender. Older applicants pay more, and women typically pay less than men of the same age because of actuarial life expectancy differences. Premiums do not increase after the policy is issued.
Colonial Penn Pricing
Colonial Penn advertises a flat monthly cost per unit, often around $9.95 per unit. But because each unit’s face amount shrinks as you age, comparing the actual cost-per-thousand-dollars of coverage between Colonial Penn and Gerber Life requires you to look up the current unit values by age.
If you’re shopping for burial insurance and want to see actual numbers side by side, comparing burial insurance quotes online lets you put real dollar amounts next to each other.
The Core Pricing Difference
Gerber Life makes cost-per-dollar-of-coverage obvious. Colonial Penn makes you calculate it. For most shoppers, especially those helping an elderly parent choose a policy on a tight timeline, the clearer format is genuinely more useful.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Gerber Life for a clear stated face amount; choose Colonial Penn only after you confirm exactly how much coverage each unit buys.
If You Have Health Issues and Need Guaranteed Acceptance
Both carriers offer guaranteed acceptance with no health questions. Neither one can turn you down based on medical history. In this case, the choice comes down to which policy structure you find easier to work with, and Gerber Life’s fixed face amount typically makes that comparison straightforward.
If You Want a Clear Face Amount
Choose Gerber Life. The face amount is stated in dollars from the moment you apply. Your family knows exactly what they’ll receive after the two-year graded period ends. There’s no unit conversion needed.
If You’re Shopping on a Tight Budget
Both carriers have entry-level price points. But the way to compare them on budget is to calculate cost-per-thousand-dollars of coverage, not monthly premium alone. A $9.95 unit buys meaningfully less coverage at age 72 than at age 55, so two buyers paying the same premium can hold very different face amounts. At Gerber Life, you can start with a $5,000 face amount and know exactly what you’re paying for it. On a budget, knowing what you’re buying matters as much as what you’re paying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Gerber Life burial insurance have a waiting period?
Yes. Gerber Life’s guaranteed issue whole life policy includes a two-year graded death benefit. If the insured dies from a natural cause during the first two years, beneficiaries receive the total premiums paid plus interest rather than the full face amount. Deaths caused by accidents are typically covered at the full face amount from the policy’s effective date.
How much coverage does one Colonial Penn unit buy?
The dollar amount per unit depends on your age at the time you apply. Colonial Penn charges a fixed monthly premium per unit, but each unit purchases less coverage the older you are. A 55-year-old buying one unit gets more coverage than a 72-year-old paying the same monthly premium.
Can you be turned down for guaranteed acceptance burial insurance?
No. Both Gerber Life and Colonial Penn offer guaranteed acceptance policies with no medical exam and no health questions. As long as you fall within the eligible age range and apply in a state where the policy is offered, you will be accepted. The tradeoff is the two-year graded death benefit that applies to natural-cause deaths early in the policy.
Does burial insurance build cash value?
Yes, both Gerber Life and Colonial Penn sell whole life burial insurance policies, and whole life products accumulate cash value over time. The growth is slow in the early years. You can typically borrow against the cash value if you need to, but any unpaid loan balance reduces the death benefit your beneficiaries receive when you pass away.