Written by Anthony Martin Fact Checked by Jeff Root & David Duford
Anthony Martin is a nationally licensed insurance expert with over ten years of experience and has personally served over 10,000 clients with their life insurance needs. He frequently authors entrepreneurial and life insurance content for Forbes, Inc.com, Newsweek, Kiplinger, and Entreprenuer.com. Anthony has been consulted as an expert life insurance source for dozens of high-profile websites such as Forbes, Bankrate, Reuters, Fox Business, CNBC, Investopedia, Insurance.com, Yahoo Finance, and many more.
Jeff Root is a nationally licensed life insurance expert with over 15 years of experience. He has personally helped over 3000 clients with their life insurance needs. Jeff is a best-selling Amazon author and the managing partner of a highly successful insurance brokerage that manages over 2,500 licensed insurance agents across the USA. He has been a featured life insurance source for prestigious websites such as Forbes, Bloomberg, MarketWatch, Nerdwallet, and many more.
David Duford is a nationally licensed insurance expert with over ten years of experience. He has personally helped more than 1500 clients buy life insurance. David has been featured as an expert source for highly authoritative publications such as A.M. Best and Insurancenewsnet. He also runs one of the largest Youtube channels to help aspiring insurance agents serve their clients better.
Fact Checked
This article has been thoroughly reviewed by the author and third-party life insurance experts to ensure it adheres to our quality standards for accurate and honest advice.
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Our mission is to provide credible content written and fact-checked by verifiable experts to educate consumers like yourself. All content is regularly updated and reviewed to ensure the highest degree of accuracy. We do earn a commission from the sale of insurance products seen on this website. That said, our evaluations, commentary, opinions, and recommendations are not influenced by monetary gain. We always suggest what’s best for each customer rather than what makes us the most money.
Learn more about our editorial standards.
Compensation Disclosure
As an independent insurance agency, Choice Mutual gets paid a commission from our insurance partners every time we sell a policy. Without us, the insurance companies would not have a customer. Your policy does not cost more because we helped you, and our advisory services cost you nothing. The exact amount we get paid for each sale varies depending on the applicant’s age, health, and the specific product applied for. We never recommend products based on which one pays us the most. We suggest products based on the needs and desires of the applicant. It’s also worth noting that we pay our sales agents a salary rather than on a commission-only basis. Choice Mutual does not earn money via selling sales leads or data to third parties, referring users to other websites, displaying ads on our website, or other means.
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Licensing Disclosure
Choice Mutual is a licensed insurance agency authorized to sell insurance in all 50 U.S. states, including D.C. You can verify our license and lines of authority on our licenses page.
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Overall Score
Choice Mutual’s ratings are determined by a review formula that weights the following four factors to determine a score between 0 and 5:
Factor | Score Value |
Price of Coverage | 40% |
No-Waiting-Period CoverageNo Waiting Period | 20% |
Financial Strength | 20% |
NAIC Complaint Index | 20% |
Overall Maximum | 100% |
Our ratings are tested with scoring model 1.1, a review formula that ensures consistency and accuracy in our assessments.
1.5 out of 5
Rating methodology
2.0
Price of Coverage
Price of Coverage
40% of overall score
Using this quote calculator, we compare the price of the insurer’s coverage to competitors with equivalent products. The score they receive is based on how close their price is to those three least expensive providers:
- 50-5% more expensive
- 46-10% more expensive
- 311-20% more expensive
- 221-30% more expensive
- 1≥ 40% more expensive
Download price audit
1.0
No-Waiting-Period CoverageNo Waiting Period
No-Waiting-Period Coverage
20% of overall score
This scoring factor assesses whether an insurer offers coverage with no waiting period and, if so, how difficult it is to qualify for it. If an insurer does not provide coverage with no waiting period, it gets an automatic 1. A score from 2 to 5 indicates that immediate coverage is possible, and the higher the rating, the easier it is for the average applicant to qualify for it.
- 5Most applicants qualify
- 4Fairly easy qualification
- 3Somewhat difficult qualification
- 2Very difficult qualification
- 1No-waiting-period coverage unavailable
4.0
Financial Strength
Financial Strength
20% of overall score
Our financial strength scores are based on A.M. Best’s Financial Strength Ratings (FSR), which measure an insurer’s financial strength and ability to meet its ongoing insurance policy and contract obligations. The scores they receive are based on the following scale:
- 5Superior (A+ or A++)
- 4Excellent (A- to A)
- 3Fair/Good (B- to B++)
- 2Weak/Marginal (C- to C++)
- 1Poor (D or Not Rated)
2.0
NAIC Complaint Index
NAIC Complaint Index
20% of overall score
The NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) complaint index measures how frequently an insurer obtains consumer complaints relative to a median score across all insurers. Our scoring model is based on an insurer’s NAIC complaint index for the most recently available year and for ‘Individual Life’ products:
- 50.0 - 1.0 (avg or below avg complaints)
- 41.01 - 1.5 (slightly above avg complaints)
- 31.51 - 2.0 (up to 2x avg complaints)
- 22.01 - 3.0 (up to 3x avg complaints)
- 1≥ 3.01 (more than 3x avg complaints)
Rating methodology
AAA burial insurance is a competitively priced guaranteed acceptance whole life policy with a two-year waiting period. If you need a policy without health questions, AAA is likely your best option. However, most seniors can find a policy with another company that costs less and has immediate coverage for natural or accidental death.
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Pros
- You cannot be denied due to your health history.
- It’s often the lowest-priced guaranteed issue coverage compared to other insurance companies.
- Double death benefit payout for accidental death.
Cons
- Everyone has a 24-month waiting period.
- There are no final expense insurance options for young adults under 45
- Unless you have dire health issues, you can likely get a no-waiting period burial insurance plan elsewhere.
AM Best’s Financial Strength Rating (FSR) is an independent opinion of an insurer’s financial strength and ability to meet its ongoing insurance policy and contract obligations. The scores range from A++ to D-.
Moody’s Investors Service rates the creditworthiness of companies. The Moody’s Rating Scale has 21 possible scores ranging from “Aaa” (highest mark) down to “C” (lowest mark).
S&P Global Inc. issues credit ratings on a scale from “AAA” (highest rating) to “D” (lowest rating).
Customer Review Ratings
Consumer Protection Organization Scores
2.69
The Complaint Index compares a company’s performance to other companies in the market. The National Complaint Index is always 1.00. That means a company with a complaint index of 2.00 is twice as high as expected in the market. Reported scores are for the most recently available year and for “Individual Life” products.
A+
Accredited
The BBB rating is based on information BBB is able to obtain about the business, including complaints received from the public. BBB seeks and uses information directly from businesses and from public data sources. BBB assigns ratings from A+ (highest) to F (lowest). If a business has been accredited by the BBB, it means BBB has determined that the business meets accreditation standards, which include a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints.
Policy Type
Whole Life
New Applicant Age Range
45-85
Death Benefit Options
$3,000-$25,000
States Where Available
All except NY
Builds Cash Value
Yes
Has Health Questions
No
2-Year Waiting Period
Yes
Medical Exam Required
No
Age When Policy Expires
Never
Prices Increase
Never
It’s common to associate AAA with their flagship roadside service. That’s genuinely what they are most known for. However, they started offering life insurance in 1969. They offer term, whole, and guaranteed acceptance coverage. They have excellent financial ratings and currently have 1.7 million active policies.
Founding Year
1969
Official Website
www.aaalife.com
Headquarters
17900 N Laurel Park Dr Livonia MI 48152
Phone Number
855-598-0890
How Does AAA Final Expense Insurance Work?
AAA final expense insurance is a guaranteed issue whole life insurance policy. There are no health questions, and no medical exam is required.
Per the product fact sheet on the AAA website, for the first 24 months, AAA will only refund you 130% of your premiums for non-accidental death. Like USAA burial insurance, you must live for at least two years for a AAA burial insurance plan to pay the full death benefit.
When you die, AAA will pay your beneficiaries cash (tax-free), which they can spend on anything, including funeral costs, medical or financial debts, or anything else.
The premiums never increase, the coverage won’t decrease, and it’s permanent life insurance, meaning it lasts forever.
You can apply for their coverage via mail, online, or by calling them. Also, you will save about $60 per year if you’re an existing AAA member.
How Much Does AAA Burial Insurance Cost?
AAA burial insurance can cost as low as $27 or as high as $381 monthly, depending on your age, gender, and how much coverage you choose. Below is a rate chart with some sample prices.
Age & Gender | $5,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 |
---|---|---|---|
Female age 45 | $27 | $46 | $93 |
Male age 45 | $34 | $58 | $127 |
Female age 50 | $27 | $46 | $93 |
Male age 50 | $34 | $58 | $127 |
Female age 55 | $27 | $46 | $93 |
Male age 55 | $34 | $58 | $127 |
Female age 60 | $27 | $48 | $107 |
Male age 60 | $34 | $62 | $139 |
Female age 65 | $31 | $55 | $128 |
Male age 65 | $40 | $73 | $168 |
Female age 70 | $41 | $76 | $174 |
Male age 70 | $52 | $97 | $217 |
Female age 75 | $54 | $102 | $228 |
Male age 75 | $60 | $115 | $280 |
Female age 80 | $74 | $118 | $274 |
Male age 80 | $85 | $164 | $381 |
Female age 85 | $74 | $118 | $274 |
Male age 85 | $85 | $164 | $381 |
Source for monthly prices: Choice Mutual quote calculator. Rates are calculated at a non-tobacco rating, rounded to the nearest dollar, and are valid as of 08/01/2024. |
Should You Buy AAA’s Final Expense Insurance?
AAA is a superior option if you need or prefer a policy requiring no exam or health questions. From a cost perspective, they are typically the cheapest for a guaranteed acceptance plan.
However, most seniors can obtain a policy with no waiting period from other companies that do ask questions about health. It’s important to remember that most pre-existing conditions are eligible for an immediate death benefit policy.
It’s advisable to consult with an independent agency so they can compare multiple providers to find you one that will accept your health conditions.
Article Sources
Choice Mutual often cites third-party websites to provide context and verification for specific claims made in our work. We only link to authoritative websites that provide accurate information. You can learn more about our editorial standards, which guide our mission of delivering factual and impartial content.
- product fact sheet. https://www.aaalife.com/binaries/content/assets/fact-sheet/information-sheet_giwl_23821_082522.pdf
- AAA website. https://www.aaalife.com/whole-life-insurance/guaranteed-issue-whole-life
- roadside service. https://roadside.aaa.com/
- in 1969. https://www.aaalife.com/about-us
- A.M. Best. https://ratings.ambest.com/CompanyProfile.aspx?BL=0&ambnum=7424&AltNum=21727424&AltSrc=3
- BBB. https://www.bbb.org/us/mi/livonia/profile/life-insurance/aaa-life-insurance-company-0332-32019419
- Trustpilot. https://www.trustpilot.com/review/aaalife.com
- Google. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=aaa+life+Michigan#lrd=0x8824b27041bac465:0x353ccf886df6c7a5,1,,,,
- Yelp. https://www.yelp.com/biz/aaa-life-insurance-livonia
- Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/AAALifeInsuranceCompany/reviews_given
- NAIC Complaint Index. https://content.naic.org/cis_refined_results.htm?TABLEAU=CIS_COMPLAINTS&COCODE=71854&REALM=PROD&COCODE=71854&REALM=PROD
- BBB Score & Accreditation. https://www.bbb.org/us/mi/livonia/profile/life-insurance/aaa-life-insurance-company-0332-32019419
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