The Royal Neighbors Society has a long, interesting history in the life insurance market. Officially known as Royal Neighbors of America, Royal Neighbors Life Insurance was one of the first companies to offer policies to women and children.
Since their founding in the late 1800s, Royal Neighbors has expanded and adapted their life insurance catalog to meet current needs. They now offer two types of burial insurance, a low-cost type of whole life insurance designed to cover seniors and provide payouts for their needs.
If you’re interested in burial insurance, you’re in the right place. Final Expense Benefits is an expert burial insurance agency that works with over 20 of the top senior burial insurance providers, including Royal Neighbors.
If you’re interested in learning more about Royal Neighbors Life Insurance or any of your other burial insurance providers, call us at (866) 786-0725, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. To check how much coverage you may need or how much it could cost, check our free online funeral cost calculator and burial insurance quoting tool.
Key takeaways
Royal Neighbors was founded as a fraternal Society in 1895 and was one of the first insurers to offer life insurance to women and children.
Today, Royal Neighbors Life Insurance is available to everyone, though their policies are somewhat limited.
Royal Neighbors’ simplified-issue whole life policy is a great choice for seniors with minor health concerns looking for affordable coverage.
Royal Neighbors’ other policies are limited and may not be available in your state.
What Is Royal Neighbors Life Insurance?
Founded as a women’s social club in 1888, Royal Neighbors of America was officially listed as a fraternal Society in 1895.
The women who founded the club decided to address a major issue in the growing life insurance market: as life insurance gained popularity across the late 1800s, most providers didn’t offer coverage to women and children.
Royal Neighbors aimed to create life insurance not just for men, but for women and children, and was one of the first American life insurance companies to cover them. Royal Neighbors moved to their current headquarters in a historic building in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1908.
Though they initially only offered life insurance to women and children, they’ve since expanded their offerings to include coverage for men. Despite this, Royal Neighbors still requires Society membership to be eligible for their policies.
Royal Neighbors Society Membership
Royal Neighbors handles membership applications on their website, and to qualify for their financial products, including life insurance and annuities, you must be a Society member. You’re automatically enrolled in the Society at no extra charge if you open a life insurance policy with Royal Neighbors.
They remain a non-profit fraternal organization with a commitment to supporting women. In addition to their senior financial services, Royal Neighbors provides several Society member benefits and performs consistent community outreach services. But how is their life insurance?
Royal Neighbors Life Insurance Options
Royal Neighbors offers two types of burial insurance, plus term life insurance. Here’s more information on each of their policies.
1
Simplified Issue Whole Life Policy
Also called final expense insurance, burial insurance is a type of whole life insurance designed to cover seniors’ needs with affordability and accessibility in mind. Most burial insurance policies have simple, relaxed medical underwriting that allows seniors with pre-existing medical conditions to qualify for low-cost coverage.
Royal Neighbors’ main burial insurance policy is called the Simplified Issue Whole Life (SIWL) plan. It’s a simple final expense plan with no waiting period, and benefit payouts range from $7,000 to $50,000.
Simplified issue policies are often great for seniors because they offer quick underwriting turnaround thanks to this policy’s simplified underwriting, meaning your application could be approved same-day. Though the application will ask medical questions, Royal Neighbors SIWL doesn’t require a medical exam. The best part: the entire application can be done over the phone with a licensed Final Expense Benefits life insurance professional.
Some common conditions eligible for Royal Neighbors SIWL coverage include, but are not limited to:
- Cancer within last two years
- Type 1 or 2 diabetes
- Heart attack within last two years
- Obesity
Most no-wait policies permit fewer health conditions than this plan. Seniors with health concerns that may give them trouble finding coverage could be eligible for Royal Neighbors burial insurance. However, some serious conditions may disqualify you from finding coverage with the SIWL plan. For those with more serious health concerns, Royal Neighbors offers a limited graded burial insurance policy.
2
Graded Whole Life Policy
Even with generous underwriting, no-wait plans don’t accept all health conditions. This is where guaranteed and graded life insurance comes in handy.
Also known as modified life insurance, graded policies allow for a wider range of health concerns and often have near-guaranteed acceptance. However, these policies come with higher rates, limited flexibility, and waiting periods that could delay or reduce payouts.
Royal Neighbors’ graded policy, like nearly every modified plan, has a mandatory two-year waiting period. If the policyholder dies within the policy’s first two years, the payout will be delayed. In addition, payouts for the graded whole life policy are limited to just $7,000 to $10,000. These policies are only available in Connecticut, Florida, and North Dakota.
3
Royal Neighbors Term Life Insurance
Term life insurance provides larger death benefits and cheaper rates than most whole life insurance, but only covers for a set period. Term life insurance is commonly used by young adults as income replacement in case of death. It’s not the best fit for seniors’ needs because they risk outliving their coverage and normally only qualify for high rates.
Royal Neighbors term life insurance payouts range from $50,000 to $5 million, and these policies are available in 10, 15, and 30-year terms. Like most term plans, medical eligibility is restrictive, and accepts applicants between 18 and 65.
Royal Neighbors Life Insurance Availability
Though their policies are simple, availability for Royal Neighbors Life Insurance is quite limited. The simplified issue plan is the least restrictive. It’s available from ages 50 to 80, but isn’t sold in Alaska, Alabama, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York.
The graded plan has similar limitations. It’s only available to seniors ages 50 to 75, and is only available in three states: Connecticut, Florida, and North Dakota. Additionally, Royal Neighbors does not sell their life insurance directly, only through licensed agencies, including Final Expense Benefits.
Call us to learn more about your Royal Neighbors Life Insurance coverage options at (866) 786-0725, or check our free online quoting tool for a no-cost pricing estimate.
How Much Does Royal Neighbors Life Insurance Cost?
Royal Neighbors Life Insurance rates are about industry standard, though with a major drawback. Their burial insurance policies allow applicants starting at age 50, but rates for 50-year-old applicants are around 20% higher than those of our top-rated insurance partners.
Beyond age 50, Royal Neighbors’ rates are nearer to industry averages. Here are sample rates for Royal Neighbors burial insurance, calculated using applicants with no pre-existing health concerns:
| Age & Gender | Monthly Rate ($5,000 Benefit) | Monthly Rate ($10,000 Benefit) | Monthly Rate ($20,000 Benefit) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
50 / Female |
$19 |
$34 |
$64 |
|
50 / Male |
$22 |
$39 |
$74 |
|
60 / Female |
$21 |
$38 |
$72 |
|
60 / Male |
$28 |
$51 |
$98 |
|
70 / Female |
$32 |
$61 |
$117 |
|
70 / Male |
$42 |
$79 |
$154 |
These figures are estimates only, based on Royal Neighbors burial insurance rates with no applicant pre-existing conditions.
Burial Insurance Rates from Our Other Top-Rated Partners
We recommend burial insurance so much thanks to its affordability. Here are rates from some of our other top-rated partner providers:
| Company |
Male 50y/o |
Female 50y/o |
Male 60y/o |
Female 60y/o |
Male 70y/o |
Female 70y/o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$34 |
$27 |
$50 |
$40 |
$70 |
$56 |
|
|
$31 |
$26 |
$43 |
$35 |
$71 |
$53 |
|
|
$31 |
$24 |
$44 |
$33 |
$75 |
$53 |
|
|
$34 |
$29 |
$45 |
$35 |
$79 |
$59 |
|
|
$33 |
$26 |
$48 |
$36 |
$82 |
$58 |
These rates are calculated for a $10,000 burial insurance policy, using a non-smoking applicant with no pre-existing health conditions.
If you’re interested in Royal Neighbors or any of our other top-rated life insurance partners, contact Final Expense Benefits today.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Relaxed underwriting
Royal Neighbors Simplified-Issue Whole Life plan has relaxed underwriting, meaning this policy may approve applications from seniors with health conditions that disqualify them from other insurers. - Fraternal Society member benefits
Royal Neighbors remains a fraternal Society whose members enjoy a wide range of benefits, such as discounts on medical and travel services. - Included life insurance rider
Royal Neighbors includes a built-in terminal illness rider with their simplified issue and graded plans. This optional life insurance rider pays up to 75% of the policy’s payout value to the policyholder if they are diagnosed with a terminal illness with less than a year to live. They also offer an optional accidental death rider that doubles the payout if the policyholder dies in an accident.
Cons
- State exclusions
Royal Neighbors’ simplified issue plan isn’t available in several states, and the graded plan is available in only Connecticut, Florida, and North Dakota. - Must be a member
To qualify for Royal Neighbors life insurance, you need to be a fraternal organization member. Membership can be free, but still requires sending an application to Royal Neighbors. - Noncompetitive rates
We typically recommend seniors lock up burial insurance as soon as possible; most insurers allow burial insurance applicants starting around age 50. However, Royal Neighbors’ rates at ages 50 through 60 are pricier than our other top partners. Past age 60, Royal Neighbor’s prices are closer to industry standards. - High minimum benefit
Most insurers offer final expense insurance with a minimum death benefit around $2,000 to $5,000. The minimum for Royal Neighbors final expense insurance is $7,000. - Mixed customer service reviews
Royal Neighbors insurance reviews are mixed. In particular, customers criticize their customer service and claim resolution. Some praise the service department and clearly are longtime customers, but others warn of hidden fees, difficulty with cancelling policies, and overwhelming paperwork when claiming benefits. - Limited graded final expense plan
Their graded plan is often only needed for people in dire health, but it’s exceptionally limited. Though it has a high benefit floor at $7,000, its maximum is just $10,000. This plan is also unavailable in most states and has high rates to go with its mandatory 2-year waiting period.
Royal Neighbors Life Insurance Reviews: Third-Party Rating Services
1
AM Best Rating
AM Best is a third-party agency that assesses insurance companies’ credit and ability to fulfill financial obligations. Currently, Royal Neighbors’ AM Best Rating is an A.
This high AM Best rating indicates they believe Royal Neighbors has a strong, improving financial basis.
2
NAIC Rating
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) records complaints against life insurers on their yearly complaint index, with the overall goal to protect consumers. Their rating scale ranges from 0 to 10. 1 is the average customer complaint rating, and companies should aim to be rated below 1.
Royal Neighbors’ NAIC rating is 1.91, indicating above-average complaint rates.
3
BBB Rating
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) evaluates businesses’ trustworthiness by tracking customer complaints. They also offer complaint resolution services for customers and businesses. Based on complaints and resolutions, they rate companies on a scale from A+ to F.
The BBB grades Royal Neighbors A+, and Royal Neighbors is accredited by the BBB. This signifies the BBB believes Royal Neighbors exhibits exceptional ability to successfully resolve customer concerns. However, Royal Neighbors customer reviews on the BBB website are overall negative, at a 1.86 out of 5.
Royal Neighbors Life Insurance Reviews: Customer Ratings
Martha R
1/5
These people made a mistake in my billing. Took them months to correct it and now they have done it again. Their method of handling it this time…ignoring me. Don’t get involved with them. I don’t think they know what they’re there for.
Robert S
5/5
best company Ive ever seen when I comes to approving day one coverage. Royal Neighbors of American has kept my family out of debt for a long time. Thank you Royal Neighbors of America!
Lane L
5/5
They were great. After my father passed they helped process the claim very quickly. I even took out a policy for myself. Highly recommend!!
Our Royal Neighbors Life Insurance Review & Final Thoughts
Royal Neighbors is a reputable insurer with an interesting history and many years of service, though their options are limited. Their simplified-issue burial insurance plan is a good choice for seniors with minor health concerns, but the graded plan is an overall poor choice.
In addition, Royal Neighbors is unavailable in many states and can only be purchased by Society members. Despite these limitations, Royal Neighbors is a quality provider.
We recommend Royal Neighbors to seniors over 60 with minor pre-existing health conditions. Royal Neighbors’ rates are most competitive for seniors over 60, and their simplified medical underwriting means you can qualify for low rates with pre-existing health conditions.
If you’d like to learn more about Royal Neighbors Life Insurance or your other options, call Final Expense Benefits at (866) 786-0725 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Check our free online funeral cost calculator and quoting tool to see how much coverage you may want and how much it can cost.
FAQ
Is Royal Neighbors of America legit?
Royal Neighbors is a legitimate life insurance provider with a small selection of policies. They’ve been in business for over 120 years, providing quality life insurance.
Is Royal Neighbors a good company?
Royal Neighbors is a good life insurance company with an interesting history. They started in the late 1800s by providing life insurance to women and children, who the life insurance industry overlooked at the time. Now, they offer multiple insurance products and Society member benefits.
When was Royal Neighbors of America founded?
Royal Neighbors was founded as an official fraternal organization in 1895, but traces its roots to a women’s social club that first met in 1888.
Is Royal Neighbors of America life insurance worth it?
Royal Neighbors is overall an industry-standard insurer. They have a standout underwriting policy that means many people, regardless of health concerns, could be eligible for a policy. However, given their noncompetitive rates and spotty customer service history, you may be better served with one of our other top-rated insurers.
What is burial insurance?
Burial insurance is a low-cost type of whole life insurance designed to offer seniors accessible, affordable coverage. Average benefit payouts range from around $5,000 to $50,000 and are typically used to cover costs for funerals, cremations, burial plots, and other end-of-life expenses. Check our free online quoting tool for monthly rate estimates.
How much does a funeral cost?
In 2025, average funeral costs in the U.S. are around $10,000, which is why most sample burial insurance quotes are for $10,000 policies. Check our free funeral cost calculator to see how much coverage you need.