If you’ve been researching final expense insurance or funeral pre-planning, there’s a good chance you’ve come across Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company and their Funeral Advantage program. It’s one of the most heavily advertised final expense products on television, and it’s been around for more than 60 years.
We’re often asked how Legacy of Love compares. It’s a fair question — both companies discuss funeral planning and end-of-life costs. But when you look closely, they are fundamentally different in what they offer, how they work, and what they cost. This guide lays out the facts so you can make an informed decision — without a salesperson in your living room.
Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a privately owned company — part of the Londen Insurance Group — and it offers one product only: the Funeral Advantage program. There are no term life policies, no universal life options, and no alternative insurance products. Everything Lincoln Heritage sells is a variation of final expense whole life insurance.
The Funeral Advantage program has two parts:
Lincoln Heritage holds a genuine AM Best “A” (Excellent) financial strength rating and is BBB A+ Accredited — the same tier as Legacy of Love. They claim to have over one million policies in force and to pay approved claims within 24 hours.
Lincoln Heritage is not available in New York or Washington state.
The FCGS is the central marketing differentiator Lincoln Heritage uses — and the element most worth examining carefully before you buy.
What Lincoln Heritage says about the FCGS: It is presented as a free, independent consumer advocacy service that shops funeral homes on the family’s behalf after the policyholder dies, reviews funeral contracts for accuracy, and helps the family save money. Lincoln Heritage states that families save an average of $1,800 on traditional funerals through the FCGS.
That sounds valuable. But here is what the fine print reveals:
The FCGS is not insurance — it contributes no money toward funeral costs. It has no legal or financial authority over any funeral home. It can make recommendations, but it cannot force a funeral home to lower prices. Critically, the FCGS works exclusively with Lincoln Heritage — it is not available through any other insurer and operates as a dedicated marketing partner for Lincoln Heritage policies only. Independent insurance reviewers consistently note that while the FCGS provides genuine at-need support for families, similar or more comprehensive funeral advocacy services — including Legacy of Love's expert local counselors or the add-on funeral concierge service from Legacy of Love partner Sequoia Funeral Concierge Services — are available bundled with competitively priced insurance from multiple carriers. The FCGS is not a unique benefit unavailable elsewhere; it is a service that exists to justify premium pricing.
There is also a timing issue worth noting: the FCGS only engages after a policyholder dies. It is an at-death advocacy service, not a pre-planning service. The actual pre-planning component Lincoln Heritage provides is a 2-page final wishes form that is kept on file. That is the full extent of the pre-planning support included in the program.
Legacy of Love is a nationwide, independent funeral pre-planning service. It is not a funeral home, not an insurance company, and not affiliated with any funeral provider. Legacy of Love’s role is to act as an independent advocate for the customer — helping families document their wishes, identify and compare funeral costs, and pre-fund their plan using portable insurance or an irrevocable funeral trust.
Legacy of Love currently serves families nationwide, except in New York, Alaska, and Maine.
The most important structural difference from Lincoln Heritage: at Legacy of Love, the funeral planning is completely FREE and comes with no purchase obligation. Costs are only incurred if a customer chooses to fund their plan using an insurance product. Every completed plan includes a personalized My Final Wishes Binder and access to the secure Online Legacy Vault — regardless of whether the customer purchases any insurance.
Legacy of Love specializes in:
In short: Legacy of Love is your funeral planning and financial protection partner. We provide an A+ BBB-rated experience designed to give your family total freedom and control over how and where your life is celebrated.
Here is how the two programs compare across the factors that matter most to seniors and their families.
| Feature | Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage | Legacy of Love |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Product | Final expense whole life insurance only — one product | Free funeral pre-planning + burial insurance, pre-need insurance, IFT, concierge, travel plan |
| Is Planning Free? | No — must purchase a policy to access any planning support | Yes — completely free with no purchase obligation |
| Pre-Planning Depth | 2-page final wishes form stored by FCGS | Full documented plan: My Final Wishes Binder + Online Legacy Vault |
| Planning Timing | FCGS activates only after death | Pre-planning completed while customer is alive — before any need arises |
| Insurance Beneficiary | Customer’s named family member | Customer’s named family member — never a funeral home |
| Funeral Home Choice | Any funeral home — proceeds paid to beneficiary | Any licensed funeral home in the U.S. |
| Maximum Coverage | $35,000 | Up to $50,000 (burial insurance) |
| Cost vs. Market | 20%–300% above comparable carriers* | Competitive — independent, not a captive carrier |
| Waiting Period Risk | 2–3 year modified plan for many health conditions | Immediate coverage available; 2-year graded period for some profiles |
| Funeral Advocacy Service | FCGS — shops up to 3 funeral homes at time of death; Lincoln Heritage exclusive | Research and shop unlimited funeral homes on your own or with Legacy's expert local counselor. Sequoia Funeral Concierge (optional add-on) — independent, available to all customers |
| Medicaid Planning | Not offered | Irrevocable funeral trusts designed for Medicaid spend down compliance |
| Travel Protection | Not offered | Inman Travel Plan — covers deaths 75+ miles from home |
| Sales Model | Captive door-to-door agents — one product only, no online purchase | Fully online or with optional local counselor — hybrid model |
| BBB Rating | A+ Accredited | A+ Accredited |
| AM Best Financial Rating | A (Excellent) | N/A — Legacy of Love is a planning service, not an insurance underwriter |
| Geographic Exclusions | Not available in NY or WA | Not available in NY, AK, or ME |
*Pricing comparison based on independent third-party rate analyses as of 2025. Rates vary by age, health status, and state. See sources below.
To be fair to Lincoln Heritage: they are a legitimate, financially stable company that has helped millions of families cover final expenses. Their AM Best “A” rating reflects genuine financial strength. Their claims turnaround is frequently praised. And for a family that simply wants a straightforward whole life policy with a modest death benefit and doesn’t need pre-planning support, Medicaid planning, or travel coverage — a final expense policy from any reputable carrier may meet their needs.
The real question is whether Lincoln Heritage’s specific product is the right choice for that family — given that independent comparisons consistently find their premiums above market for the same coverage, and given that their captive agent model means you cannot comparison shop during the sales interaction.
Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage may fit your situation if:
Choose Legacy of Love if:
The most fundamental difference between Legacy of Love and Lincoln Heritage isn’t the insurance policy — it’s the planning. Lincoln Heritage’s FCGS engages your family after you die. Legacy of Love works with you while you’re alive, clear-headed, and in control.
Legacy of Love focuses on the full picture of your family’s protection — not just the insurance policy, but the documented plan, the independent advocacy, and the financial strategies that protect everything you’ve worked for.
One of the most consistent findings across independent reviews of Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage is pricing. Multiple insurance comparison platforms and licensed independent agents have found that Lincoln Heritage’s premiums run notably higher than comparable final expense policies from other carriers — especially for applicants with pre-existing health conditions, which describes many of the seniors the program targets.
Part of this reflects the captive agent model: Lincoln Heritage agents sell only Lincoln Heritage products and cannot offer alternatives or comparisons during the sales process. When a sales interaction takes place in your home with a single-product agent, you are not comparison shopping — you are being offered one option at one price.
Legacy of Love’s counselors are not captive agents. They help families understand their options across multiple insurance products and pre-planning strategies, and the planning itself — with all its deliverables — costs nothing regardless of what you decide.
Pre-planning your funeral is one of the most thoughtful things you can do for the people you love. It takes difficult decisions off their shoulders, protects them from overspending under grief, and ensures your wishes are honored exactly as you intend. With Legacy of Love, it starts for FREE.
Start My Free Funeral Plan →Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage is a legitimate product from a long-established company — and for the right family in the right situation, a final expense policy from any reputable carrier can provide meaningful protection. But “legitimate” and “right for your family” are different questions. Before any purchase, it’s worth understanding what you’re comparing, what it costs relative to alternatives, and what you’re not getting.
At Legacy of Love, we guide families through every step of funeral pre-planning with compassion, clarity, and transparency — starting with a free plan and no pressure. If you’re unsure where to start, we’re here to help you make confident decisions and create a service that truly reflects your life and values. Start Your FREE Funeral Plan Here » or call us now at 833-888-0355.
SOURCES
* Legacy of Love is not affiliated with Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company or the Funeral Consumer Guardian Society. Rate comparisons cited in this article are sourced from independent third-party insurance review platforms and reflect publicly available data as of their respective publication dates. Individual rates vary by age, health status, and state of residence.
