This is the rare comparison where both companies are built the same way. Foresters and Royal Neighbors are both fraternal benefit societies, so neither one issues an ordinary policy: each issues a membership certificate, with member benefits attached at no separate charge. Because the structure matches, the decision moves to what the membership is and where you live. Foresters ties membership to the certificate and hands you household tools such as LawAssure, while Royal Neighbors makes certificate holders voting Beneficial Members, sells a separate membership to people who buy no coverage at all, and writes business in every state and the District of Columbia except seven.
At a glance
| Foresters Financial | Royal Neighbors of America | |
|---|---|---|
| Company structure | Fraternal benefit society, The Independent Order of Foresters | Fraternal benefit society, organized as a nonprofit |
| Home office and roots | Toronto, Ontario. More than 150 years in business | Rock Island, Illinois. Started by nine women in Iowa |
| What you receive | A certificate plus non-contractual member benefits | A certificate plus Beneficial Membership, including a vote |
| Joining without a certificate | No separate path. Membership comes with the certificate | Yes, General Membership is open for a $20 annual fee |
| Individual life shelf | Term, whole life, universal life, children's, accidental death | Term, whole life, youth whole life, single premium, final expense |
| Final expense plan | PlanRight, ages 50 to 85, $5,000 to $35,000 | Ensured Legacy, $5,000 to $40,000 by underwriting type |
| Room for tougher health | Simplified issue, no bloodwork and no paramedical visit | Simplified issue, graded death benefit, or guaranteed issue |
| Signature member benefit | LawAssure online wills and directives for members | Difference Maker Fund grants for member volunteer projects |
| Where they operate | Life insurance in the US and Canada, plus the UK | All states and DC except AL, AK, HI, LA, MA, NH, NY |
Membership that can stand alone, and a map that settles it for some readers
Start with what these two share, because it is unusual. Both are fraternal benefit societies rather than stock or mutual insurers, so what you buy is a membership certificate rather than an ordinary policy, and member benefits ride along with it at no separate charge. Since the structure is identical, the decision rests on two things. The first is whether membership can stand on its own. At Foresters, membership arrives with the certificate and only with the certificate, and Foresters states plainly that its member benefits are non-contractual and can be changed or canceled without notice. At Royal Neighbors, holding a certificate makes you a Beneficial Member with voting privileges, the Member Relief Fund and the scholarship program, and a separate General Membership is open to anyone age 15 and up for $20 a year with no coverage bought at all. The second thing is geography. Royal Neighbors states it is licensed in every state and the District of Columbia except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York, so for a reader living in one of those seven, the question answers itself before any of the rest matters.
Who each one actually suits
Foresters Financial
A fraternal benefit society run from Toronto, selling life through licensed agents
- You want one society whose shelf can cover a whole lifetime, since term, whole life, universal life, children's whole life and accidental death coverage all sit in the same place.
- A burial sized certificate is the whole job and the PlanRight window fits you: ages 50 to 85, $5,000 to $35,000, with simplified issue questions and no bloodwork, saliva swab or paramedical visit.
- The riders PlanRight includes at no additional premium read as useful to you, including the common carrier accidental death rider, the family health benefit rider and an accelerated death benefit for terminal illness.
- You would genuinely use LawAssure to get a will, a power of attorney and a healthcare directive written, since Foresters offers it as a member benefit.
- You live in one of the seven states Royal Neighbors is not licensed in, which settles the question before you compare anything else.
Royal Neighbors of America
An Illinois fraternal benefit society started by women, insuring whole households
- Your health history is complicated and you want a plan with a guaranteed issue version, since Ensured Legacy is written on simplified issue, on a graded death benefit and on guaranteed issue.
- You want a little more headroom on a final expense certificate, because Ensured Legacy runs from $5,000 to $40,000 depending on which underwriting type you qualify for.
- The Charitable Giving Rider appeals to you, since at no additional premium it sends the lesser of one percent of the face amount or $1,000 to a charity you pick from an approved list.
- You want a say in the society you belong to, because holding a certificate makes you a Beneficial Member with voting privileges and access to the Member Relief Fund.
- You want family or friends inside the membership without more coverage, since a General Membership is open to anyone age 15 and up for $20 a year.
If you already hold one of them
If you already hold a certificate from either society, the first job is to find out what you own, because fraternal coverage usually comes with more attached to it than people remember. Log into MyForesters or ask Royal Neighbors what your membership currently includes, since scholarships, legal document services, bereavement support and hardship relief only work for families who know they are there. Then check the underwriting version you were issued on, because a graded or guaranteed issue certificate whose waiting period is already behind you is worth real money, and a replacement can start that clock over. Your certificate was priced on the health you had the day it was issued, so keep what you have is a perfectly good ending to a review.
Common questions
What is a fraternal benefit society, and does it change my coverage?
A fraternal benefit society is a membership organization that provides insurance to its members rather than a stock company owned by shareholders or a mutual owned by policyholders. Both Foresters and Royal Neighbors are organized this way. In practice it means you receive a membership certificate instead of an ordinary policy, and member benefits come attached to it. The insurance itself works the way you would expect: a premium, a named beneficiary, and a death benefit paid to your family. Fraternals are licensed and regulated by state insurance departments, and their financial strength is rated by AM Best, so the reliable step is to look up each society yourself at ambest.com rather than trusting a figure printed in an article.
Does Royal Neighbors only insure women?
No. Royal Neighbors was started by nine women who first gathered in Council Bluffs, Iowa, at a time when a woman buying life insurance in her own name was uncommon, and it still describes its work as serving members, women, their families and their communities. That history shapes its mission and its philanthropy rather than its eligibility rules. Its shelf today covers whole households, including Jet Youth Whole Life written on a child from birth through age 15, and Jet Single Premium Whole Life for adults ages 40 to 85.
Do I have to join something, or pay dues, to buy from either one?
Not in the way people expect. With Foresters, membership comes with the certificate itself, so there is nothing separate to sign up for. Royal Neighbors works the same way for buyers: holding a life certificate, annuity or settlement contract makes you a Beneficial Member automatically, with no additional membership fee. Royal Neighbors also offers a second path, a General Membership open to anyone age 15 and up for a $20 annual fee, which is unusual and lets someone take part in the community programs without buying coverage at all.
Does either one require a medical exam?
Not on the final expense plans. Foresters PlanRight is underwritten on a simplified issue basis, which means the decision rests on your answers to medical and other application questions plus underwriting searches and review, with no bloodwork, no saliva swab and no paramedical visit. Royal Neighbors runs Ensured Legacy through three separate underwriting types, so an applicant who cannot answer the health questions cleanly may still have a path on a graded death benefit or on guaranteed issue. Royal Neighbors is clear that its quick decision products are not automatic for everyone: it notes that some Jet Term cases may require underwriter review, a medical exam, or both. Larger amounts and longer term coverage at either society can involve more underwriting.
How much final expense coverage can each one issue, and at what ages?
Foresters publishes PlanRight for ages 50 to 85 with face amounts from $5,000 to $35,000, and coverage that runs to age 121 with guaranteed level premiums and guaranteed cash values. Royal Neighbors publishes Ensured Legacy from $5,000 to $40,000, with the amount available depending on which of the three underwriting types you qualify for, and its issue ages vary by that same underwriting type. Availability differs by state at both societies, and Royal Neighbors states it is licensed in all states and the District of Columbia except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York, so confirm the current terms where you live before you decide anything.
Are the member benefits part of my contract?
Generally no, and both societies are open about it. Foresters states plainly that its member benefits are non-contractual, subject to benefit specific eligibility requirements, definitions and limitations, and may be changed or canceled without notice. Royal Neighbors ties several of its programs, including scholarships, the Member Relief Fund, bereavement support and voting privileges, to Beneficial Membership status. That does not make the benefits unimportant, because things like a set of estate documents or help with a premium during a hard year are worth having. It does mean the death benefit is the promise you should buy on, and the member benefits are the part that comes with it.
Which one costs less?
There is no fixed answer, and any figure quoted before your details are known is an average rather than your price. Premiums on either certificate are set by your age, sex, health, tobacco use, the amount of coverage, the product and your state, and these two societies underwrite differently, so the more affordable one moves from person to person. One structural note helps: because Royal Neighbors runs Ensured Legacy through simplified, graded and guaranteed issue versions, which version you land on matters as much as which society you apply to. Fix the benefit amount first, then read both quotes for that same amount side by side.
If I already have one of these, should I switch to the other?
Not automatically, and often not at all. Coverage you already own was priced on the health you had when it was issued, so if your health has changed since, replacing it can cost more or may not be available on the same terms. Any honest comparison starts by valuing what you already hold, and a review that ends in keep what you have is a perfectly good result.
Can I hold policies from both companies at once?
Yes. There is no rule against owning coverage from more than one insurer, and plenty of households do, often because policies were bought at different life stages for different reasons. What matters is that the total coverage matches what your family would actually need, and that you are not paying twice for the same job.
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Rates for Foresters Financial and Royal Neighbors of America both depend on your age and health, which means the better buy for your neighbour may be the worse buy for you. A licensed professional will price both against what you already have and tell you which is genuinely better, including when the honest answer is to keep what you have.
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This comparison is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Product availability, pricing and underwriting differ by state, age and health, and change over time. Policy Review Center is a free comparison and referral service, not an insurance agency, insurer, or producer, and it connects you with independent licensed agents. Carrier names are used for reference only and do not imply any endorsement or affiliation.