Neither one is the better company, because they are built to answer different questions. Globe Life is a publicly traded insurer with a wide consumer shelf: term, whole life, final expense, accidental death and children's coverage, all on a simple application with no medical exam, and all of it available without anyone visiting your home. Lincoln Heritage is a privately held specialist that writes final expense whole life and nothing else, placed by its own agent, with a Funeral Consumer Guardian Society membership attached for the family. If you want to choose among several products and handle it yourself, Globe Life is designed for exactly that, and if the funeral is the specific bill you are solving and you want a person in the room, Lincoln Heritage is designed for exactly that.
At a glance
| Globe Life | Lincoln Heritage | |
|---|---|---|
| What they mainly sell | Term, whole life, final expense, children's, accidental death | Final expense whole life, and nothing else |
| Company structure | Part of Globe Life Inc., a publicly traded holding company | Privately held, part of the Londen Insurance Group in Phoenix |
| Who issues the policy | Globe Life And Accident (Globe Life of New York in NY) | Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company |
| How you buy it | Online, a mailed information packet, or by phone | Through a Lincoln Heritage agent, usually in person |
| The application | Simple application, no medical exam, no agent visit needed | A short application with health questions, no medical exam |
| Getting started | Pick your age band online and read the rates yourself | A quote request, then an appointment with an agent |
| Coverage amounts shown | Direct pages show $100,000, children's up to $30,000 | Burial sized whole life, so ask for the current maximum |
| Ages shown on quote paths | Age bands running from 18 to 79 | Written for older buyers, so confirm the limit for your state |
| What comes with it | Self service online, by mail or by phone with the home office | Funeral Consumer Guardian Society membership at no separate charge |
A public company with a wide shelf, or a private company with one product
Both companies sell small whole life with no medical exam, so side by side the products can look alike. What separates them is corporate shape. Globe Life And Accident Insurance Company sits inside Globe Life Inc., a publicly traded holding company based in McKinney, Texas, with Globe Life Insurance Company of New York issuing for New York residents. Its consumer shelf is wide: term, whole life, final expense, accidental death, and children's whole life up to $30,000, with direct life coverage shown up to $100,000. Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company is privately held, part of the Londen Insurance Group in Phoenix, and it has written final expense and nothing else since 1963. Its Funeral Advantage policy carries a Funeral Consumer Guardian Society membership for the family at no separate charge. That makes the first decision a different one in each case. With Globe Life you are picking which product on the shelf fits the job, and the same company can answer a different need later. With Lincoln Heritage the product choice is already settled, and what is left is the benefit amount and where your health answers place you.
Who each one actually suits
Globe Life
A direct response insurer selling small no exam coverage by mail and online
- You would rather do this yourself, online or from a mailed packet, without scheduling anyone into your week.
- You want the shortest application you can find, with no medical exam and an answer quickly.
- The need is larger than a funeral, and Globe Life shows direct life coverage up to $100,000 alongside term and accidental death.
- You want to cover a child or grandchild too, since Globe Life writes children's whole life up to $30,000.
- You expect what you need to change over time, and you would rather stay with one company that writes more than burial coverage.
Lincoln Heritage
A Phoenix specialist writing final expense whole life through its own agents
- You want a person at the table who reads the application aloud with you and answers questions on the spot.
- A funeral is the specific bill you are solving, and you want a company that has done that one job since 1963.
- You want your family to have somewhere to call, since the Funeral Consumer Guardian Society membership helps them record wishes and compare prices at local funeral homes.
- Health questions are the part that worries you, and you would rather have someone read them with you before anything is submitted.
- You are past the ages on the Globe Life direct quote paths, which run in bands ending at 79, and you want a company that writes final expense later in life.
If you already hold one of them
If you already hold one of these, start by reading it rather than replacing it. On a Globe Life policy the two things worth writing down are the face amount and the current premium, because a policy that has been quietly paying for years was priced on the health you had back then. On a Lincoln Heritage policy the thing most families miss is the Funeral Consumer Guardian Society membership, which does nothing at all unless somebody knows to call it, so tell whoever will handle your arrangements that it exists. In both cases confirm the beneficiary is still the right person. Plenty of these reviews end with keep what you have, and that is a good ending.
Common questions
Which is better, Globe Life or Lincoln Heritage?
Neither, on its own. They sell to two different kinds of buyer. Globe Life is built for someone who wants to read the rates, fill in a short application and be done without an appointment, and its shelf reaches beyond burial coverage into term, accidental death and coverage on a child. Lincoln Heritage is built for someone who wants a licensed person in the room and a program aimed squarely at the funeral. What either one costs depends on your age, your health and your state, so the only honest comparison is both quoted on your real details.
Do I have to meet an agent to buy either one?
Only for one of them. Globe Life takes applications online, through an information packet it mails to you, or by phone, and its direct pages make a point of no agent visits, though you can use a licensed agent if you want one. Lincoln Heritage sells Funeral Advantage through its own agents, and the application is normally completed with that agent present. If having someone in your living room is not what you want, ask whether the appointment can happen by phone or video instead. Many agents work that way.
How much coverage can I get from each one?
They are sized for different jobs. Globe Life shows $100,000 of direct life coverage on its consumer pages, along with whole life for children up to $30,000, so it can stretch past what a funeral costs. Lincoln Heritage writes burial sized whole life, enough for a service and the bills that follow rather than for replacing an income, and the most it will issue depends on your age and your state, so ask the company for that figure before you plan around it. If you need a materially larger amount, a policy that asks fuller health questions is usually the better tool.
Does either one require a medical exam?
No, not on the products people compare here. Globe Life states on its direct pages that there is no medical exam and the application is simple. Lincoln Heritage writes simplified issue coverage, which means a few health questions on the application take the place of an exam and lab work. The distinction worth holding onto is that no exam is not the same as no questions. How you answer the Lincoln Heritage health questions is what decides which version of the plan you are offered, so it is worth having someone read them with you first.
Which one can cover me if I am in my eighties?
Start with Lincoln Heritage. Globe Life lays its direct quote paths out in age bands that end at 79, so past that the direct route runs out of room. Lincoln Heritage writes final expense for older buyers, which is the part of the market it was built for, and it can quote ages the direct plans do not reach. Issue ages move by state and by product, so ask for the current limit at your age and where you live before you fill anything in.
What is the Funeral Consumer Guardian Society, and does it cost extra?
It is the membership attached to a Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage policy at no separate charge. Per Lincoln Heritage, it gives the family help at the time of a death, a way to record final wishes in advance, and support comparing what local funeral homes charge. It is the part of the program many buyers are actually paying for without realizing it, and it is the part they would give up by replacing the policy. Ask what the membership currently includes before you count on any specific service, since those details sit with the Society rather than in your policy.
Who do I call for service once the policy is in force?
Two different front doors. Globe Life is built for self service: its customer pages let you pay premiums, change a beneficiary and update your details online, with mail and phone options for each of its companies. Lincoln Heritage service usually starts with the agent named on your paperwork, and the home office can point you to a servicing agent if that person has moved on. Whichever you hold, put the policy number and the servicing route somewhere your family can find them, because that is the information nobody can look up for them later.
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 Globe Life and Lincoln Heritage 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.