Funeral insurance options over 70

Written by Henry Smith · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Updated 2026-10-20 · Reviewed quarterly, when the underlying data is restated.

Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.

Yes, Momentum Life's Funeral Insurance accepts new applicants up to age 75. Someone aged 70 to 75 can apply for a benefit of $3,000 to $30,000, with level premiums fixed until the 89th birthday. For the first 24 months the benefit is paid only for accidental death. A death from any other cause in that window pays nothing, but every premium paid for that person comes back.

Get a quote and apply online today

See your price in about a minute, then apply online with Momentum Life. Guaranteed acceptance, no health questions, no medical exams.

Funeral cover See your price Ages 40–75 · $3k–$30k Life cover See your price Ages 18–65 · $50k–$300k

Want more cover or have questions? Talk to an adviser

Funeral cover: Only accidental death is covered for the first 2 years. Total premiums can add up to more than the cover, and it may not meet the whole cost of a funeral.

Life cover: Conditions you already have aren't covered for the first 2 years (premiums refunded instead). Suicide isn't covered for the first 2 years, and a few conditions can be excluded permanently.

Insurer: Momentum Life Limited. Financial strength rating B (Fair) from AM Best, affirmed 11 February 2026; B ratings sit in AM Best's 'vulnerable' range. The rating scale is available for inspection at every Momentum Life office in New Zealand. What this means

Already have cover? Keep it. New cover won't pay for a condition you already have in its first 2 years.

Opens Momentum Life's online application; its guidance only covers eligibility. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner. Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy. General information, not advice.

Who accepts you at each age from 70

Entry age is the age when you apply. As at 20 October 2026, from each insurer's own pages, this is who was open:

Your age	Insurers open to you
70	Momentum Life, NZ Seniors and OneChoice, AA Life, Chubb Life, Unity, Greenwich Life
71 to 75	The same, without Greenwich Life (stops at 70)
76 to 79	NZ Seniors and OneChoice, AA Life, Chubb Life
80	Chubb Life
81 and over	None of the insurers above

Momentum Life and Unity stop at 75. AA Life and the Pinnacle Life brands (NZ Seniors, OneChoice) stop at 79, and Chubb Life at 80 (NZ Seniors, AA Life, Chubb). The wording sets the limit as an entry age of 75, so apply well before it. After that, see funeral insurance over 75. For the product basics, see what funeral insurance is.

Momentum Life's rules at 70 to 75

From the policy wording (Momentum Life: Funeral Insurance Policy Wording, 17 August 2023):

Acceptance is guaranteed: no medicals, health questions or paperwork.
Benefit $3,000 to $30,000, up to $30,000 per person across all Momentum funeral policies.
Accidental death pays three times the benefit when death occurs within 90 days of the accident. That applies at any time, not only in the first 24 months.
Premiums are fixed each year until the 89th birthday, then end. At 70 that is up to 19 years of premiums, and at 75 it is up to 14. They can change for everyone on the same offer on 30 days' notice.
There is no terminal illness benefit.
Total premiums could exceed the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the whole funeral.

Three examples of the first 24 months

These use a $10,000 benefit as a round, made-up figure. They show the rule, not a price.

What happens	Momentum pays	Premiums
Death from an illness 10 months after the cover starts	Nothing	All premiums for that person are refunded
Death 10 months in, within 90 days of an accident	$30,000 (three times the benefit)	Not refunded; the benefit is paid
Death from an illness 30 months in	$10,000	Not applicable; the benefit is paid

An accident, in the wording, is an unintentional, violent, external and visible event that directly and solely causes death. That is narrow: illness does not fit that description. If you increase the benefit later, the increase starts its own 24 months. Whether this suits you depends on how you weigh the risk of dying soon against paying for years.

What it costs

Momentum publishes no funeral premium and QuoteHub does not publish one. The premium you are quoted rises with the age you start, and independent comparison sites show prices roughly doubling between 50 and 70 (Moneyhub), so a 70-year-old pays far more than a 50-year-old for the same benefit. Only AA Life publishes a price: from $14.28 a week for $10,000 for a 66-year-old female AA Member who is a non-smoker (AA Life, retrieved 20 October 2026), which is one profile and not a quote for you. To compare, ask each insurer for the same age, amount and payment method. Our funeral insurance cost guide explains the drivers.

Couples and families over 70

A single Momentum policy is for you or a partner or relative. A family policy covers up to four people, each of whom must be a partner or relative of the owner, and extra lives get $150 off a year. The wording gives the 40 to 75 entry range for the product, so check with Momentum how it applies to each person you add. Each person has a separate 24-month window and a separate 89th-birthday end date. An adult child can own a policy on a parent; see funeral insurance for parents.

Alternatives to compare

Saving. The Work and Income Funeral Grant is up to $2,697.43 and can be affected by other help such as prepaid funeral cover (Work and Income: Funeral Grant). FDANZ's 2026 report puts a cremation funeral with 50 guests at about $11,700 (FDANZ).
Other insurers, which may suit your age better. See funeral insurance over 65 for the comparison of end ages.

Where to get advice

Any Momentum Life button on this page opens Momentum's online application, which is for ages 40 to 75 only. If you are over 75, it is not for you. Momentum Life Limited holds an A.M. Best rating of B (Fair), which Momentum's own table groups as "Vulnerable" (Momentum Life: Financial Strength). A rating is an opinion, not a recommendation. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy a Momentum policy; see how we are paid. Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). Back to the funeral insurance hub, or see Momentum Life Funeral Cover.

Get a quote and apply online today

See your price in about a minute, then apply online with Momentum Life. Guaranteed acceptance, no health questions, no medical exams.

Funeral cover See your price Ages 40–75 · $3k–$30k Life cover See your price Ages 18–65 · $50k–$300k

Want more cover or have questions? Talk to an adviser

Funeral cover: Only accidental death is covered for the first 2 years. Total premiums can add up to more than the cover, and it may not meet the whole cost of a funeral.

Already have cover? Keep it. New cover won't pay for a condition you already have in its first 2 years.

Adviser's view

Over 70 the choice is among a handful of guaranteed-acceptance funeral policies, and the cut-off ages arrive quickly. The first 24 months decide whether it works for you: an illness in that time pays nothing, although premiums are refunded. Cost is hard to compare because insurers publish almost no prices, so ask for written quotes for the same age and amount.

Henry Smith, Financial Adviser (FSP1010699). General information, not personalised financial advice.

Talk to a licensed adviser about funeral cover · free, no obligation.

Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Funeral Insurance Over 70 NZ: Entry Ages and Costs. www.quotehub.co.nz/funeral-insurance/funeral-insurance-over-70-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.

References

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