Affordability and trust of funeral insurance companies have been flagged as important factors for Samoans when coping with funeral costs.

The idea of funeral expenses insurance was investigated last week in Samoa, with two organisations looking into how to financially help bereaved Samoan families.

A group called the Regional Disaster Resilience in Pacific Small Island Developing States has been working with the Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme to find solutions.

Both organisations held focus group sessions recently, where participants expressed a positive interest into having insurance.

People want an insurance product that is clear, understandable and affordable.

Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme's Michael Carr said they also have to fit the product into a cultural context.

Samoa-based specialist Amit Kumar said the high costs of funerals can be an added burden on families and taking out loans will not help the stress levels in the long run.