Roman soldiers had their own burial insurance

A closer look

Going to war was dangerous, but dying broke was worse. In ancient Rome, military commanders established 'burial clubs' that functioned as the first primitive life insurance. Soldiers paid a small monthly stipend into a collective pool. If a member died in battle, the massive pool of cash paid for an incredibly elaborate funeral and offered a stipend to their surviving family, ensuring nobody had to be buried in an unbranded ditch.