What is Pre-Planning?
Funeral pre-planning, also called pre-arrangement, is deciding now, while you are still alive, how you would like your funeral to be. It allows you to make your wishes known now. There are many benefits to pre-planning a funeral such as:
- Peace of mind
- Avoiding conflict among family members by making your wishes crystal clear in advance.
- At the time of your death, your family can be relieved of all the administrative and planning duties that come with putting together a funeral.
- Choices can be made from a clearer state of mind without the emotional strain or time constraints
- Nothing will make you think more about how you are living your life than thinking about your own death. A bit depressing in the moment, but can really get you in a state of mind where you live more meaningfully and make the most of your days left on earth.
- Avoiding financial strain on your family
What Do I Need to Do?
Pre-planning is not a difficult process. You simply need to meet with someone at the funeral home of your choice for a consultation. Here, he can go over your options and get an idea of your preferences. You can discuss everything from the casket to memorial services to what you want your obituary to say.
Can I Pre-Pay for My Funeral?
Many people who engage in advanced planning of their funeral often want to pay for the services in advance as well, and this is something you are certainly able to do.
You are able to secure the services at today’s prices, with the interest accumulating on the funds offsetting inflation. The funeral home is able to provide more guidance on this, and offer assistance regarding your choice of a funding vehicle, such as a trust or insurance policy. In most cases, the only additional costs incurred would be if your family members decided to add something to the services at the time of your death.
Should a move mean you will no longer have your funeral at the original location, you should be able to easily transfer the funds to another funeral home in your new location, according to Charleston-based Stuhr Funeral Home. These arrangements are primarily set up as an irrevocable contract that will protect the money from being acquired by the state, the funeral home where the arrangements were originally made or the family before the time of death.
Some funeral homes may offer their own pre-payment options with installments available.
Can I Use an Insurance Policy to Pay?
Yes, you can use an insurance policy to pay for your funeral. But, most funeral homes will not make any sort of pricing guarantees based on the wide variety of policies available for such purposes. While most policies would continue to gain value over time, some may not. If the price is higher for the funeral than the policy covers, the family would be responsible for paying the remainder. The funeral home can put the policy on account, meaning they would become the beneficiary.
