Information on Funeral Pre-planning

These days, many people engage the process of funeral planning and funeral pre-planning. The reasons to plan ahead are many, but the common reasons include:

Removing the burden from members of the family.
Arranging and personalizing the funeral to meet their wishes.
Pre-planning to save money through advanced payment.

Pre-planning a funeral service before death can alleviate the stress of making a difficult decision in a short time period. By arranging services ahead of time, there will be less stress on the decision makers at the time of a funeral need. You have the ability to shop around and interview different funeral homes before settling on one. While the process is not enjoyable itself, it can give everyone peace of mind to know that when the time comes, everything is already planned and in place. You can also plan and arrange a funeral to meet your wishes and leave the guesswork out of what your choices would have been.

By having a pre-planned funeral, you can be sure it will be exactly the wishes of the deceased.

Paying in advance leaves you two large financial benefits:

You have the chance lock in the cost of funeral services at the today's prices.
Your family will not have to locate so much money at one time and with short notice.

Tips for Pre-planning a Funeral

Shop around and contact several funeral homes
Discuss the details with your family
Leave the information on which funeral home and other pertinent details in a convenient and easily accessible location
Do not leave the information in a will as these are not always read right after death
Try not to be too specific or extreme on your actual service details
Determine what you want done with your remains (burial, cremation or entombment)
Discuss the type of funeral service you would prefer
Do your research and know the funeral rule

Questions to ask the Funeral Director When Pre-planning a Funeral Service

What are my payment options (monthly, quarterly, up front, payment plans)?
Where does all prepaid money go?
What do you do with the interest earned on this money?
What happens if the funeral actually takes place at another funeral home or in a different state?
What happens if the products I chose are not available at the time of my death?
Will I still be covered if your funeral home goes out of business?
Are you licensed?
What are the local regulations and laws governing funeral services and pre-need insurance/trust funds?