| Pre- planning your funeral is more
effective than providing funeral instructions in your will. Most
often, your will isn't read until after the funeral takes place.
Then it's too late for your own personal wishes to be carried out.
To pre-plan your funeral, you will want to discuss your specific
instructions with a licensed Funeral Director or Pre-Need
Counselor. They are trained in providing funeral planning support
to you and will give you special information in planning your
funeral. You can decide on the type of service you want, the
merchandise to be used and all additional information to assure your
loved ones that your desires are met without creating stress
on them during one of the most difficult times in their lives.
You may wish to pre-plan your
funeral ceremony for many reasons:
- It helps your family and friends
acknowledge loss.
- It helps to reflect and celebrate the
life that was lived.
- It helps in taking the first step to
overcoming grief.
- It brings your family and friends
together at a time when they most need each others' care,
support, and comfort.
- It serves as a memorial tribute
establishing the memory of the deceased.
Many details and decisions are
associated with a funeral, and unfortunately, they come at a time
when families are least able to conduct them. Pre-planning your
funeral alleviates some of the emotional and financial stress that
can be an additional burden at the time of loss.
Pre-planning your funeral today:
- You will have piece of mind.
- You will relieve your loved ones of
unnecessary concern.
- Your expressed wishes will be
reflected.
- You are able to relieve a financial
burden from your family.
There are two main steps to
planning a funeral ceremony.
To get started you will
want to set up an appointment with a licensed Funeral Director or
Pre-Need Counselor. The main steps are:
I. The Funeral Arrangement
- Express your wishes.
- Establishing services you want.
- Determining the proper costs (The
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires all funeral homes to
provide consumers with a general price list when making funeral
arrangements.)
II. Funding Funeral Arrangement
- Receiving a Funeral Planning Agreement
from a Funeral Home.
- Setting up a payment method.
- Locking in the price to protect against
inflation.
- Choosing a funded vehicle - Insurance
Plans or Trust Accounts.
Each funding method is intended to
cover the cost of the service you prefer.
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