Advance Planning

It is understandable that most people don’t care to think about death and planning their own funeral. One of the disconcerting things about death is that no one knows when, where or how it will come…but come it will. Since this is so, it seems only logical that someone should know what to do when death occurs.



Making advance arrangements for your funeral lets those that will mourn your death know what to do. Most people wait until it is too late to plan. In these cases the funeral director meets with the family members to discuss, arrange and pay for what they decide to do for the deceased. This is problematic in two ways:



1. By not planning one relinquishes control over what they want to happen following their death, and
2. The family is left to guess what the deceased might want with no clear direction.



Both of these circumstances are fraught with anxiety and unneeded stress.



There are many benefits to prearranging:



If you have any questions or would prefer to speak to someone directly, please contact us.



The whole point of planning in advance is peace of mind. Having these benefits provides this peace of mind. Advance planning allows you to think through your wishes and make decisions that are right for you. It is a loving and responsible thing to do for yourself and those you love.



Clear Direction

By stating in writing what you want to happen following your death, you have the final word. You can be assured that your wishes will be carried out, and your loved ones will not have to guess what you wanted. This gives your family the time to spend remembering you and supporting each other in the time immediately following your death, instead of working out all the details with the funeral director. The relief this provides cannot be overstated.



No financial burden

By funding your arrangements in advance, you relieve your survivors of having to come up with the money to pay the funeral costs. Additionally, when you pay in advance you are able to secure today’s prices for your services to be carried out in the future. This is not only a good deal, but it is a smart investment. What other service can you pay for today and receive at no further cost 20 years in the future? The only one we can think of is a Forever Stamp!



Saves your life insurance

Many people have purchased life insurance for the purpose of funding their funeral. This is a fine way to cover these costs, with two caveats: 1) With standard life insurance there is no cost guarantee so you may end up paying more for your arrangements, and 2) Typically funeral homes, like any other business, will require payment at the time services are rendered. This means that your family will need to pay the funeral home before your life insurance company will release the funds in your policy. Sometimes this is a matter of several weeks. With a pre-arrangement, the money is available immediately to pay the funeral home, and the proceeds of your life insurance can go fully to the beneficiaries when it is available.



Your money is safe

By law the funeral home cannot hold the money paid for advance planning; it must be deposited in the control of a secure third party. We have elected to use Homesteaders Life Company, an insurance underwriter that has been in business for over 100 years and whose only business is insuring funeral arrangements. The money you pay in advance is not held by or available to the funeral home until after your death.



Payment plans

The policies we write for pre-funding your arrangements can be paid for all at one time, or over a period of years. This can be helpful in tailoring a plan to fit your budget. Depending upon your specific circumstances the policy will fully cover the cost of your funeral plans at any time during the payment period. There may be a reduced benefit during the first one or two years depending upon the answers to two health questions and the term of your policy. In such cases, at no time will the money that is paid out upon your death be less than what you have paid in.



No one is denied coverage

Everyone qualifies for funeral expense coverage. There are two health questions to answer, and the answers to these may necessitate a reduced benefit (as stated above). Also, if death is imminent, there may be no benefit in writing a policy.



Portability

If you choose to move away from your current residence, your policy can be transferred to a mortuary local to your new residence. Since it is the funeral home that provides the price guarantee, such a transfer may result in losing the guarantee. However, we do our best to negotiate with the mortuary in your new location to extend a price guarantee to you.



Qualifying for government assistance

Often people use state or federal government assistance to help with their care and other living needs. These programs may require that the recipient have assets totaling less than $2000. If it becomes necessary to spend-down assets to maintain qualification for the program, a funeral policy, made irrevocable, is exempt from being counted as an asset.



What do you need to pre-arrange your funeral? See our Pre-Arrangement Checklist.