Although it may not be pleasant to think of funerals, one day, someone you love will need funeral services. In addition to the emotional impact of a funeral, many people are concerned about funeral costs. Needing to quickly come up with money for the funeral at an already stressful time adds extra stress to the circumstances. Many people use pre-paid funeral plans to pay today’s prices for future funerals.
If you make calls to funeral homes, you are likely to find funeral homes with payment plans. By doing so, they can benefit the families using the funeral home payment plan as well as profit from the interest on the prepayment amount. By making some phone calls, you will be able to find the cheapest prepaid funeral plans in your area.
Families who are exceptionally strapped for cash may decide to use cremation for their loved one’s remains. According to USA Today, cremation is over 35% cheaper than burial services. Some families may choose cremation services because they are ecologically preferable. Others may honor the wishes of their deceased family member and decide to spread the deceased’s ashes in a special place.
It’s always hard for everyone when a loved one passes away. That’s why the funeral is so crucial. You’ll need to ensure that all aspects of the funeral go smoothly. These are some of the reasons it’s such a vital event for everyone:
The Deceased Person Deserves Respect
The person you lost deserves respect from you. That means you should look for alternative memorial services at a local cemetery if you know that person prefers them. The average cost of final expenses varies. You can use insurance money, savings, or financial help to ensure that you can afford the type of services your loved one needs.
A Good Funeral Helps the Survivors Cope
The people who benefit the most from funeral services are the survivors. That’s why you should ask someone, “About how much does a funeral cost?” That will tell you how much you need to make the event special for everyone.
It Gives Everyone Beautiful Memories
Everyone will have fond memories of the event if you plan the funeral right. They can evoke these sweet memories every time they think of the loved one who passed away.
Now you know how important it is to get the most out of funeral services. Consider finding agencies that help with funeral expenses to ensure that your loved one has the most elaborate and respectful service possible.
When it comes to making funeral arrangements, more and more people are choosing to plan their own funeral in advance. In fact, an AARP survey shows that one in three people have started pre-planning their funeral and one in four people have actually chosen to pay for their own funeral in advance. There are a lot of benefits to planning your own funeral: your wishes are known to your family, it can take away the stress of family having to plan the funeral, and it can save on funeral costs. But if you’re looking to pay or set aside money for your funeral, there are a few options you should know about.
Use a joint bank account: One of the most common options for paying for funeral costs in advance is to designate a joint account that should be used for expenses. This is beneficial because sometimes when a person dies, their money may not be accessible right away. So by having a joint account in place, the other person with access to the account can then simply take out the necessary money to pay for the funeral services.
Set up a specific account: The slight issue with a joint account is that it’s up to both owners of the account to ensure the money designated for pay for the funeral is not used. If this is a concern, then setting up a specific account for paying for a funeral may be the better option. By setting up a separate account, like a Payable on Death account, the funeral costs can technically be prepaid because the money is set aside for the sole purpose of paying for the funeral costs.
Pay through an insurance policy: For people who have a life insurance policy or another insurance policy that can cover funeral costs, then that can be another option for paying for a funeral. With the insurance policy set up to cover funeral costs, you can prepay for funeral services and ensure that any money needed to cover the funeral will be set aside and used when the time comes for the funeral planning.
Planning a funeral can be stressful, but setting up payment in advance can ease some of the concerns. So if you’re looking to prepay for a funeral, consider one of these simple options to check another thing off of your funeral planning checklist.
