Now couldn’t be a better time to prepare for your funeral. Why? The answer is obvious, but often, people just take it for granted anyway.
Pre-Need
“At-Need” funeral arrangements are made upon a person’s demise, usually by family members or friends who survive them. This option is always available, but it can present challenges related to short time frames, charged emotions and soaring costs. Pre-need plans, on the other hand, are funeral plans made by people while they are still alive, in effect removing all the potential difficulties of planning at-need.
If are considering pre-planning your funeral, here are the key advantages you can expect:If you are thinking of pre-planning your funeral, the following should convince you that you’d on the right track:If you’re planning to make pre-funeral arrangements, here are the main benefits that await:
No Pressure
Unless you make your wishes known prior to your demise, your surviving family members and/or friends may find it difficult to make big decisions at such a nerve-wracking time. Should they bury you or cremate you? Is it going to be an open or a closed casket? What about the financial aspect? Without a plan, confusion and disagreements become common.
Paying for Your Own
Planning means you can make financial arrangements for your own funeral. Even if you have a lot of money to leave behind, can your survivors access it? While you can and and as early as possible, take time to consider funeral insurance and funeral trusts.
Keeping Your Funeral Meaningful
A funeral is an essential part of a surviving family’s grief. To the survivors, it signals closure so they can begin the healing process. Being able to honor their loved ones for the last time and provide a proper send off is emotionally as well as socially beneficial. Having a truly meaningful funeral may be challenging when they are busy making technical decisions, like choosing floral arrangements or talking to the funeral director.
Getting Your Final Wishes
If you want specific preferences as to the details of your funeral, such as how your remains will be disposed of or what type of funeral service you would like, all these can be expressly stated in your funeral plan. What should be written on your epitaph? Do you even want to have a funeral ceremony? Regardless of your wishes, you can include them all in your funeral plan.
Independence in Death
If you have always been independent and on top of your personal affairs, a funeral plan will help you keep that pattern until the end of your life. Taking responsibility for your own funeral is a sweet and caring thing to do for your loved ones. Thinking that you have gone out of your way to ease your family’s burden is comforting to them. And you can rest assured that they will appreciate your efforts long after you’re gone.