Posts Tagged ‘Funeral’

Whenever you pre-plan a funeral or make arrangements to handle the remains of a loved one, you will be asked to sign a contract with the funeral home. This is designed to protect both you and the funeral home, which is why it’s important to make sure you understand the fine print before you sign (and why you might possibly run it by your lawyer first).

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Funeral planning is not immune to the power of popular culture. Although this industry is one that has a tendency to adopt change at a slower pace, technology has made it easier to incorporate thing like webcasts, memorial websites, and QR codes on headstones into your funeral plans. For some people, these types of things are part of the ever-changing world in which we live; for others, they’re too much of a departure from tradition to be a comfortable funeral planning choice.

Of course, today’s funeral innovations go beyond computers and technology. One of the most recent images to hit the newsstands is of a casket that takes advantage of the favorite pop culture item of 2011/2012: bacon. That’s right. A bacon casket.

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One thing that almost all funeral homes have in common is that they are large, elaborate structures built in the traditional style. From historic brick facades and marble pillars to classic Victorian décor, the funeral home setting is designed to provide comfort to the family as well as serve a functional purpose.

Most funeral homes are these large, mansion-like structures not to be awe-inspiring, but because it is necessary to have ample space for all the services and products offered here. In addition, older funeral homes might even have a living space upstairs for the family, since in the past, a funeral director always needed to be near his or her work.

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Although it’s a rare occurrence and few people think it can happen to them, there are incidences in which a United States citizen dies while living or vacationing abroad. This can be a trying experience. In addition to dealing with the grief of loss, there is quite a bit of red tape to go through in order to transfer the body of the deceased and to get all the appropriate paperwork to settle the estate.

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There are many different ways to pre-plan a funeral, ranging from funeral insurance policies and fully arranging all the details to pre-paid packages that cover your entire funeral costs. All of these options come with their own pros and cons, and choosing which one is right for you can take a little bit of advance research.

One of the less common options is to have a POD account (Payable on Death) set up for the beneficiary of your choosing.

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As is the case with any major life purchase, funeral planning comes with its own red flags and warnings. Although the death care industry is regulated at both the federal and the state levels, there will always be dishonest practices by a select few organizations that care more about making money than providing you with the comfort and services you need.

If you or a loved one is preparing to plan a funeral, here are a few issues to keep in mind before you sign a contract or open your wallet.

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Much of the information you’ll find online (and here at our blog) has to do with funeral pre-planning. We always encourage people to look ahead to those difficult times, since making financial and physical arrangements can greatly reduce the burden on loved ones. This is especially true for those in the retirement planning stages of their life.

Unfortunately, death isn’t always something we can plan for. Many times, the loss of a loved one occurs out of the blue or when they are at an age when such a thing shouldn’t be possible. If this is the case, and you haven’t had any time to prepare or learn about funeral planning, you can expect to follow a timeline similar to this:

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In the past, funeral planning was simple and straightforward. You bought a burial plot, a casket, and said your goodbyes. Choice was limited, and you often ended up with the same casket or headstone the rest of the family had. In more recent decades, the popularity of cremation meant that families hoping to cut back on expenses or simplify the process had additional options.

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Funeral planning in a small town is a much different affair than funeral planning in a large city. Not only are you faced with fewer options when it comes to funeral homes, but privacy is often hard to come by. It can be very difficult to make decisions when you know the whole town is watching and expecting you to stick to tradition, and you might feel trapped into making choices you might not otherwise choose.

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One of the greatest gifts we can give families as they prepare for the loss of a loved one is assistance with funeral planning. These days, most funerals cost in excess of $10,000 and require dozens of decisions related to the type of interment, a final resting place, and how to celebrate the life of the deceased.

When people have been given the chance to put their affairs in order in the days, weeks, or months leading up to death, all these choices become a little easier. That’s because in addition to having more time to make the difficult decisions, families can also ensure that they make the most out of the funeral planning.

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