Funeral planning can start before a person dies.

People seem to fall into two camps.

One group cannot stand to think about their own mortality and actively avoid the topic.

The other group wonders about their legacy.

According to a recent Yahoo Life article titled “Should You Pre-Pay for Your Own Funeral as Part of Estate Planning?,” there may be benefits to being in the second group.

Some funeral arrangements may be paid for in advance.

These individuals are more likely to preplan and even prepare for their funerals.

Why would this be considered beneficial?

Preplanning your funeral allows your loved ones to grieve you without the stress of preparing the details for your burial and hoping they got it right.

You can also rest a little easier knowing your burial is paid for in advance.

With the sharp increase in inflation (understatement), you also may save quite a bit of money by locking in a price guarantee when paying in advance for your funeral and related expenses.

How so?

The cost of a funeral doubles on average every ten years.

If your chosen funeral costs $8,000 this year and you die in another ten years, you may be paying $16,000 for the same service by waiting.

Yikes!

Although advanced planning and paying for your burial and services can have its advantages, it is not always the best option for everyone.

Why?

Often plans cannot be transferred to another state.

Because people move frequently for work opportunities and family obligations, it makes little sense to purchase a plan if you are likely to move.

What can you do if you do not want to leave your loved ones overwhelmed when you die, but cannot afford to take the risk and make funeral arrangement now?

You can talk with your loved ones about your wishes.

Writing down instructions and storing them in a safe place where your loved ones can access them when you die will also be beneficial.

Be sure this is a separate document from your last will and testament.

It is likely your loved ones will not even read your last will until after your funeral.

Critical initial postmortem decisions must be made early on, like whether to proceed with cremation or burial.

As with any life and death matters, professional advice when making plans is the key to success.

Funeral planning is no different.

Todd Schneider of Schneider Family Funeral Home and Crematory is a prime example of what a funeral counselor and provider should aspire to be.

Todd and his staff have taken care of the final arrangements for nearly every member of my extended family in the Mound City, Kansas area.

Reference: Yahoo Life (Feb. 17, 2022) “Should You Pre-Pay for Your Own Funeral as Part of Estate Planning?”