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INTRODUCTION

• Call a funeral director
• Pick up remains
• Visit mortuary
• Select a casket
• File life insurance claim
• Notify relatives
• Buy cemetery property
• And so on........

Information in the Funeral Planning Guide is for pre-planning your funeral. The purpose is to give families advice and information on what to do BEFORE a death occurs.

Visit Find A Grave

Call a funeral director , Pick up remains, Visit mortuary,Preparing the dead to make arrangements , Select casket or urn, Select burial or cremation, Obtain death certificate, Obtain burial permit, Select burial clothes, Select cash advance items, Visit cemetery for burial or cremation, Plan obituary, Select pall bearers, Write death notice, Claim insurance benefits and Claim social security benefits.

As you can see there is a lot involved in planning a funeral

when death occurs. If the death occurs at home or in a hospital a “first call” vehicle will pick up the remains. Hospitals are very anxious to have the body removed because their concern is bed space for live patients. It seems cold and uncaring but it’s reality.

If the death is accidental or a homicide the body can stay with the coroner for up to a week if the death occurred in a large city. Once the remains are picked up there is much more work embalmers need to do because of the autopsy.

Cash advances are used to pay the pastor or priest’s honorarium, flowers, obituary,death notice, family book, guest book and other incidentals that will be needed for the funeral. This money is put aside for funeral arrangements. Most people don’t realize that there are two separate bills. One for the funeral home or mortuary and one for the cemetery! They are not one in the same. It’s quite a shock when you are not prepared to pay these expenses.

PREARRANGEMENT

Death enters every home at some point in time, but this unwelcome visitor doesn't have to leave families defenseless; get a funeral planning guide! Although the sadness and grief over losing a loved one is inevitable, there doesn't need to be financial hardships incurred with the funeral expenses. Funeral planning can actually save you money. There are many other significant benefits in prearranging your funeral with the most notable being the ability to make crucial decisions without the intense emotional pain associated with death.

It's been estimated that there are between 50 and 90 separate decisions to make when planning a funeral. Consider the emotional toll on family members as they are asked to make these decisions while in the early stages of grief. By planning a funeral in advance, every detail can be calmly discussed, and the price of every item can be clearly explained.

Funerals and burial costs can easily amount to $10,000! or more, but pre-planning allows a person to prepare for this event. The total costs of funeral expenses can be easily paid over a period of time and with comfortable and economical payments per month. Truly, the financial aspect of funerals can be burdensome to family members, but having these arrangements in place takes away the fear and the stress of trying to cope with a large bill at an emotional time.

In some instances, an inadequate life insurance policy or the absence of any type of policy may mean the surviving family members are unable to meet the funeral costs. This can cause embarrassment or strife between the relatives as they struggle to come up with a large sum of money. With pre-planning, this doesn't happen. Every item and decision has been chosen and paid for well in advance. There are no financial surprises, only a comforting sense that these details have been dealt with.

Pre-planning also allows more freedom and creativity for the funeral service. Specific needs and wishes can be arranged in advance, ensuring the deceased of every important detail. Everything from songs, to flowers, to contributions to major charities can be included in the pre-planning arrangements.

Begin by reading a funeral planning guide. This will tell you about the specific and legal responsibilities of burial. Funeral directors can discuss options on everything from choosing a casket to the size of the room used for viewing. The location of the cemetery plot and deed, the obituary, and any personal requests can all be written into or accompany the pre-planning agreement.

Once you have entered into a contract for pre-planning your funeral, keep all pertinent paperwork in a safe place. It may be wise to tell family members of your decision and where the contract is kept.

Death is never welcome in any home, but pre-planning a funeral takes some of the sting away. Undoubtedly, preplanning saves you money, which can amount to thousands of dollars. Your loved ones will also be spared the emotional cost of trying to make expensive one-time decisions while dealing with their grief. It's so much easier to oversee all the details during a healthy and happy time of life. Your family members will thank you for thinking of their emotional and financial welfare at this time, and you will be assured of the type of funeral arrangements that meet your specific needs and desires.

When you finally have to face the issue you are unarmed and very vulnerable. It doesn’t have to be this way. By planning your funeral and purchasing your cemetery property on a “pre-need” basis you can avoid the costly pitfalls of not being prepared. Not to mention you save your family the trauma and grief of having to make decisions guessing what You have wanted. Memorialization has become increasingly popular with a variety of options that will suit your family’s needs. There is traditional ground burial, mausoleum burial and cremation. Religion,culture and funeral customs will ultimately determine the family’s choice. Astute death care providers are aware of this and try to cater to those needs.

The most obvious advantage of a funeral planning guide is lower funeral costs. Of the three main purchases you make in your life a house, a car and your burial; we know nothing about final expenses. Can you imagine buying a home or a car in the state of mind your in when you lose a loved one? Sounds insane; doesn’t it? Unfortunately, people do it everyday! It doesn’t have to be this way! Arm yourself with information that can potentially save you thousands of dollars, grief and confusion.

As funeral and burial costs continue to climb, more families are having to raise donations to bury loved ones. That’s a shame! Car washes, bake sales, church collections, work collections etc. No one wants to be an object of charity. Would you willingly put your family through this embarrassment? Of course not, take charge and look into funeral planning. You will reduce your funeral and burial costs substantially. Like the old axiom goes, you can pay now or pay later!