What is Advance Funeral Planning?

Before any funeral or memorial service can take place, surviving family members must often answer between 100 and 200 questions about the deceased. Do you know your loved one's mother's maiden name or social security number? If they're a veteran, do you have a DD-214? Advance funeral planning is a great idea because when you're grieving, the last thing you want to deal with is having to make a million decisions.

What is Advance Funeral Planning?

Advance funeral planning generally refers to the act of sitting down with a funeral professional to discuss and record your final wishes, which may also include funding them. No matter what your age is, you can always put your wishes in writing, just like with a will. But what does advance funeral planning actually do? Let's take a closer look.

1. Advance Planning Gives Peace of Mind

It's important to answer those 100 – 200 questions ahead of time, because it can spare your family from having to do it in the future. The days immediately following a loss are often characterized by a feeling of confusion and sadness, but if you're prepared, it can make the process just a little bit easier. Having to plan a funeral or memorial on top of dealing with all the emotions can be really tough. But if you plan your funeral in advance, you can alleviate some of the burden that will fall on your loved ones. They won't have to worry about trying to plan and pay for your funeral services, and that's a weight off your shoulders – and theirs!

2. Advance Planning Helps Prevent Family Disagreements

One of the biggest tensions that can arise within a family after the death of a loved one is when members disagree about things like service details, dates, and times. Some people are more inclined to choose cremation, while others are more interested in burial. When you plan your funeral in advance, it's easier for your loved ones because they know what you want. There's no guessing, and it gives them more confidence. Advance funeral planning is a process where you can plan your funeral in advance. This can include things like choosing your casket, picking out music, and writing your own obituary. Advance funeral planning is beneficial because it can take the burden off of your loved ones during a difficult time. Additionally, advance funeral planning can help ensure that your final wishes are carried out.

3. Advance Planning Gives You Time to Create a Personalized Final Tribute

It can be difficult to try and plan a funeral that will be both meaningful and fulfilling in such a short amount of time, especially when everyone is still feeling grief. By advance planning, you'll be able to take the time to plan a funeral service (burial or cremation) that will fulfill your wishes and meet the emotional needs of your family and friends. A thoughtfully planned service is a good starting point for your network of supporters on their separate journeys through grief. By providing a space for everyone to openly share their thoughts and feelings, you are helping to create a more supportive and understanding environment. This space can be used to share anything that is on your mind, and can help others to understand your grief journey.

4. Advance Planning Saves Money

One of the ways that advance planning can help your family save money is by allowing you to take advantage of sales and discounts. If you know what you need ahead of time, you can often find items on sale or at a lower price than if you wait until you need them.

Prevents emotional overspending

When a family lacks the knowledge or understanding about an important decision, they may be tempted to seek the most expensive option to make sure that they can afford it. With advance planning, it is possible to reduce the cost of your selections in the long run so that your family’s financial situation will be more economical.

Protects against inflation

If you decide to prefer to pre-contract your funeral and pre-plan your funeral, many funeral homes will guarantee in writing that the services and merchandise itemized on your contract will be covered by your prepaid funeral insurance policy with no cost of insurance for you.

Plus, you could become eligible for up to eight weeks of funds to be used to fund an immediate funeral or cremation if you have a prepaid funeral insurance policy.That means your surviving family members will likely have to pay for the service out of pocket before the life insurance claim is paid out.

Helps you qualify for Medicaid coverage

If you are anticipating that you may apply for Medicaid in the future, you can use your assets to purchase prepaid funeral plans. If you place your funeral funds in an irrevocable contract, then your funeral expenses are exempt under Medicaid. In this way, you help yourself (and your family) qualify for Medicaid while still maintaining a source of income.

How to Get Started

Now that you know that advance planning is a very practical, practical way to prevent weight issues in the future, you can talk with a preplanning specialist.

Once you select the funeral home of you will select from the funeral homes and here are some tips to ensure that your family is comfortable with the selection you make. They will have a qualified funeral planning specialist on staff who will work with you to map out all the options, so you can make informed decisions regarding your plans. And best of all, their assistance is free!

In many ways, the most loving thing we can do is take care of as much as possible in advance. The future may be uncertain, but with advance planning, you can make a difference in the lives of the people who matter most.