All About Funerals

Funeral Finances

Advocate — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:23:41 +0000

Did you see this article from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine? The financial experts at Kiplinger’s encourage adults to take 8 important steps to manage their exit from this life and support their families, “Making arrangements for your final days and beyond isn’t just about helping your family through difficult times. It also lets you designate representatives to make decisions about your care, withdraw money from your accounts to pay your bills and celebrate your existence in exactly the way you want.”

Many of the steps are fairly obvious, though fewer than half of us have managed to take these steps:

Write a will.
Consider life insurance.
Complete critical end-of-life documents.
Manage finances to avoid probate…

And the final two are to Plan your Memorial or Funeral and to Choose Burial or Cremation. Why are these steps proposed in a financial article? Care of final needs is a substantial cost–with average costs of a funeral and burial in the $10,000 range, some will cost considerably more. By considering how your loved ones might remember, honor, and memorialize you, you can estimate the cost of your final needs.

More importantly, you can plan for them now, and remove the financial burden from your family. Planning can be part of general estate planning, or a solitary effort to address this cost. Planners even have the option of pre-paying the costs of final needs, an insurance policy of sorts, that usually offers a cost-savings. For more details on the benefits of advance funeral planning and prepaid funerals, try this article on Funeral Insurance. Often called a prepaid funeral or prepaid cremation, costs paid in advance are regulated by the insurance industry and may also be called funeral insurance.

Have you considered cost of final needs in your own personal end-of-life planning?

What is Most Important?

Advocate — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:18:25 +0000

Planning a funeral can seem overwhelming–all the details to take care of when what you may want most is to be left alone, or stay in bed and grieve. No one should feel the need to take responsibility for every detail, every part of the funeral plan.

Let yourself focus on just one thing at a time.
Let your family and friends help. Break up the tasks that need to be done to plan the funeral and assign them. Friends can help select funeral flowers, a brother or sister can be in charge of the eulogy, another family member the funeral readings…
Let the funeral director take care of as much as possible. The funeral director handles the majority of funeral arrangements, processing the death certificate and permits, transporting the deceased, and coordinating arrangements for the funeral service and cemetery burial. A funeral directory advises and guides on other funeral issues including the casket, flowers, music, and readings.

Breaking tasks up into manageable pieces and having everyone do their part will help a family plan a funeral without being overwhelmed. If you need help dealing with your loss, check our resources for help.

Alternative Funerals: Not so alternative?

Advocate — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:13:49 +0000

An alternative funeral can be any funeral or memorial service that is non-traditional, any funeral that isn’t a casketed body at a faith based funeral followed by burial. Alternative funerals include cremation, green funerals, and memorial services, to name a few. If you are considering planning a less-than-traditional funeral, find ideas here: http://www.funeralhomeresource.com/article/alternative-funerals-no-longer-uncommon.html.

Coping Strategies for Grief

Advocate — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:47:30 +0000

There may be no more trying time than dealing with the loss of a loved one. There are several strategies to help. In addition to calling on the support of family and friends, we suggest these coping strategies: http://www.funeralhomeresource.com/article/coping-with-loss-grieving-and-bereavement.html.

Cremation in New Jersey

Advocate — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:15:24 +0000

Cremation Funerals of New Jersey has been serving the entire state of New Jersey for over 37 years.

Cremation NJ

Selecting a Coffin

Advocate — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:31:57 +0000

Coffins are available in a wide range of materials and styles. Coffin prices can be in the thousands of dollars, a significant purchase. What are your options when choosing a coffin? Learn more http://www.funeralhomeresource.com/article/burial-coffins.html.

Military funerals

Advocate — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:54:56 +0000

Veterans of the United States armed forces as well as spouses and dependent children are eligible for death and funeral benefits. What are the benefits? What are the requirements? Read here to find out: http://www.funeralhomeresource.com/content/veterans-benefits-and-resources.html

Pre-paying for Funerals

Advocate — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:09:21 +0000

Planning your funeral isn’t common dinner table conversation, but saving money should be. Planning and paying for final needs in advance is an absolute cost saver. Find out how: http://www.funeralhomeresource.com/article/pre-planning-and-pre-funding-your-funeral.html

Traditional Funeral Schedule

Advocate — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 02:05:27 +0000

A traditional funeral has five scheduled parts starting with the visitation. Read about each portion here: http://www.funeralhomeresource.com/article/the-5-parts-to-a-funeral.html

Cremation Planning

Advocate — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 04:58:33 +0000

Cremation is an increasingly popular alternative to burial. Understand your choices in planning a cremation. Check here: http://www.funeralhomeresource.com/article/how-to-arrange-a-cremation-service.html.