Funeral Pre-Planning Information

Funeral Pre-Planning

Funeral pre-planning is something that everyone should take seriously but few seldom do. Many people will often acknowledge that they know it’s important As funeral directors, we often get asked when the best time to plan a funeral is? Truthfully, the answer is any time before you have to plan a funeral. You wouldn’t wait to plan a wedding or a baby shower until a few days before, so why wait to plan a funeral? Preplanning a funeral not only allows you to record your wishes, it gives you and your family the peace of mind to know that everything is taken care of.

There are two types of funeral plans, preneed and at-need (sometimes referred to as immediate need). At-need funeral plans are made by the surviving family members after a death has occurred. It can be a difficult experience for the survivors because emotions are high, time is short, and their grief needs to be managed. Not only that, but the imminent financial concerns can add to the stress of everything.

Pre-need funeral plans are much less stressful and more advantageous. Rather than rushing to complete arrangements, you can think about what you want your service to include and talk about the options with your family. Making funeral arrangements in advance also offers several benefits which we’ve outlined below.

Funeral Pre-Planning Benefits

If someone were to ask you, “what’s the benefit of making funeral arrangements in advance?”, the simple answer is that “it helps prevents mistakes.” Therefore, many of us make plans in many aspects of our life. We plan for our wedding, our children’s education, family vacations, and other significant expected life events. Also, we plan for unexpected life events by purchasing home, auto, and medical insurance.

So why don’t more people plan their funeral? Obviously planning your own funeral is morbid and does not fill you with positive emotions, but it remains very important and beneficial.

Make Sure Your Wishes Are Followed

Making funeral arrangements in advance ensures that your family follows how you want to be honored when you die. First, you can explicitly state that you would like to be cremated vs buried. Then you can specify if you would like a ceremony to honor your life and what that ceremony would look like and include. You can get very detailed with your instructions such as detailing where you would like your ashes scattered. Pre-planning your funeral ultimately gives you control and power to make important decisions.

Remove the Stress From Your Family

Trying to plan a funeral immediately after a loved one’s passing is very difficult. Family members are overcome with grief and not necessarily thinking clearly. By preplanning a funeral, you can relieve your family of the burden of making these arrangements. Instead, when death occurs, your loved ones can focus their energy on comforting one another and mentally preparing for the service.

It’s also common for family members to disagree on a loved one’s final arrangements. Clearly communicating your wishes in your plans can quickly resolve disputes. Pre-planning a funeral is an easy way to avoid disputes and remove the stress from your family.

Don’t Burden Your Loved Ones

How do you want people to remember you? What type of service do you want? When you pre plan your funeral you get to make these decisions. Rather than leaving the arrangements for your loved ones to make and wonder if they got it right, you can plan the service you want. Most importantly though, you and your family will have peace of mind knowing that everything is prepared for the way you want.

Select What You Want

If you pass away without any funeral pre arrangements, your family now has to complete the arrangements while also trying to manage their grief. This can create added stress and make the first few days after your passing that much harder for your loved ones. A pre arranged funeral ensures that in the days following your death, your family doesn’t need to spend time away from one another and can instead mourn together and prepare to say goodbye.

More Payment Methods

Pre-need funeral plans offer families more convenient payment options than those who are in immediate need. Those who choose to preplan often have three choices when it comes to paying for the service.

You can pay for your funeral service in advance, which is often referred to as a pre-paid funeral. Choosing this option will place your money into a trust where it can earn interest over time. This means when you pass away, your family could get a refund on the costs or have extra money to add something meaningful to the service.
You can take out an insurance policy. If you qualify, when you do pass away, the policy will be used to cover some or all of the funeral expenses or estate taxes.
You can pay over time. Most families are paying for the funeral costs at a lump sum after the funeral has concluded. Instead you can make smaller, incremental payments over time to start eating at the cost. In this instance, you can add these payments into your monthly budget.

Lock Into a Price and Avoid Inflation

Inflation impacts every industry and funeral homes are not exempt. When you preplan a service and pay in advanced, you can lock into a price on the day you sign the contract and potentially avoid the impact of inflation or rising costs.

Talk About It With Your Family

Pre-planning your funeral allows you to talk it over with your family. As much as a funeral service is about celebrating your life, it can also be beneficial to get your family’s point of view. Planning a ceremony that allows your family to best cope with grief should be considered.

Avoid Inflation and Save on Costs

Just like most products, over time inflation causes prices to rise and funeral products and services are not exempt. A pre arranged funeral allows you to pay for the service now so your family doesn’t have to when your time comes. Choosing to pre pay could help you save hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on how prices increase over time.

What We've Heard Over the Years

Pre-planning my funeral was my way of showing my family just how much I love them.

In pre-paying for my funeral arrangements, I've lessened the financial burden on those people I leave behind.

I'm very independent and have always made all my own decisions.

Some say I like to be in control of everything and they're right!

This way my family knows exactly what I want. No one has to get angry or fight, and no one has to feel guilty about making the wrong decision. When I'm gone, they will know what I want.

I remember when my mother died. None of us kids knew what to do and absolutely none of us knew what she wanted. No one bothered to ask! I'm just not going to wait for my kids to ask me what I want. I'm going to tell them.

I guess it's because I want things done my way. I want to provide my funeral pre-arrangements to our local funeral home to make sure I get what I want.

What’s Included When You Pre-Pay for Pre-Need Funeral Plans

So, you’re ready to start funeral pre-planning, but you have questions about what you receive when the arrangements are finished. Once the contract has been signed, the funeral director will provide you with a written statement that outlines the goods and services you have purchased (along with pricing for each). You will also receive a copy of the preneed contract discussing the terms and conditions, this includes:

A guarantee that if the goods and services you selected are not available at time of service, a substitute of equal or greater value will be provided at no cost.
The geographical boundaries of the firm’s service area.
Under what circumstances the contract can be transferred to another funeral home.
State where the funds are held until the funeral service.
Explain who is responsible for paying taxes on any income or interest generated by the preneed funds you invest.
Discuss whether, the price of goods and services is guaranteed.
The terms if you wish to cancel your preneed contract.

Learn More About Pre-Paid Funerals

How to Pre-Plan a Funeral

Here's a break-down of the process:

Set goals
Review limitations
Look at available options
Weigh the pros and cons of each option
Talk to others about the best options
Arrive at a final decision

In the case of funeral pre-arrangement, another two important steps are involved:

Write out your plan with as many details as possible.
Send your plan to the funeral home and provide a copy to your executor.

funeral pre-planning services book coffee pencil on table

Taking Care of Finances and Property

Create a contact list of everyone who should be notified in a medical emergency or death including the name of your funeral home.
Give your executor(s) a copy of your will and the contact list.
Give your executor(s) a list of bank and investment accounts, creditors, mortgage or lien information, insurance policies, retirement plans, safe deposit boxes, real and personal properties of value, and all related telephone numbers.
If you are receiving benefits from Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security or the Veterans' Administration, your executor needs that information to suspend benefit payments.
Select someone you trust to deal with your online accounts: email, online memberships, and social media. Include all relevant information and whether or not they should delete, close, or keep any of the accounts.

Taking Care of Funeral-Related Details

Make note of all the details you want mentioned in your obituary. You could even take this one step further and write your own obituary.
State, in writing, your preferences for burial or cremation.
If burial is preferred, provide the details of the cemetery arrangements. If you have not purchased a burial plot, this is the time to do so.
If you have chosen burial, what type of casket would you like? Should it be made of wood, metal, or composite materials?
If you choose cremation, what do you want done with the ashes?
Would you like a traditional funeral, memorial service, or celebration-of-life?
If you'd like a celebration-of-life, what location would you suggest for this event?
What special activities would you prefer at a celebration-of-life?
What music or special readings would you prefer?
What type and colours of flowers would you prefer?
Would you like to select a charitable organization to receive donations in your name?

Taking Care of Your Pets

If you share your life with animal companions, you should think about who you would like to take care of your pets. Consult with the person to see if this is something they are interested in doing for you and then write down your intentions and include all contact information. This should be signed and witnessed, and then given to your executor.

Using the Online Funeral Pre-Arrangement Tool

Our website features a step-by-step interactive online pre-arrangement form that can be used to record your end-of-life plan. You'll be asked to create an account with a username and password so you can login at any time to complete or change the plan.

Pre-Arrange Online