THE GUIDE TO PRE PAID FUNERALS

I wasn’t really looking to plan my own funeral. So at first I concentrated solely on helping my parents pay for a funeral in advance. Together, we sorted through many funeral plan quotes. There were many funeral plans for over 60 but we eventually settled on a prepaid cremation plan for my dad and a burial service with various prepaid funeral arrangements for mum if she was the first to die.

After that was all settled, I decided to look into prepayment funerals for under 50s. This was for myself. My children are very young, so they wouldn’t be planning a funeral anyway. But why put my family through the hassle? I started my search by only considering guaranteed funeral plans. This way my family wouldn’t have to pay additional fees down the road.

I found what I feel is the best funeral plan for under 50. Using a funeral savings plan allows me to make small monthly payments. The entire process was surprisingly comfortable. Instead of making me feel depressed or afraid, I was actually relieved that something so important for my family was now taken care. After explaining this to my wife, we decided to pre pay funeral expenses for her, too. Now we have joint funeral plans. This saved us a bit of money as well as makes our personal record-keeping easy.

As it turns out, my uncle left a blessing in disguise. A good portion of my entire family, including much of my extended family, has purchased funeral plans. This has brought us all peace of mind – while also saving everyone some money, too.

When it comes to making pre arranged funeral plans, there are some things you can do to make the process that little bit easier on everyone involved:

Consider some non-negotiables before meeting with any funeral directors.

Your funeral is deeply personal, and it’s only natural that you’d want something that reflects your wishes and personality. It’s therefore a good idea to make a list of things you want before you start comparing plans or enquiring about the best funeral plans for you. Some questions to consider include:

• Do you want to be buried or cremated following the funeral ceremony?
• Where do you want the ceremony to take place?
• How many people do you want in attendance?
• Do you want your memorial to take place in a church/place of worship or in a funeral home?
• Do you want a viewing beforehand. If so, is this to be open or closed casket?
• Do you want a graveside service following the funeral ceremony?

Considering the key aspects of your burial will help you narrow down the options when it comes to in-depth planning.

Ask for help.

Just because it’s your funeral doesn’t mean 100% of the planning duties necessarily need to fall to you. If you want some assistance when it comes to planning, ask family or even a close friend if they can help. It may be that they’ve already planned a funeral, be it there’s or someone else’s, and have some expertise they can share with you. It can also help you ensure that someone else is aware of your wishes, which can give you confidence that everything will be carried out as you intend when you are not here to oversee it.

Don’t bow to pressure.

Whether it’s coming from family, a plan provider or a funeral home, pressure into a decision should never be taken lightly. While it’s important to make sure plans are made, bowing to sales pitches or pressure from loved ones can mean you choose something that doesn’t meet your requirements and fulfil your wishes. Take your time to compare different plans and offerings, and only choose something when you feel completely comfortable.

Create a funeral planning checklist.

You can download a pre-made checklist that will present you with a number of things you’ll need to think about when you’re wondering how to make your own funeral arrangements. This list includes the basics along with little things you may not have thought about, such as flowers and decor, food and catering, pre- and post-funeral plans and even how to announce funeral arrangements.

A prepaid funeral plan enables you to pay for the cost of your burial before you pass away, so your loved ones are not left to pay for it after the fact.

It is a practical and smart way to ensure your family members aren't left to struggle financially after you pass, but it also gives you the opportunity to personalise the experience. You can be sure that everything is just how you’d like it, which can be a big stress reliever for everyone involved.

You can choose your funeral director and home, burial site, and finer details of the day all at a fixed price. This means no unexpected costs or hidden fees, no stress associated with planning for your loved ones, and that you can have a final say about your burial.

Reassurance, protection against price inflation, affordable plans, control over your final affairs - need we go on? These are just a few of the benefits of obtaining pre arranged funeral plans. You can protect your loved ones from incurring the costs of your funeral, which is a big benefit for most people.

This means no worrying about guessing what your wishes would have been, struggling to make ends meet whilst making arrangements, and trying to handle all of this on top of the inevitable grief. The fact that pricing remains fixed helps you to budget efficiently, too - put simply, making plans is a selfless and smart choice that can give you and your loved ones peace of mind.

The cost of prepaid funeral plans varies depending on things like the provider, the level of coverage, whether you have chosen a ready-made package or have tailored something to your needs along with other factors. You can get an estimate with our free funeral calculator here.

The real benefit of choosing a prepaid funeral plan is that you know exactly how much is payable and when, so you can effectively budget to pay your pre paid funeral costs. There’s no need to worry about unexpected rising prices, so you don’t have to compromise on any of your final wishes because you can’t afford it.

There are a number of things to think about when sizing up the best prepaid funeral plans side by side. For a start, you should look at how much you want to spend - do you have funds aside to part with a lump sum, or do you want to pay in instalments?

You should also think about what you want from the funeral itself - do you want something small and private with close friends and family? Or a large celebration of life?

Consider looking at different providers too, as the offerings will vary depending on whether you’re obtaining coverage from a private funeral director or a large insurance company. Once you’ve made a checklist of things you want (and don’t want), tally up prepaid funerals pros and cons to see which best matches your needs.

Once you’ve submitted an enquiry to your chosen provider, it’s a wise idea to do some research and see if you can find some reviews online, ideally from an independent source if possible.

Of course, it makes sense to talk over your plans with your loved ones to ensure they are aware of your intentions and know what to do and who to contact when the time comes. Finally, ensuring your chosen provider is a FPA registered will give you some protection and peace of mind as well.

This all depends on your particular needs, but for most people, putting a prepaid plan in place is a very smart idea indeed. It can make managing the financial aspect of your funeral much easier whilst also minimising the pain and stress that your loved ones may encounter.

There are some things to consider when choosing a prepaid funeral plan. For example, you will need to consider other outgoings along with your retirement planning, as if you have not sufficiently planned you may find yourself paying out more than you can afford each month.

It’s important to check exactly what your prepaid funeral plan will cover too, as some may only pay for part of your funeral, meaning you or your loved ones will still need to find money from elsewhere to cover the remaining cost. Prepaid plans are also ideal for the long-term, meaning if you are currently ill, it may not be the best solution.

Furthermore, some providers won’t pay out if you pass away during a specific time period after taking out your policy, so you should consider this when making your selection.

If you don’t want to go the route of prepaid funerals, you may want to raise the money to pay for your burial. If you are aged over 55, you may want to release equity from your property to cover the costs.

If you are under 50 years old, life insurance may be another option. You can also invest in ISAs or bonds to raise the money. However, with prices rising rapidly, even if you do set money aside there’s no guarantee that this will be enough to eventually cover the cost.