Thread: Pre-paid Funerals

I am the POA for my uncle and I will be meeting with a funeral director later today to arrange one for him. Has anyone here ever set that up? Any advice or comments?

I have not set one up in advance. I would gather that it entails going over the various options such as cremation vs burial, a full funeral vs graveside, vault or no vault...

Then when the time comes there is nothing to decide....and if it is all paid for there is peace of mind regarding the financial end..people often pay far too much because they are under emotional duress at the time...

My SIL wanted to be creamated but did not put it in writing and when that time came his parents refused that...this led to a very expensive funeral that we were not prepared for so even though they refused cremation they would NOT assume responsibility for the cost...it was difficult....these things are avoided when the deceased has all those things carved in stone in advance...no bickering between kids...no unexpected financial burdens....it's a really good idea...

Originally Posted by Quest

...these things are avoided when the deceased has all those things carved in stone in advance...no bickering between kids...no unexpected financial burdens....it's a really good idea...

I agree!

My in laws paid for a funeral package which at death the family receives an amount of cash that covers the funeral - we have already used it for my FIL

Many funeral businesses are exorbitant and a waste of money

I don't know what I want!

What's the deal with the pre paid? You pay for it before, you pay for it after, what's the difference other than the obvious.

I suppose if you pay for it "Before," you get the current rate, and you don't have to worry about future price increases?

Plus, if you pay for it in advance, you eliminate any financial burden for your survivors, in case you don't have (enough) life insurance to cover burial costs.

Originally Posted by krystian

I am the POA for my uncle and I will be meeting with a funeral director later today to arrange one for him. Has anyone here ever set that up? Any advice or comments?

How'd it go? Any tips?

Originally Posted by fuego

What's the deal with the pre paid? You pay for it before, you pay for it after, what's the difference other than the obvious.

Originally Posted by Romans828

I suppose if you pay for it "Before," you get the current rate, and you don't have to worry about future price increases?

Plus, if you pay for it in advance, you eliminate any financial burden for your survivors, in case you don't have (enough) life insurance to cover burial costs.

Right...and it just makes things that much less stressful and chaotic when the time does come.

Originally Posted by John

How'd it go? Any tips?

When I went Friday we went over all the options and crunched a bunch of numbers and I just got home from signing all the documents and giving them the check. The reason I'm doing it now tho is because my uncle has Parkinson's and Lewy Body dementia and has been in a private pay group home for the last few years but his savings are almost gone.

In order for Medicaid to step in and start covering his expenses and care you have to do a 'spend down' where you can only have $2,000 or less left in your assets, and you can't frivolously spend that money but there are certain things you can apply it to like a pre-paid funeral.

Since I handled the arrangements for my mom's funeral a few years back and then her brother's a couple of years later I was fairly familiar with what to expect. The main expenses were for the funeral home services, the coffin and the vault and those choices and prices are now locked down.

He already had a grave site and an engraved headstone that will just need the date of death etched in but I was surprised at the cost these days to 'open' or dig the grave, it averages around $1500. I had the option of whether or not to leave a deposit for that and I did...of course if that price should go up in the future I would be responsible for the difference.

Since he is last of his siblings and all of his friends are pretty much gone I went with a 2 - 3 hour one day viewing, no wake per se, I'll just supply some finger food trays in the lounge there and it will conclude with a prayer service at the funeral home.