Four Reasons to Pre-Plan your Funeral

Four Reasons to Pre-Plan your Funeral
By Sean Riley

Not everyone likes to plan ahead – especially for something like a funeral. However, there are a number of compelling reasons to arrange your final wishes long before you will need them.

Here are four of the most
common reasons to preplan:

1. YOUR FAMILY WILL KNOW YOUR WISHES: Sadly, many families experience disputes and hard feelings when arranging for a loved one’s unexpected death. Because memories of the loved one’s wishes sometimes contradict each other, disagreements can easily arise, damaging the healing process. By making your plans now, your loved ones won’t have to guess at what you may have wanted – they will know you were remembered as you wanted to be.
2. URGENT DECISIONS ARE COMPLETED NOW: Did you know that often more than 150 decisions and tasks must be completed within the first 24 to 48 hours after an individual’s passing? By arranging your final wishes ahead of time, you can ensure that your loved ones don’t have to wrestle over those details and decisions during their time of emotional upheaval. Knowing that everything is taken care of will allow proper remembrance and the first steps of healing.
3. PEACE OF MIND IS YOURS: All of your arrangements are guaranteed and will be carried out just as you have directed. You and your family can feel comfortable that although you won’t need the plans for years to come, when they are needed, they will be available and taken care of. There is an immense peace knowing your wishes will be executed as you designed them, meaning those you care about will be able to remember you as you want them to.
4. FUNERAL COSTS ARE ADDRESSED: As with most products and services, inflation drives the cost of funerals up yearly. Preplanning and prefunding your final wishes generally ensures that your funeral is completely paid for at today’s prices. Many people assume savings or life insurance will cover their final expenses, but funerals must be paid for up front and many life insurance policies or bank accounts aren’t accessible to families until well after services have been rendered. By prefunding, your family isn’t left to decide who will pay for the funeral.

We plan for many of the most important events and activities of our lives: weddings, vacations, graduations, birthdays, and retirement – so why not plan for one of the most impactful events in any family’s life – your funeral? By meeting with a funeral professional now, and putting an intentional plan in place, you’ll be able to help your loved ones through the period of their most acute loss. In just a couple of hours, you’ll be able to take care of about 95% of the important tasks and decisions that might later burden your family, and the memorial guide you complete together will serve as your “voice in the room” on a day that you’re no longer there.
Planning ahead for your funeral services will give your loved ones the opportunity to connect with each other in meaningful ways at the time of your passing, and will prevent unnecessary burden and stress for them at that time. Thoughtful and intentional funeral pre-planning is one of the greatest gifts you can give to the people you love and will provide you and your family true peace of mind.