The majority of my clients tell me that they want an estate plan to make things easier for their children when they pass. Many also place high importance on eliminating disputes between children. A good estate plan will meet those goals, but I always tell my clients to consider rounding out their plan by setting up a funeral contract. Prepaid funeral planning is a great way to alleviate an additional burden on your family when you pass. A good plan will mean that your children don’t have to scramble for funds to pay for the funeral or guess what type of funeral you would have wanted, all while going through the grieving process.
You will want to choose a funeral home that’s in the area you plan to settle or ask about what your options would be in the event you leave the area. A funeral home can walk you through your options some of which will include purchasing a burial plot, purchasing burial space items, setting up a prepaid funeral contract, and funding a funeral contract with life insurance. If you think you might need state assistance to pay for nursing home care in the future, you should find out what limitations a program like Medicaid would put on your arrangements. For example, the Medicaid program requires that a funeral contract be classified as irrevocable. This means that you cannot cancel it and have the prepaid funds returned to you. There are other limitations such as the maximum amount the contract is for and the types of services the contract can cover. So, if you want to lessen the burden on your family while they are grieving for your loss, you should talk to a funeral home about what you can do to plan and pay for your funeral in advance.
