Funeral planning can happen any time. Pre-need planning is common. Pre-need funeral planning is the act of making funeral arrangements and covering their costs ahead of time. The benefits include:
- Making decisions about what happens with your body after you die
- Choosing if and where you will be buried
- Choosing what sort of service will be held in your honor
- Pre-paying for your funeral to save costs for your family
- And more
Let’s take a deeper dive, shall we?
Pre-plan what will happen with your remains – When you die, your body must be cared for and handled in the way that aligns with your personal preferences and beliefs. If you pre-plan your burial you have complete control over the care and handling of your remains. You can determine:
- Burial or cremation
- If you are embalmed
- If there is a viewing
- What sort of casket or container you’re buried in
- And more
Choosing if and where you will be buried – Pre-planning gives you the opportunity to pick if and where you will be buried or if you prefer an alternative such as cremation, water or other burial, or an unconventional option such as donating your remains to science.
Choose the sort of service – Pre-need planning can include planning your service and covering the costs. From picking the music, flowers, and other details to securing the location and locking in rates, your planning can make the funeral arrangements less burdensome on your family. You may even design and commission your headstone or other memorial to mark your place of rest.
Locking in rates and costs and avoiding inflation – Your actions can help reduce the costs of your funeral after time goes by. By pre-planning and paying for your expenses, you can avoid higher costs down the line. Also, you can rest easier knowing your family won’t have to cover the costs of your funeral and burial or cremation.
If you are the sort of person who likes having their ducks in a row and pays attention to detail, planning your own burial through a pre-need plan is an excellent way to make sure your wishes are thoroughly met and things represent who you were in life, even in your death. You can simply add your pre-need contract with your will, trust, and other important documents for your attorney or executor of your estate to use when the time comes.
