Learn How To Control High Funeral Costs

As with all financial decisions that one must make in their lifetime, high funeral costs does not have to affect the financial freedom of your remaining loved ones, if you let your wishes be known ahead of time. Once you pass on, there is a multitude of decisions that needs to be made at a very stressful time. As a matter of fact, this critical time has been described as the perfect storm for high expenses: 1) your family is faced with a significant expense, 2) it comes at a time when the family is under a lot of stress and most vulnerable, 3) price shopping can be very daunting, especially when the limited time factor is introduced.

When all the pieces of the puzzle are put together, the average cost of a funeral in 2013 is about $10,000.00. This breaks down into three main categories: 1) funeral home fees of $6,000.00, 2) cemetery fees of $2,000.00, 3) headstone/grave marker fees of $2,000.00. Since all three categories have a good amount of leeway, it is in your best interest to learn exactly what fees are necessary and what are not. For instance, the average funeral home fee of $6,000.00 is further broken down into 5 sub-categories: 1) casket: $2,400.00, 2) funeral director's fee: $1,600.00, 3) embalming/body preparation: $600.00, 4) viewing room rental & ceremony: $1,000.00, 5) miscellaneous fees such as use of the hearse and paperwork: $600.00. Did you know that with little exception, embalming is not mandatory in most states and therefore, it is a fee that can be eliminated.

The single largest fee that contributes to high funeral costs is the cost of the casket. There are a lot of choices in this category, but very often, you will only be presented with the choices that are in the best interest of the funeral home. Here again, you need to learn what is not necessary. For instance, if you choose a metal casket, 20 gauge is thick enough, yet you might be pressured into buying the thicker 18 gauge which will add a significant amount to high funeral costs.

You may have read that pre-paying funeral costs will lower your high funeral costs. This is not necessarily so and in fact it has contributed to so many complaints, that the Federal Trade Commission and other national organizations all recommend not to do it!

One movement that seems to be gaining traction on a national level is known as "green burials". People want to get back to the "way things were". People want to do what is right for the planet. Eliminating embalming and choosing a plain wood casket such as a pine box, are just a few of the environmental friendly ways that also double to lower your high funeral costs.

The bottom line for keeping high funeral costs down and preserving the financial freedom of your family can be summed up in one word: knowledge! Know the law in your state regarding care of the deceased. Know your rights. Don't be afraid to deal with each of the above categories on an individual basis instead of taking a package deal which will more than likely contribute to high funeral costs!

Plan Your Own Funeral Before You Need It

By taking the time to plan your own funeral ahead of time, the agony of making these arrangements is lifted from your loved ones. This can be one of the best things that you can do for those that you love.

The worst part is that most people don't even realize that this planning service is available. We see the Funeral Home as a place that we only go to in our time of need.

Life insurance is broadly advertised, but not funeral planning. Maybe this is because we don't like to think about our own mortality. It is unfortunate that this major benefit to our loved ones is not more publicized.

Knowing which Funeral Home you will use is the key. Simply call the Funeral Home and schedule an appointment. They will set up a time for you when their schedule is quiet.

The staff of Funeral Homes is always knowledgeable and helpful. They will open a file in your name to be used when the time comes. What a great gift to give those that you love!

Making these arrangements includes filling in some details specific to your life. These include such things as the names of your parents, where you were born, and any siblings along with some other information.

One nice thing is that along with the planning, you may even get the option of paying for some or all of the expenses at today's costs. There are a few options that cannot be paid for ahead of time, since the payment for services of others (sometime in the distant future) cannot be accurately predicted. You can, however, put money towards these expenses.

The good part about this payment option is that there is usually no set payment plan. You pay the Funeral Home money towards the services as you can. Once you have enough in your account to pay for any specific item, it is completed and you start paying towards the next item.

When you plan your own funeral, there are several benefits:

    Your ancestral information is correct. This may be important to a child, a grandchild, or even a niece or nephew who is trying to find their "roots".
    There is no push to have you pay for anything that you have chosen. This does not become a monthly bill that adds to the mountain of bills in your daily life.
    Most importantly - your loved ones will be spared the agony of trying to fill out the paperwork and remember the details of your heritage correctly.
    Your loved ones will have the peace of mind of knowing that the services provided are just the way that you wanted them.

Once you have your funeral plans arranged, be sure that your loved ones are aware of whom to call when the time does come.

Although it is not high in our day-to-day thoughts, taking the time to plan your own funeral really is one of the best ways to provide for our loved ones. The last thing that they will need during their time of grief is the agony of making arrangements for the burial.

Checking Out the Latest Trends in Funeral Service

There are new trends rising in the funeral service industry and it is definitely worth checking it out. Even though this has always been true - that there are new trends in that industry, just as in others - it has most certainly flown under the radar of most people. It is understandable that people are not really going to check out and show any particular interest in the trends that are hot in the funeral industry. They only get to be aware of it when there is a real reason to be informed about it, which is when a loved one or anyone that's close passes away.

The trends in the funeral service industry are there, however, and it wouldn't hurt to know of each one even though there is no immediate need for it. It would definitely be of benefit to a lot of people if they would know the latest trends in the industry, regardless of what their present situation is. Since those trends are usually driven by the changing tastes and preferences by the very people who are going to use those services in the future, it definitely matters.

Some of the latest trends in the funeral service industry are the following:

    Funerals are becoming more and more personalized. Perhaps this is all due to the fact that the times are changing, and the generation of people who are now aging and are planning for funerals more and more have different set of values and beliefs from those who are of past and older generations. As a result of that, an increased number of funerals are now more personalized than ever. What this means is that the funerals are becoming more and more about the lifestyle, hobbies, beliefs, and preferences of the people who died. It is easily more identifiable that way and the funeral and the person himself would be remembered better.

    There is also now a rise in advanced planning for funerals. It may be that people are just beginning to realize the importance of planning ahead, even when it comes to funerals. Due to planning ahead, things are made so much easier, and there are fewer hassles and more room for adjustments and any problems could be seen in advance and answers could be found more readily. As far as making choices are concerned, those who are in charge of planning for the funeral are also given more time and more opportunities when it comes to the selection of the funeral home and other related services and details about the funeral.

    There is an increased online presence for funeral homes and that will only continue to rise as time goes by. The Internet is such a wonderful platform for all kinds of businesses in order for them to grow and expand, so it is a natural progression on the part of funeral homes and companies to make their presence and their services known to the public that way. They are able to reach an unprecedented number of people and are able to market what they offer like never before.