Although it might seem weird, pre-planning your funeral could be one of the most loving gifts that you give to your family. They will be devastated by your passing and may not remember your final wishes. Fred Hunter’s Funeral Services lists other reasons why you should pre-plan your funeral.
If you do nothing else, write down your wishes, make copies, and keep them in prominent places. Even stick a copy in your wallet.
Do not take for granted that your loved ones will know where to find your important papers.
Decide now whether you want to be buried or cremated. Cremation pre planning is less expensive. It includes everything from covering fees for the viewing, to the casket to the urn. Some fees, like for flowers, cannot be pre-planned since the price of flowers fluctuates wildly.
Pre-planning now will also save your loved ones from the huge financial burden of a cremation or burial. The average funeral in America costs about $7,600. Because of the long legal process of probate, your loved ones will not have access to any money or property that you will to them for weeks, months, or even years after your death. Even then, your creditors, like credit card companies or banks where you had outstanding loans when you died, can take all of the money that you had planned on giving to your descendants.
