Funerals — Planning Ahead has Advantages

Funeral Homes, cemeteries and other funeral service companies can help you arrange a funeral at any time -- even before there has been a death.

"At-Need" funeral arrangements are made at the time of death. They are usually made by surviving family members or by a trusted friend who has accepted this responsibility.

"Pre-Need" arrangements are the funeral plans that people make for themselves while living. Their primary objectives in planning ahead are to relieve their survivors of this burden and to ensure that the funeral is carried out according to their wishes.

Funeral plans will be a consideration for us all at some point in time. And, although planning one's own funeral in advance may be uncomfortable, it offers advantages.

"At-need" arrangements are the more difficult because time is of the essence and survivors are dealing with the grief of their loss.

Making funeral plans before you need them avoids many difficulties -- and it doesn't have to be an uncomfortable task.

Plan the Funeral — Before You Need It!

It doesn’t take a fatalistic person to recognize the value in planning their funeral in advance. In fact, millions of people choose to pre-arrange their funeral every year. After all, funeral arrangements will be a consideration for us all at some point in time and there are advantages to making them in advance.

Funeral Planning in Advance:

• Puts you in control and ensures your wishes will be known.
  Survivors may not know your wishes — or may assume they do know your wishes. For example, they may not know you prefer cremation; how much you’d want them to spend on arrangements; or whom you would want them to invite to the service. Planning ahead puts you in control by allowing you to make informed choices regarding your funeral and cemetery arrangements.




• Provides social, psychological and emotional benefits to your loved ones at a difficult time.
  Not only does it simplify the funeral process for your survivors, it also eases the stress of deciding what you would have wanted.




• Allows you to set aside funds and relieve your family of a financial burden.
  Since it is difficult to predict what your family’s financial situation will be at the time of your death, pre-funding ensures that an amount you consider appropriate will be earmarked for the funeral.




• Provides the peace of mind of knowing that "your affairs are in order."
  You'll be comforted by the assurance that your family and friends will be relieved of the burden of making funeral arrangements when you die. And you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that they will appreciate your concern for their well-being.

Your funeral plans can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. You may want to only specify a particular burial place or address a myriad of details — from the color of your casket to the music at your service. In either case, whether or not to set aside money to pay for the funeral is an important consideration.

For additional information, check out the following topics in our Funeral Planning section:

Planning Funerals in Advance
Controlling Funeral Costs
Print Funeral Planning Guide

Go to Learn About Funerals — Index of Topics.