Resources for Making Funeral Arrangements
Everything you need to know about making funeral arrangements.
Whether a death has just occurred or you’re planning ahead, we’ll walk you through every decision with compassion and no pressure.
Making funeral arrangements can feel overwhelming, especially after a death. There are many decisions to make, often quickly, and it can be hard to know where to begin. Our resources are here to help you take the process one step at a time, with clear information and practical guidance.
Tackle the most urgent tasks first. After that, move through the details at a pace that works for you. From the first call to selecting funeral services and products, we’ll help you understand your options and make well-informed decisions with confidence.
We also cover what happens after the funeral, including important follow-up tasks such as filing claims, handling paperwork, and managing a loved one’s affairs. If you are planning ahead, our After Me tools can help you organize your wishes
Our easy-to-use tools and resources can help you manage the many details involved and plan a meaningful tribute for your loved one. Be sure to consider our After Me planning tools to help you make arrangements. The tools range from the free Quick Plan to the full-featured Planner and Organizer.
Making Arrangements
- First Call After a Death
- How to Make Arrangements
- Guide to Funeral Arrangements
- Making Cemetery Arrangements
Paying for a Funeral
Other Arrangement Information
Good Things to Know
>>Request Our Funeral Arrangement Checklist
>>Request Our Funeral Preplanning Checklist
When Someone Dies
When a death has just occurred, the first priority is to contact the appropriate people and confirm the next steps. In most cases, that means calling a funeral home or local authority, checking whether any prearrangements exist, and gathering the information needed to begin the arrangement process.
If you are unsure where to start, begin with the first call and work from there. A funeral provider can help you understand transportation, timing, paperwork, service options, and costs.
For a step-by-step breakdown of how to make funeral arrangements, visit our Funeral Arrangements: A Complete Guide page.
Making The First Call
Find out who to call when a death has occurred.
Find Out What To Do When Someone Dies
How To Make Funeral Arrangements
Learn what to do when someone dies, step-by-step
Learn About Making Funeral Arrangements
Request the Guide to Making Funeral Arrangements
Learn what to expect when someone dies and the steps you should follow
Learn What to do when a death happensWhen Planning Ahead
When you are planning ahead for yourself or a loved one, you have the luxury of time. While the steps are similar, you are free to explore your options, compare prices, and think about what you want. Our Funeral Planning Guide is a gateway page with everything you need to create a funeral plan that meets your needs and offers peace of mind to you and your family.
Paying for a Funeral
Paying for a funeral can be one of the hardest parts of the process, especially when the death was unexpected. There may be federal, state, county, nonprofit, faith-based, or insurance-based resources that can help, but availability and eligibility vary.
Social Security provides a one-time death benefit of $255 in some cases, and some families may be able to use life insurance or other funds to help with payment. Funeral homes may also accept other payment arrangements, but policies differ, so it’s important to ask early.
If cost is a major concern, it helps to compare options carefully and ask for itemized pricing. The FTC Funeral Rule requires funeral providers to give accurate, itemized price information and allows consumers to choose only the goods and services they want.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
The questions we are asked most often are about how to pay for a funeral. We’ve addressed some of the most frequently asked questions below. We also address other common questions about making funeral arrangements.
Should you find yourself in a situation where you are responsible for making funeral arrangements for a loved one, and there are no resources set aside for this purpose. In that case, you should investigate the available federal, State, and county resources. There may also be non-profit or faith-based groups that have programs for which you may be eligible. Other options are fundraising and funeral loans. Our Paying for a Funeral page offers information on how to start your search for resources.
While some states offer assistance with funeral or burial expenses, in most cases, these programs are administered through the county or local municipality. To learn about how your state provides financial assistance for funerals or burials, visit our State Assistance page.
Social Security offers a one-time death benefit of $255, which can be used for funeral or burial expenses. To receive the payment, you must apply. You can do this on your own at your local Social Security office, or your funeral director can help you.
Generally, funeral and burial expenses are not considered medical expenses, and therefore, Medicare and Medicaid cannot be used to cover them. There are some exceptions in certain states. Under certain Medicare Advantage plans, funds can be set aside for funeral expenses.
Funeral and burial expenses are not considered to be qualified health expenses under flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA), health reimbursement arrangements (HRA), limited care flexible spending accounts (LCFSA), or dependent care flexible spending accounts (DCFSA). Because they are not considered qualified, they cannot be used to pay for funeral expenses.
The best way to find help for paying for a funeral is to talk with your funeral director or contact your county health and services department. We have provided information on how each state handles funeral and burial expense assistance on our Federal Assistance and State Assistance pages.
In most cases, the county where the deceased resided will handle the funeral or burial if the deceased is indigent. This generally means a direct cremation is done.
Whether or not borrowing money, either through a funeral loan or a credit card, is a financial decision that you should weigh carefully. These types of arrangements often carry high-interest rates, so it is essential to be aware of all the terms of the loan agreement. For more information on funeral loans, click here.
Most funeral homes require payment before the funeral service. Depending on the provider and your financial circumstances, you may be able to arrange for payment at a later date. For example, many funeral homes will accept a life insurance policy instead of an advance payment. The precise payment details will depend on your particular situation and the policies of the funeral home you choose.
If the primary purpose is taking care of the deceased’s body, the cheapest alternative is low-cost cremation or donation to science. See our article “10 Tips For Having A Cheap Funeral.”
The main options for handling a body after death are traditional burial, cremation, green burial or green cremation, or donation to science. Green burial includes alternatives to cremation, such as alkaline hydrolysis (water cremation) and natural organic reduction (human composting). Water cremation and human composting are not available in every state, so be sure to check availability in your location. When you choose to donate to science, you must make arrangements in advance.
If a death happens away from home, a local funeral provider can help make the initial arrangements and coordinate transportation to get them home. It’s smart to have travel protection or repatriation coverage, as the cost of returning a loved one home can be surprisingly high.
When someone dies, you can call 9-1-1 if you are at home. If the person is at a hospital, nursing home, or hospice facility, contact a nurse or doctor. Our page on “First Call” can help you through it step by step. You can also reach out to a local funeral provider for assistance.
