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Unfunded funeral plans vs. planning your own funeral
For the context of this article, consider unfunded funeral plans as end-of-life plans that have been documented (either legally or informally), but not completely arranged with a funeral home or cemetery. Planning your own funeral is paying for your funeral and cemetery arrangements in advance, including services, interment, and memorialization.
Unfunded funeral plans: A fictional example
Let’s say a fictional man, John, would like to be buried at his favorite national park. John’s family is aware of his wishes, but after he passes, they learn that John did not secure any plans for his memorialization. His niece, Sarah, offers to arrange his services.
Sarah learns that transporting her uncle would be prohibitively expensive. Because John’s memorialization services were not secured and paid for, she does not have to honor his wishes. She’s also unsure about many other aspects of John’s funeral – did he want an open-casket service? What did he want on his headstone? In the end, Sarah arranges for a local burial with the resources she has available.
Later, Sarah remembers the hectic process of arranging funeral and burial services for her uncle, and she doesn’t want her family to have the same experience.
She can imagine the scenario if she delegated her memorialization plans – her first child would struggle to afford services, her middle and youngest children would bicker about what she would want, and her husband would be incredibly overwhelmed with the process.
Sarah decides to select a pre-paid plan, knowing her services are secured for the future.
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While this is a fictional example, unfunded funeral plans contribute to a common scenario where responsibility is shifted to families during their time of grief. To avoid this stressful experience, families are embracing a new tradition: The act of planning funeral and cemetery arrangements in advance has become a final gift to the planner and their loved ones.
Did you know? Your Memorial Planning providers offer a free Family Planning Guide which lists out the records and identification that are needed in the event of a death. Use it to collect information about important documents, fill out a family tree, record your end-of-life wishes, and much more.
Reach out to receive your complimentary Family Planning Guide.
Planning your funeral and final arrangements
Planning your end-of-life arrangements may seem like a strange idea, but it makes sense when you think about it. We plan for our education, weddings, and retirement, so it’s reasonable to plan for the unforeseeable future.
Like planning for any other rite of passage, drafting end-of-life arrangements involves selecting the services and products you want and paying in advance. This offering has arisen from a great need: Unfortunately, many families have firsthand experience arranging an unfunded funeral and interment. This process can be overwhelming and fast-paced.
Families stress over major concerns and smaller nonissues:
Many can agree that the bereaved should never have to ask themselves if they’ve made the right decisions. When someone plans in advance, they are relieving their loved ones of this significant burden.
Consider the days and years ahead: Once you’ve planned and it’s time to tend to your final arrangements, your family will rest assured knowing that you’ve handpicked your services.
So, think about how your final chapter should be fulfilled – the best time to make your wishes known is today. Contact your local funeral home or cemetery to get started.
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