More Resources

• 5 Things You Need to Know About Pre-planning a Funeral

  1. Be informed about the choices available. Prearranging gives you the opportunity to become informed about your options in an unpressured environment, when you have time to think things through. You can select and specify the services and personalized details that truly have meaning to you and your family.

  2. Record your wishes. Many people think they have taken care of everything by writing a will, establishing a living will or even purchasing their cemetery plot. But that's not all. Your survivors benefit most when you prearrange. You should make sure that your wishes are recorded in writing and shared with family members and your attorney.

  3. Talk about it with your family. Involving those most affected by your death can bring peace of mind and relief to those who will have to carry out your wishes. More importantly, knowing your wishes and carrying them out can bring great comfort to surviving family members and friends.

  4. Consider planning and prepaying for your arrangements. Planning your funeral or cremation service in advance can take care of the details. But only prearranging (prepaying for your services) can take care of the actual expense of the funeral ahead of time, easing the future financial burden on your loved ones.

  5. Insurance may not be enough. Insurance policies are not protected against inflation. Prices of products and services will continue to rise while the amount of your policy coverage remains the same. Your loved ones may not have enough left from the insurance coverage to cover the higher cost of your funeral expenses. Prearrangements purchased through your local Dignity Memorial^® professionals combine the benefits of insurance with a guaranteed funeral or cremation service and price, leaving the insurance untouched for the living.

• Why Funeral Pre-planning Makes Sense

  Take responsibility for your arrangements. Just as estate planning and creating a will are responsible actions, planning your final arrangements in advance makes emotional and financial sense and protects your loved ones from the burden of planning services for you.

  Eliminate guesswork for your family. When you make your funeral arrangements in advance, you'll help alleviate your family's burden of making difficult decisions at what will be an already difficult time. With your wishes recorded, they won't be left to guess what you would have wanted.

  Personalize your service. Making your final arrangements in advance allows you to influence the personal details that are important to you. Celebrate your life, your way.

  Find the value and quality you want. Investigating different funeral homes is an important part of making final arrangements. Comparison shopping allows you to find the value and quality of service that's right for you.

• How to Start the Pre-planning Conversation with Your Loved Ones

  Set a time to have the conversation. Schedule it as an appointment with your loved ones, whether you want to share your plans with them or ask them to share their plans with you.

  Tell your parent or loved one that you want to ensure their final arrangements are done according to their wishes, and you need their help to make that happen.

  Ease into the conversation. Questions such as "Have you ever thought about where you would like to be buried?" or "What type of funeral would you like to have?" may open the discussion to more details about your loved one's wishes.

  Take advantage of funeral-related opportunities. Attending the funeral of a friend, family member or colleague, or watching a movie or television show with funeral scenes, may naturally prompt the discussion with your own loved ones. Talk about what you liked or didn't like about the services you saw or attended.

  Tell your children or loved ones that because you care for them so much, you don't want to burden them with difficult decisions when you're gone. Explain that you've made your own final arrangements, and give them a written record of what they are.

  Make it a family affair. Schedule an appointment with your funeral home or cemetery provider and invite your loved ones along to participate in the creation of your personalized celebration.