2022 has come and gone, and as we start this new year we think about our goals and resolutions. One of the goals my wife and I are planning this year is being more prepared by building up our food storage. How can you be more prepared when it comes to the funeral industry?

Get a Funeral plan. What is a funeral plan? This would be a very long and boring post if I went into all the details of funeral plan, but I will try to just touch on the basics.

A Funeral plan is a prepaid funeral or cremation service through the mortuary. This money is ether held in a trust controlled by the mortuary or by an insurance company.  Trusts tend to benefit the mortuary a little more, while the insurance company will have more benefits for the person. That is why I only use an insurance company to hold the money. 

How much does it cost? It costs the same as if you were to plan a funeral today. It can be paid in full or on a monthly payment plan. The cost of a funeral or cremation can vary greatly based on the services and merchandise you chose.

What are the benefits?

• It guarantees the cost of the service, casket, vault and other merchandise items against inflation.
• It protects the money from Medicaid, which will make you cash out life insurance policies with a cash value over Medicaid’s limits.
• One of my favorite benefits is that it makes it so much easier when I have to sit down with a family and all the major decisions have already been made and it’s paid for.

Excuses I get for why people don’t get one:

• Costs too much - Funeral plans are a lot of money, but I promise that funeral costs are not getting any cheaper anytime soon.
• I already have life insurance - Great! I still recommend preplanning if you can.  It will be so much easier down the road for your family.
  
• My favorite excuse is “I am going to be resurrected”.
  

What if I move? - As long as you are in Utah or plan on coming back to Utah, I can still handle it. You can take a plan into the local mortuary and ask if they will guarantee the funeral plan. 

I already have a funeral plan with a different mortuary can you handle it? - Yes. Bring me your funeral plan.  They are easy to transfer and I will fully guarantee it as if I wrote it. 

If you have a questions about funeral plans that I didn’t cover or you would like to consider getting one for yourself or a loved one, please give me a call or email me.