Archive for December, 2009

Planning Your Travel To A Funeral

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

Planning Your Travel To A FuneralPlanning your travel to a funeral can be a stressful and burdensome task; between grieving for the loss of a family member or loved one and alerting others to the service, comparing the best airfare hardly seems like an activity that you want to give your time and energy to.  However, there are certain tricks that you can use to not only get the best airfare, but to make traveling to a funeral a smooth and stress-free experience for everyone involved.  Use these techniques when it’s time to plan your travel, and you’ll spend less of your precious time playing part-time travel agent and have more time to grieve and remember the life of the deceased.

Unless your loved one was gravely ill for some time, purchasing airfare to attend a funeral can often be quite costly, as funerals are usually held less than a week from the date of death.  You can end up paying a lot of money for last-minute airfare tickets – unless, of course, you ask for bereavement airfare discounts.  Bereavement airfare is typically available for family members of the deceased who are traveling to a funeral, and can be booked right up until departure time.  You won’t be able to secure bereavement airfare through travel websites, so call airlines and ask about their special discounts.  You can grab airfare for a discount of up to 50 percent off, with some airlines even offering 75 percent off a full fare.  However, if your travels require more than one airline, your bereavement airfare will only be available on the requested flight.  Call the other airlines to ensure that you’re being offered discounted airfare.

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Moving On: How To Prepare Yourself For Life After The Death Of A Loved One

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Moving On: How To Prepare Yourself For Life After The Death Of A Loved OneLosing a loved one can be one of the most incredibly trying experiences of a person’s life.  Between funeral planning and alerting relatives and friends to the death, it can often seem like a huge relief once the funeral is finally over.  However, the month after a loved one’s death is a crucial time for settling the deceased’s finances – and for ensuring the protection of your own.  If you need advice on how to financially move on after the death of a spouse, parent or other relative, then read on to find out what you need to know on making the change as smoothly as possible.

One important note: it can often be tempting to push aside sorting out any financial matters in the midst of your grief, so if you need help with any of these steps, enlist the aid of friends and family members.  They’ll provide much-needed emotional support as well as assist you with any legal or financial difficulties you may encounter.  Additionally, contact professionals who can give you the best advice on how to manage your finances and settle any debts that were left behind by a loved one.

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