What to Do as Executor of an Estate
If you have been named as the executor of an estate after someone dies (also sometimes referred to as an executor of a will), your job is to oversee the deceased’s financial accounts, property, assets, debts, and other items included in a will. At the time of death, the management and disbursement of these finances becomes your responsibility—and the responsibility can often be a large one. (more…)
How to Choose a Memorial Donation Recipient
When a loved one dies, you may wish to make (or request) a financial donation instead of more traditional gifts like sympathy flowers, food baskets, or money to help pay for the funeral. If this is the case, the first thing you have to do is decide who will be the recipient of all these monetary contributions. (more…)
Do I Have to Write an Obituary?
When a loved one dies, it is customary to write an obituary to be published in the local paper, on the funeral home website, or on social media. This brief overview of the deceased’s life not only informs people of the death (and the memorial service and/or funeral), but also commemorates things like careers, awards, education, children, and grandchildren. (more…)
How to Pay for a Funeral from an Estate
One of the most often-cited ways to cover funeral costs is to make the estate of the deceased pay for it. An “estate,” in this situation, is the sum total of the belongings, properties, and financial accounts the deceased leaves behind. Ranging anywhere from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars in assets, this money is what is later broken up and disbursed according to the deceased’s will. (more…)
Is it Better to Buy Burial Insurance or Life Insurance?
At first glance, burial insurance and life insurance are the same thing: it is a payout that goes to your family or beneficiary when you die. Death is an inevitable part of the world we live in, and having an insurance policy in place for when that happens is a smart way to ensure your family has enough money to bury you without dipping into their own pockets. (more…)
What to Expect When You Come to the Funeral Home
After you’ve decided on a funeral home and are ready to begin the process of planning a funeral, your funeral director will ask you to come into the facilities for a visit. This personal contact with the people in charge of your loved one’s remains is an important step in the grieving process. Not only will you get to benefit from face-to-face interaction, but you’ll also be walked through each decision ahead of you. (more…)
What is a Perpetual Care Cemetery?
When you search for a cemetery as a final resting ground for you and your family, you are likely to come across the phrase “perpetual care,” “permanent care,” or “endowed care.” Often included as a charge above and beyond the typical cemetery costs, these are included as a way to ensure that the cemetery grounds remain in good care for decades (or even centuries) to come. (more…)
When people purchase cemetery plots, they usually do so in pairs. Because so many spouses wish to be buried together, it makes sense to buy adjoining plots. It doesn’t matter whether you’re buying burial plots in advance, or if one spouse recently passed on and it makes sense to buy both burial spaces now—this is the way the vast majority of Americans approach the burial process.
There is another option, however. Family cemetery plots provide a way for multiple members of a family to be buried in the same place—and usually for a discounted price overall. Because you’re investing in a larger piece of cemetery real estate, you may get a percentage reduction or be able to bury multiple relatives on top of one another. You can also get away with purchasing one large headstone with the family name engraved on it and rely on smaller plaques to identify each individual buried there. (more…)
Even though over 40 percent of Americans opt for cremation over burial, there are still many different kinds of religious, cultural, and personal taboos that make cremation a difficult decision. This is especially true if your family has traditional views regarding funeral planning or has a long history of burial in a particular cemetery.
If you’ve decided on cremation but aren’t quite sure how to tell your family, we suggest you set aside a time to have this important conversation. It’s never a good idea to leave this sort of thing as a surprise, so the sooner you can open up to those you love, the more time you’ll have to enjoy what’s left of your time together.
Burial Insurance 3 of 3
There are two primary ways to buy burial insurance. The first operates like any other kind of life insurance policy, in which you name a loved one as the beneficiary who receives the payout when you die. The second option allows you to name a funeral home as the beneficiary, in which case they receive the insurance money directly.
This second option may seem a bit strange—after all, a funeral home isn’t your family, and you haven’t worked hard your whole life so they can receive a payout. However, it’s actually a quite common occurrence, and it can work out in your favor. Here’s how. (more…)
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Appropriate attire to wear to a funeral For Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, & Hindu funerals
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