Posts Tagged ‘legal issues’

How to Choose a Funeral Service Provider

Saturday, April 21st, 2012

How to Choose a Funeral Service ProviderThere are no laws in the United States that require you to choose a funeral home for all your funeral planning needs. Technically, you could coordinate the entire interment on your own (or under the guidance of a licensed provider), as long as you adhere to all the legal requirements in your county and fill out all the appropriate paperwork that accompanies death.  For more in depth guidance, download our guide “7 Insider Tips You Need to Know Before Funeral Planning

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Women and Funeral Planning

Friday, April 6th, 2012

Women and Funeral PlanningWhen it comes to traditional financial planning, the majority of long-term fiscal decisions are made by men. For years, financial professionals have been trying to create specialized programs that focus on women and how they can plan for retirement or life after the loss of a spouse.

Funeral planning, on the other hand, is a process that has long been dominated by women. In fact, an estimated two-thirds of funerals are planned and paid for by women—usually because a wife outlives her husband, and is called upon to determine how to best lay her spouse to rest. Adult female children are also the ones most likely to act as caretakers for their aging parents, so the task of funeral planning often falls to them.

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How to Plan an Ash Scattering Ceremony

Monday, March 19th, 2012

How to Plan an Ash Scattering CeremonyOne of the primary reasons people choose cremation for their funeral plans is because there is much more flexibility in where, how, and when you dispose of the final remains.

Because cremains can remain in an urn or in a box for years before you make any decisions about how you want them to be scattered or buried, you have the luxury of time. This means you can plan a grand ceremony in keeping with your memories of the deceased or even wait until the entire family can gather to provide a proper send off.

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What is a Home Funeral?

Thursday, March 15th, 2012

What is a Home Funeral?When it comes to funeral planning, the modern consumer has more options than ever before. From cremation and green burial to traditional interment, there is a ceremony for every type of person—and every budget.

Those hoping to reduce funeral costs even more—and to put the focus back on family—have one more option: the home funeral. Once the only way to say goodbye to those we love, a home funeral is exactly what the name suggests. Instead of having a memorial service at a funeral home and burying the deceased in a cemetery, the entire process takes place at home.

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Obituaries and Identity Theft

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

Obituaries and Identity TheftFor most people, obituaries are a way to pay a tribute to a loved one and to advertise the time and place of a memorial service. Great time and care is taken to write the obituary in a way that honors the deceased, and a picture is lovingly selected to go along with it.

Unfortunately, not even death keeps predators away. The recently deceased are a target for identity theft, and one way in which people gather information on their victims is to search the obituary page for leads. The damages caused by this kind of crime can be catastrophic—especially for the grieving family. For example, if the spouse or partner of the deceased is still living, he or she may be held financially liable for the theft of monies or credit. It can also be a huge hassle to go through the police and credit agencies to prove that a theft occurred.

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What to Do if You Can’t Afford a Funeral

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

What to Do if You Can’t Afford a FuneralFor all the benefits of advance funeral planning, burial insurance, and the affordability of options like direct cremation, death is still a very costly affair. In fact, for some families, it’s too costly—and that’s when funeral planning can become a real problem. Although it isn’t something people like to think about (either in relation to their own life or in others), there are occasions in which it simply isn’t possible to pay for a funeral.

While this situation isn’t ideal, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have options. Government and church organizations exist to provide support, and you may be able to find a financing option that suits your lifestyle. If you are getting ready to plan a funeral and don’t have the available funds to cover it all, here are a few of the choices you face:

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What is the Difference between Burial Insurance and Funeral Insurance?

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

What is the Difference between Burial Insurance and Funeral Insurance?When it comes time to start advance planning a funeral, you’ll find that there are several options open to you. In addition to purchasing a plot or pre-paying for services, you can also choose to buy a funeral insurance policy. Like life insurance, this policy is paid out at the time of death—though usually in a matter of days rather than months, which helps you to cover the immediate costs of the funeral.

Burial insurance might be another term thrown around as you decide which type of pre-payment plan is right for you. This option sounds more specific than funeral insurance, in that it might be earmarked just for the burial process, but the truth is that both types of insurance are the same. They are flexible and affordable options designed to help cover the costs of interment (either burial or cremation, as the case may be).

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Standard Life Insurance vs. Preneed Funeral Insurance

Monday, August 1st, 2011

Standard Life Insurance vs. Preneed Funeral InsuranceWhen it comes to advance funeral planning options, one of the most common choices is funeral insurance. Like a life insurance policy, funeral insurance allows you to pay premiums during your lifetime with the promise of a payout upon death. Your beneficiary is then able to use those funds to finance your funeral, so that the financial burden is not placed directly onto your family’s shoulders.

How are They Different?

At its most basic core, traditional life insurance is intended to support life. Ranging in amount from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars, these are flexible financial arrangements that allow you to put a “safety net”under your family. It doesn’t matter whether you’re 25, 45, or 65, life insurance is meant to provide financial support to your loved ones in the event of your untimely death. That is, your family gets the money they need to pay for the mortgage, college, and even daily life as they struggle through a sudden loss.

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Funeral Planning: What is a Living Trust?

Monday, May 9th, 2011

Funeral Planning: What is a Living Trust?Although much of the information you’ll find online regarding funeral planning has to do with funeral pre-plans and the kind of funeral insurance that allows you to tie your money into a specific funeral home, there are actually many different types of financial and legal steps you can take to secure your estate.

One such option in funeral planning is a living trust. Like a will, a living trust allows you to allocate your money and resources to your dependents. However, unlike a will, this contract can take effect while you are still alive. This not only makes a lot of the proceedings an easier transition, but you can cause your estate to avoid probate so that your family doesn’t have to wait for the legal system to process everything before they gain control of their inheritance.

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Cremation and the Law

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

Cremation and the LawWhen it comes to funeral planning, burials, and cremation, there are quite a few different considerations that come into play. In addition to the wishes of the deceased, there are legal and ethical issues that will impact how and where you are laid to rest. This is one great reason for taking advantage of everything that the funeral pre-plan industry has to offer, since you can ensure that your wishes match local laws before death occurs.

This is especially true if you are choosing to be cremated. Because so many people (your relatives included) might have strong feelings about cremation, it is best to lay out your wishes in advance. The best way to do this is to pre-plan your funeral and pay for the cremation in advance; other options include clearly stating your wishes in a will or end-of-life directive.

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