You’re a planner. You’ve made all the arrangements for your funeral long before it’s necessary, selecting the right package and payment plan and getting your affairs in order with plenty of time to spare. According to all the rulebooks, you’ve done things right and can rest comfortably knowing that your family won’t have to deal with the financial and emotional stresses of planning a funeral.
(more…) How to Discuss Your Pre-Plan Funeral Arrangements with Family
June 22nd, 2012You’re a planner. You’ve made all the arrangements for your funeral long before it’s necessary, selecting the right package and payment plan and getting your affairs in order with plenty of time to spare. According to all the rulebooks, you’ve done things right and can rest comfortably knowing that your family won’t have to deal with the financial and emotional stresses of planning a funeral.
(more…) Resources and Contacts if You Have Funeral Complaints
June 20th, 2012
There are times when the unthinkable can occur…when your family, already strained due to death and the stress of funeral planning, is treated unfairly by a funeral provider.
Funeral homes, cemeteries, and other companies in the funeral industry are held to certain national standards, but that doesn’t mean that a bad experience can’t happen to you. Whether due to a misunderstanding, neglect, or malicious intentions, there may arise a situation in which you question the ethics and legality of your treatment. If this happens, there are resources and organizations you can turn to for help.
(more…) How to Plan a Funeral in a Hurry
June 18th, 2012
Most funerals have to be planned within a time frame of 3 to 7 days. Due to health regulations and the costs associated with storing the body over an extended amount of time, there tends to be a fairly small window of opportunity when it comes to making funeral plans and bringing together large amounts of family and friends for a memorial service.
(more…) How to Pay for a Funeral
June 15th, 2012
Although rates of advance funeral planning are on the rise, the majority of people aren’t financially prepared to pay for a funeral. With a price tag of anywhere from a few thousand to up to $10,000, it’s not easy to come up with the money necessary to make the final arrangements—especially if you’re forced to wait weeks or even months for a life insurance policy to pay out.
(more…) Buying a Casket at a Major Retailer
June 13th, 2012
Seemingly, one of the easiest ways to save money on funeral costs is to purchase your casket at a third-party provider. Caskets tend to be the most expensive item on a funeral price list, and shopping around might save up to thousands of dollars. Although not all funeral homes make this option clear, the Funeral Rule requires that funeral homes accept a casket purchased from an outside retailer, if that is what you wish.
(more…) Age Caps and Health Restrictions on Burial Insurance
June 10th, 2012
While burial insurance (also known as funeral insurance) is a great option for those who want to pre-arrange a funeral for a low upfront cost, it isn’t available to everyone. Like most other types of personal insurance (health and life), your age and health will determine your premium rates and whether or not you qualify for that policy as all.
(more…) Pros and Cons of Embalming
June 5th, 2012
One of the important funeral planning questions everyone must consider when choosing burial is whether or not to have the deceased embalmed. There are strong camps both in favor of and against embalming, and it’s become the kind of issue that divides families who are already struggling to deal with a huge loss.
While no one can decide for you whether or not embalming is the right choice, here are a few pros and cons of this option.
(more…) How Much does a Green Burial Cost?
May 31st, 2012
As environmentally friendly alternatives become popular and more manageable for the average consumer, more and more people are turning to green burials. In a green burial, individuals eschew formal burial items like heavy metal caskets and vault liners in favor of simple shrouds or plywood caskets. They might also opt not to have funeral flowers at the ceremony, or even do a webcast of the memorial service to save on long-distance travel.
The term “green burial” is used fairly broadly to describe any funeral with eco-friendly overtones. Some people take it very seriously and avoid everything from embalming to headstones, while others prefer to take simple measures like planting trees as a memorial to the deceased.
(more…) Things to Consider Before Buying Prepaid Funeral Insurance
May 29th, 2012
If you’ve been debating whether you want to purchase funeral insurance, burial insurance, a pre-paid funeral plan, or another advance preparation package, it’s a good idea to weigh the pros and cons of each one. Factors like your age, your financial situation, and even your wishes will play a role in which plan is right for you.
iMortuary's team includes funeral professionals to help you outline your wishes and understand prices and your financial options. Simply complete our brief online form to begin this no-obligation conversation. After you talk with us, we assist you with finalizing pre-payments or filing your arrangements with a funeral home.
For many people—especially those who are taking early steps to make financial arrangements for a funeral or other service—funeral insurance or "final expense" insurance is a popular option. Instead of selecting precise funeral services or making all the arrangements, you simply have a sum set aside for disbursement at the time of death. Sometimes, the funds are tied in to a specific funeral home; other times, you name a beneficiary who will take over the funeral plans once you pass. In either case, you get to determine how you want the insurance plan to work when you first sign up for it.
(more…) Burial or Cremation? Making the Difficult Decisions
May 27th, 2012
In the past, funeral planning was almost entirely done with traditional burial in mind. This time-honored approach to saying goodbye has long been a staple of the funeral industry in the United States, taking precedence over all other forms of interment.
These days, cremation is growing in popularity. In fact, in some states, there are more cremations than burials—and the trend is only increasing. If you’re not sure which option is right for you, consider a few of these key advantages and disadvantages of burial versus cremation.
iMortuary's team includes funeral professionals to help you outline your wishes and understand prices and your financial options. Simply complete our brief online form to begin this no-obligation conversation. After you talk with us, we assist you with finalizing pre-payments or filing your arrangements with a funeral home.(more…)
