Preplanning Your Funeral Saves Loved Ones Stress And Money
"Planning our own funeral is a task few of us wish to tackle. Yet funerals can be a major expense for many families, and advance planning can save your estate money and your loved ones a lot of emotional stress.
Here are a few tips for preplanning a funeral so that you have the funeral that you (or the terminal person you are planning it for) desire at the best price.
The average cost for a funeral, according to the National Funeral Directors Association, is $6,500. But that doesn't include such things as the cemetery plot, the grave marker, and some miscellaneous expenses such as flowers. Choosing expensive options can easily push the cost of a funeral over $10,000.
The surviving loved ones must make these decisions very quickly after death, at a time they are grieving.
It's common for them to "prove their love" by buying an expensive casket and service, even though they may end up spending far more than the deceased would have chosen. That's why preplanning can help make this inevitable event far less stressful for your loved ones.
Preplanning doesn't mean simply telling your family what you want for your funeral. You need to actively shop and price. Otherwise you may "want" a funeral that is far more expensive than you realize or that your estate can afford.
Start with a funeral home's price list.
Federal rules require all funeral homes to provide a specific, detailed price list for their goods and services. You don't have to select every item on the list, either.
Keep in mind that most states don't require the use of a funeral home for a service. You or your church may want to simply hold a memorial service without the body present, thus eliminating the need for embalming, an expensive casket, or attending funeral staff.
Shop around. The cost of funeral home services can vary widely.
Caskets are a particular area where costs can be dramatically cut, without sacrificing the deceased's desires. The cost of caskets at a large Midwestern funeral home, for example, runs from a low of $700 to a high of $15,500. Third-party casket stores, including some online, have entered the market in recent years, selling caskets well below the cost of what many funeral homes charge. And the funeral home must use that casket without charging a handling fee.
Know what you are required by law to have and what isn't required.
Two examples are embalming and "grave liners." State laws typically don't require embalming, at least within two to three days of death. As for grave or vault liners, or what the funeral industry calls "outer burial containers," state laws again typically don't require it. But most cemeteries require some sort of liner so that the ground doesn't eventually settle over the grave, but that can be relatively inexpensive. Yet as with caskets, liner costs range widely, from less than $1,000 to over $8,000.
Consider cremation.
It's generally less expensive than a "full service funeral" that includes a casket and burial, though this increasingly popular choice is certainly not for everyone.
To prepay or not. There are several ways to prefund a funeral, from paying the funeral home directly to buying a dedicated life insurance policy to establishing your own investment account for that purpose. Each has their pros and cons. But what is certain is that preplanning presents the opportunity to set aside money for the inevitable expenses, again potentially saving your loved ones money and stress.
Look for financial help. Social Security pays its beneficiaries a small death benefit. Also, veterans are entitled to a free burial and grave marker in a national cemetery.
Ultimately, the issue of preplanning your funeral isn't what you spend for it but whether what is spent buys the type of funeral and burial that you want and can afford. If you desire a lavish funeral with an expensive casket and a high-cost location within the cemetery, and you can afford it, that's fine. If you prefer cremation or a "party" without the traditional funeral, that's fine, too.
What you don't want is to force your surviving loved ones into "guessing" your wishes and making potentially expensive financial decisions under severe stress.
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Banking on the Future of Technology ... New Era Capital Corp Poised To Broaden E-Business Portfolio
New York, NY (ContentDesk) November 16, 2005 -- New Era Capital Corp, a New York City based financial services firm catering to mid-market investors and business owners is poised to expand its e-business portfolio over the next 12 months through acquiring or developing new e-ventures, principally; MyBzCenter.com? -- an interactive small business solutions portal. It recently launched a corporate domain at www.New-Cap.US. Already, New Era Capital Corp has successfully launched and currently operates www.MyCompletefinance.com? -- the first fully integrated and interactive financial portal specifically targeted to mid market investors and business owners. The continued success of this portal is one of the motivating factors for the aggressive foray into the e-business arena by New Era Capital. The rapid growth in bandwidth coupled with the steady rise in the usage of broadband...
Banking on the Future of Technology ... New Era Capital Corp Poised To Broaden E-Business Portfolio
Financial planning > Banking on the Future of Technology ... New Era Capital Corp Poised To Broaden E-Business Portfolio
The 5 Costliest Things You Must Know To Avoid Losing Money In a Down Market
(ContentDesk) February 16, 2006 -- Most people assume theres nothing they can do about a flat or falling market.
They think theres no choice but to ride out the poor performance of their mutual funds until the market improves.
In fact, there are at least five things you must know to avoid losing money, even in a down market, according to one of the most sought-after proactive money managers in the Northwest.
Daniel Wiggins, Chief Investment Officer of Talisker Investment Group, delivers important, timely information about how to make informed decisions to avoid losing money in down markets in mutual fund investments by sharing the following:????Why 90% of all mutual funds fail to beat the S&P 500????Why traditional buy-and-hold asset allocation models in managed mutual funds may not be in your best long-term interest????Why most financial planners advise you on when to get in, but fail to map out an exit strategy on when to leave a mutual fund????Why the...
Financial planning > The 5 Costliest Things You Must Know To Avoid Losing Money In a Down Market
Banking on the Future of Technology ... New Era Capital Corp Poised To Broaden E-Business Portfolio
New York, NY (ContentDesk) November 16, 2005 -- New Era Capital Corp, a New York City based financial services firm catering to mid-market investors and business owners is poised to expand its e-business portfolio over the next 12 months through acquiring or developing new e-ventures, principally; MyBzCenter.com? -- an interactive small business solutions portal. It recently launched a corporate domain at www.New-Cap.US. Already, New Era Capital Corp has successfully launched and currently operates www.MyCompletefinance.com? -- the first fully integrated and interactive financial portal specifically targeted to mid market investors and business owners. The continued success of this portal is one of the motivating factors for the aggressive foray into the e-business arena by New Era Capital. The rapid growth in bandwidth coupled with the steady rise in the usage of broadband...
Banking on the Future of Technology ... New Era Capital Corp Poised To Broaden E-Business Portfolio
Financial planning > Banking on the Future of Technology ... New Era Capital Corp Poised To Broaden E-Business Portfolio
Home Mortgage Rates
Mortgage has become one of the most important elements in modern day living and a key concept that might help one out ion fetching the intended amount of money one needs to fulfill his or her dream. Most of the times people look forward to mortgages for securing a home or some other real estates. Therefore, it is an important aspect of modern life to get the bets out of the internet to view the best rates on mortgages only on the net. Mortgage for the purpose of building, buying or making a home is the most common phenomena. Home, as we all know, is one of the most important aspects of life, of establishing the self as one of the rightful citizens.
Making a home is something that is greater than touching the sky, a feeling that cannot be explained, that cannot be explicated. Keeping this in mind, most of the financial companies and banks provide lucrative and low rate mortgage loans for the special purpose of building a home.
Most of the companies and banks provide...
Financial planning > Home Mortgage Rates
Be Safe, Not Sorry This Christmas.
(ContentDesk) December 19 2003--Christmas may be the season to be jolly, but for many people the festive fun will end in tears.
Whether it is the financial, family, or emotional aspects or the stressful nature of the holidays, for many families Christmas can be more jingle hells than jingle bells and few are prepared for the repercussions.????????????????????
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During the Christmas holidays, house fires are on average five times
the
daily average, nonfatal disabling injuries are estimated to climb to 27,700, more people will attempt suicide than at any other time, more families break up, the number of deaths involving Christmas trees fires is approximately 10, impaired driving is the largest single criminal cause of death and injury in Canada, and the risk of heart trouble sky-rockets.????????????????????????
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Thunder Bay insurance adviser, John Ramage of Clarica is issuing the following...
Financial planning > Be Safe, Not Sorry This Christmas.
Troux Announces Metis 3.6 Enterprise Architecture Suite
AUSTIN, Texas
February 17, 2005 Troux" Technologies, the leader in IT Governance software and solutions, today announced important enhancements to its Metis? Enterprise visual modeling toolset Version 3.6 which begins shipping on March 15th.
Metis 3.6 will enable enterprise architects, business analysts, IT planners and other decision-makers in Global 2000 companies and government agencies to easily create Enterprise Architecture models that support Business Process Management, Capital Asset Planning and the UML 2.0 standard for object-oriented modeling. Metis 3.6 marks a major milestone in our visual modeling software, which we are now in the process of integrating with the Troux IT Governance System to create the industrys most advanced Enterprise Architecture management solutions for IT governance and business process analysis, said Hank Weghorst, CEO of Troux Technologies.
Enterprise Architecture models built using Metis 3.6 will give executives, planners,...
Financial planning > Troux Announces Metis 3.6 Enterprise Architecture Suite
Financial planning
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