How to Plan Your Own Funeral and Protect Your Family

 If you’ve never helped plan a funeral, then you may be unaware of the financial aspects that can occur during this time. You may also be unaware of the other decisions that need to be made when someone is nearing the end of life. There are many different elements that need to be considered when it comes to planning a peaceful transition for yourself and a less stressful grieving process for any loved ones left behind. So, here are the things you need to take care of if you want to shield your loved ones from emotional and financial burdens.

Life Insurance

 Life insurance can keep your loved ones protected if you pass away unexpectedly. If you are under 70 and do not have any major health concerns, then a final expense policy could be an economical solution for your funeral planning purposes. Policies such as Lincoln Heritage’s Funeral Advantage life insurance are best for folks who need $20,000 or less and who have no pre-existing conditions that could lead to disqualification. And while $20,000 should be enough to help with average burial costs, you may need additional insurance coverage if you are a single parent or are financially supporting family members.

 Burial Insurance

 If you want life insurance funds to be freed up for other expenses, such as housing payments, then you may want to think about researching burial insurance as well. Your loved ones can use the proceeds from burial insurance to cover costs associated with your funeral. They may even be able to put any leftover funds toward medical bills, personal loan payments, and other debts left after your passing. To determine how much burial insurance is best for your family, you will need to keep reading so you know which funeral expenses to include in your overall plan.

 Last Will and Testament

 Many people make the mistake of thinking that they do not need a will, whether that’s because they have minimal financial assets or family members to think about. In reality, everyone needs a will, regardless of their financial or familial status. Without a will, your assets and savings could be distributed by the state, instead of being passed to loved ones. If you have children, you can also use your will to appoint guardianship to a trusted family member or friend.

Advanced Medical Directives

 Not having a will can result in an additional financial burden for your loved ones, but not having medical directivesplanned out can lead to added stress as well. Advanced directives allow you to choose the level and type of care you receive in life-threatening situations, and can also help your family avoid being burdened by unnecessary medical debt. Without these directives in place, loved ones may be faced with making these types of decisions under extreme duress, which can result in less practical and more expensive care.

 Detailed and Written Funeral Plans

 As you pre-plan your funeral, make sure that your final wishes are in writing and are included in your overall estate plan. Your final wishes should encompass burial desires, such as whether you would prefer to be cremated or buried, as well as any directives that you would like carried out as part of a memorial service. Outlining these desires is akin to writing out medical directives; it can save your loved ones the added stress and expense of making decisions as they grieve your death. The final step in the planning process should be to talk to family about your funeral and end-of-life wishes so they will be fully prepared if the unthinkable happens.

 Contemplating and planning your own death may seem morbid. Really though, pre-planning your funeral and end-of-life expenses is one of the most responsible and thoughtful things you can do to protect the people you love. Because doing so can provide financial stability, emotional support, and peace of mind during one of their darkest times.

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