If you’re looking to plan your own funeral, you aren’t alone. According to the Guardian, around 1.3 million people in the UK have already taken out a prepaid funeral plan. It also looks as if this is a growing trend. Over 200,000 people bought into a dedicated plan last year alone, either paying outright or putting money aside monthly. You don’t need to buy one of these products to plan your own funeral, but we do believe it’s the best place to start if you’re looking to put your affairs in order.
Cost is neither the first nor the last question you should ask as you plan your own funeral. It’s a constant issue that will probably need re-evaluating as you go along. The cost of any funeral is a sensitive issue, but it’s doubly so if you’re planning your own. Do you want an elaborate memorial service? Have you saved up enough money to pay for it? If not, you run the risk of leaving behind a lot for your loved ones to pay for.
Plan Your Own Funeral: Is Money the Most Important Question?
When it comes to planning your own funeral, the first step is deciding what’s most important to you. The magnitude of this question can be daunting. We believe it’s best to focus on where you stand from a religious, ethical, or personal standpoint and work from there. Cost will factor into this, but you shouldn’t compromise on the aspects of your funeral that you believe are most important.
In some cases, you will have narrowed the process down already. Budget may be your primary concern, in which case you might rule out a burial due to the higher cost of purchasing a plot and casket. A cremation, meanwhile, may be unsuitable for your religious beliefs.
Once you have decided on that, you need to make sure that you plan your funeral in a legally valid way. It’s no use preparing a thorough plan only to find that the people you leave behind can’t or won’t follow it. Make sure you write a will and record your plan in as much detail as possible.
We’ve already answered The Top 4 Questions to Ask When Planning a Funeral, but this becomes a little more complicated if you’re preparing to plan your own funeral. You could organise the entire ceremony down to the floral arrangements and the eulogies and still have no guarantee that the funeral you want would go ahead. Leaving your funeral plan behind in a will doesn’t mean that your loved ones legally must follow it. They might not be able to afford the costs and may not be able to rely on the estate to pay.
The only way to guarantee that your funeral will go ahead as planned is to make sure that you leave behind enough accessible funds to cover the costs. This can be complicated if you’re savings are tied-up in a life insurance policy, which may not pay out in time to cover the funeral. It might also be difficult for loved ones to access savings that you’ve put aside in bank accounts or cash ISAs.
Plan Your Own Funeral with Capital Life Funeral Plans
Putting money into a trusted prepaid funeral plan is the ideal way to tie up the question of what you want and how you’re going to pay for it as succinctly as possible. Capital Life Funeral Plans provides a free will service and an easily-legible form for recording exactly what you want from your funeral plan. This gives you the chance to measure the cost of all the personal and important aspects of your own funeral.
We know it must be hard to plan your own funeral, but our dedicated service team is experienced in supporting customers through the process and helping them decide on a funeral that’s right for them.
If you would like any more information on our funeral plans, including Wills, Inheritance Planning, Probate, and LPAs, please contact us on 0800 411 8683.
[Source: The Guardian]