Some people decide to do their funeral planning on one day when they allow the sales representative from their local, high-profile or chain funeral home to come over to discuss it with them. At the end of the meeting, they end up purchasing two funeral plans that costs them $220 a month for ten years. They finally get it over and done with. You, on the other hand, are doing your homework. Read more about this.
There are better ways of handling funeral planning. I am going to explain a few, based on 23 years of experience in the industry as an agent, counselor and planner. Most of the high-profile funeral homes provide very good service. But you have to ask yourself if you really want to pay their high prices, especially if you fund through them in their expensive ways, when there are funeral service providers who give the same or better service for much less money.
(These packages are WITHOUT a casket, burial vault, obituary, grave opening, etc. This is for a full traditional funeral service only. Click here for details on what these packages usually include).
Funeral homes don't do these types of surveys and show them to prospective customers. I do. So should you.
And one important point: If you own plots at a facility that has a funeral home, you are not required to use them for your funeral.
The best way to handle funeral planning for many people is one step at a time, beginning at a relatively young age. For people who plan to have a burial, "plots" or spaces at the cemetery is often where to begin. Between 1992 and 1997, I sold over 1,100 burial spaces for Valley View Memorial Park when it was owned by the Winder family. Many of my customers were in their 40's, some in their 30's. All of those contracts are paid off by now (except those who discontinued the plans). I've also noticed some of those same plots I sold for sale in KSL.com. (I discuss how to do this on my Cemetery page). In subsequent years, I sold many of them the "next step" if they plan a burial--burial vault and caskets. Vaults and caskets are required by every cemetery. There aren't really any cemeteries who allow "cardboard box" burials. A casket and vault are not optional. A funeral service is optional. We took it one step at a time, when it was better for them. I was not selling funeral plans at that time.
Headstones and Grave Markers
Headstones and markers are not required for a burial or funeral to take place. They can be purchased much later, or even never at all. Therefore, they are not as thoroughly discussed on this Web site. If you wish to sell a headstone or marker to someone else, remember that it cannot have been made yet. You may have a contract that guarantees one will be provided, but if the casting of your name, birthdate(s), etc. has already been done, it can only be used for yourself. Otherwise, you can offer a pre-paid marker for sale along with your plots and/or vaults.
If An Insurance Agent Doesn't Understand Funerals, DON'T USE THEM!!!
If you use an insurance agent who doesn't also understand fully the funeral industry, you won't get the best advice. You'll probably buy too much insurance, and the death benefit paid to the funeral home will be too big. I am a licensed life and health insurance agent with 24 years of practical expensive with funeral and burial arrangements. I can give you a plan that is the best for your money, as well as the insurance coverage you may need. I can set you up with a plan that freezes you costs. If you need more high quality whole life insurance, I can provide that as well. In addition, my plans accept all bad health cases.
When Valley View was sold to Service Corporation International in 1998, I had moved to Memorial Estates where I could sell the whole range of burial, funeral, and cremation options. I encouraged many people to buy a vault and/or casket next once the burial plots were paid, even though I could have tried to push the whole funeral and burial package on them. Their budgets in many cases didn't permit it. Memorial Estates management didn't really like this, but they realized that some business was better than none, and they might be endeared to the company and purchase funeral services later. I have sold many of these same people funeral services in the past five years. And they are getting the best value for their money.
So all along the way, I have helped people do one step at a time, if that was the best way. Otherwise, I helped them get a great deal of it taken care of all at once if it was affordable. That has always been the key for me, to make things "affordable." I kept watching the funeral homes continue to raise prices year after year, even when inflation in general was very low. You can read more about this throughout this Web site, especially The Good News About "Chain" Funeral Homes. As of today in 2015, it is easier than ever before for me to help you take care of it "all," because I know who the best providers are and I fund for them as an independent who isn't forced to impose high prices and policies on you that I don't believe in.
Even if you have a favorite funeral home, it still might be expensive to fund through them, and they might be expensive even if you pay cash. I fund for funeral homes folks tell me is who they want to use. When we compare the funding offered by that funeral home, my plans often work out better.
Step One: Write down what would happen if you passed away tomorrow.
Think about every aspect involved with your accidental or unexpected death tomorrow, and spend a couple of hours on it. Use my Final Wishes Summary Worksheet, which is intentionally only one page. Fill in the blanks. Then use the Funeral Plan Worksheet and Funeral Cost Checklist to start pricing what you need. See how much you can get done. Where would you and your survivors stand financially? All the forms on that page could be useful used simultaneously.
After a few hours or days of calling, searching the Internet, filling out forms, and calculating, you could come up with a snapshot of what your death would entail. After you look at this picture, you can decide what you should be doing right now to make proper preparations. Odds are you aren't going to die any time soon, but this will force you to think.
Now do this exercise every six months. Make more notes. Sooner or later, you'll discover how best to take care of things, and you'll learn who in your area offers the best plans for your money. It will happen. Better ideas and options will come to your attention. Otherwise, the scenario I described at the beginning will happen. I have rescued a number of senior couples who had "put things off" until one day when they were older. I got them out of bad, expensive funeral plans and into better ones. Don't ever find yourself in a position of being forced into an expensive funeral.
Step Two: Think about and then consider taking the "next step" to make the picture look better.
Now you have forced yourself to look at the reality at a good time, when you or your family can think clearly, not when you are emotionally distraught. You have decided not to put off planning. The funeral homes don't like people who plan ahead on their own as much as they like people who've done no planning. They can't make as much money, especially if at the time you or your family meet with them, you've got half of it already paid for and have drawn the line on costs (such as caskets). FUNERAL HOMES MAKE THE MOST MONEY ON THOSE WHO MADE NO PLANS AND DID NO PREPARING. In his popular book, Profits of Death, Darryl Roberts says in the beginning:
"Death and the consequences of death are most often ignored until one has no alternative. But by then, the death merchants have us right where they want us--vulnerable, emotional, susceptible, and with checkbooks in hand."
Darryl J. Roberts, Profits of Death, page 10
Step Three: Look at what you have NOT done yet and then think of how much you could afford to get it done now or get it started.
If you follow the above steps, you will have done some of the same research I have. If all you have are burial plots, for example, and you plan to have a church or graveside service, I can take care of the rest of the rest of what you need with a plan with a face amount of $5,000. Or if you want to take the next step in a more affordable way, I can get you into a casket and funeral service plan with costs frozen for right around $3,000. At most ages, you can start this plan for under $35 a month per plan with full insurance coverage and early payoff discounts. I also have casket, vault and burial plans for around $2,500 and under $30 a month with the same benefits.
Internet Resources to Use As You Plan
Fill out the Final Wishes Summary Worksheet after you print it out. If you decide to meet with me about some kind of plan to your liking and budget, I will finalize it in printed form, inluding a color picture of the casket you selected if applicable. Each one is custom-designed. It does not have to have complete information, just what's most important for your family to know--so no mistakes are made.
Utah's Best Funeral Value:
