Funeral trusts are a way to safeguard a portion of your funds in advance to ensure your surviving family members won’t have to pay for services at the time of your passing. Like many other aspects of pre-planning arrangements, setting up a trust can ease the burden placed on the deceased’s loved ones. Here, funeral trusts are discussed in greater detail to help you decide whether it’s a good option for your needs.

When a person establishes a funeral trust, they enter into an agreement with a funeral home. The terms of the arrangements will be laid out in the contract, including which aspects will be covered. For instance, after a person passes, the funds from their trust are typically distributed to the funeral home, cemetery, or crematorium to pay for services such as embalming, burial, or cremation, and the funeral or memorial service itself. Merchandise such as caskets or urns may also be included.

In addition to preventing your loved ones from having to take on the financial burden of funeral costs, trusts also provide a number of other benefits. For instance, they allow anyone to handle your arrangements after you’ve passed. Thus, if you’d like to designate a funeral director to oversee the final details of planning, you can further alleviate stress for your family members. Additionally, having a trust may increase your eligibility of qualifying for long-term care benefits.

Nonetheless, trusts aren’t ideal for everyone. They require some important decision making, including whether the trust will be revocable or irrevocable. A revocable trust can be created by anyone and dissolved anytime by the creator, whereas an irrevocable trust cannot be dissolved until its terms are satisfied. Additionally, if you choose a trust, you may need to determine where any leftover funds will go, or conversely, who will be responsible for any remaining costs after the trust funds have been exhausted.

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to pre-planning arrangements, so seeking out a caring team who will walk you through all your choices is essential. If you’re pre-planning your services in Stratford, CT, the compassionate directors from Adzima Funeral Home can assist you with every step. For more than 100 years, they’ve helped families honor their loved ones in meaningful ways through their personalized services. To discuss funeral trusts or any other aspect of the pre-planning process with their caring staff, call (203) 375-2200. You can also visit their website for additional resources.