The process of planning a funeral can be a stressful period in addition to a time of grieving. With the cost of a proper service and burial increasing year after year, it can be difficult to anticipate the financial responsibility involved when a loved one passes. Thinking ahead to such a sad day will never be easy, but options like a guaranteed funeral plan help you affordably invest in this necessary expense beforehand.

Guaranteed Funeral Plans Explained

The average funeral nowadays costs between $7,000 and $10,000. A guaranteed funeral plan aims to spare your family the additional stress of this financial burden during their grieving. You have the option to pay in one lump sum or to have the money be gradually saved up through an insurance company that specifically funds final expenses and funerals, and the plan allows for additional funds for other expenses like obituaries, flowers, travel, certified copies of death certificates, and sales tax. 

The plan is written in coordination with a family service counselor from the funeral home, who will help you decide on which services are best for your family and how much money should be allotted for them. If your circumstances change in the future, your plan is transferable and most funeral homes will offer the same guarantee listed in the original write-up.

Benefits of a Guaranteed Funeral Plan

In the past funeral homes used trust accounts that were tied to that specific funeral home. We believe the best way to serve your family is to entrust your money with an insurance company. A guaranteed funeral plan offers the same promise but removes the risk of your money being tied to any given funeral home. 

Unlike burial insurance, which is typically written for a fixed amount and often falls short due to inflation, guaranteed funeral plans increase in value over time to cover the cost of your services. Plans include “cost guarantees,” so that regardless of future inflation, you won’t have to pay additional money for the services you’ve chosen. If the family chooses to do services that are less expensive than the one the deceased planned, the excess money of the plan will be reimbursed back to the family.

Planning for this inevitable expense can be a difficult process, but Brent Layton, family service counselor for Rogers & Taylor and Rudd funeral homes in Tremonton and Garland, UT, will make sure that your guaranteed funeral plan is drawn up to fit your needs. Brent works with clients to create a personalized plan that will match their family’s desires. When the time comes to use it, the plan will assure your money is safely transferred to the funeral home in preparation for you or your loved one’s service. For more information about Brent’s guaranteed funeral planning services, call him at (435) 279-5723 or send him an email at preplannedfuneral@gmail.com.