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Many people find peace in pre-planning their funerals to ensure their wishes are seen to after they’ve passed. To ensure your desires are respected, you should include a burial trust in your arrangements. This agreement between you and the funeral home may save you money and remove the burden of planning from your family. The following overview explains what you should know about this essential planning tool. 

Your Guide to Burial Trusts

What Are They?

Burial trusts, also called funeral trusts, are financial tools that let you set aside money for funeral costs. The trust is managed by a cemetery or funeral home. When you pass, they’ll serve the contents of the trust to the beneficiary, which is usually a spouse or sibling. Services covered may include funeral organizing and directing services, embalming, cemetery, burial plot, or cremation charges, a casket, and general after-life care of the deceased.

What Are the Benefits?

burial trustsThe primary benefit of burial trusts is that you’re paying today’s prices for a funeral. This may be significantly cheaper than the costs when you pass years or decades later. You’ll also remove the financial burden from your family should they have to fund a funeral if you pass unexpectedly. You may also increase your chances of qualifying for long-term care through Medicaid by establishing an irrevocable trust. In some cases, you can fund burial trusts with life insurance, in which case, there will be no taxable income to report.

What Maintenance Is Required? 

You need to stay on top of managing burial trusts. You may need to add further funds if unanticipated costs surface or the financial status of your beneficiary changes. If you move, you’ll transfer the trust to a new funeral home, and if you go through a divorce or the beneficiary passes unexpectedly, you’ll need to establish a new beneficiary. Keep in mind also that revocable burial trusts may be confiscated by care providers to defray medical costs, so talk to an adviser or planning professional to choose the type that most benefits you.

 

If you’re interested in establishing a burial trust, the experienced staff at Adzima Funeral Home will help. Serving Stratford, CT, for over 100 years, they offer comprehensive funeral services, including pre-planning arrangements. These respectful and caring professionals offer 24-hour assistance to support you in your time of need. Learn more about their funeral home on their website. Call (203) 375-2200 to speak with a representative. 

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