The cost of everything is going up these days. Food, gas, travel, utilities, health care – some days it makes you wish you were dead. But, wait! The cost of a funeral is also going up. The average cost of a funeral in America is $4500 (according to the American Association of Retired Persons). Do you really want to give your family and loved ones that huge financial burden? This is where funeral expense insurance comes in.
Can I Arrange Something With The Local Undertaker?
It’s not recommended that you get funeral home insurance from our favorite undertaker or funeral home. In some states, this is illegal, because enforcing all of the provisions of your funeral expense insurance is difficult to do when the policy is held by a business that’s NOT an insurance company. It’s far easier to get money out of insurance companies than it is from funeral homes.
Compare Funeral Expense Insurance
Funeral expense insurance is very flexible insurance. You can’t just say, “Give me the usual policy” because no such thing exists. You need to write into the policy what you want done with your mortal remains. This includes everything from your floral arrangements, choice of urn or coffin, headstone to who gives your eulogy (okay, maybe not the last one, but you get the point).
It’s usually better to get funeral expense insurance before you turn 70 than after. This is because insurance companies know that the older you are, the more likely they’ll soon have to pay up. If you are over 70, then expect to pay through the nose. No matter what your age, many funeral expense insurance requires that you pay for the whole policy up front rather than in monthly premiums.
As you can probably guess, there are many insurance companies that would love to sell you funeral expense insurance. Don’t feel as if you are under pressure to buy (even if you are over 70). Take your time contrasting and comparing insurance policies as you would be in buying a house. If you can’t understand all of the “legalese”, then get a lawyer or even your accountant to help you figure things out.
Funeral expense insurance is sold under a variety of names, including pre-need insurance and burial insurance. But, no matter what you call it, they should all do the same thing – pay up all of your funeral expenses so that your friends and family that survive you will have one less thing to worry about.
