Why Pre-Plan?

More and more people are choosing to Pre-plan either their own funeral or the funeral of a loved one. Sitting down with a funeral director at Smith Funeral Home & Chapel to decide what you would like in a funeral before the time comes can have many advantages.

You will know your options. By Pre-planning a funeral with Smith Funeral Home & Chapel you know what options, goods and services are available. Do you want a traditional funeral or something more customized? What can and cannot be done? When are visitations and memorial services done? What is embalming and why is it often done? What are the requirements, if any, for different choices you might make? By Pre-planning with Smith Funeral Home & Chapel you can know in advance what options are there to customize your funeral to your liking.

You will know the costs. Funerals can range from the relatively simple to very elaborate. No matter what type of funeral you desire for yourself or a loved one, by pre-planning, you will have an idea of what your choices might cost. In addition, studies have shown that people that pre-plan funerals often wind up spending less than families who wait to choose funeral goods and services after someone passes away.

Your family will know. One of the most difficult questions family members often ask each other after a death, is “what would our loved-one have wanted?” Disputes can even arise between family members who have different ideas about what the deceased would or would not have preferred. By Pre-planning with Smith Funeral Home & Chapel, your final wishes will be there for all to see. There will be no doubt about what type of funeral arrangements you would prefer.

Why Pre-Pay?

In addition to Pre-Planning a funeral it is also possible to Pre-pay for your own funeral or the funeral of your next-of-kin. There are several reasons people often do this.

Removes burden from your family. By putting money aside for a funeral, the costs to your loved ones when the time comes can be eliminated or greatly reduced. This lifts a huge burden off of family members who will be going through a difficult time in any case and may be dealing with other final expenses. By addressing the costs of a funeral beforehand Pre-paying is, for many people, a final gift they can give their loved one.

Can protect assets. When done properly, money set aside for a funeral will not be counted against you as an asset if you need to receive certain kinds of financial assistance from the government. This is often referred to as a “spend down.” Pre-paying for a funeral is recognized in Missouri statutes as an appropriate way to help lower your asset calculation to qualify for public assistance. In addition, when the money is put into an irrevocable trust, the funds may also be protected from other persons or entities that might otherwise be able to gain access to those funds.

May save you money. People who Pre-pay for a funeral often spend even less than those that simply Pre-plan. In addition, at Smith Funeral Home & Chapel you may “lock-in” certain costs at the time you pay. Smith Funeral Home & Chapel can help by protecting your funeral against inflation. Call us today to see what, cost are able to be guaranteed in a Pre-paid funeral plan.

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