Funeral Pre-Planning

Funeral Pre-Planning Guide in Bonner Springs, KS

As funeral directors, we often get asked why you should pre-plan your funeral and when the best time is? Truthfully, the answer is any time before you actually need to plan a funeral. You wouldn’t wait to plan a wedding or a baby shower until a few days before, so why wait to plan a funeral? Preplanning a funeral not only allows you to record your wishes, it gives you and your family the peace of mind to know that everything is taken care of.

There are two types of funeral plans, preneed and at-need (sometimes referred to as immediate need). At-need funeral plans are made by the surviving family members after a death has occurred. It can be a difficult experience for the survivors because emotions are high, time is short, and their grief needs to be managed.

End-of-life planning is much less stressful and more advantageous. Rather than rushing to make arrangements, you can think about what you want your service to include and talk about the options with your family. Making funeral arrangements in advanced also offers several benefits which we’ve outlined below in this funeral pre-planning guide.

4 Benefits of Funeral Pre-Planning

There are many reasons to consider pre-planning your funeral. Below, we’ve outlined some of the main benefits of pre-planning.

Lock into A Price and Avoid Inflation

Inflation impacts every industry and funeral homes are not exempt. When you pre-plan a service and pay in advanced, you can secure the price on the day you sign the contract and potentially avoid the impact of inflation or rising costs.

Remove the Stress from Your Family

Trying to plan a funeral immediately after a loved one’s passing is very difficult. Family members are overcome with grief and not necessarily thinking clearly. By pre-planning a funeral, you can relieve your family of the burden of making these arrangements. Instead, when death occurs, your loved ones can focus their energy on comforting one another and mentally preparing for the service.

Plan with Your Family

Planning your funeral in advance allows you to talk it over with your family. As much as a funeral service is about celebrating your life, it can also be beneficial to get your family’s point of view. Planning a ceremony that allows your family to best cope with grief should be considered when making arrangements.

More Payment Methods

Preneed funeral plans offer families more convenient payment options than those who are in immediate need. Those who choose to preplan often have three choices when it comes to paying for the service. 

  1. You can pay for your funeral service in advance, which is often referred to as a prepaid funeral. Choosing this option will place your money into a trust where it can sit until it is needed to cover the funeral expenses. 
  2. You can take out an insurance policy. If you qualify, when you do die, the policy will be used to cover some or all of the funeral expenses or estate taxes. 
  3. You can pay over time. Rather than paying for the funeral costs in a lump sum, you can make smaller, incremental payments over time to start eating at the cost. In this instance, you can add these payments into your monthly budget.  

If you have any questions, make sure to contact us and we would be happy to discuss payment options with you. 

How to Pre-Plan a Funeral [2 Methods]

Using the Online Pre-Planning Tool

This website features Pre-Arrange Online, a step-by-step interactive form that can be used to record your end-of-life plan and send the completed form to our staff for safekeeping. You'll be asked to create an account with a username and password so you can log in at any time to complete or change the plan.

Turn to the Professionals

Many people are more comfortable making these decisions with funeral professionals. If you would like us to help, call us or send us an email using the Contact Us form. 
Download Our Free Funeral Pre-Planning Checklist
Share by: