One of the few things in life that is guaranteed is death. Although you never know when death will come, it is something that all people will experience. Death is often a taboo subject of discussion in many families. The failure to discuss these life events means that those left behind are often not prepared. Fortunately, you can position your family to deal with your death by pre-planning your services with one of your local funeral homes. Not only will your family be grateful you have already performed this step, but there are numerous other advantages.

What Is Advanced Funeral Planning?

Advanced funeral planning is what it sounds like. At your convenience, you sit down with a funeral professional and outline your wishes and desires for your final service. The funeral home records your wishes in a document. You can then share the document with your family or place it with your will or insurance paperwork. 

What Are The Advantages Of Advanced Funeral Planning?

1. You Get The Service You Desire - No one knows you better than you. While your family members may think they know your wishes, sometimes they get your wishes wrong. When you engage in advanced funeral planning, you get to outline things exactly how you want them. You can choose any or all of the following:

• When and where do your services take place
• What type of services do you have
• Who will be on the program

You can also decide if you want your loved ones to donate the amount they would spend on flowers and more to your favorite charity.

2. You Ease Your Family's Burden - Your family has to answer many questions following death. Depending on how you die, they often have to decide on organ donation before your body becomes cold.

If you do not pre-plan your funeral, they must gather numerous documents to take to the funeral home. They need to know your social security number, whether or not you have insurance, any government benefits you are entitled to, and more. Finding this information can be a considerable burden when they are in the throes of grief.

3. You Can Pre-pay For Your Services - You can choose to pre-pay for your services when you engage in advance funeral planning. Many funeral homes will let you pay the bill in a lump sum or set you up on a payment plan. Knowing that everything is taken care of when death finally arrives can give you peace of mind.