Ease the burden on your family. If your wishes are unknown when you die, your family is faced with making difficult decisions during an already complicated and stressful time. Do they know if you wish to be buried or cremated? Do they agree on an open or closed casket? Do they agree on how much to spend and will they have the money to pay for services? Confusion and disagreements are common occurrences when there is no plan to follow. You can avoid this by planning your end of life arrangements.
Assume the financial responsibility for your funeral. Planning ahead enables you to make financial arrangements to cover your funeral costs. Even if you are leaving behind sufficient money, will your survivors have access to it? Funeral insurance and funeral trusts are sound financial planning options you should consider ahead of time. Remember, life insurance is for the living.
Plan a meaningful funeral. A funeral is an important event for a grieving family. Psychologically, it provides a sense of closure and enables the family to begin the healing process. Families benefit emotionally and socially by honoring the lives of their loved ones with a meaningful ceremony and by giving them an appropriate send off. It is difficult to make the funeral the best it can be with such a short time to plan.
Express your final wishes for your family to follow. If you have specific preferences for the disposition of your remains and the nature of your funeral services, you can clearly express them in your funeral plan. You may have a preference for burial or cremation, the epitaph on your headstone, or the music and readings at your funeral. Or you may not want a funeral ceremony. Whatever your wishes, they need to be set forth in your funeral plan.
Make sure your affairs in order at the end of your life. Planning your own end of life arrangements is a thoughtful and caring thing to do for your family. It is comforting to know that you have done all you can do to ease their burden. Your family will appreciate you cared enough to not leave them with the responsibility.