- What are the benefits to advanced planning?
- Is advanced planning and prepaying a funeral the same thing?
- If I have life insurance, why set up a pre-paid funeral plan?
- When is the right time?
- Must I go to your facility?
- What if I don’t know what I want?
- What details are included in the plan?
- What will my family think?
- Should I discuss pre-planning with my family?
- What if I change my mind about certain details of the plan?
- Can anybody change the plan before or at the time of death?
- I don't want to plan a traditional funeral. Is this possible?
- What if I move out of the San Diego area?
- What are the options for funding an advanced plan?
- What should I do with the plan when it's complete?
- Is a living will part of the plan?
What are the benefits to advanced planning?
There are many benefits to advanced planning for yourself or a loved one.
- Thoughtful preparation offers peace of mind not only to the one making the plans but also to those left behind.
- As a practical gesture, it allows you to make unhurried, informed decisions, compelling you to organize important documents your survivors need
later.
- At the time of a death, the funeral home needs vital statistical information to complete the death certificate and write the newspaper obituary.
Easy to compile ahead of time, it can be difficult to locate after a death. The information that some survivors struggle with is the mother's maiden
name, ancestry, years of education, military service information, and work history, just to mention a few.
- Another advantage of advanced planning is the option of prepaying the funeral expenses. This may ease the financial pressures put on a family at the time of a death. To determine how much money is necessary to fund a funeral, the funeral home first determines today’s cost of your funeral wishes. These expenses generally include the service charges of the mortuary, the cost of the casket and possibly the cemetery vault.
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Is advanced planning and prepaying the same thing?
No. Advanced planning means choosing all the preferences and options incorporated in a funeral, while providing the necessary vital statistic information that would be required at the time of death.
Prepaying a funeral is securing and "freezing" those funeral costs against inflation by funding those expenses prior to death. This can be in the form of a one time lump sum payment, or time payments made over the course of years.
It costs nothing to plan a funeral. There is never a requirement of purchasing a prepaid funeral contract in order to do advanced planning. Should someone choose to do the advanced planning and not pre-pay it, all of their detailed information is still stored in our files for safe keeping. That information proves invaluable to the family at the time of death by providing a guide to their choices and wishes.
If I have life insurance, why set up a pre-paid funeral plan?
Life insurance policies continue to be the primary method to protect your family from financial hardships associated with your death. Insurance benefits are typically purchased to assist with mortgage payments, educational needs and the loss of income.
Many who carry life insurance also use pre-paid funeral plans because survivors are provided a safe and secure method to free their family of funeral expenses and relieve the pressures of making arrangements. Pre-paying "freezes" these costs from inflation, leaving more to cover ongoing expenses of the survivors.
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When is the right time?
We tend to procrastinate, especially when it comes to a subject we don't wish to deal with. It's really not a matter of if we are going to need it - only when. Should we wait until we have little time left? That is the hardest time. Why not plan just because we know it is inevitable. Do the planning with a clear head when time is not the issue. From a financial perspective, locking in these costs at today's prices makes sense.
If you've determined that the "when" is now, we encourage you to put your trust in El Cajon-Lakeside-Santee Mortuary. Call us at 619-440-8033, or send us an , and we will get you started.
Must I come to your facility?
Our professional, advanced planners can come to you or, if you prefer, you can visit our facilities. If you choose to visit our mortuary, you have the opportunity become familiar with our reception, chapel, and visitation areas. Viewing the merchandise we have available can assist you in making these personal choices.
In either case, please schedule an appointment so we can give you our undivided attention. To arrange an appointment, please call 619-440-8033, or send us an .
What if I don't know what I want?
A trained funeral service professional explains all the services and options available, right down to the smallest detail, before you’re asked to make a single decision. Many people discover services and options they never knew existed. With full information made available in a relaxed, unhurried manner, you’ll be able to make a smarter, more informed decision.
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What details are included in the plan?
The exact details of the services depend on many factors such as
- Type of memorial services and/or visitation
- Final disposition of the remains
- Special requests like music, flowers, etc.
Vital information is needed for the certificate of death, obituary, and other desired memorial publications.
Your advanced planner will collect some of the information and provide you with a Personal Planning Guide to assist you with other details.
What will my family think?
Attitudes vary, but most feel that pre-planning is a smart, responsible, and loving thing to do. In fact, people tell us one of the primary reasons they enroll in the program is the peace of mind they have in knowing their children or other loved ones will not be burdened with these details.
Should I discuss pre-planning with my family?
Yes. Many people find that a family discussion helps to ensure everyone involved is comfortable with the arrangements being made.
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What if I change my mind about certain details of the plan?
If you are not prepaying your plan, any details may be altered. Some may impact final cost and some may not.
If you are prepaying your plan, some changes may alter the prepayment amount - memorial services, disposition, merchandise, etc. If you wish to change any of these items, please contact us. We'll be happy to assist you with evaluating the effect of any alterations to the prepayment amount, if any. If the prepayment contract needs modification, we stand ready to assist you with the process.
Don't forget to update those changes in every existing copy to minimize confusion when it's time to implement the plan.
Can anybody change the plan before or at the time of death?
Prior to your death, no one can alter your contract without permission as your power of attorney. In reality, after your death they may. The rights afforded us as individuals in life, for the most part, end at death.
Most of the rights and privileges to our final disposition fall upon our legal next of kin. Consequently, that same next of kin can alter their relative’s pre-paid funeral plans with a few exceptions. One of those being they cannot reduce the services and merchandise in order to receive money back from a pre-paid funeral contract.
In actuality however, relatives are seldom interested in changing arrangements at the time of death. The majority of pre-paid funeral contracts are carried out to the letter, unless there are extenuating circumstances.
I don't want to plan a traditional funeral. Is this possible?
Yes. Memorial services provide the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of a life that has been lived and memories of the person who lived it. There is no single "proper" service.
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What if I move out of the San Diego area?
It has been our experience that if you go to the local funeral home, they will accept your funeral or cremation plan.
What are the options for funding an advanced plan?
There are two options. The first is the funeral trust. Under this option any money paid into the plan is held in trust per California law. The benefits of this option is that you do not pay any more for the service than the contracted price. The second option is funeral insurance. This option is funded through an insurance contract and, depending upon the length of time the policy is in effect, you may or may not pay more than the contracted funeral price.
For a better understanding of these options, please contact us and one of our planning professionals will be happy to explain them in more detail.
What should I do with the plan when it's complete?
We recommend that you place it in a safe place, provide a copy to us so we can carry out your wishes when the time arrives, and inform your family of its existence and location. If you have funded the plan, make sure your family is aware of the details.
Is a living will part of the plan?
A living will is a type of advance directive in which you put in writing your wishes about medical treatment should you be unable to communicate at the end of life. Your right to accept or refuse treatment is protected by constitutional and common law.
Although not a formal part of the advanced planning process, we highly recommend that you have one in place and give copies to your family so they may use it as you intend.
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