Funeral Planning

When a loved one dies, grieving family members and friends are often confronted with dozens of decisions about the funeral-all of which must be made quickly and often under great emotional duress. What kind of funeral should it be?

What funeral provider should you use? Should you bury or cremate the body, or donate it to science? What are you legally required to buy? What other arrangements should you plan? And, as callous as it may sound, how much is it all going to cost?




Each year, Americans grapple with these and many other questions as they spend billions of dollars arranging more than two million funerals for family members and friends. The increasing trend toward preneed planning-when people make funeral arrangements in advance - suggests that many consumers want to compare prices and services so that ultimately, the funeral reflects a wise and well-informed purchasing decision, as well as a meaningful one.

There are two stages to arranging a funeral. In the first stage, work with your local funeral director to explore the options. Once you've made your choices and arranged the ceremony, the second step is to arrange the financing.