Funerals are a big, multi-million dollar business. There are plenty of compassionate funeral directors and funeral homes that exist but unfortunately, there are just as many funeral professionals that operate unethically. This article will help to dispel the myths that are associated with funerals.
You may be pressured into embalming your deceased loved one. The funeral director may tell you that embalming is a legal requirement. The truth is that embalming is not required for the first 24 hours. Some states do not require it at all. An alternative to embalming is refrigeration.
A viewing is needed for close friends and family members for "closure". This is not true. In fact, most family members and friends have already started their "good-byes" when death is anticipated. There was a study commissioned by the funeral industry that states that 32% of people interviewed found the viewing experience unpleasant.
Purchase a more expensive, protective casket to protect the body. Why on earth do you want to protect the body? Nothing that the traditional funeral industry sells will preserve the body forever. The body will decompose eventually, regardless of the casket. A casket with a gasket or sealer interferes with the natural dehydration of the body. Fluids are released from the body as it decomposes and the casket will rust from the inside.
You must purchase an urn to place cremated remains and put the urn in a cemetery lot or niche. There is no reason you cannot keep the cremated remains in the box that the crematory gives you. It is legal to scatter or bury the cremated remains on private property, as long as the land owner approves. Cremation means there is no longer any health hazard so it is considered "final disposition".
Prepaying for a funeral is smart because it will lock in a lower price. Funeral homes want you to prepay because this allows them to capture more market share and they get your money now. Some people move, die while traveling, or simply change their minds and they may not get any money returned or get their money transferred to another funeral home. It is smarter to keep your money in a bank where it can earn interest. This should let you keep up with inflation and help you stay in control.
Prepaying for a funeral takes care of everything. Many items found on final funeral bills cannot be included in a "pre-need" contract because these items are purchased from third parties. These items cannot be calculated prior to death. Some example of the third party items are flowers, autopsy, clergy honoraria and obituary notices. These items are paid for by the estate or the family, in addition to what has to be prepaid.
If I have insurance, I can pay my funeral with this money. Statistics show that interest accrued by an insurance policy may be outpaced by funeral inflation. You can usually earn more money in a trust. Some shady funeral operators figure out a way to have the family pay more if they want to pay with funeral insurance. An example is, "The casket your mother picked out is no longer available. Please pick another one out and the prices have gone up".
Unfortunately, I have had to outline some of the unscrupulous practices in the funeral industry. With a little education and some planning, more people should be able to have a funeral without falling for these dishonest ploys.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Funerals
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