Insurance for your family

The beneficiary receives policy proceeds upon the insured's death. The owner designates the beneficiary, but the beneficiary is not a party to the policy. The owner can change the beneficiary unless the policy has an irrevocable beneficiary designation.

Life Insurance Cares for Your Family After You Are Gone
By Michael Benifez

Although no one likes to think about when they are going to pass away, sometimes we need to pause to make sure we would have no regrets if something happened tomorrow. Even though it is scary to think about, everyone should understand the importance of life insurance. If something were to happen, how would it effect your loved ones financially?


Photo:terrycampbellinsurance.com

As unfortunate as it is, a lot of people do not have life insurance. This leaves their families grieving with their loss, along with coming up with the money for a funeral and all of the other expensive measures taken. If you know that when your time has come your family would make sure everything is just the way you would want it to be, then you should act now to get life insurance so losing money is not a problem after losing a loved one.

Thinking that your last days may not be that far away is a frightening thought, but not having a plan for yourself or loved ones after you pass away is not a good thought either. Life insurance not only covers your funeral costs but medical costs that might have been in connected with your death. If you were to leave tomorrow wouldn't you want your spouse, children, or even parents to be able to receive money in case they do not have the funds for themselves.

If you think now is the time to get life insurance you can easily learn more and find a policy by doing research on the internet. Sometimes you don't even have to have a plan for yourself. There are a couple other options you have if they apply to you. In some cases you can get life insurance if you are a student. Also, some work places offer life insurance as work benefits. If either of these situations are familiar to you, it is a great idea to take advantage of them. If not, simply ask around or find a reliable company from which you can get an insurance policy from.

Like any other insurance plan, it is important to do your research and find which policy would best suite you financially. Considering you will have options make sure to pick the best one, and when you do write down what you plan to do with your money when you pass on. Also consider beginning some debt management to not waste the money after you are gone. Always keep in mind that all companies are different so do not forget to take into consideration the benefits and prices you will receive from each one.

The loss of a loved one can add to the stress a family must face and destroy their credit over time. Start today manage debt management as a beginner before that time comes. Visit Everlife.com learn steps to put your financial future is in your hands.

Cultural in any Funerals

There are cultural universals that have remained consistent in funeral service: announcing the death; care of the deceased; a method of disposition; a possible ceremony or ritual; and some form of memorialization. Therefore, just know about cultural in each religion before go a funeral.

Tips on Attending Cultural Funerals
By Jeffrey Meier

Many people see funerals as a very difficult time that represents the loss of a loved one. However, many cultures handle funeral proceedings in different ways based on tradition. So while you may be accustomed to the process of meeting at the funeral home, having the service, trailing the hearse with casket to the cemetery then burying the body, you may be surprised by the ways other cultures bid farewell to their family and friends.




Photo: legrc.org

Traditional Hispanic Funerals

The word Hispanic in and of itself can be ambiguous, as it is used to describe a number of nationalities and ethnicities of Spanish-speaking individuals. However, to group people from Spain with people from Brazil would be doing a disservice to those who have highly-traditional cultural backgrounds that they are immensely proud of and identify with. So for this reason, when looking at the traditional Hispanic funeral, it will be a generalization of similar traditions that seem to stretch across more than a few Hispanic cultures and is not intended to work as a "catch-all" for all of the cultures.

The more common understanding of funerals and deaths within Hispanic culture is the idea that life and death are viewed similarly as something to be celebrated, not feared, for it is the acknowledgment of a soul's home-going. Since many people of Hispanic heritage are Catholic, they tend to take on the traditions of Catholicism, which treat funerals as a part of the process of dying - not necessarily waiting until after the death has occurred.

In this case, funerals often begin when a person is on his or her death bed. At this time, the communion of last rights is performed, which includes the anointing of the ill, the hearing of their confessions, prayers, Communion and a blessing for peace. Someone within the family is normally sure to be present with the dying individual until they pass on. And after the person has passed on, someone continues to stay with the body until it is prepared for the burial and wake - the wake being a social time when friends and family come together to eat, laugh and listen to music while talking about their fond memories of the loved on who has passed on while waiting for the burial. Lit candles and flowers are very important and highly visible during the wake, as well as the funeral.

The official funeral takes place the day after the wake with a priest or clergyman presiding over the ceremony. Often times, people place personal items and gifts on the casket to help the deceased have a successful and loving journey to the afterworld. After the ceremony is complete, the burial takes place - often times in the homeland of the deceased as a way to honor and be close to family members who have passed on. The burial represents a new phase and beginning of freedom for the deceased - now they are able to help those they love who are still living.

After funerals and burials, families usually have a gathering or reception with food and more time to come together and enjoy each other's company - and once again pray for and remember their loved one who has moved forward to the spirit world.



Photo: cyai.net

Chinese Buddhist Funeral Customs

Whereas some cultures allow for cremation, the Chinese societies that practice Buddhism tend to stay away from anything that is deemed improper in arranging funerals for doing so can cause ill fortune to the family of the deceased. While the specific funeral rites and burial customs can vary depending on the age of the deceased, the marital status, how he or she died and his or her status in society, much of the process is the same for all individuals.

There are many examples of how the deceased is treated differently depending on age and status. For instance, if an unmarried son dies before his parents, the parents are not allowed to bring his body home to the family after death and instead it must be left at the funeral parlor. Also, the parents are not allowed to offer prayers for the son because being a younger person he is not owed the same respect as an older, married person with children. Even more, if a baby or small child dies, no service can be provided at all because no respect can be shown due to the young age. However, if a person is older and highly respected, the family must perform the most elaborate service for him or her, even if they go into debt doing so.

When the death occurs, the family must immediately cover all statues of deities in the house with red paper and remove mirrors to avoid seeing the coffin (which is brought to the home) in the mirror because it is believed to cause death shortly after. Also, a white cloth is hung across the main entrance to the house with a gong placed on the left of the doorway if the deceased is a male and to the right if the deceased is a female.

Before the family can place the body in the coffin, it must be cleaned with a damp towel and dusted with talcum powder. Then it is dressed in his or her best clothing from head to toe. Once the corpse is dressed and placed in the coffin, the body is covered with a light blue cloth and the face is covered with a yellow one.

During the wake, the coffin either rests in the house or outside of the house to represent the person dying in the home or away for the home, respectively. The family and friends gather for the cake and eat food placed in front of the coffin. And the family also performs a series of rituals and prayers to respect the dead.

After the wake ceremonies are completed, the coffin is nailed shut and carried to side of the road to be additionally prayed over before being taken (usually by hearse) to burial grounds that are normally found on hillsides for better feng shui. When the casket is buried the family turns away from the coffin to show respect and later the mourners' clothes are to be buried to evade bad luck.

There are many more ways that different cultures perform funerals in order to pay respects to their loved ones, but these are just a few. No matter how any one culture handles its funerals, they can all agree that their traditions and customs are all meant to send their friends and family members to a better, more peaceful place.

Jeffrey Meier at Jam727 Enterprises at http://www.thearticlehome.com/ blog offers even more detailed information on a wide variety of topics.

Alternative Funerals

There are various forms of Alternative funeral choices. One of the most popular is Cremation. Home Funerals are re-surging and Green Funerals are also gaining in popularity. Others especially sailors choose a Burial at Sea.

Beginners Guide to Alternative Funerals
By N Taylor

The information is written in a matter of fact way to keep it clear and straightforward. Our intention is not to cause distress. Please keep this in mind if you decide to read further.


Photo: smh.com.au

There are very few regulations covering the disposal of a body in the UK. You must undertake either to bury or cremate it, and you must have a death certificate signed by a doctor and a Certificate for Burial or Cremation from the Registrar of Deaths. This last document is very important, and most hospitals and mortuaries will not release the body until they've seen it.

Donating your body to Science - Bequeathing your body for medical science is a courageous alternative to the traditional funeral. However there are criteria that you have to fulfil in order to be able to leave your body to science. These include the death has occurred from natural causes i.e. old age or a heart attack or similar and up to the time of death the person was generally fit. The hospital is not full at the time of donation, That no post mortem has occurred, that no limbs are missing and that no infectious agents (HIV aids etc.) can be found as this would deem the body non acceptable.

Should you still be interested contact your doctor or your nearest teaching hospital and request a registration form this will need witnessing by your next of kin and you should discuss your ideas with all the close family.

A body may be kept for medical teaching purposes for up to 3 years. The medical schools will arrange and pay for a simple funeral, or the relatives can do this themselves. The medical school can advise relatives when the body is available for funeral.

This could be a very satisfactory way to help doctors and nurses and indeed mankind after death but is not for everyone. For more info contact: HM Inspector of Anatomy
Woodland Burial - Some people are choosing a woodland burial site instead of a cemetery or crematorium. There are now many in the UK, some run as annexes to local authority sites, some as charities and others as businesses. The cost varies greatly from site to site.

Each woodland burial site will have its own criteria and it is best to contact the one you wish to use as soon as possible in order to make sure you avoid later complications.

Burial at sea - You should tell the registrar that you're planning a sea burial and obtain a coroner's 'Out of England' form. The licence is free and can be obtained from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Burial at sea is a complicated process and one that is best planned and researched well in advance.

Less that 50 burials at sea are conducted each year. There are only a few places where these are permitted, mainly due to the technicalities of the body being washed to shore, caught in currents and tides and other various issues that most of us land lovers wouldn’t even consider.

It is important to know that a body that has been embalmed will not be able to be buried at sea. You will also need an appropriate certificate stating that the body is clear of infection or fever.

DEFRA for the reasons mentioned above tends to advocate scattering the ashes at sea for which you to do not need a licence under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985.

Tributes & memorials Diamonds - A touching way for some to remember their loved one is to have the ashes turned into diamonds Prices range from £2,250 for a 0.5 carat to £11,950 for a 1 carat gem

Fireworks – It is now possible to have ashes put into a firework, the cost ranges from approximately £370 - £1000. There are companies within the UK that will choreograph and entire display including creating the ashes firework and can be found on most reputable search engines. This isn’t an option for the faint hearted but you would certainly go out with a bang!

Memorial websites – Memorial websites can be a touching tribute to someone’s life, allowing friends and families from anywhere across the world to gather at one place , share memories and support each other through the grief.

Do-it-yourself Funerals A growing number of DIY funerals are conducted each year, some encouraged by the desire for personal involvement and some to find an inexpensive or greener alternative to the conventional funeral. You will find that some funeral homes will aid you in the process, a list of local funeral directors can be found in our directory.

Conducting a DIY funeral can be a very personal but difficult process. Most people who take on the arrangements do so with advance planning. However you can, with the help of a good funeral home be involved in the funeral arrangements without having to take on the entire process.

Initially a death certificate signed by a doctor the next of kin or the person arranging the funeral must take the certificate issued by the doctor to the Registrar of Births and Deaths within five days from death.

After the death either yourself or the local district nurse can carry out the last offices. This is where the body is laid on its back, eyes closed and the natural outlets of the body are plugged with cotton wool. The body may also be washed and dressed at this point.

If you are storing the body at a home until the funeral you will need to keep the body in a well ventilated, cool room.

If the death occurs in hospital, the mortician may agree to keep the body in the hospital mortuary until the day of the funeral, there may be a charge for this and you will need to discuss this will the hospital mortician.

If the death occurs at home, a local funeral director may agree to provide a mortuary facility only.

You can make or obtain a coffin (although not all funeral directors sell them without also providing the undertaking service), and ask staff at the hospital or public mortuary to put the body into it. It is worth noting that if you plan on moving the body as well it is advised that most funeral directors place the body into a coffin once it is out of the hospital for logistic reasons including, amongst other things, manoeuvring a coffin down stairs and round corners.

Environmentally-friendly coffins are available throughout the uk. Almost all crematoriums now accept cardboard coffins. Some crematoriums and cemeteries accept bodies without coffins if placed in a body bag and supported by a plank but it is essential that you check with them first. They will give you instructions on labelling the coffin and any requirements that they need you to fulfil.

Burials at sea have their own criteria for coffins and you should check that with them initially. Woodland burials are advocates of ‘green’ coffins that are biodegradable. In some cases no coffin is required at all. Again you should check with your chosen site to confirm their requests.

Even in a ‘traditional’ funeral a large selection of coffins can be available for you to use. Your home will be able to give you a choice of the coffins they supply.

To book a date and time for a burial or cremation, you'll need to fill in an application form as soon as possible.

If you'd like a priest to take the service, or to hold it in a religious building, you need to book these as soon as you can, too.

A truly personal service can be held if you ask someone who knew your loved one well to conduct the ceremony. No special requirements are needed just confidence and courage.

If the burial is conducted in a church yard you will need to find a grave digger, the best person to consult on this is your vicar or priest.

Transporting the body You can transport the coffin in any vehicle, such as a hearse, estate car or horse and carriage; as long as it's big enough there is even a motorcycle company that specialize in Harley Davidson hearses (Google search UK). Some funeral homes will hire just the hearse to you and supply a driver. If you're considering a particularly unusual mode of transport, check with the cemetery or crematorium first.

By N Taylor
RESOURCE 1 - http://www.tributetimes.co.uk/Help/AlternativeFunerals

Gift Cards for Holiday's gift

Hello, The holiday season time is come back again. Do you want to gift something for anyone but no have idea to buy anything yet. I would like to suggest you to buy or change to a gift card. A gift card is a restricted monetary equivalent or scrip that is issued by retailers or banks to be used as an alternative to a non monetary gift.




Therefor, your gift card's recipient can buy the gift or anything that they want as well, it easy for you and happy to receiver. Gift cards have become increasingly popular as they relieve the donor of selecting a specific gift. The recipient of the gift card can use it at his or her discretion within the restrictions set by the issuing agency. So, you can choose the price for your gift card which you want to buy for anybody. For more information about gift cards just visit Amazon.com.

Funeral Records

Funeral records are private business records used to record the expenses of services provided for the burial of an individual. Funeral homes are now required to prepare and file the death certificate with the appropriate health office. Most funeral directors now also prepare the obituary notice.

What You Can Learn from Funeral Records
By Amit Mehta

Funeral records are documents kept by funeral homes detailing the funeral services that were registered with them. When it comes to conducting research on the death of an individual, death records are often the first recourse while funeral documents are often (unjustly) overlooked.



Photo: carlisle.gov.uk

One of the primary reasons why funeral records are ignored is that, unlike death records, they are not considered public records. Funeral homes are not required by law to release funeral documents unless there is just cause. But as of late, more funeral homes are allowing the general public to request for this information, provided that the name of the deceased and the date of death are provided accurately by the requesting party.

Since the funeral home director is tasked with the responsibility of filling out the death certificate, the latter is also part of the funeral records they keep at most funeral homes. Aside from the date of birth and death, other information that you can find in the death certificate includes the name of the spouse, name of parents, the place of residence at death and the name and location of the cemetery.

On the actual funeral records, one can find a list of surviving family members of the individual who passed away. Sometimes, even the names and addresses of the in-laws and grandchildren are included on this list, since this will be needed for placing obituaries in newspapers.

Although not often the case, there are instances when funeral documents also reveal the deceased person’s last will or testament, birth certificate, insurance policy and military record. These information are of course especially relevant for those trying to trace their lineage, track down ancestors and uncover their own family history.

Funeral Records Go ‘Live’ Online

Due to the sheer volume of funeral records, many mortuary facilities have chosen to digitize all their records and offer them online. Being able to access funeral documents online is advantageous for mortuary facilities since this saves them the additional cost of having to maintain a separate physical archive, sometimes even employing the services of a third party record keeping company.

For people wishing to acquire copies of funeral records, retrieving them online preserves these records for posterity. Digitized copies mean that the risk of these records getting lost, stolen or damaged is significantly reduced and are more likely to be able to withstand the test of time.

One caveat for anyone accessing funeral records is that these records may not be entirely accurate since most of the information is supplied by the surviving family members and then compiled by the funeral director. As such, any information that you learn from funeral documents has to be double checked against other sources of data before they can be deemed as conclusive.

The registrar of vital statistics, the county of death and cemeteries may also have some related records that can be utilized for research purposes and serve as excellent supporting documents for funeral records.

Want to Know the Top Sites to Find Funeral Records? Read Dr. Amit Mehta's Unbiased Reviews ==> RecordsSiteReviews.com

Sympathy Flowers

Sympathy flowers for a funeral are an important way to show our love and support. The gentle beauty of flowers helps you offer feelings of sympathy and comfort at a sensitive and emotional time. A Tidy's Flowers' funeral flower arrangement is appropriate to send either to a home or to a funeral.

Sympathy Funeral Flowers
By Jennifer Bailey

Whenever a loved-one or a friend is deceased, it is the simplest form of condolences to send sympathy flowers to the funeral. Studies conducted showed that the colors and the fragrance from the flowers and the sympathizing cards help ease the grief of the family members. It is a simple way of symbolizing that you share with them the grief they are going through during those troubled times. Mourning family members still seek comfort in those times of mourning, and flowers help ease the pain of the loss.




There are different types of sympathy flowers you can find. There is the coffin spray that lies on top of the coffin. The traditional posies are set in an oasis base. You would be able to find heart-shaped arrangements, the traditional wreaths, or the non-traditional name or lettering tributes where the flowers are arranged to form a word or words. Garden basket types are one of the most popular arrangements you can find in the market. A very common arrangement you will find is the bouquet. You can also find personalized arrangements like crosses, pillow-types and other more unorthodox shaped design.

No matter what the shape or design of the flower, one thing you would have to bear in mind is the appropriateness of the gift. Though you may have the right intentions, due to certain issues like traditional clashes or religious practices, your gift may turn out to be offensive. If you are unsure how your gift would be accepted by the mourning family, it might be best to seek the advice of a professional florist. These florists would have a better idea on what would be more appropriate to send.

Sympathy Flowers provides detailed information on Buy Sympathy Flowers, Cheap Sympathy Flowers, Discount Sympathy Flowers, Send Sympathy Flowers and more. Sympathy Flowers is affiliated with Buy Funeral Flowers.