In the Toronto Star February 8, 2014 article by Bob Aaron, he suggests an “offbeat gift suggestion for Valentine’s Day this week. This year, he suggests preparing a Will and POA for Property and Personal care as an “expression of love, caring and compassion.” I would add one more item to this list – prepare a prepaid funeral plan.
This is a wonderful way to demonstrate your love and concern for your family. When you complete a prepaid funeral file, you are letting your family know exactly what type of funeral you would prefer to celebrate your life. If you also pre-fund the funeral plans, then the Ontario funeral home must guarantee the future cost of the pre-funded funeral services and merchandise selected. This places the future inflationary risk on the shoulders of the funeral home owner and not your family.
During your lifetime, the funds in the prepaid funeral account are held in your name, and are earning tax exempt interest. Additionally your funds are protected and insured. This is a win-win for an eventuality we all know will occur at some point in the future.
Over the years with the 1000s of families I have assisted, I have never heard a family express regret or disappointment that a prearranged prepaid funeral plan had been set up. Rather, there was a huge sense of relief as the surviving family members knew where to start and what to do, in order to pay final tribute to their loved one.
If you are not sure what items to consider, please review or download this 75+ Decisions article. I also welcome your questions and comments. There are a number of ways to reach me. You can contact me via email or phone, leave a comment right here on the site or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this on the website.
Until next time,
Kat
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