Tough time to plan for a funeral

Even when it’s expected, death comes as a shock to those left behind. No one is ever fully prepared to lose a loved one, and grief can make it extremely difficult to deal with the practical matters of final arrangements.

Normally, you plan the special events in your life
Although everyone agrees that a baby shower, a birthday celebration, a wedding, a vacation — even a picnic—requires planning, many people never consider planning ahead for the most important event in their lives.

Death is a 100% certainty — it’s a natural part of life. But your death will inevitably bring loss and sadness to those who love you. By planning your own funeral now, you can ease the burden on your loved ones in the future. They won’t have to manage your final arrangements at a time when they are least able to cope with them.

Planning now means you make the decisions
There are countless decisions to be made when a funeral is being arranged, from choice of flowers to choice of cemetery. When you plan ahead you can decide on every detail yourself without any pressure. In fact, planning your own funeral can be as satisfying as planning for any other important event in your life. You can make sure the arrangements are exactly what you want, and your family won’t have to guess what your wishes may have been.

Some final decisions really should be yours
Burial? Or cremation? Deciding how to manage your remains is one of the most wrenching decisions your loved ones must make. By pre-planning, you can learn about various ecological, social, and financial benefits, and make an informed choice that reflects your values. And your family can be spared that stressful decision.

Financially, it makes far more sense to plan ahead
Even if your estate will provide the funds for your funeral, it still makes financial sense to plan now. By making your investment in today’s dollars, you’ll protect your estate from inflation rates in the future. In fact, your investment in pre-planning is guaranteed. Legislation requires funeral and cemetery companies to put monies received for a pre-arrangement into a trust account held by a financial institution that has Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation depositors’ insurance. Or you can purchase insurance to fund your pre-arrangement.

You could save your estate thousands of dollars
Family members often feel emotionally pressured to overspend on funeral arrangements. By taking control of the costs today, not only will you relieve your family from those pressures, you could save your estate thousands of dollars, allowing you to leave an even greater legacy.

The right time to plan your funeral — is right now.
For more information on pre-planning funeral and cemetery arrangements, plus free resources to get you started, visit plantoday.ca or call 1-800-354-2003.