Funeral PrePlanning

A growing trend in funeral service is funeral prearrangement.  A comforting peace off mind results from having your final wishes recorded as a guide for your survivors.  A prearranged funeral spares your loved ones from having to make difficult decisions at a time of deep personal loss.  Planning ahead just makes good sense.  Anyone can prearrange, regardless of health or age.

Individuals may or may not opt to pay for their funeral prearrangement plans.  
A funeral prepayment may be made in full or only part.  Once prepayment is made, the State of Michigan tells the funeral home what they can do with the funeral prearrangement money.  There are two methods which include funeral insurance or a trust account.  The funeral insurance company used must be approved and regulated by the State of Michigan.  The second method, a trust account, is set-up between the State of Michigan and the funeral home.  Your money is then put into this trust account.  The professional who helps you with your funeral prearrangement will direct you to the form of prepayment that is best for you.

In both cases, the funeral home guarantees that you will have the funeral you have selected and paid for.  In all cases, the money will earn interest.  The interest remains in the fund and accumulates over time.  The intent is for the interest to keep up with the cost of inflation.  The funeral prearrangement that you have fully funded is thus inflation proof.

A prefunded funeral prearrangement is a thoughtful gift, because your survivors will not have to come up with the money when the need arises. Also, you will pay today's price for a funeral service that may not be needed for years to come.

Funeral prearrangements do not need to be funded.  Individuals may choose to provide only their vital statistics.  The information used for the death certificate and obituary purposes.  A casket, vault or urn may or may not be selected at that time.  No money is deposited.  These records are kept in the funeral home's files.  When the need arises, the children or other family members will complete the arrangements.  In this case, however, the funeral will cost the price at the time of death.  Had the funeral been prefunded, all expenses that were prepaid would be covered regardless of when the person dies.

Funeral prearrangements are a gift of love and a plan to tomorrow.

Geri Ziemba, Nicole Selby and Jo Ellen Wilsens are licensed, certified PrePlanning Consultants at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home, 947-6347.   They will be happy to meet in your home or our funeral home, whichever is more convenient for you.