Dying has never been more expensive. Funeral costs are going up all the time, even for a modest service. How will you pay? You can think about that for a minute. If you are an honorably discharged veteran, you can be buried for free in a National Cemetery. If you are living with a spouse, or a dependent child currently receiving or who will receive Social Security benefits because of your death, your heirs will qualify for the lump sum death benefit of $255. The last time that amount changed was in 1974 and it didn’t cover much of the costs back then.
Your family will be paying for your funeral, unless you do it first. Pre-paying can be arranged and you have the advantage of locking in the cost. You also lock in the type of service, the funeral director, and many other details. If you are positive that you will remain in your current location and can spare the money, it is an option. You have a major disadvantage in that you no longer control the money. You may find a better option in creating a trust that will fund your final expenses.
Perhaps the most common way that you may cover the costs for a funeral or other final disposal of your remains is the purchase of life insurance. Depending on the size of the policy, all or part of the proceeds may be used for this purpose. If the amount of your current policies will be dedicated to providing for your survivors, you may purchase a smaller policy primarily to cover these last expenses.
Stephen Unsworth
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