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Prearranging a Funeral
Perhaps one of the most
important services we offer is advance planning. Many of us
would rather not think about planning funerals ahead of time,but
it is wise to consider your options in advance so that you can
make informed, sensible decisions. When a death occurs, there
are many decisions that must be made within a very short
period of time, while you are under incredible stress. Advance
planning allows you to carefully consider your choices, and
to discuss them with your family.
Without exception, those families who have made
some advance plans have told us how much easier it made things
when the death occurred. They were able to concentrate on helping
each other, rather than coping with making a lot of decisions
while under tremendous stress. Once advance plans are made,
only one phone call is needed when the death occurs - the funeral
home is able to then start putting into place the family's wishes
immediately. Advance planning can take many forms - from listing
biographical information with your funeral home, to discussing
services, to actually making casket selections. There are three
basic levels of advance planning:
1 -Listing biographical and family information
with the funeral home.
2 - Deciding on service details; merchandise
selections, and discussing costs.
3 - Prepayment of the advance plans.
We offer complimentary appointments either at our facility,
or in your home, whichever is more convenient to you. At our
firm, you will meet with a licensed funeral director (and not
a sales counselor) who will carefully explain your options,
and work with you to prepare the arrangements that will be most
meaningful to you and your family.
Do I have to pay for the arrangements when I make
them in advance?
No, there is no obligation to prepay for the funeral expenses.
For a number of families, simply knowing that their wishes are
spelled out and will be carried out as planned provides a great
deal of comfort. Many families, however, opt to prepay, since
it gives them the peace of mind of knowing that the arrangements
are truly complete. Funds set aside for prepaid funerals are
placed into a specially designed interest-bearing trust - the
NJ Prepaid Funeral Trust Fund - which is fully revocable. Should
you move, change your mind, or simply need the money, you can
get a full refund of your principal plus all of the interest
earned, without any penalties. (The only exceptions to this
rule are arrangements made for Medicaid recipients, where the
funds must be, by law, irrevocable.) We are required by law
to place 100% of the funds you set aside into this trust fund
- the funeral home receives nothing until the services are actually
held. Should you wish, we can also use a specially designed
insurance policy as well.
What are the benefits of prepaying?
Besides knowing that the arrangements are absolutely complete,
we offer a valuable "Pre- Arrangement Agreement,"
which protects your family from having to pay more for the funeral
home charges later on. Basically, this agreement spells out
that the interest earned on our account will cover any future
cost increases on funeral home charges, and if it does not,
the funeral home will absorb the difference. (Of course, Cash
Disbursements, such as cemetery fees, etc. are not part of this
agreement, since we have no control over these charges). Few
funeral homes offer this type of agreement and protection, and
ours is one of the most valuable reasons for making sure your
arrangements are absolutely complete.
What if I move? Can the arrangements be transferred?
Your pre-arrangements are completely transferable to any other
firm, anywhere. Of course, many times when someone moves, they
still intend to come back "home" for burial, in which
case your arrangements can remain intact with us. We can easily
accommodate a transfer back home from virtually anywhere within
the US and foreign countries. If you move and decide you will
not be coming back here for burial, then you are entitled to
a full refund of all your principal paid, plus all interest
earned. All we need is a written request - it's that easy.
When is a good time to stop by for information?
Because advance arrangements are tailored to each specific family,
and since there is so much information to consider, we want
to be sure that each family has all the time they need to make
wise decisions, and is never rushed. To be sure that you have
all the time you deserve to review your choices, an appointment
is required. This way, one of our directors will set aside that
time specifically for you.
Can you send me information?
Absolutely! We have a number of very informative packets that
we can provide to you that will help you get started. Please
keep in mind, though, that because there are so many choices,
the information that we can mail to you may not answer all your
questions - that's when it's a good idea to sit down with one
of our directors and talk face-to-face. If you would like information
sent to you, please call us at (908)689-0119
and ask to speak to one of our funeral directors about advance
planning, so that we can send you information that will be specifically
tailored to your needs.
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