The importance of estate and funeral planning can not be

There is a sense of timelessness in Heliger Sand in Worms German photo copyright Jim Hinckley

overstated. Still, even among savvy investors, and people who obsessively organize and plan, funeral planning is often overlooked. Here is a sobering statistic; in a recent study 62.5 percent of consumers felt it was very important to have a funeral plan with wishes to family members prior to their own death but only 21.4 percent had done so.

Start with the basics, or contact Arizona Affordable Funeral Home and Crematory for assistance.

1. Don’t stress, a funeral plan doesn’t need to be complicated. Keep in mind, you are doing this to make it easier on your family during a troubling period.
2. Grab a pad and pencil, and then begin listing the basics. Burial? Cremation? Donation to medical science) Special arrangement? No Service? Traditional service? Military service? Graveside service?
3. The basics are your foundation for the rest of your planning. As example, once you have selected cremation you can then begin to work out details. Many people now create a special ceremony with family and friends that culminate with scattering of ashes. Some studies have found that scattering ashes of a loved at a place filled with memories can provide closure as well as be a peaceful and moving experience for everyone who participates. As your research begins it may come as a surprise to learn that casting ashes to the wind may be the most popular option, but it is not the only one. Another common method is “trenching and raking.” The trenching method involves placing the ashes, either loose or in a biodegradable urn, in a shallow trench. In raking the ashes are scattered and then raked into the soil.
4. Next, cost estimates and evaluation.
5. Talk about your plan with family or a trusted friend. Start the discussion by talking about your basic plan and then provide updates.
6. As you solidify the plan, work with the person entrusted to be responsible for adhering to your arrangements and ensuring your last requests are met.
7. There are numerous options available to cover funeral expenses. Examples include funeral insurance, the pre purchase of cemetery plot and services, and trusting. Here too the staff at Arizona Affordable Funeral Home and Crematory can be of assistance.
8. Essential to wrapping up final arrangements is the organization and documentation of pertinent personal information. This can be as simple as having copies of the social security card, drivers license, and agreement from the cemetery or funeral home in a single envelope. Or it can be comprehensive and detailed if you are focusing on arrangements from a genealogy perspective.

As with any project or legal issue study and research are crucial. As funerals and funeral ceremonies have evolved rather dramatically over the course of the past few years, this is now more important than ever before.

Written by Jim Hinckley of Jim Hinckley’s America