Estate Planning And Funerals – Advice From A Licensed Funeral Director

April 8th, 2012 | | Posted in Estate Planning
funeral estate planning
by dctim1

Estate planning can be a complicated endeavor if you try to do it alone. As a funeral director I’m often asked estate planning questions while making funeral plans with families. Due to the nature of our meeting the questions usually will center on “final estate planning” and what should they be doing to prepare? My response is always the same “seek the advice of a professional estate planning specialist.”

Regardless of a person’s phase of life, estate planning is something I believe should begin as early as possible. Having heard untold numbers of horror stories from families about losing inheritances due to poor estate planning, I’m convinced the earlier a person starts planning their estates, the better condition their “final estate” will be in.

Estate planning can encompass many areas of a person’s life. Planning for each phase of life can be a daunting task. Many things must be taken into consideration. It is very easy to become overwhelmed just thinking about it and why I believe many people just never get around to doing it formally. Hence, adding problems that many times will surface at the worst time, which is at or near the end of a person’s life. This of course only adds to the stress of loved ones who must then also deal with these estate issues.

Rules and regulations on issues related to estate planning change frequently in my observations. Particularly, those involving senior citizens such as Medicaid and asset allocations. Taxes and inheritance issues involving a person’s estate can be complex also.

For this reason, I would advise anyone considering a proactive approach to planning their estate, to discuss these issues with your attorney or CPA first. They should be able to help with these important issues or refer you to the appropriate people who specialize in these areas. If you don’t have an attorney or accountant to ask, call your state bar association for a referral. They should be able to provide you with names and addresses of attorneys in your area who specialize in estate planning matters.

Remember to incorporate some form of funeral pre-planning in your “final estate” plans. Many people go to great lengths to have their estates planned out, only to neglect to prepare for the most final of plans, their own funeral. Of all planning done, this will be among the most important and remembered by your family and loved ones.

Jerry R. Guy is an active licensed funeral director and author. More information on how to save money planning funeral services can be found at his sites: http://www.integritypreneedsolutions.com or http://www.beforeplanningafuneral.com

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Funeral Planning Involves Estate Planning, End of Life Planning, Choosing Wills or Living Trusts

When planning a funeral, www.funeralresources.com says that more than 75% of families need help with funeral estate planning, financial planning, and tax planning, Three of the biggest reasons most families need professional help are: 1. The lack of a proper Estate Plan. Sadly, greater than 70% of all people who die have never even created a Will, also known as a Last Will and Testament.. 2. These matters are often extremely difficult to work through shortly after suffering from such an emotional loss. 3. Lack of a funeral preplan, end-of-life plan, Family Record Guide, and/or funeral insurance By far, the most common questions, concerns and challenges are related to Funeral Estate Planning matters. Some of the Funeral Estate Planning challenges include the lack of a Will or Living Trust, difficulty locating a copy of the original Will or Trust, calculating and properly filing income tax and estate taxes, dealing with probate, difficulty located many important financial documents, collecting life insurance proceeds, family disagreements, and much more. At www.funeralresources.com, you can find a National Directory of Pre-Screened Funeral AND Financial Professionals. There are five fifferent types of Financial Professionals, including Retirement and Financial Advisors, Estate Attorneys, CPAs, Insurance Specialists, and Health Insurance Agents. By having these professionals in the same National Directory, this serves as a major benefit to many families because these Funeral
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Funeral plans – The Best Funeral Poems are from the Heart

October 2nd, 2011 | | Posted in Funeral Planning

Funeral plans : Planning the funeral services and dealing with the passing of a loved one can be a difficult time, obviously. The emotionally charged nature of these moments is intensified by the fact that you are probably under tight time constraints as you plan the memorial. Please understand that you can and will get through this. I extend my sincere condolences for your loss. Poems are coming from the soul of the poet and reach the souls of readers and listeners. Poems are an almost transcendent art form in that regard. Tremendous poets create verses which can strip away the layers of interference we so often find in our discussions. Good poetry is as close to an unfiltered emotional expression as we can get.

This makes the use of funeral verses or poems attractive to anyone organizing or planning a Funeral service. These important occasions deserve the best possible presentation and those involved crave an opportunity to express their feelings in a real way. There is no single perfect funeral poem. Every individual is different. Every life is unique. A poem that perfectly captures the sentiments of one person may not resonate with another. Fortunately, we seem to have an almost innate ability to find the right words in emotionally trying times and there is a great deal of funeral verse available for consideration.

Funeral poems should reflect the personality of the perished. Even though the perished may not have been an avid reader of poetry, it is possible to find a verse that can capture his or her character and finest attributes. Poems should captivate those assembled at the memorial service. They are not dry, stilted or dull poetry. They speak to the soul and create a very memorable experience. Ideal poems to say at a funeral serve as a means of expressing the emotions of the reader. They become an extension of the thoughts and feelings of the presenter. Uplifting funeral poems are usually a very wise selection. Choosing a poem which has a positive underlying theme of faith or hope imbues the funeral with a deeper significance and greater beauty.

Poetry has a unique ability to communicate our emotions. Poems are an almost unfiltered language, capable of expressing the complicated collection of emotions that grip us during trying times. When one finds a wonderful poem to read at a funeral, he or she creates an opportunity to share emotions and ideas in a very powerful manner. While you are engaging in preparing Funeral poems, Please know that you will emerge from this trying time and that you have a great deal of support from family, friends and even people with whom you have never met.

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