After someone dies, families often discover two kinds of “accounts” that need attention. Some are digital—marketplaces, subscriptions, and logins that can create real financial and emotional complications if they’re left unmanaged. Others are the deeply personal choices that follow cremation: choosing cremation urns, deciding whether you’re keeping ashes at home, and figuring out what to do with ashes in a way that feels steady and respectful. If you’re here because you’re managing a loved one’s estate, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to do everything at once.
Many people start with the urgent tasks: preventing unauthorized activity, stopping ongoing sales or charges, and protecting payouts. If your loved one had an active eBay account (especially a seller account), closing it safely means resolving open orders, disputes, refunds, and any remaining balances. Once the immediate pressure eases, families often find themselves holding a different kind of question: what comes next with the ashes, the memorial, and the choices you want to live with for years—not just days.
Start with the immediate: protect the account and the household
If you are responsible for the estate, your first step in funeral planning is often practical: reduce the risk of fraud while you gather documents and make decisions. Marketplace accounts are a common point of stress because they may involve stored payment methods, open transactions, buyer claims, and communications that can escalate quickly if no one responds.
When families say they need to “close” an account, what they usually mean is: stop new activity, finish what’s already in motion, and document what happened. For a selling account, that can include open listings, orders awaiting shipment, active return windows, payment disputes, and payout timing. If you have access to the account and it’s appropriate under your authority (for example, as executor), it can help to preserve records such as order confirmations and payout history before anything is removed, just as you would keep copies of bills and statements.
If you need a gentle checklist for the broader digital side of estate administration, Funeral.com’s resources on careful, step-by-step planning after cremation can also help you think in a “one decision at a time” way, even when the decisions are different.
When cremation is part of the story, the decisions keep going
In many families, the biggest emotional shift happens after the cremation itself—when the phone calls slow down and the ashes come home in a temporary container. The world expects you to “be done,” but you’re holding something that asks for tenderness and clarity. This is where families begin exploring cremation urns for ashes, small cremation urns, and keepsake urns, not because they want to shop, but because they want a plan that doesn’t create regret.
Cremation has become the majority choice in the U.S., which means more people are navigating these questions than ever before. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to be 63.4% in 2025. And the Cremation Association of North America reports a U.S. cremation rate of 61.8% in 2024, with continued growth projected in the coming years. Those numbers don’t make grief easier—but they do explain why modern memorial choices have expanded so much: families want flexibility, personal meaning, and options that fit real budgets and real lives.
The urn isn’t just a container—it’s part of your plan
The most helpful way to choose an urn is to decide where the ashes will live, at least for now. Some families know immediately they want a permanent place at home. Others are planning a scattering ceremony, a niche in a columbarium, burial in a cemetery, or a shared approach where more than one person keeps a portion. If you haven’t decided yet, that’s okay. You can choose an option that works for “this season,” then adjust later.
If you want to browse broadly, Funeral.com’s Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is a calm starting point because it shows the range of materials and sizes families typically consider. And if you’d rather learn before you look, the Journal guide How to Choose a Cremation Urn walks through sizing, materials, and the real-life questions that come up when you’re trying to make a decision while grieving.
Full-size urns: when you want one central memorial
A full-size urn is designed to hold the complete remains of an adult. Families often choose this when they want one primary memorial point—on a mantel, a shelf, a dedicated table, or in a cemetery or columbarium setting. The decision usually comes down to how you want it to feel in the room: quiet and traditional, modern and minimal, warm and wooden, or timeless and stone-like.
If you know you want a single central urn, you can explore Funeral.com’s full-size options in Full Size Cremation Urns for Ashes. For families drawn to natural stone, the Marble Cremation Urns for Ashes collection offers an especially enduring style that works well for home display or cemetery placement.
Small cremation urns and keepsakes: when love needs to be shared
Sometimes the most loving plan is not “one urn.” It’s a shared plan. Adult children in different households, siblings who grieve differently, or a spouse who wants one memorial at home and another for travel or a second ceremony—these are common, normal realities. In those situations, small cremation urns and keepsake urns can make the family’s plan feel more humane.
Funeral.com’s Small Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is designed for holding a portion of remains in a dignified way. For even smaller, shareable options—often chosen so multiple people can have a personal memorial—the Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes collection includes petite tributes that can sit quietly on a shelf or travel to a ceremony without feeling like a “temporary container.”
Many families also combine keepsakes with wearable memorials like cremation jewelry. The reason is simple: a keepsake can stay safe at home, while a necklace or bracelet can travel with you through the ordinary days when grief shows up unexpectedly.
Pet urns: honoring a bond that shaped your daily life
Pet loss often brings a particular kind of ache—the quiet house, the missing routine, the instinct to look for them in familiar spots. When families choose cremation for a beloved animal companion, they deserve memorial options that treat that relationship with dignity. That is where pet urns, pet urns for ashes, and pet cremation urns become more than “products.” They become a way to acknowledge that love was real.
If you’re choosing a memorial for an animal companion, Funeral.com’s Pet Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is a compassionate starting place, with designs in wood, metal, ceramic, and glass. If you want something sculptural that also functions as decor—especially for families who find comfort in a visible presence—the Pet Figurine Cremation Urns for Ashes collection offers detailed tributes that feel like art and remembrance at once.
And just as with human cremains, sharing can matter in pet loss, too. Some families scatter part of the ashes, keep part at home, and share part with a child who grew up with the pet. Funeral.com’s Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes are designed specifically for that kind of shared plan.
For a deeper, practical guide—especially on sizing and how pet weight relates to urn capacity—you can read Pet Urns for Ashes: A Complete Guide for Dog and Cat Owners.
Cremation jewelry: keeping someone close without carrying the whole weight
People sometimes worry that cremation jewelry is “too much” or “not traditional.” But most families who choose it aren’t chasing a trend. They’re looking for a way to move through the world while still feeling connected. A pendant can hold a very small amount of ashes, and for many people that’s exactly the point: you don’t need to carry everything to carry love.
If you’re browsing options, Funeral.com’s Cremation Jewelry for Ashes collection includes necklaces, bracelets, and charms designed for a memorial purpose. If you know you’re specifically looking for cremation necklaces, you can start with Cremation Necklaces for Ashes. Some families also prefer smaller charm-style pieces; the Cremation Charms and Pendants collection is curated for that approach.
Because jewelry sits against the skin and moves through daily life, practical details matter: closure style, sealing, durability, and what “waterproof” truly means. Funeral.com’s Journal guide Cremation Jewelry Guide explains types, materials, and safe filling and sealing so you can choose with confidence rather than guesswork.
Keeping ashes at home: common, meaningful, and worth doing thoughtfully
Keeping ashes at home is one of the most common choices families make after cremation—sometimes temporarily, sometimes for years. The decision often has less to do with legality and more to do with readiness. People aren’t always prepared to scatter or bury right away. They want time. They want to wait for a meaningful date. They want to include family members who live far away. Or they simply want their person close while the world feels unfamiliar.
If you’re wondering about safety, etiquette, and what’s typically allowed, Funeral.com’s Journal guide Keeping Ashes at Home covers practical steps—where to place an urn, how to think about visitors, children, and pets, and how to create a space that feels comforting rather than heavy.
If travel is part of your plan—for example, you’re flying to a ceremony—there are also screening realities to consider. The Transportation Security Administration notes that cremated remains must be screened, and officers generally will not open the container; certain materials can prevent a clear X-ray image and may not be allowed through security. Funeral.com’s travel-focused guide TSA-Approved Urns and Flying With Cremated Remains can help you plan the details with less stress.
Water burial and burial at sea: planning a goodbye that fits the place you loved
For some families, a meaningful farewell involves water—an ocean horizon, a lake that held family summers, a river that feels like home. People use the phrase water burial in different ways. Sometimes they mean scattering ashes on the water’s surface. Sometimes they mean using a biodegradable urn that floats briefly and then dissolves. Both can be deeply moving, but the logistics and rules are different.
In the U.S., ocean burial at sea is governed by federal rules under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that burial at sea of cremated human remains must generally take place at least three nautical miles from shore, among other conditions. Funeral.com’s Journal guide Water Burial and Burial at Sea translates those requirements into practical planning, including what “three nautical miles” looks like in real life when you’re trying to organize a family ceremony.
If you’re considering a dissolving urn, Funeral.com’s guide Biodegradable Water Urns for Ashes explains how floating vs. sinking designs change the feel of the moment and what to expect as the urn dissolves. Water ceremonies can be gentle and beautiful—but they’re easier when you’ve thought through the details ahead of time.
How much does cremation cost, and how do you compare prices fairly?
Cost questions often arrive with a complicated mix of worry and guilt. Families want to do something meaningful, but they also need to protect the household left behind. Asking how much does cremation cost is not cold or selfish—it’s responsible.
Prices vary widely by location and by the type of service you choose (direct cremation vs. cremation with a viewing and service). If you’re calling providers, it helps to know your rights. The Federal Trade Commission explains requirements under the Funeral Rule, including itemized price lists that help consumers compare options without being forced into bundles. Funeral.com’s practical cost guide How Much Does Cremation Cost in the U.S.? walks through common fees, what can change a quote, and ways to save without sacrificing care.
One gentle truth is that memorialization is flexible. Cremation doesn’t require you to decide everything immediately. Some families choose a simple direct cremation first, then plan a memorial later when they have more emotional space. Others choose a service now and keep the ashes at home until a scattering or burial plan feels right. Either way, the goal is the same: a plan you can live with.
Bringing it together: a plan that honors love, reduces stress, and leaves room for time
It may feel strange to connect something like a marketplace account closure with choosing an urn, but families experience these decisions side by side. In the same week you might be gathering documents to report a death to a company, pausing subscriptions, and preventing fraud, you may also be choosing an object that will sit in your home and hold profound meaning. Both deserve care. Both deserve patience.
If your family is building a cremation plan, it can help to think in “layers.” First, decide what needs to happen now: safe custody of the ashes, immediate travel needs, and a temporary plan that feels respectful. Next, decide what you want long-term: a central urn, shared keepsakes, jewelry, a niche, scattering, or a water ceremony. You don’t have to force a permanent decision in the first days of grief.
When you are ready to explore options, Funeral.com’s collections can help you move from information to gentle, practical choices: Cremation Urns for Ashes, Small Cremation Urns for Ashes, Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes, Pet Cremation Urns for Ashes, Pet Figurine Cremation Urns for Ashes, Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes, and Cremation Jewelry including Cremation Necklaces for Ashes.
And if you need reassurance more than you need shopping, Funeral.com’s Journal guides can keep you grounded: How to Choose a Cremation Urn, Pet Urns for Ashes, Cremation Jewelry Guide, Keeping Ashes at Home, Water Burial and Burial at Sea, and How Much Does Cremation Cost.
Whatever you’re carrying—estate responsibilities, account closures, grief, the quiet shock of a changed home—try to let the plan be kind. You can be practical and tender at the same time. You can do the urgent things first. And you can give yourself permission to choose the memorial pieces slowly, with care, when your heart is ready.
