Pre-Need Funeral Arrangements

In order to be prepared for your future planning a pre-need trust is often recommended.

Pre-need trust agreements differ than funeral insurance in that this needs to be paid in full by the time of death or the balance of the funeral costs must be paid off either by the deceased estate or family members.

With a pre-need funeral arrangement, either a lump sum or a monthly amount is paid and this money is then invested in a trust fund. This fund is structured to keep pace with inflation, but like all trust funds, there is no real guarantee. Alternatively, there are funeral homes that will undertake the guarantee of payment in full. This pre-need trust fund is also taxable.

If you still want to go for a pre-need trust fund then there are a few points that could be useful. Inquire about a guaranteed price plan. This means that in the future, if the cost of goods and services raises with inflation, you will still get the current prevailing price.

Some items though like caskets, grave marker and grave liners should be bought now instead of later and the funeral home will store them for you until it is needed. You should always get a written statement for everything, including the prices for items yet to be purchased at the time of the funeral. In addition, you would need to have a full written inventory of the items kept in storage. This include the manufacturer or brand, model number, further description like material used or special inscriptions made. It is also prudent to actually know where the items are stored – get the address of the storage facility.

Find out all you can about the trust funds your payments are invested in to make sure they are viable and would increase over time. It would be also wise to have a written instruction as to how any leftover monies be disbursed.

You would also want to know the transaction is transferable or refundable should you change your mind later on and decide on a different funeral home or different cemetery.

Another risk with pre-paying is that the funeral home might go bankrupt or that the trustees of the funds are not honorable. Look also into cancellation clauses because there you might be in need of a change of plans like moving away, you have more money and want a more elaborate arrangements, or conversely you no longer find the monthly payments affordable, or if you simply changed your mind.

Different states have different laws pertaining to trust funds and pre-need arrangements. Therefore, you should read up and find out all you can about pre-need trust agreements before you make your decision.

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Funeral Directors

What is a funeral director and do you really need one?

In the state of New York, a funeral director is the only person who is legally empowered to handle any death arrangements. They must be licensed and registered with the state and must be present and personally supervise the burial or cremation as well as the transportation of a body. They must also complete the paperwork to be submitted to the registrar in which district the death occurred.

Not everyone can be a funeral director or a mortician. You need to have a degree in Mortuary Science from an accredited college by the American Board of Funeral Service Education. And in many states, you need to be involved in a continuing education program to ensure that the funeral director are well versed with the latest techniques and regulations. To perform embalming a funeral director need to be licensed to do so.

A Funeral Director handles all aspects of a funeral ceremony including procession

In the US, although individual states have their own regulations pertaining to licensing, generally at least an associate’s degree is required with examinations by the National Board Examination and state board examination and on top of that at least a year’s work as an apprentice.

A funeral director’s basic tasks include transporting the body, custodial care which include dressing, casketing and cosmetizing the body especially if there is going ot an open casket viewing, and may also involve embalming, and presentation of the body for viewing, burial or cremation and transfer of the body elsewhere if necessary. Besides that, a funeral director can advise you on the various services either offered by the funeral home itself or by a third party vendor.

He or she would also be able to help you with regards to cemetery requirements and burial permit, and specific religious rites.

Almost all of the paperwork involve would also be taken care by a funeral director. This would include claims for social security, veterans benefit, insurance and wills. Not forgetting permits, certificates and obituaries. The cemetery deed should be given to you by the funeral director within seven days of burial.

Other services that a funeral director can coordinate include arranging for a clergy, musicians, flowers and donations. A funeral director would also be able to advise you on the suitable burial vessel or container for cremation. However, it is illegal for him to pressure anyone to purchase certain services or goods that isn’t required by law.

A funeral director does not only coordinate the ceremonial arrangements and supervise the logistics of a funeral but they may also provide grief counseling for beloved survivors of the deceased. He is also the person whom you can go to for any advise in almost all aspects pertaining to the death of a loved one.

To engage a funeral director will help lessen the burden when you are at a time consumed with grief and where there seem to be so many decisions to make, procedures to follow and paperwork to fill out. It will also ensure a professional handling of all pertaining matters and you will fell much better knowing you did the best you can for a respectful and dignified final journey of your loved one.

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Welcome to Long Island Funeral’s information based website.  It is the mission of this site to provide information regarding all phases of deathcare planning. From pre-arranged funerals to local Long Island cemeteries, traditional funerals to cremation.  Any questions are welcome just fill out the form below and submit.  A NYS licensed funeral director will be replying to your comments in a timely fassion.

Over time as more blogs become posted this site will prove to be a very useful tool for any user looking to tap into the knowledge base the site will eventually emass.

The more questions and/or comments posted the better.  Please feel free leave a comment or shoot us an email.

Thank You.

Long Island Funeral

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This site is dedicated to providing information about funerals in Long Island, New York. Residents and former residents of Long Island looking for preened arrangements or advanced planning information are best served by our site and its contents, which are authored by a New York State Licensed Funeral Director.

Each week we will be adding more articles about typical pre-need and arrangement planning issues and content related to funerals in the Long Island area.

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