Funeral plans

The funeral plan can be used at any undertakers that is part of the scheme. Your contract is with them not the funeral parlour.
Yes, in my opinion they are a good idea for several reasons. It fixes the price at todays rate, you can decide every detail of the service, coffin style etc.yourself including hymns or none if that's your choice. It saves your next of kin asking each other "do you think that's what she'd want" at a time when it's hard to make decisions. My mum had one and I was so grateful at the time.

There was something about these in the Financial Times a while ago, saying they are poor value for money, but I cannot remember the details about it now. Maybe you can research the article, or get some reviews from consumer websites?

I can't think of anything worse than planning your own funeral! Who cares what they do? I sure as hell won't be listening. (I f-----g hope!)

I'm off this thread!

Won't need one. I've donated my body. They keep it for 3 years and at the end of that time the family can have the body back (what's left of it) or they bury you.

We encouraged my MIL to purchase a plan with the Co-op a number of years ago- that way it doesn't matter where you live they will honour it but I think you can work with a local firm who are probably in some kind of consortium (bit like buying Garden Centre vouchers). It worked out really well. It was purchased about 13 years ago at current costs- about £2000 I think. The actual cost was more like £5000 so it was a good investment and stopped MIL worrying about it.

I care Jingl !

I care enough that whilst I don't have a funeral plan my husband , and daughters for that matter have the gist of my -party- funeral details,

I don't want endless mourning and words by someone who never knew me from adam. And great music ( although I have decided against Burn Baby Burn :-) )

Every celebration needs planning , even this one and I want people to be treated to a Celebration of my life.

Maybe that wont work for all families but as the matriarch of mine I know them and it'll be a hell of a do

It takes a lot of pressure of your family; it's something I haven't done but do intend to do so. Bit like writing a will; once it's done you can put it behind you and not think about it.

We've talked about it but done nothing. Procrastinating again.

I don't see how they can be poor value. The schemes where you pay monthly can be but if were talk about prepaid plans i.e. paying in full up front then there has to be financial benefit. Funeral costs are rising all the time and with this you pay at todays rate rather than the rate in 10 + yrs time.
With luck and a fair wind I last that long

Blimey! I've done enough for them. They can do a bit for me.

Just asked my son if I should take one out. He said no because I don't need one. He's probably got a garden bonfire in mind.

I'm sure I'll get stowed one way or the other. [shrug]

jings
We always joked with mum that we'd put her in a cardboard box and bury her at the end of the garden.
Maybe she believed us and that's why she took out a funeral plan

Avoid them at all cost they are not worth it. We had a visit from a financial advisor ( so called ) and he totally lost interest in us when I told him what I thought of the funeral plan he was wanting us to buy. That shows the cut he was getting .

I think we need to distinguish between funeral plans and prepaid funerals.

I meant pre paid funeral ninathenana ?

Well, I'm in the States, so I can only talk about my experiences here. But my MIL's funeral was prepaid and this is how it worked financially - W the help of DH, she planned out the details (so yes, it did involve "funeral plans," as well) and paid the cost at the time. The money went into a fund that made interest, and the interest covered any rise in costs that occurred between the time this was done and the time she passed away. When she passed away, 7 years later, not a penny more was required from her AC and families. So I don't see how anyone can say "poor value." And, ninanthena says, no one had to figure out the details just when they were in the throes of grief.

In our case, though, we made the arrangements through the specific funeral parlor that our family tends to use. We also chose the cemetery, at the time (those costs were included, as I recall). Whether either of those could be changed or not, at any point, I don't know. Nor do I know if there would be any addition or subtraction of costs if we had done so.

Anyhow, DH and I plan to prepay/preplan our own funerals, to make things easier on our DDs and so forth.

My parents pre paid their funerals with a family firm, which worked very well. When I've sold my house this summer (fingers crossed) I intend to pre pay for mine. They are becoming very expensive and I don't want my children to worry about the cost.

I bought one just recently Oh really grumbled that surprised me .I think that this is a good idea .

I think they're only good value for money if you pop off much earlier than the average. Otherwise, I believe it's said that most people have paid in significantly more than the guaranteed sum paid out on death. I can see the attraction of people doing it though - to save a lot of hassle for their children.

I feel a bit like jingle. If children have been helped a lot financially and/or are to receive a substantial inheritance, isn't it reasonable for them to foot the bill? I suppose the snag might be if it turns out that most of the money is used up paying for a care home.

I didn't know you could pay a one-off sum to cover future costs at the going rate. What if the company went out of business or changed hands?

I do think it's important, though, to say whether you want to be buried or cremated or to state that you don't mind what arrangements are made. Otherwise it can be a worry for those left behind as to what your wishes would have been. A dear neighbour of mine had his wife cremated and later found a note from her in a drawer saying that she wanted to buried in the local cemetery. It was distressing for him.

My kids are both abroad with no hope at the moment of ever returning to live in the UK. I paid up front for mine a year ago so everything is now planned but they can change things if they want to. I am hoping to live for quite a bit longer so it should be a good investment - much better than money in the bank. I suspect that when you pay monthly it may not be quite as good an investment.

I did go for the cheapest in everything I had a choice of but cost was still just over £3000.

Neither of my parents made any arrangements, but I actually found organising the funerals provided a much needed outlet for myself and my brother(s). (One was up K2 when my father died but that's a whole different story) it was the last thing we could do for them and it comforted me.

Do you mind sharing which firm tiggy? tried to pm you but failed abysmally! Do most of this on iphone and not very good either!!!

Eloethan there are at least two major companies that are nation wide and have been established for many years that organise pre-paid funerals. I don't see them going out of business.
There may be other smaller companies, I don't know.

grannylyn I have sent you a PM