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Legal, pensions and money

Savings for funeral top up?

(8 Posts)
Ailidh Fri 26-Nov-21 13:12:53

I know I'm financially thick but - are there savings policies with a maturity date? Rather than, if I outlive it, I get nothing, or rather, my estate gets nothing.

My Mum had, like me, a fully paid up funeral plan but also a £1,000 policy of some kind. She couldn't stop paying in or it would have been null and void but it didn't end by a particular date/age. I think she was 80 when she took it out and 96 when she died so she had overpaid but the £1,000 came in handy: we had a funeral breakfast for her (she loved a bacon buttie) with a couple of hundred, that was her express wish that we should use it for the funeral baked meats, and the rest we sent to the Macular Society.

Shinamae Thu 25-Nov-21 10:42:46

This is mine, the only thing is if I live beyond 84 I get nothing but I don’t expect to live that long anyway….?

Sago Thu 25-Nov-21 09:19:29

My mother had a “no questions asked “ Sun Life policy.
She paid in £3000 and received £1800.
Be careful!

multicolourswapshop Thu 25-Nov-21 08:26:28

Having realised when I retired I was no longer insured my employer had me insured while working, I decided to research life insurance policies especially as my brother in laws funeral cost the princely sum of £5,000. I then took out 2 policies so that my family would have a decent sum left to them for sundries. I think the first one is index linked which means the policy increases each year and I’ve to increase my monthly payment along with it. The second one is too but I don’t have to pay an increased monthly payment, take care all who are looking into these policies there’s a way to do it.

Katie59 Thu 25-Nov-21 08:17:48

Any investment type life insurance will grow at maybe 2 or 3% a year in the long term and keep pace with inflation, you can pay a lump sum or monthly contributions. It will pay out on death unless there is a specific maturity date, in practice it may take a month or two to get the cash paid.

Companies are persistent selling these policies because there is a large commission paid at the start of the policy, some of which offer very poor value.

Ailidh Thu 25-Nov-21 07:25:24

Shinamae, would you mind telling me what your policy is called? I've been offerred one with Royal London insuring £2,000 as a Whole Life Policy for £9.40 a month. I don't understand enough to know whether it's a good deal or not.

As I understand it a Whole Life Policy means that if I die after a day or after 30 years, the policy pays out the 2k. If I opted for a Fixed Term Policy, if I survive longer than the term, the money is lost. Doesn't seem fair to me but that's what the broker said.

Confused am I.

Shinamae Tue 23-Nov-21 12:47:58

I am paying for a pure cremation plan and also have a policy with LV that is £5 a month and I think the value will only be about £3000 but that’s fine that’s all I need it to be…

Ailidh Tue 23-Nov-21 12:45:35

I bought and paid for my funeral when I retired early on health grounds in 2015.

Have been going over it today with the FD, because I'm preparing to move house out of area, and just wanted to check everything was what I'd remembered.

Factored into the cost is an amount for a pre-booked plot at a green burial site, the deal being that one paid 50% of the cost at the time of booking, in 2007, with the remaining cost being 50% of the cost of the plot at the time of use, May it be a long time off.

The cost obviously increases year on year, and I am anxious not to leave my nok brothers with a sum to find.

I've looked at various over 50s' providers online, and am now being bombarded by phone calls. Sigh. What I am looking for is a monthly contributory Thing, with a value in today's terms of £1,000 and which would maintain through the years at the equivalent value, if that makes sense.

Does anyone know if such a thing is available?

Thank you?