A subject that no one wants to talk about but will have to be approached at some time.  When a loved one dies, most of us simply want time to grieve, but instead have to focus our immediate efforts on sorting out and paying for the funeral.

This is an emotional time and can be a very distressing experience.  You may not know your loved one’s funeral wishes, or who do not have the funds available to provide them with the send-off they would have wanted.

The average funeral currently costs over £3,500 and this figure is expected to rise to nearly £5,000 in the next five years, leaving family and friends with hefty bills to pay if it is not possible to access your estate immediately due to probate.

Paying for your funeral in advance means that your loved ones will not have the stress and expense of sorting everything out themselves, but you can also save thousands of pounds because you are buying your funeral at today’s prices.  That means however much funeral costs rise in the future, you have peace of mind that the cost of your arrangements will be covered in full.

Advantages for pre-paying for your funeral. Not only does it mean that your loved ones do not have to find the funds themselves to cover costs so if you have pre-paid, you are straightaway removing the cost of the plan from your estate An additional benefit of having a pre-paid plan is that, should you need long term care at a later date, this plan will not be taken into account in the local council’s means-testing calculations of your wealth.

Advantages for pre-paying for your funeral. Not only does it mean that your loved ones do not have to find the funds themselves to cover costs so if you have pre-paid, you are straightaway removing the cost of the plan from your estate An additional benefit of having a pre-paid plan is that, should you need long term care at a later date, this plan will not be taken into account in the local council’s means-testing calculations of your wealth.