Planning your funeral

Making arrangements for your own funeral may not be the most pleasant of tasks, but think of the consequences if you don’t make plans. Without knowing your preferences, your estate administrator and family members will have to make difficult and sudden decisions while they’re grieving—hopefully without disagreements.

Decisions to make

Some people might only wish to choose whether they’ll have a burial or cremation, while others may want to provide comprehensive details about the funeral and related arrangements. Perhaps you’ll arrive at a middle ground.

You may wish to name a specific funeral home. You can choose the type of service and decide if there will be a reception, memorial or celebration of life. You could pre-pay the funeral costs and purchase a cemetery plot. Perhaps you want to compile a contact list of people to inform upon your passing. You can name a charity for memorial donations. Also, think about any details meaningful to you, such as choosing music and readings for the service or providing information for your obituary.

Recording your plans

You can document your funeral plans in your will or in a separate document. Using a separate document enables you to make changes and additions more easily and can give your estate administrator ready access to your plans.

Planning your own funeral may be unsettling, so you don’t need to decide everything at once. You may want to begin with the plans that will be most helpful to your estate administrator and loved ones, adding other items over time.