Some costs are not covered in pre-paid funeral plans, as U.K. and American citizens have discovered.
Some people decided to buy pre-paid funerals in order to spare their loved ones the expense. Unfortunately, there are often hidden expenses, because funeral homes do not make it easy to determine what is included in the services, according to The Guardian in “Pre-paid funeral plans failing to cover the cost of dying.”
Estate plans often include ways to pay for funeral services. However, if an estate planner incorrectly thinks the full cost of a funeral is paid for, then they are unlikely to leave extra money for the funeral in the estate plan.
That means families often need to take assets dedicated for other things to pay for some funeral costs.
If you get a pre-paid funeral plan, make sure that everything is included before signing the contract.
An elder law attorney can guide you if you decide to purchase a pre-paid funeral.
