Did My Parents Have a Funeral Plan?

The last thing anyone who has lost a parent wants to do is to spend time checking through paperwork to see if they had funeral arrangements in place. During such a difficult time, you want the process of organising their funeral to be as smooth and convenient as possible. But few people talk about their own death or funeral, so how are you to know if they had a funeral plan organised ahead of their passing? There are a few ways to check – here are some suggestions.

Ask Friends of Family

The first step is to talk to relatives or friends of your parent to ask them if they ever discussed their funeral plans. It’s possible that they may have mentioned it in a conversation with someone else or talked about their arrangements. If your parent had a partner or spouse, ask them if they knew of any arrangements your parent made before they died.

Check Paperwork

It can be worthwhile checking past bank statements or go through paperwork they had to see if there is any reference of a funeral plan. Often there will be legal documents which outline the details of their plan, if they had arranged one. You can then contact the company in question to find out more information and work out the next steps in arranging your parent’s funeral.

Can I Buy Funeral Insurance for My Parents?

This is a question that comes up a lot when people have perhaps lost one parent and had to trace a plan. Is it important to state that Funeral Insurance is different from a Pre-Paid Funeral Plan. Funeral insurance involves paying a monthly premium and getting a lump sum payout on death that can be used for funeral costs. A pre-paid funeral plan has monthly payments but these go directly to the provider to cover the cost of the funeral.

So in short yes you can organise funeral insurance for your parents and you can set up a pre-paid funeral plan for them too. It is often a sensible move for a number of reasons but not least because you will know they have one and not have to try and trace it.