April Meyers of Mind Body Health Solutions wrote the following guest article.  This article is reprinted with permission.

Why Funeral Planning is Necessary

As you know, funeral planning is an emotionally charged topic. However, it is an important part of your job and most people’s lives, at least at some point. It’s important to learn ways to navigate the conversation about end-of-life plans in order to make it less stressful for the mourners when coordinating a service with the funeral home. Here, Living Through Grief After 60 outlines some talking points you can use when discussing this difficult topic with your clients.

Put it in Writing

First, no matter what your clients choose, encourage them to put the details in writing. This step is especially important if their end-of-life plans go contrary to what their family members might want for them. It is a good idea to digitize these files and share them with several loved ones and their estate planner. You can click here for more info on how to edit digitized documents as PDFs.

Why They Should Buy Final Expenses Insurance

In addition to a traditional life insurance policy, final expense insurance can provide loved ones with a financial safety net in the event of an untimely passing. Along with covering the cost of funeral arrangements, this type of plan can be used to pay for a mortgage, medical bills, personal loans, credit card debt, and many other types of outstanding debt. Explain to your clients that they should decide whether they want only the funeral arrangement costs covered or other debts as well, so that they can make a better decision on the amount of coverage they need.

The Benefits of Downsizing

Many seniors opt to downsize for a number of reasons. If this is the choice, the proceeds from the sale of the old home can be used to not just finance a new, smaller home, but for paying for insurance. Having all the paperwork in order is necessary as they prepare to sell the property, so it may be a good idea to refer them to an estate planner or a realtor to guide them through the process.

Different Dispositions

Burial

You’ll also want to remind your clients that there are three different options for what happens to them after their deaths. These are burial, cremation, and alkaline hydrolysis. A traditional burial involves a casket and the body being placed underground or in a mausoleum. This is usually the most expensive option, and $20,000 may be just enough to cover this with a bit left over.

Cremation

Cremation is less expensive and is a process by which the body is reduced to ashes through a heating process. Their loved ones can choose to keep their remains in an urn, bury them underground, or scatter them in a certain location or various locations. Some people even opt for a less traditional disposal of their ashes.

New Options

There are a couple of relatively avantgarde options to consider as well. Alkaline hydrolysis is a newer process, and it’s not available everywhere. This process is a nontoxic replica of the chemical composition a body undergoes after burial, though with alkaline hydrolysis it happens in a matter of hours rather than years. Similarly, HowStuffWorks notes some people are including “green burial” amongst their options.

Make It Meaningful

A funeral is meant to celebrate the life of the deceased and provide support for the surviving loved ones. Remind your clients to make sure there are elements throughout the funeral or memorial service that highlight their unique qualities — whether those elements include religious or secular songs or readings, a memorial video, a eulogy, their favorite food/drinks, or anything else that reflects the life they have lived. This could include anything from a service at a golf course to a Hawaiian-themed end-of-life celebration. All of these will cost extra, however, so they must be considered when shopping for life insurance or final expenses insurance.

Start the Conversation

While having a conversation about death is never pleasant, planning for it is an important part of helping your clients keep their family financially secure. Remind them that even if they have plenty of assets to go around, a little extra peace of mind won’t cost them much but will go a long way toward easing their family’s burdens when they die.

For help working through issues with grief, visit Living Through Grief After 60 today!