Various national and local institutions are available to help families get help with funeral costs. They help the bereaved reduce the amount of burden that they currently have when it comes to funeral expenses. Funerals can range from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. However, many of the items that make up an expensive funeral are not required, they are chosen by the family to honor their loved one. Even so, there will be certain expenses that cannot be avoided and many families find it difficult to handle these costs. The following are a few ways that you can help to reduce the funeral costs.
Government Assistance
Government financial assistance is the most common method for getting help with funeral costs. Financial assistance can significantly decrease your burden in managing and balancing the final expenses. The typical way to receive government assistance is through a pension. A pensioner ‘s partner, or his or her estate, can receive a lump sum bereavement payment (the terms and payment amount vary by country). Another way to receive assistance is through the department of veteran’s affairs. If the deceased person is a veteran the estate will receive a bereavement payment. To learn more, contact the department of veteran’s affairs.
Death Insurance Policies
Death insurance policies can serve as a good way to cover a significant chunk of the expenses that you need to spend for the funeral services. Ideally, your departed one would have signed up for the insurance policy so the bereaved ones can gain financial benefits from the policy. If you are unsure, it is advised that you contact his or her insurance company for more information. They can provide you with the proper documentation and help you through the process.
Revocable Agreement
The revocable agreement is a type of pact that you made with an institution long before the funeral came into picture. This agreement is usually done with insurance companies. This type of agreement can help with funeral costs by acquiring a predetermined amount of money for the funeral. You withdrawal the principal amount that you have deposited in the past plus the interest that the principal amount has acquired over time.
Guaranteed Funeral
A guaranteed funeral must be planned in advance and it allows you to prevent future price increases for the products or services that the funeral home will provide. In other words, you can consider the price for the entire funeral package as final. This helps to ensure that you know what the funeral will cost and can help to save you money. However, this does not help with funeral costs if it was not already pre-arranged.
Local Funeral Societies
Local funeral societies and volunteer agencies can help cover the cost of the funeral for those who have problems in keeping up with the expenses. They can help with funeral costs of the bereaved ones by donating a portion of the funeral expenses. They can also assist in setting up fund-raising methods to cover the funeral expenses. They can help the bereaved ones make the burden even lighter by referring them to institutions that can give them further financial aid for the funeral.
Charities
Charitable organizations may be able to assist with the funeral costs or provide you with information on where you can receive assistance. For example, if your loved one passed away due to cancer, it would be advisable to contact the American Cancer Society to discuss the funeral expenses.
Financial Institutions
Banks may be willing to lend money to the family to help pay for the funeral costs. However, the loan will be no different than any other bank loan and the terms and interest rate will need to be negotiated with the bank.
These above are some of the ways that you can get help with funeral costs. If you think these methods will not suffice, you may also try asking help from other people you know. There are donation tools online that can be used to setup a memorial fund in honor of your loved one. Friends and family can make donations to assist with the final expenses.
