Final pre-planning even more essential today

Benjamin Franklin said that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. And today, finding a way to pay for both is getting tougher and tougher. With today's economic situation, it is even more essential to make sure your final plans are in place.

Like everything else, the cost of funerals is going up, even when wages and savings are not. Funeral directors say that now more than ever, planning ahead for the inevitable is the way to go.

Don Odom, advance planning funeral director of Goldfinch Funeral Home in Myrtle Beach says that dealing with the death of a loved one is hard enough; paying for that funeral shouldn't add to the hardship. Don’t leave it for the spouse or children to do.

"The best time to plan for a funeral is before it's needed, "Odom said. "Immediately following a death, emotions can run high and sound financial decisions may not be the easiest to come up with. This is when overspending takes place. Having a funeral plan in place frees the bereaved family to be able to comfort each other over the loss of their loved one."

Though most people don't like to think about such things, Odom says that letting your family members know ahead of time of any special wishes makes the funeral process much easier for all. These plans can range from the type of funeral to the type of burial to musical selections for the funeral service.

"With emotions running high among family members at this time, written plans can head off any problems, and it provides a special closure knowing that the exact wishes of the late family member are being followed," Odom added.

If final plans of the loved one have not been written or discussed among family members, Odom suggests having a friend accompany whoever heads to the funeral home to make the final arrangements. Again, he added, this helps take the emotions out of such a stressful decision-making process.

Especially with economic times being what they are, anyone making plans for the loss of a loved one needs to know that a funeral home must by state law provide a list of the costs of all services that are being offered.

"If such a list isn't provided," he cautioned, "a family member might want to look for a more reputable funeral home to help with the process."