How to plan a funeral without breaking your budget
The nonprofit Consumers’ Checkbook collected reviews from local consumers of funeral homes they had used. Checkbook also evaluated funeral home prices by having undercover buyers collect their fees and coffin prices. Through October 31, Washington Post readers can access Checkbook’s funeral home reviews for free Checkbook.org/WashingtonPost/funerals.
Protect yourself from overspending
If you are planning a service, do not go to a funeral home alone. Bring along a less committed companion who can reassure you that sensible cost-saving decisions are in order.
Again, specialized organizations can help. Funeral consumer non-profit organizations, also known as “memorial societies,” provide consumer education and resources about funeral and cremation rights and options. The Funeral Consumers Association (funerals.org) is the national umbrella organization of the affiliated clubs. There are two organizations in the Washington area: the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Maryland and Environs (mdfunerals.org), which also serves the district; and the Memorial Society of Northern Virginia (memorialsocietyva.org).
And although it can be difficult to plan ahead Your own funeral makes sense and gives your loved ones valuable inspiration when they have to make a lot of short-term decisions. Write down your preferences and share them with loved ones and involve them in the process to ensure their emotional needs are met.
When discussing options with a funeral home, first ask about their general price list (GPL). The Federal Trade Commission requires funeral homes to provide a copy of their rates upon request. Many GPLs are long and confusing, so also request a written quote for services you are considering.
Some funeral homes may encourage you to come by because “these matters are too complicated to discuss over the phone or email” or “we will certainly be able to work something out between us”. Scheckbuch’s advice: Only deal with funeral homes who are willing to provide potential clients with detailed pricing information without the need for an in-person appointment.
There are several ways to dispose of the remains. Most families choose burial with a traditional burial, immediate burial, or cremation (with or without burial).
Burial can be direct, without viewing or ceremonies, or with any combination of viewing, ceremony, and burial service. It usually requires a coffin; cemetery plot; Tomb opening and closing fees; Cemetery Foundation (Care); and a marker, memorial, or headstone.
In Checkbook’s survey of local funeral home prices, the cost of a traditional oak coffin funeral ranged from $7,290 to $26,575, with an average of $12,867. Cemetery costs will add thousands to these amounts.
Immediate burial is far less expensive if a cheap coffin is selected. A funeral home will submit the necessary paperwork, place the unembalmed body in a coffin, and take the remains to a cemetery for burial, usually within a day. On average, families save $5,000 to $6,000 compared to a traditional funeral.
Cremation is becoming increasingly popular. Like the funeral, it can be directly or after a funeral. Cremation also allows flexibility in the timing and location of services; Many families today hold funeral services at their homes or at the favorite place of the deceased.
Cremated remains may be scattered, kept at home, buried in a cemetery, or interred in a columbarium. Burial or burial increases costs. In Checkbook’s price survey, funeral home fees for direct cremation (no burial) ranged from $1,295 to $7,595, with an average of $3,343.
The coffin is usually the most expensive item at a funeral. Casket prices range from less than $1,000 for a wooden case to $25,000 or more for elaborate models. The markup on a coffin is often three to five times the wholesale price, so be suspicious. A funeral home’s advice — and even the design of the selection room — can tempt you to overpay. Most people opt for mid-range steel or hardwood models for $3,000 to $6,000.
The cheapest containers – cardboard boxes or bags – are suitable for cremation or direct burial. Some funeral homes have rental coffins that can be used for viewing, so you can buy a cheaper one for the funeral.
Scheckbook’s undercover shoppers found that the cheapest way to buy caskets is to shop online. For example, the average price quoted by funeral homes in the region for an oak coffin was $3,782; Buyers found a similar model online for $1,200. Online sellers ship caskets overnight, and by law funeral homes are required to use them upon request.
They must also choose between a religious service and a secular service held at a funeral home, religious facility, residence, or elsewhere. Consider whether you prefer a traditional funeral with an open or closed coffin, or a funeral service without a body present. Funeral services, church services, and burial services typically cost less than traditional funerals.
Find out about resources that could help pay for funeral expenses. Because many people are unaware of the benefits for final spending, funds often go unused. Most death benefits are not paid automatically to survivors and must be claimed.
Surviving eligible spouse or dependent children (under age 18) will receive a flat rate Social Security death benefit of $255.
In April 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency launched a reimbursement program to help those who lost loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic. Anyone with Covid-related funeral expenses can be eligible for reimbursement of up to $9,000. You cannot apply for a funeral allowance online; You must call FEMA’s Covid-19 Funeral Assistance Hotline at 844-684-6333 (TTY: 800-462-7585). There is no deadline to apply for this benefit.
Honorably discharged veterans and their spouses may be entitled to a burial in any of the 155 national cemeteries in 42 states (and Puerto Rico), with a headstone and a flag for the coffin. Other benefits may be available if the death occurred while on active duty or while hospitalized at a veterans facility. To verify this, contact the Veterans Benefits Administration (800-827-1000, Benefits.va.gov).
Other options include payments from fraternities, lodges, clubs, union charities, pension plans, and employers.
Many funeral homes are pushing plans that allow you to prepay for your funeral. These arrangements represent large financial commitments, and many unscrupulous places have embezzled prepaid funds from customers; others have gone out of business without protecting their customers’ prepaid balances. A better arrangement is to open a joint savings account with a likely survivor who will have immediate access to the money after your death.
Kevin Brasler is Editor-in-Chief of the nonprofit Washington Consumers’ Checkbook Magazine and Checkheft.org. You can access Checkbook’s unbiased reviews of funeral homes in the Washington area for free through October 31st Checkbook.org/WashingtonPost/funerals.