It’s a fact of life that were are all going to pass away at some point or another. While it’s not something you probably feel comfortable thinking about, you can make things a lot easier on yourself, your family and close friends if you get everything organised now. Thinking about your own death might not on your mind too often, but it’s still something you should think about long enough to get everything in order before the inevitable happens. Doing so ensures that everything in your life is organised so others can see what your wishes are after you’re gone. You can organise lots of things on your own (and with the help of family members and close friends), but it’s a good idea to speak with a solicitor about your Will and how your estate will be distributed.
Prepare a Will
Family members may be hesitant to have this conversation with you. After all, planning for your own death means that you are acknowledging that you are going to die someday. However, everyone should have a Will in place for when the inevitable happens. Explain to your family that you are currently without a Will and that you want to organise your estate with them. If you pass away without a Will in place, it can be a complicated process, and you won’t have a say to who receives your estate.
Select a Power of Attorney
A power of attorney allows someone to act on your behalf should you lose your mental capacity, so choose a loved one or close friend very carefully. It’s important to know that a power of attorney cannot make changes or amend your Will, but they will have access to your bank accounts. You can also give a special power of attorney that only allows certain actions, which is preferable to a general power of attorney if possible. It’s a good idea to set up a power of attorney to someone you trust if you’re expected to lose mental capacity prior to your death.
Buy Life Insurance
If some of your family members rely on you for financial support, then life insurance is a way of making sure they are taken care of when you pass away. It can provide a means of continuing to pay for general living expenses and be used to pay off any outstanding debts (such as a loan or credit card). In short, life insurance can provide your family with some peace of mind.
Decide Who Your Beneficiaries Are
A beneficiary is someone who inherits part of (or all) of your estate when you die. In other words, they are the person that you want to leave your money to. Choosing your beneficiaries leaves no doubt as to who your money, life insurance and estate will go when you die. It ensures that your money and possessions get passed onto the people that you care about the most.
Arrange Your Important Documents
It’s not unusual for people to keep all of their important documents in different locations within their homes. However, it is important to keep all of this documentation in one place so it can be accessed by a surviving family member. They may need to gain immediate access to your bank account(s) following your death.
Leave Your Final Wishes
It’s very important to leave instructions on how you wish your funeral to be handled. You need to think about whether you would like a cremation or burial, what type of service you would like, and whether it should be in a funeral home or church. Providing your family members and close friends with this information removes the burden and funeral cost from them during an already emotionally challenging time. Your chosen funeral director will also know what type of funeral you want, which helps them to plan your cremation or burial. You could also opt to take out a pre-paid funeral with your chosen funeral director in order to pre-plan your own service and spread the cost of the funeral expenses by making monthly payments.
Spread the Cost of Your Funeral With S. Stibbards & Sons
At S. Stibbards & Sons, we take pride in offering the local community a range of pre-paid funeral plans. With our plans, you choose the service you want and pay the funeral cost at today’s price by making monthly payments. You will have made the arrangements in advance and taken care of the funeral plan cost. You can also rest assured knowing that we are trusted and appointed representatives for Funeral Safe Finance Ltd who are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. If you would like to discuss a pre-paid funeral plan with S. Stibbards & Sons, please get in touch with our friendly and compassionate team through our contact page today. We can talk you through the funeral plans provided by us, the different payment options and answer any questions that you might have.
