Funeral Plans

Preparing a Proper Funeral Plan

Funeral plans is as important as planning your finances as there are emotional and financial aspects involved in every funeral. Preplanning the final journey would save your family the emotional stress, physical stress and financial distress in event of death.

Although an uncomfortable subject or even taboo for some, funeral plans is now becoming a norm and acceptable. In the past, people use to think that if they start planning for a funeral, the inevitable will happen however this is merely a superstition with no basis.

Here are a few reasons you should consider thinking about funeral plans :

1. Clearly stating your final wishes for funeral arrangements.
2. Feeling relief and comfort from knowing that your final wishes are acknowledged.
3. Relieving your family from emotional, physical and financial stress.
4. Avoid possible family conflict and disagreement on funeral arrangement decisions.
5. Opportunity to plan for the purchase of burial plot/columbarium/funeral services of choice.
6. Opportunity to stretch funeral plan fees by instalment.

It would be ideal to speak to a spouse or family member on your funeral plans. It would be even better to have the funeral plans written down, alongside with your documents of burial plot/columbarium purchase and also to state whom are your appointed executors. In this document, try to be as detailed as possible to avoid misinterpretation when you are no longer around to execute them.

Some key areas to include in your funeral plan:

1. Be specific about the faith you observe and type of funeral you want. A Chinese funeral can mean Buddhist, Taoist or even a non religious funeral – thus be precise on the funeral service of choice.
2. Have you purchased a burial plot or columbarium? If yes, include the proof of purchase with your funeral plan notes and also the person to contact.
3. Any no-no for you? Eg. not to play a certain type of music or no mourning.
4. Any special notes on donations received – to donate to charity of choice?
5. Burial or cremation? Depending on your religion/faith, cremation may not be an option.
6. Any wills? If yes, state where it is kept and which solicitor/lawyer the family member should contact.
7. Any other last wishes?

Remember to review your funeral plan often, especially if circumstances changes and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you will have your final journey planned according to your wishes.