5 Things You Should Do Now to Prepare for Your Funeral

Death is inevitable, but not a conversation, most of us are willing to have. For Evans St. Fort, CEO/Founder of St. Forts Funeral Home and Cremation, it’s about how his clients live and how they want that life to be expressed when they die. Planning past your own future seems a little strange, however, and funeral planning is generally seen as a project for the elderly. But for Evans, you’re never too young to plan a better future for you and your family. Whether you are 30, 40, or 50, peace of mind for the loved ones you will leave behind is priceless, and having a plan in place funeral can make a difficult situation so much easier.

Based on a recent survey by the FAMIC (Funeral and Memorial Information Council, 89% of Americans(40+ years old) feel like a discussion about their end of life wishes would be meaningful, but only 17% had actually made arrangements. Evans is working to increase that number.

As we age, we are having more involvement in the funeral process, whether as a secondary decision-maker for extended family or even navigating the death of a parent. We were looking for some tips that would guide us in knowing how we, too, can prepare for our final wishes or end of life. We spoke to Evans, who shared five things you should do to prepare for your funeral services or end of life celebration.

Have your paperwork in order. If something happened to you today, your family or someone should be able to find your paperwork, your bank accounts, deeds, titles, or any important documentation of your name. You should create a file, so if something happens to you, your family or spouse would know where to locate it.
Designate a beneficiary on your bank account and life insurance policy. That person will have access instead of having to go to the probate court, which is a long, drawn-out process.
Power of attorney- allows you to appoint a person to manage your affairs if you become unable to do so. Once you die power of attorney is null and void
Plan to get life insurance if you don’t currently have. If you have children or a spouse, you want to be able to put them in a position where if something happens to they can continue to move forward with their lives without anything drastically changing. Life insurance can help provide immediate cash at death that can be used for paying your debt and funeral expenses.
Sit and meet with someone like me. Why? Because you are going to die. When you sit and meet with someone like me in advance, you can design and specify what your final wishes are. Planning your funeral or memorial service can also provide peace-of-mind to you and your family. Also you should look into urns for ashes if the person will be cremated.