Dates to Remember:

Friday April 7
   Good Friday

Sunday April 9
   Easter Sunday

Sunday May 14
   Mother's Day

Monday May 29
   Memorial Day

Sunday June 18
   Father's Day

Tuesday July 4
   Independence Day

Why is Pre-planning Important?

EIGHT OUT OF TEN AMERICANS AGREE IT’S SMART TO PLAN AHEAD

All of us prepare for Life events. We buy auto insurance, hoping we never have an accident. We keep fire extinguishers in the kitchen, hoping we never have to use them. We plan for health care, college expenses, weddings. We have investments, IRA’s and life insurance.

Yet, the single event that ties all of humanity together is the one thing we tend to avoid planning for. The one event that will impact your family more than any other is their loss of you, whether you’re the husband, the wife, or your child’s parent.

The question to ask is, HOW CAN I CUSHION THIS EVENT FOR MY LOVED ONES? HOW CAN I MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM?

The single answer is to pre-plan as many of the details as possible so they don’t have to do it under intense emotional and financial pressure.

Who should pre-plan?

Every one of us should take the time to plan for our eventual need. It is a responsibility for every person to plan and facilitate what you want to happen in the event of need. No one knows when. . .only that ‘some day’ it will be imperative that these decisions be made. Planning NOW relieves financial and emotional stress LATER.

Take the time — make the commitment to:

• Consider your available options
• Talk to your spouse and other family members about their needs and emotions
• Create a Final Arrangements plan that includes the cemetery and funeral home
• Arrange funding for your choices

What are the benefits of pre-planning?

Eventually, we all face the loss of those we love. Advance planning relieves at least half the stress on our closest family members during the most stressful time in their lives. Pre-planning provides:

• Decisions made together, with forethought, not alone in a time of grief
• Purchased at today’s cost — not tomorrow’s inflation
• Convenient payment terms
• Assets protected from final expense costs.
• Peace of mind that your wishes will be carried out and your family will not face these decisions without your guidance.

What kind of pre-planning should we do?

Pre-planning involves three distinct areas:

• Fundamental Planning: All the legal and vital documents that your family will need, including a Will, Power of Attorney, Living Will, insurance and investment documents, bank account information, etc.
• Funeral Planning: At the cemetery, as well as the funeral home, your choices should be well documented and funded.
• Financial Planning: Pre-funded arrangements leave more of your assets for the support of your family after your death. In addition, financial planning can help to protect your estate from unnecessary or unexpected expenses.

REQUEST A COPY OF OUR ESTATE PLANNING GUIDE

What about life insurance?

Life insurance is a great asset for any family, and it should be reserved as an asset for your survivors.

The surviving spouse or other beneficiaries often have little money left to meet their own on-going needs because of the costs associated with the end-of-life needs of their loved one. Pre-planning and pre-funding your choices is one way to insure that your loved ones receive the benefit of your insurance as a source of on-going income.

Depending upon insurance to pay for end-of-life expenses also does not take into account the effects of inflation on your insurance dollars. Pre-funding your cemetery and funeral needs can greatly lessen the impact of inflation and provide extra security for your family.