FINAL PLANNING — A LOVE-INSPIRED DECISION

What is funeral preplanning? Funeral preplanning is when you make arrangements ahead of time for when you pass away. Planning and paying in advance for your funeral or life celebration can help ease the burden on your family at an emotionally difficult time. Without preplanning, your grieving loved ones are left to make all of the arrangements and decisions in a short period of time, and that can be overwhelming. The thoughtful decision to preplan is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your family.

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Why should I preplan my funeral? Even though preplanning your funeral can be a difficult thing to think about, here are some important advantages to consider.

• Preplanning allows you to make informed decisions about the type of funeral or life celebration you’d like to have — along with the costs involved. It ensures your final wishes will be carried out.

• When you preplan, your grieving family won’t be left to make difficult decisions about what they think — or hope — you would have wanted. You decide on the details and pay for your funeral ahead of time. Preplanning eases the burden on your loved ones during a stressful and emotional time, so they can focus on celebrating your life.

• Even if you’re single, preplanning your funeral can help relieve the burden on others who may otherwise be left wondering whether or not they’re making the decisions you would have wanted.

Not only can preplanning your funeral give you comfort knowing your family won’t have to make those difficult decisions, it’s one of the most loving things you can do for them.

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How do I preplan my funeral? Once you’ve made the decision to preplan your funeral, starting the process is as easy as making a phone call to a funeral home of your choice. A trained funeral professional will set up an appointment to meet with you and guide you through the process, step by step. They’ll take time to understand your needs and preferences, and will work with you to help you stay within your budget.

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How do I prepay for my funeral? There are different ways to prepay for your funeral. A safe, secure and simple way to prepay — or “prefund” — is with a preneed life insurance policy. A preneed life insurance policy is designed specifically for funding your preplanned funeral. This makes it different from a regular life insurance policy, which is meant to be left to your family to help cover other final expenses like medical bills and credit card balances.

Here are three things to keep in mind if you decide to prepay your funeral with a preneed life insurance policy:

• Many funeral homes guarantee, or lock in, the price of the funeral goods and services you choose. This allows you to pay the cost in today’s dollars for a funeral or ceremony that would likely cost you more in the future.

• Make sure the preneed life insurance policy you choose can be transferred to a different funeral home if you decide to relocate. While you may not have plans to move now, you never know what the future may hold.

• Having a preneed life insurance policy in place allows you to leave your regular life insurance benefits to your loved ones, just as you intended.

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The importance of celebrating lives. Remembering and celebrating the lives of loved ones after they’ve passed is an important part of the grieving — and healing — process. At Physicians Mutual, we feel it’s so important that we honor each customer who passes by planting a tree in their memory through the Arbor Day Foundation.

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