Prepaid cremation provides peace of mind. Knowing your family won’t be burdened with financial strain or the stress of difficult decisions during an already emotional time can be a source of comfort for you and the ones you love.
In today's uncertain environment, many families are finding comfort in planning final arrangements in advance and easing the financial and emotional burdens on loved ones. Please let us know if you have any questions.
As always, we are committed to honoring your loved one in any way possible. And we will ensure you and your guests feel safe conducting services with us. Please contact us if you have questions.
People often have questions about prepaying for a cremation or a cremation memorial, and we're here to help.
In this article, you will learn:
Yes, you can prepay for a cremation. By selecting a funeral or cremation provider in advance, not only can you make your wishes known, you can also prepay for the cremation services in installments. Funeral homes, cremation providers and cemeteries don't typically offer payment plans at the time of need, but you are able to fund arrangements ahead of time with a payment plan.
Yes. Not only can you prepay for the cremation itself, most funeral homes also allow you to pay for the memorial, funeral or celebration of life in advance. This comes with the additional benefits of funding your arrangements with a payment plan, plus it takes the burden of making arrangements off loved ones during their time of grief. At funeral homes in the Dignity Memorial® family, you get the added benefit of our Relocation Protection.
From simple cremation to celebration of life or traditional funeral services, there is virtually no limit to the types of services offered for prepaid cremations. Funeral homes typically offer packages designed specifically for families choosing cremation to streamline the process. As always, they also offer a la carte options so that individuals can design their services exactly the way they want them.
Packages might include:
Yes, many people choose to prepay to have their ashes buried in a cemetery or placed in an outdoor or indoor niche. Along with traditional urns, cremation containers and scattering tubes, more contemporary memorial options, such as cremation jewelry, glass and other keepsakes, ocean memorials or cremation spaceflights can also be prepaid. Do-it-yourself options like ash scattering typically cannot be prepaid. Learn more about options for cremation burial or cemetery placement for cremation ashes.
Paying for cremation in advance has many important benefits, including:
Read Why Prepaid Funerals Are the Best Gift for Your Children.
Here's how to prepay for a cremation:
Years ago, a cremation society was an organization that helped facilitate prepaid cremations. Members paid a fee to join and got help planning their cremations and reduced rates on prepaid cremation services. The model changed to a more standard direct-to-consumer business model, but the name stuck.
Today, the word "society" is part of the names of some cremation providers that do simple cremations without services like viewings or memorials. Their locations are usually small retail shops in larger cities, as opposed to full-service funeral homes that can offer spaces for gatherings. They usually do not offer permanent placement of ashes in a cemetery, nor do they coordinate celebrations of life or receptions. Neptune Society and National Cremation Society are the two largest cremation societies in the United States.
Prepaid cremation paperwork is relatively simple and typically includes:
Some providers will also recommend that you “self-authorize” a cremation form and complete a vital statics form (name, address, parent, next of kin, race, etc.), which is needed to complete a death certificate. Having these on file makes things a little easier on your surviving family members.
The only constant in life is change. When you choose a prepaid cremation plan at a Dignity Memorial provider and then move, the plan remains in effect. If you move more than 75 miles from the location where your original arrangements were made, your prearranged services—and your cremation trust—are transferable and will be honored at any of more than 1,900 providers in the United States and Canada. Learn more about The Dignity Difference.
Whether you’re planning a cremation for a loved one or pre-planning for yourself, start with a story, passion or pastime to provide inspiration. We'll help you weave those very special memories into a beautiful service with personal touches and lasting impressions.
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