What Is Pre-Need Planning?

Pre-Need Planning refers to any aspect of arranging, planning and funding one’s funeral before a death occurs.  Most mortuaries offer pre-need planning programs and an opportunity to pre-plan funeral services, burial or cremation.  There is no cost for the counseling involved in pre-planning. 

Many people, however, don’t realize the value of pre-planning until a death of a loved one occurs.  At that time family members must take on the responsibility of arranging for the funeral and paying for it.  They must gather needed information and make dozens of immediate and sometimes difficult decisions during a time of grief and emotional distress. 

More and more people are taking advantage of the opportunity to pre-plan, in order to: 

• Personalize one’s services, deciding what they want and do not want in services

• Control the costs of services and avoid spending too much or too little

• Guarantee services, providing protection from inflation

• Lessen the emotional and financial toll death takes on the family

• Avoid family disagreements and conflicts, by making the decisions themselves, and

• Gain peace of mind because you have prepared and your affairs are in order. 

Our experienced Pre-Need Planning Staff  (Vannie Brown, Janyce Valentine or myself) will explain all of your options, the laws, and funeral service protocol, to you and your family.  We can meet with you in the comfort of your home or at the offices of Woods-Valentine Mortuary.  We ask you to provide vital statistic and family information for the vital records and obituary.  We record the type of funeral service that you prefer, as well as your choice regarding visitation, burial, cremation and or shipment out of the state/country.  We provide information regarding merchandise such as caskets, urns, outer burial containers/vaults, programs, register books, burial garments, etc…  We also discuss securing certified certificates of death, placing newspaper notices, arranging for soloists, musicians, flowers, etc.  The choice is yours.  You are given copies of your selections and all of the information is placed in a confidential file at the mortuary. 

Special Pre-Need Plans are available through Woods-Valentine and other mortuaries that allow a person to make monthly payments for 3, 5, or 10 years.  A person can also pay in full at the time of prearranging, or fund a plan through existing life insurance policies that are assignable to the mortuary.  If you move out of the area, your plan is transferable.  

The good news about these plans is that no matter how funeral prices increase over the years, once you complete your payments, your funeral is paid in full.  These are called guaranteed plans.  The other good news is that people who have long-term or serious health problems, can get a plan, in most instances.  In these cases the amount payable upon death depends on when death occurs in relationship to date of application. 

Studies show that most people think that pre-need planning is a good idea, but many procrastinate.  Don’t keep putting it off.  Pre-need planning can save dollars and makes sense.  Ask us how!

Gail Valentine Taylor, M.S.W.

(626) 798-8941

Insurance Lic. # 0600403

FD-0582

2/11/2005