Cremation

Nobody wants to think about his or her own death, but it’s one of the most important things that you can plan for. If something tragic were to happen to you, your family would be left with some difficult decisions to make. One of the biggest decisions that they will face is burial versus cremation. If you plan ahead for the inevitable, you can take that pressure off your loved ones and make the process easier for them.

Using cremation as a burial technique has been used for thousands of years, but has gained popularity in the United State. For thousands of years people refused cremation citing religious reasons, but cremation has almost doubled in the last 15 years, from 24% to almost 47%. If you are trying to decide if you should choose cremation or a traditional burial, there are some options you should consider.

How It Works

One reason cremation is becoming more popular is more knowledge of the process, but there are several misconceptions about the cremation process that deter many families away.

To begin, there are several legal documents that have to be completed before the cremation process can begin. The cremation process begins with removing any metal or medical devices from the body (i.e. pacemakers). These devices could become dangerous during the cremation process. After the body is prepared, it is then placed in a container that is designed to burn with the body, usually made from cardboard or wood. These containers are similar to a traditional burial casket but do not contain any of the metal fasteners.

Once the body has been placed inside of the cremation chamber, the process can take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. After the remains have cooled down, they are then reduced further into the powder like substance.

After the remains are in an urn or other container, some families decide to hold a memorial service for the deceased. These memorial services are typically like a memorial service for a burial that allows friends and extended family members to say goodbyes.

Cremation Options

There are several options on cremations and what you do with the remains. There are an endless amount of options for storage of the ashes and what you do with the urn. The most common method is to spread the ashes in a place that was special to the deceased, like a park or beach. If you choose, there are services that can take you out on a boat or on a personal airplane to scatter your loved one’s ashes. Before you scatter the ashes anywhere, review your state laws.

Some people decide to still bury the urn; others display the urn at home (which is convenient if family members decide to move homes) or a mausoleum. There are several new and less traditional methods for displaying your loved one’s ashes. There are options to have the ashes mixed with tattoo ink, mixed into fireworks, placed into a teddy bear, compressed into a manufactured diamond, or even sent into space.

Cost vs. Burial

One of the biggest reasons that cremation is becoming more popular is the rising cost of a traditional burial. The average funeral will cost $10,000, this big price tag includes several factors: headstones, caskets, burial and filling. This is a drastic difference from the average cost of a cremation: $3,000, but can be as low as $1,000.

Just like with a burial, there are several factors that contribute to the cost of cremation. The cost will depend on the fees of transferring the body, storing the body, and the fees of cremating the body. Neither option is free, but cremation can save thousands of dollars depending on preferences.

If you’re concerned with affording either one, having burial insurance can alleviate the high price tag. Despite its nickname, funeral insurance will also cover the cost of cremation and the associated fees.

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the burial decisions. There are advantages and disadvantages to both decisions, like cost and convenience, but ultimately you should discuss which way you prefer with your loved ones. You can include your burial wishes in a legal document.

Is A Burial Insurance Plan Right For You?

It’s important that your family has the coverage that they need and that you understand how a burial insurance plan works. Burial insurance plans are an excellent option for thousands of people, but they are a unique type of coverage that doesn’t work for every family. There are several questions that you can ask to determine if they will be right for you.

The first question that you should ask is, how much debt would my family have to pay. The primary goal of your plan is to give your family the money that they need to pay off all of your outstanding debts and final expenses, like your burial/cremation costs. If you still have major expenses like a mortgage, then a burial insurance policy won’t give you enough insurance coverage. If you don’t have a massive amount of debt anymore, then a burial insurance policy is an excellent way to have insurance coverage without having to pay the expensive premiums of a larger plan.

The next question that you should ask yourself is, does anyone rely on my paycheck every month? Your life insurance protection should give your family the money they need to replace your salary if something tragic were to happen to you. If you don’t have anyone that needs your salary, then a burial insurance policy could be the perfect insurance for you, but if someone still relies on your paycheck, you’ll need to apply for a plan that gives you more insurance coverage.

Getting Affordable Burial Insurance

Everyone understand the importance of a life insurance plan, but there are some applicants that no longer need a large plan worth millions of dollars. Instead, they only need a smaller plan that will help their loved ones pay for the expenses related to a burial or cremation. For those, a final expense policy (also called funeral insurance or burial insurance) could be the best option to get insurance protection. We’ve already discussed the costs that your family could encounter when laying you to rest, and now we will discuss the best ways to offset that for an affordable rate.

Burial insurance policies are essentially the same as a life insurance policy, but they provide a much smaller amount of coverage, which is going to translate into much smaller premiums. These policies are an excellent option for anyone that doesn’t have a massive amount of debt that they would leave behind to your family. Unlike a traditional life insurance plan, you won’t be required to go through all of the hoops, like the medical exam, and that means that anyone can buy one of these policies, without the fear of being declined for insurance. It’s important that you have the life insurance protection that your family needs, and your health shouldn’t prevent you from getting it.

When you’re looking to get insurance protection, it’s vital that you get the most affordable plan available. Because burial insurance plans don’t require a medical exam, and there are fewer questions asked, the insurance company is going to have less information to base your premiums on. If you want to save money, it’s important that you compare dozens of quotes before you decide which company is going to give you the best plan. There are thousands of companies on the market that you can choose from.

Instead of wasting your time calling all of those companies yourself, let us do all of that hard work for you. We are an independent insurance company, which means that we don’t only work with one single company. That means that we can bring all of the best burial insurance policies directly to you. Working with one of our experienced agents can help save you both time and money on your insurance coverage.
Because you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, you shouldn’t wait any longer to get the insurance coverage that your family deserves. If you have any questions about burial insurance plans or about the difficult options available to you, please contact one of our agents today and we would be happy to answer those questions.

Because you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, you shouldn’t wait any longer to make plans for your passing. Leaving those decisions to your loved ones is going to make the situation difficult for them, and leave them wondering if they make the right choice. Not only that, but they will be responsible for paying for those bills, which can put financial strain on them, as well as the emotional strain. We know that nobody wants to think about his or her death, but having those difficult conversations now is going to make the process a lot easier in the future. Contact one of our agents today, and we can get the process started.