How to Write a Eulogy: A Step-by-Step Guide

Losing a loved one is a difficult experience and one that no one wants to go through. However, honoring that individual and their legacy through a eulogy can bring some measure of comfort during a trying time. Writing a eulogy can seem like a daunting task, but with this step-by-step guide, you can create a … Read more

What are your options on how to pay for a funeral or cremation?

Funeral services can be expensive. The National Funeral Directors Association estimates the average funeral cost today at $7,848, and for those who simply have no cash resources, paying for funeral expenses can put them into crisis. Traditionally funeral homes would ask for “cash advances” when negotiating a funeral contract with a customer. Cash advances had … Read more

What do I do if I can’t afford a funeral?

The first thing to remember is that a befitting and dignified funeral does not have to cost you a fortune. How much you payout for funeral services is not a reflection of how much you cared about someone. The most important aspect of conducting a funeral service is to enable family and friends to be … Read more

What are the average funeral costs to expect?

We often get asked the question “What does the average funeral cost?” Of course, quoting an average price can be difficult as funeral prices do vary significantly, depending upon both an area and a funeral provider. Like many other commodities in our society, the average cost of a funeral has increased steadily over the last … Read more

Putting Your Affairs In Order

Everyone knows they are going to die sooner or later. While we all hope it is “later”, we should put our affairs in order for the benefit of our loved ones. Great comfort can be achieved by knowing that advance planning for the inevitable will have eased the trauma of your passing for your family. … Read more

Planning and Preparing for a Funeral

It is no easy task to effectively plan and prepare for a funeral, especially if you are in a heightened emotional state following a bereavement. If the death was unexpected, then you are thrust into planning the funeral with very little time, and although it makes the task no easier if you were dealing with … Read more

How to Save Money Arranging a Funeral or Cremation

Funerals can be unnecessarily expensive, in fact so much so, that a funeral is usually the 3rd or 4th largest single purchase you will make in your life behind a house, a wedding, and a car. Now would you go and purchase a house, or a car, without any research or planning? No, of course … Read more

Funeral Planning in the Age of the Handheld Device

The funeral industry has traditionally been slow to adapt to change. There are still funeral homes without a website. To those of us whose livelihood is based online, and better still spend the greater part of our working day ‘plugged in’, the notion of life without the Internet just seems…well unimaginable today. Although many funeral … Read more

Eight Tips for Executors

So you’ve been named an executor of an estate, but what does that really mean? An executor is the person in charge of someone’s affairs after they die. This can include tasks such as making sure the deceased’s will is followed, cleaning out and selling a home, closing accounts and keeping the peace among beneficiaries, … Read more

Crowdfund a Funeral: A new way to cover funeral costs

When I first heard about the notion of crowdfunding it seemed quite a fantastical idea. The original premise of crowdfunding was hatched within the incubator of entrepreneurship and raising capital for small business ventures. Its extension into the fund-raising arena for other causes was, I guess, a natural evolution. We are all familiar with the … Read more

Planning and Arranging a Jewish Funeral

Understanding the ritual of a Jewish funeral How is the body prepared for a Jewish funeral? The Jewish Funeral Service Jewish Customs and Rituals that follow the burial Shiva – the immediate period of mourning after the death has occurred Shloshim – the following period of mourning Yahrzeit – the anniversary of the death Can … Read more

Burial Insurance, Funeral Insurance, or Final Expense Insurance

There are many life assurance companies in the U.S. who offer Burial Insurance.  Here we have outlined some basic information about what burial insurance is, and why it can be an essential element of planning ahead.   What is Burial Insurance? Burial insurance, also referred to as Funeral Insurance or Final Expense Insurance, is a … Read more