Brian J. Cimbak, our guest author for this article, is also a Service Provider on our website. His experience ushering countless families and individuals through difficult times of loss helps us look at this topic through another lens.

Brian shared that the main reason why most people DO NOT preplan and prepay is because they don’t want to face their own mortality. He says, “A lot of people who put it off do not what to think about their death and simply think ‘My kids will handle it when I’m gone.’”

However, his experience tells a different story. “Meeting with people and talking with the surviving children when I was in the At Need side of the business, so many had wished their parents preplanned and prepaid in advance, saving them from confusion and having to guess what mom or dad would have wanted.” he stated. The “5 reasons why” in this article reflect a lot of their own reasoning/sentiment that has been shared to him over the years.

In his 15-plus years serving grieving clients in the funeral industry, Brian says, “I’ve yet to meet a family who was disappointed or upset that their loved one preplanned and prepaid their own services years before.”

Brian further states, “When someone comes in to put their wishes on paper and prepay for their funeral in advance, we’re required to use a State approved third party escrow agency, to protect the client’s best interest and their prepaid funds. One who we partner with and use often (Funeral Directors Life) has a great brochure that I hand out constantly – it highlights the five main reasons why putting a plan in place ahead of time is deeply important. I’ve shared them below in this blog.”

Five Reasons Why Preplanning is Important

Planning Ahead Brings Peace of Mind

When you plan ahead for funeral wishes, you give your loved one’s peace of mind knowing that all the hard decisions are made and that your wishes are in writing. Think about it this way: once you are gone, they won’t be able to ask you what you prefer. That is why nothing can take the place of having a written plan for your loved ones.

Planning Ahead Eases the Emotional Burden That Falls on Loved Ones

Losing someone you love is hard enough. Those who grieve may experience shock, confusion, disorientation, numbness, intense grief, or complete emotional shutdown. Having to make decisions about things like caskets or flowers may seem overwhelming. Every decision that you can make ahead of time and put into writing eases the burden that would fall on loved ones during a time of grief.

Planning Ahead Protects Against Inflation

If we can be certain of anything, it is that prices will continue to go up over time. That is why so many people choose to combat inflation with a prepaid funeral plan. As we are aware, costs are rising steadily. You may not know what tomorrow will bring, but with a plan, you can significantly offset rising costs over time. In fact, the younger you are when you plan ahead, the more money you will be able to save over time.

No One Regrets Planning Ahead 

Most of the time, when we help families complete a prepaid funeral plan, we see them breathe a big sigh of relief. That is because no one ever regrets planning ahead. The decisions you make today will bring peace of mind for the rest of your lifetime. There really is nothing that can take the place of the gift you give to your family when you plan ahead and prepare for the future.

Planning Ahead Is a Priceless Gift

Imagine what your family will one day have to go through when they lose you. They will have to make dozens of hard decisions in a short amount of time. They may have disagreements about what to do. They may overspend on options you never would have wanted. One child may have to shoulder the burden of paying for the funeral if the others can’t contribute equally. That is why planning ahead is such a priceless gift.

 

About Our Guest Author

Brian J. Cimbak, a lifelong CT native, has been a licensed funeral director for over 15 years in the funeral industry and most recently a licensed insurance consultant. Call Brian at 203-260-9291 to learn more about our services and explore your needs.

Brian has helped countless families not only during their time of need, but in the early stages of setting up their Medicaid compliant Final Expense/ Funeral Trusts, the best way to consider asset protection in the event of a Long Term/Nursing Home situation and making sure the needs of his families are met with the attention to detail that he has become known for over the years.

CT Licensed Funeral Director #2912 – CT/VT Life Insurance Agent #20333621

Learn more about Brian’s services HERE.

Would you like a personal introduction to this service provider? CLICK HERE.