There is a big push by some funeral companies to sell prepaid funeral plans online. They urge customers to prepay their own funeral in advance and lock in current prices.
Although these companies will always tell you about the pros of prepaid funeral plans, there are just as many cons that you should also consider. But don’t just take our word for it!
The recent Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation, and Financial Services Industry (the Royal Commission) raised some serious findings relating to some prepaid finance products.
Choice, Australia’s leading consumer advocacy group, has claimed that some funeral providers are unfairly profiting from Australians who purchase pre-paid plans. “Australians don’t always get the full benefits when it comes to prepaid plans,” Choice’s investigative journalist Saimi Jeong said.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s Moneysmart website also cautions that prepaid funerals can be inflexible and it may not be possible to get your money back once you’ve paid for your funeral, should you change your mind later.
Are there better options?
There are much safer and better alternatives to prepaid funerals, such as setting up a special bank account, recording your funeral wishes (pre-need planning) and shopping around. These options reduce the risk of losing your money and provide your family with much greater control when the time comes.
Set up a Funeral bank account
According to Moneysmart, the simplest way to pay for your funeral is to save up for it. Set up a term deposit or savings account separate from your everyday bank account. Remember to tell your family and beneficiaries about it so they can use your savings to pay for your funeral. (Don’t nominate a funeral director as a beneficiary).
Record your funeral wishes
With eziFunerals, you can record your funeral wishes in advance by filling out a pre-need planning form. You can then store it in a secure Dashboard. You can also appoint your funeral guardian/s. Most importantly, be sure to tell your family about your plan. Walk them through every detail. Give them copies of your written funeral wishes.
Shop around and get quotes
By comparison shopping, you can make reasonably priced funeral arrangements, without setting aside large sums of money or prepaying anything. eziFunerals helps you get detailed quotes from several multiple homes —and compare prices. You’ll see big price differences for essentially the same goods and services. Visit our list of independent funeral homes, and choose the one you like best.
Call 1300 236 402 for assistance
Your family will have to make choices after you die and you cannot just prepay these choices away.
You and your family will enjoy greater peace of mind, if you just simply plan ahead without the need to pre-pay your funeral up front. By planning your funeral in advance, your family will be more empowered to shop around and make your funeral arrangements much easier. But if you decide to pre-pay your funeral in advance, be very cautious and read the contract.
About eziFunerals
eziFunerals supports individuals and families cope with end of life decisions, death and funerals. We are an independent, Australian-owned and operated company. We are not part of any other funeral company.
Our member Funeral Directors operate in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Australia wide. They are chosen for their knowledge, quality, service, personalisation and experience. They go above and beyond, and will take the time to support the family.
For more information or to make contact with a trusted Independent funeral director, call eziFunerals on 1300 236 402 or visit www.ezifunerals.com.au.
Peter Erceg
Peter Erceg is the Owner and Founder of eziFunerals. He has had a long history within the funeral industry, and is a published author of ‘What Kind Of Funeral: A self help guide to planning a meaningful funeral’. Prior to eziFunerals, Peter worked in the public sector and health industry for more than 30 years. The views and opinions expressed on posts are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of eziFunerals and members.
