Prepay Grim Expenses

Benefits and drawbacks abound whenyou weigh the decision of prepayingfuneral expenses. An obvious positive issaving money and lifting a heavy financialburden from your loved ones. Funeralcosts often reach $15,000. However,when you prepay, you force yourselfinto a contract that defines how andwhere you will be buried. In addition, ifyou happen to die while traveling overseasor retire to another state, yourloved ones could be responsible foradditional costs. If you do want to prepay,make sure you receive a detailedlist of services and costs and try to havethe option of altering the contract afterit's signed. Let someone you trust knowthat you have prepaid and forwardthem a copy of your documents. Foradditional information on prepayment,check out the National Funeral DirectorsAssociation's Preneed Bill of Rightson its Web site (www.nfda.org).