How many of you have made your " Final Arrangements " ?

[Pablo]

We did wills right after retirement.
Went to a lawyer....a little pricey.

You can also set up a trust.
That may help out your kids until the mature.

*Lots of people do not like trusts.

A lot of people don't understand trusts and what goes into them.

Just as an example, first precedence on $ in any investment house is the beneficiary on the account, not a person scribbled on a piece of paper in a drawer.

As for the topic, my parents never made it clear on lots of details for FINAL arrangements, but have several trusts. I am now setting up more than just a family trust for spouse and I, because of this.

 

[Pew]

Yep, had mine set since 19, life insurance and retirement and all. My whole family and I is pretty much on the "just cremate me" car.

 

[supton]

We did wills right after retirement.
Went to a lawyer....a little pricey.

You can also set up a trust.
That may help out your kids until the mature.

*Lots of people do not like trusts.

Yeah, not sure about a trust. Ins, outs, etc. Plus, I'm not even 50 yet (but old enough to drop dead I guess). At some point I'll have to lawyer up and start thinking about the future.

 

[KJSmith]

When you are dead, it doesn't matter, you are dead, it's not going to bother you.
It only causes pain and suffering for those around you.

Same rule applies when you are stupid.

 

[KJSmith]

A lot of people don't understand trusts and what goes into them.

For us, things are a little simpler. Only one child.
Our concern was about what would happen if we were unfortunate enough to outlive him.

IRA's and bank accounts can be directed straight to him as a beneficiary.
I worry about him blowing through the money.... advised as best I can.
At the end of the day, I'll be dead, and it won't bother me.

 

[Donald]

Mulching is the latest.

 

[nomas]

Mulching is the latest.

Cremation Urn made of Himalayan Sea Salt . It dissolves in water in about 3 hrs allowing the ashes to disperse . Pretty cool . Freshwater versions too .

 

[RitcheyRch]

We pre-paid for our cremation a few years ago. Still finalizing our living trust.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

This casket from Costco gets 20 5 star reviews and is $1149.

https://www.costco.com/the-mother's-casket-by-prime.product.100525047.html

Do they allow you to try it out in the store

 

[chemman]

While on the subject of prepaying one's final arrangements, be careful of the "inflation guard" insurance that might be offered. My late aunt prepaid for her final arrangements which in 1999 was approximately $8,000. She also purchased an "inflation guard" insurance policy so her heirs would not have to pay much if anything should prices increase. This cost her somewhere between $7,000 and $8,000.

Well, when she passed in 2015, the 2015 costs of her final arrangements came to be about $8,800, and about $500 of that was for non-funeral home expenses that were not covered by the "inflation guard" insurance. All in all, she (and her heirs) would have been money ahead with just prepaying for her final arrangements and not purchasing that "inflation guard" insurance.

By the way, her funeral was handled by a very well known, local family owned mortuary that is very well regarded.

 

[opus1]

I have a place, but haven't gone further than that. Two plots opened up next to my parents so I bought them both - the only land I own outright.

Mom & Dad have/had plot and services picked out. The timing was kind of eerie as they got a call from the cemetery suggesting that they come in to buy pre-need services and they decided to go...then 3 months later we were paying off the rest of his contract to use it because his time had come. All we had to do was pick out flowers, take his suit to the funeral home, and pick a restaurant for a post-service lunch. It's not a pleasant topic, but it was the best gift he could have given us since all of the big decisions were made and there was no wondering what he would have wanted.

 

[dadto2]

A will is about the most important thing you can do for your loved ones. Don't wait until you are old to make a will. You never know if or when an accident or illness can take you. I'd argue that it's most important if you are young with dependents in the house... If you or your spouse were to die, could your family survive without your assets while your estate winds it's way slowly through probate?

We set up our as soon as we started a family. If one of us dies, we leave everything to the other. If we both go, everything goes into a trust for the kids until they reach the age of 25 years old, then they get equal shares awarded. Easy peasy.

 

[j14152]

My wife is going to put my ashes in a FRAM Endurance filter. This way, the leaking bypass valve will allow my ashes to breathe.

Corny obligatory joke aside, it is important and everyone should do the planning.

Which filter? Will they fit? I might do the same.

 

[Boomer]

Both my wife and I prepaid our cremations and other items some years ago. I used the money I got from VW for my two diesel cars to pay for mine so I am going to have a LARGE VW logo on the columbarium (sp?) where our ashes will be placed.

 

[Al]

We did ours a year ago. We have our ashes boxes. A number to call and the minister is on board. I would suggest you contact a minister to find which cremation service is the best. In PA. it is Cremation Society of PA.

 

[Dave Hess]

Florida Everglades for me, nothing fancy.

 

[02SE]

Dad wanted to make their final arrangements, but Mom never wanted to think or talk about it. As a result they had no final arrangements. That left it up to me. Two older sisters were no help, which is no surprise as they were no help in the folks declining years.

They have to live with that knowledge and themselves...

We have a Trust and Will.

Nothing is guaranteed. So if you think you're too young to die, guess again. I had a childhood friend who died at 9. Later, my best friend from Junior High until his untimely passing, died in his sleep at 35. No cause was found.

If you have assets and don't want them to go to the State, make arrangements while you can.

 

[rekit]

A friend's husband passed and the wife can't find the Will. Turns out in Texas the Will is not recorded until it is Probated, and a copy won't do, even if you find it. If true this is an awful situation. Our Lawyer retired and his office is closed. Not sure what our situation is, but we need to do an updated one anyway, it's been 20 years or so. Kinda like my Mom had a DNR at the Nursing Home, but when she had a heart attack they called ems which of course had to revive her. She had to pass away twice-2 weeks later at the Hospital. I want it tatooed on me.