Heritage Funeral Home
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Pre-Arranged Funerals

The staff at Heritage Funeral and Cremation Services is available to help with pre-arranged funerals. This service offers you peace of mind and relieves the preparation anxiety when a death in the family occurs. Pre-arranged funerals offer this peace of mind to the entire family since the planning can and often include all family members.

Pre-arranging offers you peace of mind by knowing you have provided for your final expenses. You are introduced in a calm, logical manner to all considerations.

By gathering facts in a non-emotional way, you are able to safeguard your personal interest and feel confident that your personal wishes will be known and honored.

Simply stated, making your pre-arrangement now will spare your family from two of life's most difficult burdens, arranging and paying for your funeral expenses.

Each year, millions of families have been forced by death of a relative into making one of their largest single purchases. Because of this, more and more people are pre-arranging their funeral to spare their families of this emotional distress.

Pre-arrangements made with Heritage are inflation proof, in other words, what you pay today, guarantees the price at Heritage indefinitely.

Pre-arrangements are versatile. They are easily moved when you move or even just decide to change your preference of funeral homes; your pre-arrangements are fully transferable. Should your life situation change and you desire to make changes to your Heritage pre-arrangement, we can easily assist you.

Before deciding to proceed with pre-arrangements family members should understand some of the particulars. Heritage Funeral and Cremation Services wants you to be informed. The following is an introduction to some of the considerations in pre-arranged funerals. You may request more information by sending us a note via email or by filling out our convenient online form, or for a no cost, no obligation in person or phone estimation of the Heritage advantage, please call our office, and any of our funeral director's can answer questions about pre-arrangements for you.

CONSIDERATIONS

  • Have an idea of what you want
  • Decide how much you can afford to pay
  • Determine what happens if you move or want to change funeral homes
  • Inquire about guarantees on merchandise and services
  • Explore the tax advantages of funding arrangements
  • Ask if the planning protects you against inflation

THE PROCESS

Funeral planning is a three step process:
  • Drawing up the details of the pre-arranged funeral contract
  • Identifying the services and merchandise
  • Funding the cost of the plan

THE CONTRACT

When you pre-arrange a funeral you want it to take all of your wishes into account. The contract you enter should identify:
  • Who is selling the contract
  • The person purchasing the contract
  • The person or persons for whom the contract is purchased
  • All of the merchandise and services to be purchased
  • The current price of the merchandise and services
  • Any instructions for unique services
  • Clearly stated wording explaining whether the prices are guaranteed or not guaranteed. A guaranteed plan means you will not face additional charges.
  • Details about goods and services that may be substituted at equal value if the exact particulars are not available at the time of need
  • Details on required goods or services (If any)
  • Details on any penalties or restrictions, including geographic restrictions on the funeral home's ability to perform
  • Details on cemetery arrangements

SERVICES AND MERCHANDISE

Your contract should include a complete description of all merchandise and services. If there is a request for a unique service, ask whether that service can be provided at a guaranteed rate. The funeral home is required by law to give you a general price list which details the cost of all service and merchandise. Heritage Funeral and Cremation Services will provide the itemized list to you when pre-arrangement discussions begin.

Services typically include but are not limited to:
  • The professional services of the funeral director and his staff
  • Embalming and other preparation
  • Facilities for visitation
  • Transportation services
  • The funeral ceremony
  • Funeral vehicles
  • Pastoral service
  • Music
  • Grave opening and grave closing
Merchandise may include but is not limited to
  • Casket
  • Urn
  • Both of the above
  • Outer burial container (vault or other selection)
  • Flowers
  • Acknowledgement cards

CEMETERY ARRANGEMENTS

Decisions about cemetery details should be part of the pre-arranged funeral.
  • Are there any restrictions on the type of monuments?
  • What are the requirements for the burial vault?
  • Is perpetual care included in the price?
  • Are there plots nearby that can be reserved for other family members?
  • Is the location acceptable to you?

PAYMENT

When making your pre-arranged funeral plans you should also arrange payment for services and merchandise. This can be secured through a bank trust, life insurance, or other means. You may chose to select specific services and merchandise but to postpone pre-payment. If that is the case, you may lose the guarantee on prices for those items.

Heritage Funeral and Cremation Services will help you with your funeral planning.
Please contact us for an appointment.


Some of the content on this page was obtained from A Buyers Guide to Pre-need Funeral Planning published by the National Research and Information Center. You may request the booklet by contacting:

NRIC
2250 E. Dawson Ave. Suite 250
Des Plaines, IL 60018
1-800-662-7666