People price shop for everything these days. What I find interesting is that when it comes to end of life expenses, especially for cremation, people simply are looking for the cheapest price. Having said that - Molly's advise should be well taken. You have to compare apples to apples. What you also must take into consideration is the bigger picture. You get what you pay for. All states laws regarding a cremation differ. In some states a funeral home must use a third party to cremate. This increases cost and liability overall. As a consumer, you should also take into consideration that a professional care team is sent out to bring the deceased into the funeral home's care 365/24/7. These professionals must leave their family to care for yours. In order to do this to the level of care we have all come to expect there is a cost. Finally, when you think about cremation, there is much that goes into it. In fact, honestly speaking - in many area the are under priced. The natural gas costs of operating a cremation retort are high. There is risk to the cremation operator them-self if pacemakers etc.. are not removed or disclosed. The cremation itself is a long process. I'm not trying to be a kill-joy here, but at the end of the day - look at the overall facility, the cleanliness, the care and treatment you receive before, during and after. Yes - people in this profession typically are caretakers, but they do deserve to be paid fairly.

What advice can you give for someone who's planning a funeral for someone who's will isn't finalized. My mother's will was almost done until she died in her sleep last night. She didn't get to the details about her funeral arrangements. I don't know if I should go ahead and do the funeral however I think that she would want, or if I should just leave all of the funeral arrangements to someone else. Thank you for your input.

N1K2R3, a number of funeral providers, including those that are members of the Dignity Memorial® network, offer a type of away from home protection. The Dignity Memorial program is called the Transportation and Relocation Protection Plan, which provides for transportation of the person to the prearranged funeral provider. Additionally, the Dignity Memorial network of providers allow for your prearranged funeral services to be transferred to another North American network provider should you move more than 75 miles from where your original arrangements were made. Furthermore, regarding your question of being unable to locate remains, whatever services are provided by the funeral home, will be deducted from the insurance policy and the rest will go to either the beneficiary on the policy or to the “estate of the deceased.”

Molly M. Gligor

Thank you, Molly. At my age, it is important to follow through with arrangements for a funeral. If, on the other hand, I should die in an accident, and my remains are either overseas or destroyed, what will happen to the pre-paid insurance policy or the arrangements with check that was sent to the funeral home?

N1K2R3, you have asked some very important questions. While it is important to secure your final resting place, prearranging your funeral is also important. I advise calling the funeral home you have chosen based on their services and staff to make an appointment to start making your prearrangements. You may meet with the funeral professional at the funeral home or even at your home. As a Dignity Memorial® provider, we lock in the price at the time of the prearrangement. Be certain to ask this question when contacting the funeral home of your choice. The cost will vary depending on which services and products you choose. Dignity Memorial funeral providers allow for you to make payments on your prearrangement. Depending on your state’s laws, your funds are either placed in a trust or used to purchase an insurance policy. The most important detail is to inform your loved ones of your plans and at which funeral provider you have made the arrangements.

Molly M. Gligor

Best thing we can do for others is to take care of this final task for ourselves. Leave directions and funds for the task. Let those left behind miss you (and thank you for your caring).

I have a burial 'Plot" in a national cemetery, but nothing else. I have seen the enormous differences betweenfuneral homes and the services that they offer. How to approach a funeral home? How to Prepay? How much? What happens to this money before my death?