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What is Preplanning?
What is preplanning?
Pre-planning is a matter of taking the time to think about and record end-of-life wishes and vital statistics in advance. It helps reduce the number of things someone has to do at an already difficult time when someone passes away. It also helps give more time to know about all options available and decide what is right for you - with no time crunch, you can take as much time as you need to make decisions. It’s a thoughtful gesture to those you love, and a way to let go of anxieties about the future. Once done, you can relax, knowing your plans are in the hands of reliable friends or family.
Who Can Preplan?
You can preplan for yourself, your spouse, a parent, a child, a dependent, another family member, or anyone else! During the pre-planning meeting we will make sure you know who the legal next of kin is that would be responsible for funeral arrangements and signing all paperwork.
Can you change your preplan?
You can always make changes to your preplan! You can add or remove services and merchandise, and even move the preplan to any funeral home in the United States! If it's important for you to make sure that the plans you made for yourself are followed through exactly as you wanted them to be we can help you fill out the necessary paperwork to do that.
Do you lock in costs if I preplan?
Yes! We are one of the few funeral homes in Westchester County that locks in our prices when you preplan and open New York's PrePlan Trust. This is a huge help to families and helps prevent significant future expenses due to inflation!
Do you offer a payment plan?
Yes for pre-planned funds only. You can start New York's PrePlan Trust with as little as $500 towards your costs and the balance can be paid off over any period of time up to five years.
Is Pre-Planning Refundable?
Yes! If you start a revocable PrePlan Trust it is fully refundable PLUS the interest it accrues over time. It is your money, protected in a government-backed account, and you can access it anytime. That is why you can always make changes to your plan, get a refund if it results in a lower-priced funeral, or transfer the plan to any funeral home in the United States.
What about spending down for Medicaid - Do you have an irrevocable trust option?
Yes! If you start an irrevocable PrePlan Trust - any money set aside will not be counted as an asset. The best part? There is no lookback period - so you can do this anytime. We have had many people who started the fully refundable trust, and then when they needed to apply for Medicaid, quickly switched it to an irrevocable trust.
How is New York's Preplan Trust Different from Insurance?
A PrePlan trust pays off the cost of your funeral - exactly how much it costs. Once you finish paying it off, you do not have to make any more payments. With traditional insurance, you typically have premium payments that have to be paid until time of death
A PrePlan Trust does not require the completion of any screening questions. You can be any age and in any health to start a PrePlan Trust. We recently had someone who turned 101 and met with us to start a preplan for herself!
If paying for your funeral is the only major expense you are concerned about, you may want to consider a PrePlan Trust instead of traditional insurance. Some people choose to start a PrePlan trust to lock in and prepay their funeral costs and keep their life insurance policy for other financial assistance to their beneficiaries (lawyer fees for settling the estate/probate court, house closing fees, rent/mortgage support, cemetery property purchase, ongoing financial support).
