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 Brookside Chapel &
Funeral Home realizes that most people feel a little uneasy contemplating
their own funeral; but more adults are finding that pre-planning
their own service offers great emotional and even financial security
for them and their families. Families have found comfort in knowing
that the funeral reflects what their loved one wanted. Pre-planning
can relieve the surviving family members of the stressful decisions
that need to be made at a difficult time.
Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home's funeral
director can walk you through the pre-planning (pre-arrangement)
process. As a member of the National Funeral Directors Association
(NFDA), which recommends pre-arranging for everyone, Brookside
Chapel & Funeral Home incorporates the NDFA's Consumer Preneed
Bill of Rights as a resource for understanding what to expect
from a preneed contract.
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Consumer Preneed Bill of Rights*
An ethical and reputable funeral home will guarantee the following
rights and protections:
- Provide you with detailed price lists of services and merchandise
before you make your selections.
- Provide to you, at the conclusion of the funeral arrangement
conference, a written statement listing all of the services and
merchandise you have purchased and the price.
- Give you a written preneed funeral contract explaining, in
plain language, your rights and obligations.
- Guarantee in the contract that if any of the merchandise
or services you have selected are not available at the time of
need, merchandise or services of equal or greater value will
be substituted at no extra cost.
- Explain in the contract the geographical boundaries of their
service area and under what circumstances you can transfer the
preneed contract to another funeral home if you were to relocate
or if the death were to occur outside of the service area.
- State in the contract where and how much of the funds you
pay will be deposited until the funeral is provided.
- Explain in the contract who will be responsible for paying
taxes on any income or interest generated by the preneed funds
that are invested.
- Inform you in the contract whether and to what extent they
are guaranteeing prices of the merchandise and services you are
purchasing. If the prices are not guaranteed, they will explain
to you in the contract who will be responsible for paying any
additional amounts that may be due at the time of the funeral.
- Explain in the contract whether and under what circumstances
you my cancel your preneed contract and how much of the funds
you paid to them will be refunded.
* Source: National Funeral Directors Association web
site: www.nfda.org. |
Brookside Chapel &
Funeral Home strongly recommends that once you've made your prearrangements,
you should:
- Keep a copy of your plan and any pertinent
paperwork in a safe place.
- And very importantly, inform a close friend
or relative as to what arrangements you have made and where the
information may be found.
Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home does not
require prepaying for your prearranged funeral, but this is an
option that many individuals find helpful. If you choose to prepay,
Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home's Funeral Director will explain
the methods that are presently available for prepayment and the
different financial benefits associated with each method.
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As noted by the National Funeral
Directors Association*
"If you feel prepaying is wise
for you, then be sure to go over all available options with your
funeral director. Remember, like with any contract, ask any and
all questions you may have regarding your preneed plan before
you sign an agreement."
* Source: National Funeral Directors Association web
site: www.nfda.org. |
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Brookside Chapel
& Funeral Home is a member of the New Hampshire Funeral Directors
Association and the National Funeral Directors Association. |
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