Have you been R.I.P. ed Off?
Rest in Peace d off?
If you have Purchased a Prepaid Funeral, You probably have been ripped off.
This according to the AARP. The AARP has recommended that you do not participate in the purchasing of pre-paid funerals. If you prepaid for a funeral, it is safe to say that you did not save on funeral cost(funeral expenses) or paid for a lower cost funeral. Now about the “IFDA Preneed trust” Illinois Funeral Directors Association and all we are saying about this sad situation can be summed up in an article here:
From a Recent Article:
“Think it over
Both AARP and the Funeral Consumers Alliance advise against pre-need contracts in most cases. Instead, consider depositing money in a separate interest-bearing account at your local bank. On your death, the person you name as the beneficiary of this “pay on death” account (also called a POD account or Totten trust) has immediate access to the money. Just be sure to name a trusted relative or friend, not a funeral home, as the beneficiary.”
Enjoy the great View of this article here:
http://www.aarpmagazine.org/money/funeral_ rip_off.html
If you read this article in it’s entirety you will have a handle on the beginning and the end of preneed trusts. You get a starter course in funeral planning 101. You will have a great background in before planning a funeral. Sad to say if you prepaid for a funeral you may not “Rest in Peace“
R.Brian Burkhardt
Your Funeral Guy, Funeral Director (State of Illinois) and Author.
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My aunt prepaid for her funeral over ten years ago. She died a few months ago and the funeral home had everything ready when I arrived to sign for her cremation–they had all her wishes on a list, just like my aunt had showed me.
Then they asked me for another $1000 to make up the difference of the price increases from when aunt did this to now. I thought she’d prepaid to lock in the costs, but I didn’t know. I paid it.
NOW they have contacted me saying they “can’t find the funding” –whatever that means, and that unless I can produce my aunt’s receipt, I must pay then another couple thousand bucks.
At this point they have done the following–picked up her body, cremated her, handed me the urn. I paid extra for the death certificates. They have provided nothing else to us.
I am so perturbed. I called the bank where the aunt said the money was being held, and those accounts are closed. The money was moved from that bank when the funeral home was bought by another funeral home.
I don’t know what to think. I’m appalled, stunned, aghast.
Hello allyswan,
Sorry to here about this situation.
I strongly encourage you to contact the Federal Trade Commission about this situation.
The Dept of Insurance in your state or your State Attorney General maybe helpful as well.
A sad scenario,
Your Funeral Guy