Advanced Planning

If I pre-pay my funeral arrangements with you, are those prices and services guaranteed?

When you pre-pay funeral arrangements with our funeral homes we guarantee that you or your heirs will not have to pay any additional money due to future price increases. Once funds for a complete service are placed in our life (burial) insurance program, your money will earn a face amount and a high rate of interest that will cover those future expenses.

You can have confidence that your wishes are entrusted to a local, family-owned and operated firm that has won the confidence and respect of families for three generations.

Yes, if you pre-pay funeral arrangements with us, your money is completely protected, and your wishes are guaranteed. That's peace of mind!

Is there a fee for making pre-arrangements?

There is absolutely no fee, or other charge in the State of Pennsylvania when you make "pre-arrangements." Furthermore, when you pre-fund those arrangements through our life (burial) insurance program, there is no additional expense in establishing the policy.

No set-up fees and no extra expenses. Just accurate, helpful information and guaranteed coverage of the costs. That's peace of mind, and that's what families ask us for.

We will soon be entering a loved one into a nursing home or personal care facility; do we need to contact your funeral home to make pre-arrangements?

Before entering a loved one into any type of special care facility, it is extremely important to contact us first. Many times entire life savings can be wiped out due to lengthy stays in these types of facilities.

Our irrevocable life (burial) insurance programs that we use to pre-fund funerals can ensure that the policy will not be counted as an asset. Therefore, your loved one can be buried with dignity and your family will be given the freedom to select a funeral appropriate to your loved one's lifestyle.

We can also ensure that existing life insurance policies that were established to pay for funeral expenses are used for that purpose. Before you are forced to cash in these policies, please contact us immediately.

We have helped hundreds of families to prepare for the consequences associated with this major life change.

Why should I pre-fund my funeral with your funeral home's insurance program instead of the local bank?

There are several advantages to using our funeral home's insurance program:

From day one, you will earn a face amount on your policy which is determined by your age and your total funeral costs. A burial account at a local bank cannot offer this feature.
You will be earning a high rate of interest which keeps up with inflation. Those under the age of 85 earn 4.5% per year and those over the age of 85 earn 3% per year. Current interest rates on burial accounts at the local banks are below 2%.
The yearly interest earned on the policy does not have to be reported as income on your tax return. Interest from burial accounts established at banks must be reported to the IRS.
Insurance proceeds left over after funeral expenses are tax-free in the state of Pennsylvania for the beneficiary. If any proceeds are available from a burial account at a local bank, they become part of the deceased's estate and estate taxes must be paid.
Our policies can be made irrevocable to ensure that they are used for their intended purpose. This feature is important for those in special care facilities that can only have limited assets.
The policy is under your total control. Our funeral home does not own the policy and we do not receive any proceeds until the funeral service is performed.
If you decide to move out of the area, the policy can be easily transferred to another participating funeral home.

We have been using these insurance programs since 1987 and we have never had to ask a family for additional money to cover any unmet expenses. In most cases we end up refunding money to the named beneficiary. Unfortunately, burial accounts in local banks cannot keep up with the rising cost of funerals. They simply don't earn enough money and can't offer the protection necessary to guarantee against inflation. When a family insists on using the local bank, we cannot guarantee the services and merchandise selected.

For additional information visit our Advanced Planning section.