Fosters: how to choose a fitting funeral
Terry Buchan, area manager from Fosters Funeral Directors explains: “A funeral service is an important part of the grieving process and families want to give their loved one ‘a good send-off’.When a person has shared their wishes it helps make an emotionally difficult time that little bit easier for those you leave behind. However, it’s common for there to be a lot of guesswork for next of kin who don’t know preferences for burial or cremation or a favourite song or reading. That’s why we’re encouraging more people to talk about these things.”
Terry continues “For some people the tradition and ritual of a church service is really important as it reflects their religious beliefs. For others a more personalised approach feels like a better fit, for example having a colourful coffin or mourners wearing a specific colour to attend the service. Then there’s those who want a direct cremation with no service with family gathering at a later date to raise a glass to them.”
Funerals have changed over the years with modern and eco-friendly options available to suit individual taste and financial circumstance, which leads us on to the often-overlooked part of funeral planning.
Who is responsible for paying for the funeral?
Another important point to be aware of is that unless an individual has savings or a pre-paid funeral plan, their next of kin will be responsible for the paying the bill.
New regulation within the funeral sector means that every funeral director must clearly display a breakdown of prices and services on their website. Typically, a funeral can cost thousands of pounds, yet families don’t compare prices in the way that they do when making an equally expensive purchase, such as buying a car or booking a holiday.
The Cost Of Dying Report 2021 reveals that 50% of families surveyed had to borrow money to pay for a funeral and 1 in 7 families said the expense caused them notable financial difficulty. Worrying statistics and perhaps even more reason to consider planning ahead.
Benefits of a Pre-Paid Funeral Plan
Popular amongst those aged 50+ pre-paid funeral plans involve recording preferences for your own funeral and paying in either a lump sum or smaller monthly payments.
Clients of Fosters Funeral Directors gave the following reasons for purchasing a funeral plan.
Peace of mind – there’s reassurance in knowing that everything is taken care of
Choice and pricing – Fosters offer a choice of plans to fit individual needs and budgets
Protect against rising costs – by buying a funeral plan today the cost of the essential funeral director services provided by Fosters is locked in at today’s price.
Fosters offer a range of pre-paid funeral plans ranging from Scotland’s Lowest Cost Direct Cremation Plan at £1,195 to a Personalised Funeral Plan from only £17.77 per month. If you’re aged 40 – 75 you are guaranteed to be accepted without any medical or lifestyle questions.
Learn more by calling Fosters on 0141 370 1465 for a brochure, visit www.FostersFuneralDirectors.com/FuneralPlans