Plan your funeral with clear communication and the right trusts

Estate planning may seem intimidating but with the right communication and resources, you have plenty of options to make your wishes known. Handling your affairs ahead of time not only gets your preferences in writing — it helps ease the pressure on your family when they do not have to scramble around for sudden funds for things like your funeral.

Someone pays for the funeral costs, one way or another, even if you opt for something simple like a direct cremation service. Establishing a trust or other account to slowly save up money helps attend to those costs.

Funeral trusts

As Funeralwise.com details, a qualified funeral trust is an arrangement with a funeral home or cemetery to provide services upon your death. The IRS has certain rules around these including:

• The sole reason for this trust is for funeral services
• The trust is with a business to provide funeral services
• You elect to treat the trust specifically as a QFT

Another option is a payable-on-death account — also known as a Totten Trust. POD accounts are another type of trust that you make with your bank. These designate a beneficiary to receive any funds after your death.

Discussions with your family and resources

There are advantages to each option. However, one important detail is that you do not want to specify these in your will. Funeral arrangements and services tend to happen before estate administration begins. Each of these options involves contracts and so it is important to communicate clearly with your family to determine which is best for your unique situation.