When you are engaged in the process of estate planning there are a lot of things to take into consideration, and sometimes there are issues that can wind up “hiding in plain sight” as it were. The matter of your final arrangements is one of these, and if you don’t address it before you pass away it will be left in the hands of your loved ones.

During a time of grief the last thing that you need is to run around town in a pair of dark glasses trying to suppress your emotions as you work through the details of a burial or cremation with a funeral director. In addition, this thankless task can be compounded when different family members have different ideas about how to proceed.

Aside from the stress that you place on your loved ones when you don’t plan your funeral in advance there are also financial considerations. You may be aware of funeral benefits that are available to you that your family members are not aware of, perhaps through veterans benefits, a private insurance policy, or through some professional affiliation.

In addition, there is the matter of the specific choices that must be made that have financial ramifications. It is a lot easier for you to decide that you don’t need the most expensive casket imaginable than it is for a loved one who is placed in a position to have to make such a decision.

Investing a little time into making funeral arrangements before you pass away takes this difficult matter out of the hands of your loved ones. In addition you are taking complete control of your affairs all the way through, and many people would agree that this is the most responsible course of action.