Burial Insurance Policies



Burial insurance policies are the last insurance policies that we will ever need. And after it's used, certainly no one is going to argue with the policy holder about it. Young people don't think about them, and old people worry about them when they don't have one. But the policies typically cover many unexpected things associated with a death.



A burial policy is essentially a life insurance policy that pays out when someone dies. It is supposed to pay the expenses related to the funeral, including mortuary expenses, funeral, casket, grave site services, digging the grave and filling it back in, a head stone, hearse, flowers, and what we all yearn for - embalming. Or is it the hearse? Either way, there are a lot of little charges that ad up with a funeral, and these are supposed to all be covered. But deciding on the details, such as a gold lined casket or the old pine box special should not be put off until after ones demise.

Stories have been circulating that the funeral industry currently exploits grieving women in an effort to price gouge for goods and services. One tale describes a quote "if you can get them crying, you can get them buying." On one hand, questioning the funeral salesman about price makes the customer seem cheap when it comes to the life of their loved one. On the other hand, the salesman is presented with a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to sell unnecessary goods and services to the relative. The story is going around that the salespersons are even taught to scan clothing and accessories for clues as to the net worth of the bereaved. Whether this is true or not (and where there is smoke there is usually fire), it would seem that the point is that waiting until after someone has died is the wrong time to start discussing the details of of burial costs; and therein lies the reason for getting insurance in advance.

At the time of departure, there are more questions than answers, and the answers are not provided by those looking out for their own interests. So let's consider some of the questions, now. Do we need a burial or do we need a cremation? For the price of a burial, we get a casket that of course can be upgraded to a water proof chamber for an extra $10, which in our emotional state we will gladly shell out an extra $1000 because that's what the funeral company charges. An urn would be a nice alternative, but they can get more and more expensive, too. Burial or cremation? Either way, you decide.