The use of funeral celebrants is growing, and you and your clients need to know about them. Why? According to a 2015 study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, 56 million Americans have no religious affiliation, making “nones” the second largest religious group after evangelicals. And their numbers are growing. Americans who choose “none” as their religious affiliation have few rituals to guide them when a death occurs. Many don’t know what to do for a funeral or … [Read more...] about Funeral Celebrants: What Are They and Why Use Them?
Estate Planning and Funerals of the Future
Recent research indicates Baby Boomer women are arranging 76% of funerals. Are your female clients ready to tackle the tasks associated with making funeral plans and handling estate follow-up tasks after a death? At the recent International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) convention, Brad Rex, President and CEO of Foundation Partners Group (FPG), outlined a bold new vision for the funerals of the future. The Orlando-based organization currently owns 39 funeral homes and six … [Read more...] about Estate Planning and Funerals of the Future
Encouraging Succession Planning with Movies
When a family business is part of an estate, succession planning is vital. Who’s going to run the business after the founder(s) pass on? The kids may not have the financial temperament or business skills to step into Mom or Dad’s hard-to-fill shoes. Personalities play a big part in the success or failure of business succession. How do you talk about this topic with your clients? You can get a little help from Hollywood in starting the succession planning conversation. Here are some films and … [Read more...] about Encouraging Succession Planning with Movies
Fun Funeral Facts
In the course of estate planning with your clients, you may be called upon to answer a few questions about funerals and death care. Why not share your knowledge of these “fun funeral facts” at the next soiree you attend? Casket Versus Coffin A casket is a rectangular box with a lid. A coffin is a six-sided box, wider at the shoulders and narrower at the feet. Caskets are more commonly used in the United States than coffins. Cremation – How does it work? Cremation reduces a body to brittle … [Read more...] about Fun Funeral Facts
Benjamin Franklin’s Words of Wisdom on Life and Death
Benjamin Franklin is well known for his quote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Franklin wrote and spoke many witty sayings relating to mortality issues, some humorous, some serious. His many roles in life, besides being one of the U.S. Founding Fathers, an inventor and scientist, included newspaper editor, printer, and book publisher. In 1728, aged 22, Franklin wrote what he hoped would be his own epitaph: The Body of B. Franklin Printer; Like the … [Read more...] about Benjamin Franklin’s Words of Wisdom on Life and Death
How to Prevent After-Death ID Theft
Twenty-five percent of the identities stolen every year are taken from the deceased. A family grieving the death of a loved one doesn’t need the headaches of identity theft on top of heartache over the loss. The identities of the dead are easier to steal and abuse than those of the living – after all, they can’t fight back. But there are ways to minimize information exposure to help let the dead, and their financials, rest in peace. Here are six tips for avoiding after-death ID theft. Alert … [Read more...] about How to Prevent After-Death ID Theft
Create a Great Funeral Day – It’s a Group Activity
Halloween, also known as All Hallows’ Eve, precedes the yearly celebration on November 1 of All Hallows’ (or Saints’) Day. Appropriately, Create a Great Funeral Day (CAGFD) falls on October 30, the day before Halloween. Unfortunately, maybe 25-30% of adults do any end-of-life planning – wills, funerals or advance medical directives. It’s a recipe for emotional and financial disaster. Long before Death Cafes and Death Over Dinner events swept the nation, Chase’s Calendar of Events listed Create … [Read more...] about Create a Great Funeral Day – It’s a Group Activity
Denial of Death Influences Estate Planning
Why is it so hard to get folks to do estate planning? The tendency to put off this important part of life can be attributed to the Terror Management Theory proposed by Dr. Ernest Becker in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Denial of Death. Dr. Becker’s landmark treatise on cultural anthropology and social science looks at how the unconscious denial of mortality profoundly influences human behavior. Becker said, “To live fully is to live with an awareness of the rumble of terror that … [Read more...] about Denial of Death Influences Estate Planning
Estate Planning, Hollywood Style
Hollywood movies, especially comedies, help reduce people’s resistance to considering end-of-life topics such as estate planning, advance health care directives and funeral planning. Recently, I presented this collection of film clips about wills to a group of estate planning professionals. Estate planning attorneys may find these film clips helpful for prompting clients to make or revisit their wills. Eulogy This black comedy follows three generations of a family who come together for the … [Read more...] about Estate Planning, Hollywood Style
A Funeral for a King or Queen
The 2006 film The Queen, starring Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II, brilliantly illustrates the complications of funeral planning for a notable person. Estate planning clients may not be royalty, but perhaps you treat them like kings and queens. Clients need to consider the implications of not creating their funeral plans. Issues can include how to handle the death of an ex-spouse and conflict over holding a private family affair versus the community’s need to mourn. After Diana, "The … [Read more...] about A Funeral for a King or Queen
10 Tips for Funeral Planning
Funeral planning probably isn’t high on your clients’ lists of things to do. However, planning ahead has many benefits: reducing stress and family conflict; saving money; and giving the time to create a meaningful, memorable “good goodbye.” These ten tips will help you and your clients get the conversation going with a light touch on a serious subject. 1. Lighten Up and Laugh! Woody Allen, who has always had a visceral fear of death, said in a New York Times column, “I sometimes imagine that … [Read more...] about 10 Tips for Funeral Planning
Five Tips to Avoid Being a Burden on the Kids
A correspondent in a recent Dear Abby column posed a great end-of-life preparation question. He or she was a single person with grown children who wrote, "I want to make sure I am not a burden to them even after death. I have a will and no bills. What else do I need to do?" Dear Abby replied with questions about whether he/she had an advance directive for health care, at least one health care advocate named to carry out those wishes, a cemetery plot selected and paid for and money set aside for … [Read more...] about Five Tips to Avoid Being a Burden on the Kids
