Advance Planning Benefits

Advance Planning Benefits

The Benefits of Planning in Advance

Advance Planning may be the single most compassionate thing that you can do for your family. Taking the time before illness and prior to death to discuss funeral arrangements and have the information recorded is immensely valuable for you, your family and friends.

Although it may be difficult for some to participate, taking the time to discuss funeral arrangements with those who are most important to you is vital. By doing so, you have removed the doubt and uncertainty many survivor’s feel while they are charged with the important decision making that is required at the time of death. This discussion allows for consensus or perhaps compromise so that those who remain may emotionally benefit from the funeral services. Please consider that the funeral may be about the person who has died but it is for those who remain.

There are financial benefits to advance planning as well. It is not absolutely necessary to fund the arrangements in advance but if the means and resources are available it is most beneficial.

Guarantee of Funding - once the arrangements have been paid and invested, Carruthers & Davidson guarantees that the total funds held in the third party investment will provide for the services selected at the time of the death of the beneficiary. Therefore, your investment is protected against inflationary trends.

Taxable Benefits - current tax laws make your funeral investment a tax shelter. The investment will grow tax free. The interest accumulates and you are not required to claim that growth as income. You will not be issued an annual T-5 summary. The current limits are up to $15,000.00 for funeral expenses and $20,000.00 for cemetery expenses. When the funds are required and the principal and interest are applied to the funeral agreement, there will not be any tax payable. Only if there are excess funds returned to the estate will the returned accumulated income become taxable. This deferral may be viewed beneficially as income is generally lessened in the last year of life.

Protection of Investment - your investment is protected a number of ways. It is invested with a third party and remains your property. The funeral home is simply the beneficiary of the investment. Therefore, Carruthers & Davidson has no access to the funds until the death occurs. Similarly, as the funds are invested in the beneficiary’s name, the creditors of Carruthers & Davidson have no access to the funds. The funds are protected by Federal Deposit Insurance and as a last resort, if the funds were removed from the investment fraudulently, the provincial Board of Funeral Services has a multi-million dollar compensation fund that would refund the purchaser.

The knowledge that the major decisions have been made, the funding is in place and your family is aware and comfortable with the future decisions is the peace of mind that advance planning provides.

Contact Us to receive a Free Advance Planning Guide and further information that will be of interest to you.
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