As funeral costs have risen over the decades, families have responded by preplanning and prepaying those expenses ahead of time. This approach is also available for cremation services, which can also be paid well in advance.

There are several benefits of prepaying for cremation services, which we’ll address in a bit. But first, it’s worth pointing out how easy it is to preplan and pay for cremation.

Although preplanning disposition was originally done for funerals, the practice may be a better fit for direct cremation services. Funeral costs have gone up dramatically in recent years, and preplanning funeral expenses can be impractical for many families, given the cost. Also, a funeral home is involved when preplanning funeral arrangements, and this means an in-person meeting with the funeral home staff. With family members spread out more than ever, committing to a particular location can be complicated.

These complications don’t exist with direct cremation, so it’s even simpler to preplan cremation than it is to preplan a funeral.



Direct cremation services are sold on their simplicity and low disposition fees. When prepaying for direct cremation, clients usually have a single plan to pick from. There are no agonizing plan comparisons to make or second guess. Just a single, low-cost plan that can be funded in-person, over the phone, or online. If additional goods or services are desired, they can be included in any preplanning. Funding a direct cremation plan comes with everything needed for disposition. No additional fees are passed on to surviving family members.

Preplanning a direct cremation service is simple, but simplicity isn’t the only reason. Here are four more benefits that come with cremation preplanning:

• No financial burden on loved ones – The primary reason for preplanning cremation is to eliminate any cost-related burdens on family members. And while direct cremation is only 15-20 percent of what a funeral and burial costs, preplanning still takes care of everything.

And in this case, everything includes retrieving the decedent’s remains from the place of death, transporting the remains to a mortuary for refrigeration, filing all necessary paperwork, obtaining approval from the state, transporting the decedent, overseeing cremation, and retrieving the cremains for the family. An alternative container and basic urn are provided with direct cremation services, as well.

With preplanning, all of the above are paid for and available as soon as death does occur. Family members only need to contact the direct cremation service and request their prepaid services.

• No difficult decisions left for loved ones, either – Aside from the price tag, traditional funeral arrangements are notoriously stressful to organize. There’s precious little time to finalize arrangements and contact family members in the process. With so many decisions to make and so little time, rushed families may pay more than they should when getting everything arranged. Last-minute hotel stays and plane tickets can do that.

By preplanning direct cremation, there’s no need to rush. Whether the family is present or not, cremation can be carried out. And, of course, with cremation, a proper memorial can wait until everyone is available. Even if loved ones live several states over, they can still access their loved one’s cremains and keep them until family can gather.

• Ensures your final wishes are carried out – When we pass away, it’s a time for family members to grieve and remember. As such, our final disposition may be the last opportunity for family to gather and celebrate our lives. It’s like a last impression, and just like with a first impression, we want it to go just right.

Preplanning cremation gives people full control over how their remains are handled, and how to guide post-death arrangements. By preplanning cremation, you’re making your final preferences clear, so they’re much more likely to be carried out to your specifications.

• Ultimate peace of mind – Death is an uncomfortable subject, but the ability to plan our own final arrangements is a great privilege – a privilege that people throughout history haven’t always had.

Death is inevitable, as is arranging your final disposition. There’s no avoiding the fact that someone will have to make a disposition decision for you – but by preplanning, you get to make that decision and rest easy that it’s been made.

Direct cremation is sold as the transparent, easy-to-arrange form of disposition, and families can easily customize their plans with additional items or services, including:

• Urns, including burial, decorative and “green” urns
• Caskets, to replace the alternative containers during cremation
• Rush or expedited cremation services, for faster response time
• Storage or delivery of cremated remains
• Shipping of cremated remains



With the above customization options, clients can choose their own urn or casket – and prepay for it. Families can also access their loved ones’ cremains, no matter where they lived or passed away. Ashes can even be divided among family members, so everyone can honor their loved one as they see fit.

Preplanning disposition has been an option for decades, and one that families have needed to deal with rising funeral costs. It’s also an option for direct cremation, even if direct cremation costs are much lower than other forms of disposition.

But even if direct cremation is the cost-effective option, there are still good reasons to prepay it down. The last thing anyone wants is to leave their loved ones in financial distress – or any disposition-related stress at all. By preplanning and prepaying for direct cremation, your loved ones can focus on handling their grief, rather than worrying about what to do and how to pay for it.