5 Benefits of Attending a Funeral Pre-planning Seminar
At some point in our lives, many of us have spent months—even years—planning for a significant event, such as a wedding, the arrival of a new child or buying a home. Yet many of us don’t make end-of-life arrangements ahead of time.
It isn’t easy to think about your passing, but doing so now can give you and your loved ones peace of mind later. Advance funeral planning can help relieve friends and family from needing to make major decisions for their loved one while they’re also grieving their loss. A free planning seminar is an opportunity to learn more about prepaid funeral plans and how you can plan for yourself or someone you love.
Why attend a pre-planning seminar
During a funeral pre-planning seminar, a licensed, trained and experienced Dignity Memorial® advisor will help you understand how making plans can help you and your loved ones in the future and explain how we support families through the pre-planning process and beyond.
Here are some of the key reasons to attend a seminar.
Learn about The Dignity Difference
With more than 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers serve more than 375,000 families each year. That’s more than any other company in North America. In addition to providing personalized funerals, memorials and celebrations, we also offer many meaningful services that set us apart.
When you choose to plan with us, you’re choosing a 100% Service Guarantee, lifetime flexibility to add to your plan and the assurance that your plan will move with you if you relocate more than 75 miles from where you originally planned.
With purchase protection and coverage for your unmarried children or grandchildren up to age 21, you’ll help prepare your family for the unexpected. Our 24-hour Compassion Helpline® (services provided by Charles Nechtem Associates) offers families unlimited complimentary phone access to professional grief counselors for 13 months after a service.
It's all part of The Dignity Difference.
Start building a relationship with a planning advisor
At a funeral pre-planning seminar, you'll get to meet a planning advisor. If you choose to move forward with creating a plan, the advisor will get to know you and your family and help you personalize a plan to your needs and wishes. This professional will help you make informed decisions and ensure your family has the resources they need to fulfill your wishes.
If you choose not to plan right away, you have the assurance of knowing you've already made a connection with someone who can help you when you are ready. An advisor will always be available to answer your questions and guide you every step of the process, no matter when you decide to plan.
Learn about funeral, cremation and cemetery options
There are many end-of-life options, from a traditional funeral with a cemetery burial to a cremation with a scattering and a celebration of life. And many veterans are entitled to recognition or service benefit options from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. During a planning seminar, you'll learn about your options so you can begin thinking about how you want to be remembered.
Discover the benefits of making plans in advance
A prepaid funeral plan is a truly thoughtful gift to your loved ones.
By deciding what you want and documenting your wishes, you save your loved ones the burden of having to make decisions for you when they're overwhelmed with grief. When you plan ahead, you get to decide every detail, from the type of service you want, right down to what flowers, music and readings you'd like.
A prepaid funeral plan also reduces or eliminates costs for your family. When you fund your plan ahead of time, you lessen what can otherwise be an unexpected financial burden.
Learn about financing options
If you don't have a prepaid plan in place, your family will be responsible for your funeral, cremation and cemetery arrangements when you pass away. Besides paying with cash on hand, there are just a few ways to pay these expenses: a prepaid funeral plan, life insurance, veterans benefits, or a last-resort option (like crowdfunding or a credit card) at the time of need.
What to expect after your pre-planning seminar
After the funeral pre-planning seminar, an advisor will give you our Personal Planning Guide to take home. This comprehensive guide gives you a place to write down your thoughts. It lists the important considerations for creating a detailed plan your loved ones can rely on when the time comes and details the documents you'll need to gather for them.
If you're a veteran, you'll also get our veterans guide, which includes instructions on how to apply for benefits and all the forms you need to do so.
Before you leave the seminar, you will have the opportunity to schedule a one-on-one meeting with a planning advisor at a future date, after you've had time to think about what you learned at the seminar and maybe discuss with your closest loved ones.
How to sign up for a pre-planning seminar
You can learn about upcoming seminars online or call a Dignity Memorial location near you. If you're a veteran living within a Dignity Memorial service area, you may get a mailer inviting you to the next funeral planning seminar.
In-person seminars take place throughout the year in cities throughout North America. If you don't find one convenient to you, our free on-demand online seminar is available anytime.