The Following is a Summary of Considerations When Choosing a Funeral Home

1. Consult Your Family & Decide on a Budget

Shopping for a funeral should be like making any major purchase—you know what you want and what you can afford before you start shopping. Before making funeral arrangements, consult your family to set a budget. Consider preferences, any written instructions, and prepayment arrangements. Collect relevant documents for informed decision-making.

2. Learn About Your Funeral Rights

Next, review your rights as a funeral consumer. The Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule affirms your right to:

• Get price information over the phone
• Recieve a written, itemized price list when you vist
• Buy only the goods and services you want
• Choose not to have embalming
• Use an alternative container instead of a casket for cremation
• Provide the funeral home with a casket or urn bought elsewhere without incurring additional fees
• Receive a written statement after you decide what you want, but before you pay

3. Weigh Your Priorities

Evaluate your priorities:

• Location
• Price
• Past satisfaction with a funeral home
• Religious or Cultural Requirements
• Facility Needs

Balance factors like saving money vs convenience.

4. Choose the Type of Arrangement

Consider various options such as donating to medical research, direct cremation, direct burial, home funeral service, green burial, or traditional burial. Clearly document your preferences, a key factor in selecting an affordable funeral home. Write down your wishes and include detail.

The arrangement choice is the biggest factor in helping you determine the best, and most reasonably-priced, funeral home for your needs.

5. Get A List and Compare Prices

Check local Funeral Consumers Alliance for price surveys or research online and in the phone book. Contact several funeral homes for price quotes on your chosen arrangement. Compare costs to find the most affordable option.

6. Narrow Down Your Choices

Research further by visiting funeral homes’ websites, seeking recommendations from friends, reading online reviews, and checking for complaints. Focus on two or three promising choices aligned with your priorities.

7. Visit Several Funeral Homes

Schedule visits to the chosen funeral homes with a list of questions. Review the General Price List, assess facilities, and gauge the professionalism and sensitivity of the funeral director. Select a provider that makes you feel comfortable.

8. Get Quotes

Discuss your arrangement choices at each funeral home and request itemized statements. Compare these statements at home, involving your family in the decision-making process.

9. Make A Decision

Based on thorough evaluations, choose the funeral home that best meets your criteria. If the funeral is imminent, initiate arrangements, but avoid signing contracts beyond your means. But remember, never sign a contract for more than you or your family can afford to pay!

Put Your Wishes in Writing

Inform your loved ones of your decisions, document specific instructions, and share copies with family, friends, a lawyer, or spiritual advisor. Avoid relying solely on a Will or safe deposit box for these instructions.