Help your family make the right funeral choices

Media Release: April 16 2014
Help your family make the right funeral choices

Rising funeral costs can mean families are unable to provide the send-off they’d like for their loved ones.

As a result, families face fewer choices and can be forced into arranging the funeral based on financial constraints rather than their preferred send-off.

Costs for a burial plot, digging, funeral director fees and catering are usually many thousands of dollars with the average funeral costing about $8,500.

“Planning our own funeral is not something that comes naturally to most of us,” says AA Life General Manager Keith Meyrick.

“Funeral arrangements are often left to those who are left behind who are also dealing with grief and operating under significant stress.”

Mr Meyrick says some families are unable to easily cope with the costs of providing the funeral they’d like and choose less costly options like cremation.

“Cremation is a good choice if everyone is on board with it and about 70% of people make this choice,” Mr Meyrick says.

“But this isn’t the best option for everyone.

“There are still the funeral director fees and other costs that might include a venue and catering for potentially hundreds of mourners.”

Those who choose burial face additional costs including a burial plot – sometimes many thousands of dollars.

“All of this is added pressure at what is usually a very sad time for those left behind.”

Mr Meyrick says AA Life has launched a funeral planner on its new website that helps people assess the likely costs of the type of funeral they would like and the cost of taking out AA Life Funeral Cover to ensure it is taken care of.

“The funeral planner also provides people with the opportunity to discuss their funeral with their family so everyone is on the same page and the decisions are made together over time rather than during a stressful and sad time.”

For more information and to use the funeral planner go to www.aalife.co.nz.

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