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WHY PRE-PLAN?

Many of our major life events: birth of a child, a wedding, a graduation, a first home purchase, the first job, our retirement, our vacations - all involve planning, sometimes major planning.
 
But what about planning for the “end”? Maybe you have questions, maybe we should write something down on paper, maybe it should be a family discussion. Do we know what the details of our loved one's wishes truly are? Cremation vs. traditional burial, interment vs. entombment vs. medical donation. What types of services did Dad want? Did Mom ever say anything to the kids about what she wanted after Dad died last year? Do you know if there are funds set aside to bury Grandma?
 
Often times, families are confronted with these questions.  Life Tributes Funeral Home can assist you in pre-planning, providing ideas and options tailored to the individual and recording those wishes to relieve unnecessary anxiety and grief. By filling out our easy planning guide and recording the information, it acts as a guiding light during the dark hours of grief and loss.

If you take a look at the list on the pre-planning options tab, there are 125 items that potentially need to be done when a death occurs .  By pre-planning, 104 of these items can be decided upon and written down in a planning guide, sparing your loved one the task of having to make important personal and financial decisions during a period of great stress and grief.

We offer unique pre-planning and pre-financing options.  The process of pre-planning can begin using our online form or you can print our Advance Funeral Planning Guide and Information Worksheet and send it to Life Tributes Funeral Home, P.O. Box 152, Spencer, WI 54479.

Pre-planning does not require pre-financing. Our pre-planning services are complimentary and no charges are incurred.
 
Contact us at 715-659-4545 or stop in we would be happy to sit down with you here or at your home.

Pre-Payment Options

Pre-paying your funeral reduces stress and financial burden on your loved ones after your passing.  We can co-ordinate a payment plans that suits your needs, from a single payment plan to monthly bank account withdrawals.  By pre-paying your funeral you eliminate your family second guessing on if they have spent too much or too little on your funeral.  Pre-payment also protects you and your family from inflation, and the growth is non-taxable.  Depending on your region, if your funeral costs less than the amount you have put aside, those funds will be refunded back to your beneficiaries.  For more information on what is applicable in your region, simply speak to your funeral director.  Each year thousands of people decide to pre-plan and pre-pay their funeral, these plans are designed to be flexible and can accommodate the many changes that often occur in people’s lives.

There are several methods available to pre-pay for a funeral:

- A trust can be established at a financial institution of your choice.
- A life insurance policy can be purchased.
- A savings or certificate of deposit account designated as "payable on death" (POD) to the funeral home of your choice.

Funeral Trusts . . .

As part of the pre-planning process you may choose to set up a funeral trust. A trust provides peace of mind and a secure financial option for safeguarding funds. Funeral trusts are shielded from confiscation by Medicaid or a nursing home.
 
Funds for the trust are deposited in a financial institution of your choice. The account earns interest at the current rate, any interest earned is considered income and is taxable in Wisconsin. A 1099 interest statement will be sent out to you by the financial institution at the end of every year.

Transfer of Trusts 
If you currently have a funeral trust or pre-arrangements made at another funeral home and would like to transfer to Life Tributes Funeral Home we can assist you.
 
According to Wisconsin Legislature: 445.125, Funeral Trusts are transferable from funeral home to funeral home. The transferring of the trust is an easy process. Funds that you have invested in a funeral trust are yours and you have the right to designate what funeral home you would like to utilize. When transferring a trust the paperwork needs to be changed to reflect the new beneficiary funeral home without creating any interest penalties. Basically your signature is the only thing required from you.
 
If you have questions regarding the transfer of a trust to Life Tributes Funeral Home please don’t hesitate to call us anytime at 715-659-4545.

What you can do in advance…

The reasons people make pre-arrangements vary; some want their funeral to accurately reflect important things about their life, like military service, life history or religious beliefs, still others want the financial decisions made ahead of time. Whatever the reason, trust Life Tributes Funeral Home and Cremation Service to provide sensible and affordable options. Call for an appointment to meet at our new facility in Spencer or ask about our convenient in-home arrangements to discuss services and options.

The list below contains 125 Things That Must Be Done On the Most Difficult Day of Your Life.  Out of the 125, there are 104 items that can be taken care of before the need arises. 
(Bold items indicate details that can be planned, arranged and /or paid for before the time of need)
   
 A. SECURE VITAL STATISTICS
(REQUIRED FOR DOCUMENTS)
1. Full legal name, complete address, telephone number and email
2. Religious name (if any)
3. Date of birth
4. Place of birth
5. Marital Status
6. Name of spouse (if married)
7. Spouse’s maiden name (if wife)
8. Educational attainment
9. Citizenship (US/Canadian/Mexican)
10. Father's name
11. Father's birthplace
12. Mother’s name and maiden name
13. Mother's birthplace
14. Number and full names and addresses of all children / grandchildren / great grandchildren
15. Social Security number
16. Veteran's Serial/Service number
17. Date & place of service, date of discharge
18. How long at current residence/former residence(s)
19. Occupation, job title, nature of work & employment history
20. Location of work place, telephone number and email
21. Family origin

B. PAY SOME OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING 
22. Estate/Inheritance taxes
23. Funeral expenses
24. Purchase of family burial estate, mausoleum crypt, cremation niche
25. Family burial estate, mausoleum crypt, cremation niche opening and
closing costs
26. Permanent memorialization
27. Monument / Marker engraving
28. Funeral Director
29. Clergy
30. Organist and vocalist
31. Florist
32. Obituary 
33. Clothing 
34. Long distance telephone or wire service 
35. Food 
36. Transportation
37. Doctors
38. Nurses
39. Medical practitioners
40. Ambulance
41. Hospital/Nursing Home
42. Medications & drugs
43. Current & urgent bills (mortgage/rent,
taxes, installment payments, etc.)
 
C. COLLECT DOCUMENTS AND PAPERWORK
44. Will (check will regarding special wishes)
45. Prepare legal papers, certificates and permits
46. Birth Certificate/legal proof of age
47. Citizenship papers
48. Social Security card or number
49. Marriage license
50. Veteran's discharge certificate
51. Submit insurance policies (life, health, accident, property, auto) and
government forms
52. Disability claims
53. Bank books and listing of accounts
54. Other financial accounts
55. Property deeds
56. Cemetery deed or proof of ownership
57. Auto titles or bill of sale
58. Income tax returns, receipts &
cancelled checks

D. DECIDE AND ARRANGE WITHIN
A FEW HOURS
59. Make Cemetery arrangements
60. Secure interment space and get exact location of burial/disposition.
61. Arrange for opening and closing of the grave / mausoleum / niche space
62. Secure endowment care
63. Arrange graveside committal service
64. Secure use of cemetery chapel for committal prayers
65. Decide on embalming and other preparation of deceased
66. Choose restorative art
67. Funeral Home preference
68. Location of funeral service
69. Service type (religious, fraternal, military, etc.)
70. Time and place for visitation and funeral service
71. Arrange for special religious services
72. Provide information for eulogy
73. Select casket (open or closed?)
74. Select outer burial container and/or burial vault
75. Select urn / niche space (if cremation)
76. Provide vital statistics about deceased for newspaper
77. Clothing for deceased
78. Jewelry and glasses for deceased
79. Select cosmetology and hairdressing for deceased
80. Selection of scripture & readings (poems, etc.)
81. Clergy to officiate
82. Marking of grave (either temporary or permanent)
83. Select memorial marker/monument setting and inscription.
84. Select charitable contributions for memorials in memory of deceased
85. Register book, memorial/prayer cards
86. Select pallbearers
87. Floral arrangements and transportation before and after
services
88. Select music
89. Organist / Pianist / Vocalist
90. Arrange for funeral coach
91. Arrange limousine for family and pallbearers
92. Arrange funeral car list for family and guests
93. Clothing for you and minor children
94. Decide who will look after minor children and/or pets
95. House cleaning
96. Extra chairs
97. Transportation for family & guests
98. Reviewing & signing all paperwork (i.e. burial permit)
99. Answering innumerable phone calls, emails, letters and wires
100. Necessary meetings with funeral director, lawyer, clergy, cemetery 
101. Arrange transportation & lodging for out-of-town guests
102. Acknowledging those who help in a special way (contributors of flowers, food, donations, etc.)
103. Decide how many certified copies of death certificate to order
104. Food for family and out of town relatives and guests
105. Items for memento display and/or memorial board
106. Decide on memorial video production, pictures, music, etc.
107. Arrange for writing thank you notes

 E. PLAN TO NOTIFY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE 
108. All family members
109. All relatives
110. All friends
111. Minister and church
112. Funeral Director
113. Pallbearers
114. Cemetery
115. Doctor
116. Employer of deceased
117. Employers of relatives not going to work
118. Organist, musicians, vocalists,
119. Newspapers regarding notices
120. Social Security Administration
121. Veterans Administration
122. Insurance agents
123. Religious, fraternal, civic organizations & unions
124. Attorney, accountant, financial planner & executor of estate
125. Credit card companies