I came because of the reputation, but was disappointed. My education was alright, partly rushed. When it was time for clinicals, some funeral homes wouldn't.
Illustration by Paul Moser/photograph by Getty Images
Funerals can be expensive — especially if you pay twice.
The average price of a burial with vault is about $8,000, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. But Josh Slocum, executive director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance and coauthor of Final Rights: Reclaiming the American Way of Death, doesn't recommend purchasing a prepaid funeral plan: 'Some prepaid plans can actually cost you more in payments over time than the amount they'll pay out on your funeral,' he says. Instead, set up a 'payable upon death' bank account. It will earn interest, be available for an emergency, and still provide financial support to your family when you pass away.
Most important: Talk to your spouse and children about funeral plans. 'Avoiding the topic won't stave off death,' he says, 'but it will make the funeral more difficult, and likely more expensive, for survivors.'
Ron Burley is the author of Unscrewed: The Consumer's Guide to Getting What You Paid For.
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