There are many questions often asked in reference Prearrangement
The following are some Frequently Asked Questions:

What is prearrangement?   
What is the benefit of prearranging my funeral now?
How do I go about making funeral pre-arrangements?
What is Preneed Insurance?
Who is the beneficiary of my prearrangement?
What if something happens before my insurance is in force?
Why should I prepay when I make my prearrangements?
How do I know my payment will be secure?
What if I want to cancel my prearrangement?
If I make prearrangements in a different city or another funeral home, can I transfer my pre-arrangements to Crawshaw Funeral Home?
What payment plans are available for Preneed?
What are the financial benefits to making prearrangements?
INSURABILITY FACTORS
FULLY INSURED BENEFIT (FIB)
GRADED BENEFIT PLAN (GB)
MONTHLY INCREASING BENEFIT (MIB)
FAMILY PROTECTION BENEFIT

What is prearrangement?
Prearrangement is the process of arranging and funding a funeral before the need actually arises. All of the aspects relating to a funeral are discussed and planned just as if a death had occurred. The type of service, the casket and outer burial container, even the information for an obituary will be recorded and kept at the funeral home.

However, all of the decisions are being made without the element of grief being present to cloud and affect those decisions. When a death occurs, even the simplest decisions become difficult. By prearranging, a troublesome time is made easier.

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What is the benefit of prearranging my funeral now? 
By making funeral arrangements yourself, not only are you relieving the burden that your loved ones will face upon your death, but you have the assurance that your wishes will be documented and carried out as you have chosen.

How do I go about making funeral pre-arrangements?
The process is uncomplicated and makes great sense. Simply contact us to arrange a mutually convenient time to meet. The appointment can be scheduled for any weekday, evening, or weekend, and will usually take about an hour of your time. We will take you through the process in stages; you will have the comfort of knowing that your personal wishes will be fulfilled and that unnecessary difficulties can be avoided.
First we put together the information for the death certificate and the obituary. The next step is to decide the type of service you want to arrange. Many options are available and we will tailor the service to your specific needs. You choose the type and cost of service you want, right down to the smallest detail. You're assured that your funeral will be consistent with your individual standards and lifestyle. We encourage you to discuss your thoughts and preferences with your family, and to take into consideration their feelings about your choices. After all, the funeral is very much about providing an outlet for grief of those you leave behind.
Once we arrange all of the service details, the next step is to select a casket and an outer burial container. While this may seem like a difficult thing to do, we will explain the caskets and outer burial containers completely. As you are deciding, we will keep you informed of the expenses associated with your choices.  We will do our best to make the process as easy as possible.

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What is Preneed Insurance? 
Preneed Insurance is basically the funding vehicle that is used by the funeral home you choose when prearranging your funeral. By funding your arrangements, you can be assured that your funds and funeral selections are safe and secure.

Who is the beneficiary of my prearrangement?

Crawshaw Funeral Home is the beneficiary but only to the extent of current day costs of the service, casket and outer burial container. Any remaining funds are returned to the deceased's family.
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  What if something happens before my insurance is in force?
Your family is only responsible for the remaining balance on the service, casket and outer burial container at the frozen price not the current day price. They would also be responsible for any cash advances that exceed the balance of the cash fund.

  Why should I prepay when I make my prearrangements?  
  You will save money by ensuring that the services and products you have selected will be provided at the time of your death. Pre-funding   also eliminates the situation of causing your family to have to pay extra at the time of your death.
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 How do I know my payment will be secure?
Illinois laws provide strict regulations on the handling of pre-paid funeral funds. All funeral establishments must deposit pre-payments into a funeral trust account with a state-regulated financial institution or use the funds to purchase a pre-need insurance policy, the proceeds of which can only be paid to the funeral home upon proof of death and satisfactory completion of the contracted services. You will receive copies of the pre-need contract and an itemization of funeral goods and services selected.
 

What if I want to cancel my prearrangement? 
 While we don't recommend it, you can cancel at any time. You are the owner of your prearrangement. If you want to cancel, we will refund any and all money you paid into the prearrangement.

If I make prearrangements in a different city or another funeral home, can I transfer my pre-arrangements to Crawshaw Funeral Home? 
Yes, you retain the ownership right to change the named funeral home and also to designate a different beneficiary should you wish to do so in the future.

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What payment plans are available for Preneed?  
Although single payments eliminate any further consideration on your part, payment plans over three years, five years, and ten years that are available in monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual increments. You may also choose to have monthly withdrawals made automatically from your checking account.

What are the financial benefits to making prearrangements?

Most people prearrange to relieve their survivors from the financial burden of arranging a funeral. The costs for the service, casket and outer burial container are frozen at today's prices. With prearrangement, the savings are realized in the future, when prices are going to be higher. Take a look at a comparison of costs over the last ten years using the same services, casket and vault.

As you can see, there has been a considerable increase in the same service over ten years. By prearranging, your family would have saved over $1600.

However, there are some costs involved with a funeral service that we cannot freeze. We call these items "cash advance" items. They can include such things as obituary notices, certified copies of the death certificate, sales tax and cemetery expenses. Funds can be set aside in what we call the "cash fund" to help offset these expenses. We cannot freeze cash advances because the funeral home does not determine them. At the time of need, if the current cash advances are more than the estimated amount then the survivors are responsible for the balance. If the current cash advances are less than the estimated amount, we return the excess to the family.

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   INSURABILITY FACTORS

We have several different type of insurance plans available based on your age, health conditions and payment plan desired. Because of all of the different options available, we encourage you to make an appointment with one of our funeral directors to discuss and learn more about our prearrangement program. The different options that we offer are:

FULLY INSURED BENEFIT (FIB)

This plan is for the individual whose health is good. With a full insured benefit you are covered by an insurance policy immediately. You can either pay the policy in full or make premium payments. Should something happen to you before all of the premium payments have been made, the insurance policy would be there to cover the services and merchandise in full. Your family would not have to complete the payment schedule. Your age will determine which plan you would qualify for. The plans available are:

·                12 Months (up to 85 years old) (SAME AS CASH)

·                18 Months (up to 85 years old)

·                3 Years (up to 95 years old)

·                5 Years (up to 85 years old)

·                7 Years (up to 80 years old)

·                10 Years (up to 75 years old)

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GRADED BENEFIT PLAN (GB)

This plan option is designed for the individual who is not in good health. With a graded benefit plan the insurance policy is only in force after two years. Should something happen to you in the first two years, your family would be responsible for the remaining balance at the frozen price, not the current price. Again, your age will determine which plan you would qualify for. The plans available are:

·                3 Years (up to 95 years old)

·                5 Years (up to 95 years old)

·                10 Years (up to 85 years old)

   MONTHLY INCREASING BENEFIT (MIB)

Non-Insured Benefit

This plan option is designed for the individual that does not want insurance protection or is on a limited financial budget. Should something happen to you before the payment schedule has been completed, your family would be responsible for the remaining balance at the frozen price. Your age will again determine which option you would qualify for. The options available are:

·                18 Months: (up to 90 years old)

·                3 Years (up to 85 years old)

·                5 Years (up to 80 years old)

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   FAMILY PROTECTION BENEFIT

Nothing is harder to accept or understand than the death of a child. An additional advantage that our program offers is the Family Protection Rider. Dependent children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren under the age of 21 are given the same coverage as the insured, during the insured's lifetime, at no additional expense. The only requirement is that the dependent child was healthy at the time of their birth. We never want to use this portion of the prearrangement, but if the unthinkable does happen, this benefit can be like a light at the end of the tunnel.

Pre-arranging and pre-paying your funeral is a simple and secure way to provide for an inevitable family expense. It is a valuable and protected investment, and is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give your family. To discuss funeral pre-arrangements for yourself or a loved one, please contact Crawshaw Funeral Home by email or call us at any time at 618-684-2131.

“Celebration of a life should be as individual as the person it honors”

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©Crawshaw Funeral Home2008