There are many advantages to pre-arranging a funeral. One of the greatest advantages is help in dealing with State and Medical Assistance. It is something none of us like to think about, but, more and more people every day are entering nursing homes. How many of us know what could happen if we must enter a nursing home? The state is capable of depleting all of our assets from our savings accounts, stocks and bonds. The state can also redeem our insurance policies. This does not seem fair, does it? One thing is for sure – death does occur. Because of this, the state does allow us to set up the “Irrevocable Burial Reserve Account” or what is otherwise known as a “Pre-Arranged Funeral.” This is an account that is set up under the individual’s social security number, and, no one is able to access this account, not even the state. The only time this money can be accessed is when death occurs and a certified copy of the Death Certificate is produced by the funeral home of your choice, assuring that your funeral is paid for. Another advantage of the account, when properly set up, is that it freezes the cost of the funeral. It is important to note of the new guideline established by SSI in January of this year that states in order for this account to be recognized by SSI it MUST be established through a funeral home. These are only a few of the many advantages of a pre-arranged funeral. We would be happy to discuss them with you.