The global Corona virus epidemic has helped a lot of people to pause and assess life. One of the overlooked issues of life is ironically death. With or without COVID-19, death is inevitable at some point in time. Whether you have made a positive step by taking a funeral policy or you are contemplating taking one, there is something you should know.
Not all funeral policies are created equal.
We are going to look at two most common funeral policies; a funeral cash plan and a funeral service plan. A funeral cash plan offers you cash pay-out in the event of death and the funeral service plan offers you services in exchange for your monthly paid premiums. These services may be in the form of buses to ferry mourners, caskets or food.
Funeral and death scenarios every person has to think about.
Before we look at the benefits of a cash funeral plan over a service plan, let’s create scenarios which may happen.
(i) One which is happening now – the Corona virus epidemic. Flights are grounded, boarders are closed, no gatherings of more than a few people and burial methods may be dictated depending on cause of death. What use is a service plan which offers a bus to hundreds of people or a casket or repatriation service?
(ii) You relocate from one diaspora country to another. The service relevant in one territory becomes obsolete.
(iii) You suffer an accident or natural catastrophe (flight, tsunami/ earthquake) and your body is nowhere to be found. What purpose will be a casket?
(iv) What if you decide to change burial method, say you decide cremation instead of burial?
1. No Risk of irrelevant services being offered
When you initially sign up for a funeral plan, the sales pitch is always out of this world. You assume that you’ll get a royalty send off, which is almost always the case. However, there are some services that might lure you to a sign up for the plan which may be meaningful at the time of signing up but not so much for when you die. Take for example the bus service offered by most funeral service providers.
They may offer you an unlimited supply of buses to ferry your loved ones to your final resting place at the time of your death. While it may seem like a wonderful idea at the time, think about how that very same service will be of very little or no good use should you die at a time like now when there may be a pandemic which restricts gatherings of a large number of people. You would have paid for the service, but sadly, you may not get to use it. Same goes for some of the other cherries on top of service based funeral plans which we may think we will need while we are alive but when we die, the services are even overlooked. With a Cash plan, you are guaranteed that you are free to alter and apportion its use to suit the prevailing circumstance.
2. Cash is Non- Territorial- It’s a universal tool of trade.
A cash plan goes beyond borders. No matter where you signed up for the cash plan, you are not tied down to be buried in that exact same place. This is unlike a Service plan where you may need to be in the country of membership for you to enjoy the services that you paid for. Because of this, the Diaspora Insurance cash plan gives you the comfort of knowing that while you are signed up for it in the UK, you are not tied down to being buried here. You may be taken home to rest in perfect peace wherever in the world you are eligible to do so because you can afford it.
3. It goes beyond your death.
Ensuring that you have a decent burial and send off may be one of the most important reasons why people sign up for Funeral Plans. However, it is not the only reason why you should. With a Cash plan, your loved ones can be rest assured that even after your death, they can still have a little cash in hand to pay for bills, fees or any other obligations that may arise. It’s essential to remember that there is also life after death and unlike a Funeral Service plan which mainly offers assistance and services during the funeral, the Cash plan provides an option for your cash pay out to be used even after your burial by your loved ones as they see fit.
4. What you see is exactly what you get, or even more.
How frustrating is it to be unable to give your loved one the best send off because the coffins within their service package are not up to standard with your desires. In most cases upgrading will cost an arm and a leg which most of our remaining relatives won’t have the capacity to foot at the time of your death. A Cash plan provides you with the choice to apportion your cash pay-out where it is needed the most and sometimes it may be contributing towards the purchase of the lavish coffin you kept telling them about prior to your untimely death. Your pay-out is exactly as described in your on-boarding forms hence your loved ones are better positioned to plan ahead and make choices and decisions that work out for you best.
5. Your Voice Matters- You are a part of this too
With a Cash Plan your priorities matter and your family’s freedom to decide on how certain services are to be delivered is not restricted at all. With a Cash pay-out, you choose the types of caterers you want, the flower arrangement company you prefer because you have the power of currency in hand. This is something that warms the hearts of many families as they feel involved in the last moments of your time on earth.
Conclusion
In good times and in uncertain times like in these COVID-19 times, it may be in your best interests to opt for a funeral cash plan instead of a funeral service plan.
DiasporaInsurance.com are providers of the bespoke Diaspora Funeral Cash Plan, a leading global funeral cash plan which was designed with the diaspora community in mind. As a global villager, you need a policy that ensures stability in the ever-changing world, where you suddenly have to adjust to various societal norms previously regarded rare.
To move your funeral service plan from your current provider or to request a quote for the Diaspora Funeral Cash Plan, visit www.diasporafuneralcashplan.com/register
Benefits of a Funeral Cash Plan vs. A Funeral Service Plan.