Preparing for funeral costs can help loved ones when you’re not around

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - The old adage is true, two things are certain in life: death and taxes. Although we may not want to, it’s really important to think about planning for funeral costs.

Think of it like you are trying to provide your loved ones a road map for when you are not around.

Soon after a death, people are vulnerable and can easily be talked into expensive options. And funeral and burial costs are typically costly.

Michael Joyce with the Richmond financial firm Agili says one of the things he often tells people to do is write up a letter of instruction that would go with some of your estate documents.

“Because you can put anything you want in these letters of instructions,” said Joyce. “And this could be one of the pieces of it: how you would want things done.”

Joyce says you don’t need to be terminally ill to do this type of planning. He says you can do it when you’re quite healthy and young. But little steps like this could make it easier for the family left behind, even if you have decades or a half a century left to live.

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