Thankfully we are all living longer and healthier lives, so shouldn’t need to think about funeral costs for a very long time, however, it is advisable to be prepared as unfortunately accidents can happen and the cost of funerals varies hugely depending on where you are in the country and what type of funeral you want to have.
So, some forward planning now means that you can avoid additional distress for your loved ones when you die.
What is the average cost of a funeral in Ireland?
According to An Post, the average cost is €4,062 and this covers the removal and care of the deceased, embalming, removal of the body to the church, the hearse and the funeral directors fee ( including coffin). However, this doesn’t include the music, obituary notice and the cost of the plot or cremation. Cremation costs are approx 600euro and graveyard plot prices vary hugely across the country.
What is the best way to pay for your funeral?
Some people set up plans with funeral homes or an alternative is to pay using a life assurance policy.
Can you include your partner in your funeral insurance policy?
This is absolutely no problem at all. In this instance, you just buy a dual life policy.
How do you use a life policy to pay for your funeral?
Using life insurance to pay for your funeral costs is easy. When you take out a life assurance policy, you will probably want to ensure the amount you’ve taken out will cover your funeral. If you were to take out a level term policy, it's possible that you could die after the policy expires or in the case of a decreasing term policy there’s a chance that the payout wouldn’t be high enough to cover the entire cost of a funeral. You may wish to opt instead for a whole of life policy that pays out whenever you die – regardless if it’s tomorrow or in 50 years time. The premiums which you’d pay for a whole of life policy will be higher than those on term level insurance.
Funeral insurance isn’t something we discuss too often in Ireland as it makes people uncomfortable. However leaving the debt associated with your funeral is also something people don’t want to do, so dealing with it is definitely recommended.
Rob O’Neill – CEO Citywide Financial