Funeral Advocates of America

Welcome to Funeral Advocates of America

Funeral Advocates of America is a website dedicated to providing resources and assistance with funeral planning. Here at FAA we know how important it is to have the right people in your corner to ensure that the process of laying a loved one to rest doesn’t add to the painful grieving process. We set out to be a helping hand, in making sure families are educated and equipped when it comes to advance planning tools, at-need funeral home referrals and grief support.

We work with independent funeral homes nationwide who share our core values of compassionate care, affordable funeral costs and superior customer service in dealing with families during the funeral arrangement process.

We humbly thank you for entrusting Funeral Advocates of America and our network of affiliated funeral homes and service providers to serve and assist you and your family with such a delicate matter.

Key Services Offered :

Providing you with Pre-Need/ Burial Insurance.
Personalized resources and tools to assist in simplifying your planning process.
Piece of mind in knowing that your final wishes will be honored and carried out.
The gift of reducing additional stress on your loved ones when you are gone and relieving a financial burden.

125

Team Members

276

Affiliated Funeral Homes

1, 499

Happy Clients

2016

Established

Contact us today for a free consultation. Let us help you, right here, right NOW!

Grief Support

It is very important to seek out Grief Counseling or Support Groups. Let us help you find the right support.

Funeral Home Locator

Compare various funeral home prices from the comfort of your home. Just type in your Zip Code and select the funeral homes whose services and prices fit you best.

Funeral Funding Assistance

Whether you need help paying for a loved one’s funeral, or you are a funeral home looking for a financing option, Lending USA can help.

Make Your Medical Wishes Known

Families with a plan cope better in a crisis. Don’t burden your family with difficult, emotional decisions. Tell them what you want. Funeral Advocates of America has aligned with MyDirectives.com to offer you access to their free, award-winning advance care planning platform. Make your medical wishes known TODAY… available 24/7, anywhere in the world!

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Our Core Services

Pre-Need Funeral Insurance

Pre-need insurance is used to fund a funeral service agreement between you and a funeral home. You decide every element you want included in your funeral service, which includes everything from the casket to flowers to transportation for the family. The funeral home director totals the costs, and that amount is the basis for your Preneed insurance plan. You can either pay the amount in one installment or through monthly premiums. Upon your death, the funds are used to pay the funeral home for your funeral.

The Importance of Pre-Need Insurance

Over time, inflation will likely cause funeral costs to increase, but a funeral contract combined with a Preneed insurance plan can offset inflation for the items and services you include in your policy. Preplanning also allows you time to understand the process and make clear choices that are right for you. Best of all, prearranging everything with a funeral home makes the entire process easier for your family. Your wishes are spelled out clearly, so it eliminates all the guesswork.

Educating You On Your Options

You can decide if you want an in-ground burial or cremation, select a casket or urn, and even arrange for items incidental to the ceremony. Your wishes are spelled out clearly, so it eliminates all the guesswork. Your family will not need to wonder what kind of service you wanted or whether you desired a burial or cremation. Every detail will be outlined in advance, so they won’t be overwhelmed with choices while grieving.

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Question & Answer

Why Should I Plan My Own Funeral Arrangements?

Preplanning your funeral is a thoughtful decision that will help your family through a tough time. It can lift an otherwise large burden off of your loved ones by preventing unnecessary stress and confusion over what you would have wanted. In particular, handling your own funeral arrangements clarifies your wishes so your loved ones can begin coping with your loss. There are also many personal advantages for taking care of your own funeral plans. It gives you direct control over your memorial service, what you would like done with your remains, and how much you want to spend.

How Much Does a Funeral Cost?

The average funeral costs between $7,000 and $12,000. This includes viewing and burial, basic service fees, transporting remains to a funeral home, a casket, embalming, and other preparation. The average cost of a funeral with cremation is $6,000 to $7,000. These costs do not include a cemetery, monument, marker, or other things like flowers.

If left with the burden of paying for your funeral, loved ones can succumb to emotional overspending because they feel overwhelmed and want to give you the celebration they feel you deserve.

To lessen this hardship, you can set money aside in a trust or bank account for your funeral expenses. Just make sure to let your executor know where these funds are located and that they have access to these accounts when the time comes.

Another option is to take care of some of these expenses yourself ahead of time. That way, you have control over how much you want to spend and in what proportions.

There are many costs you will want to think about when budgeting for your funeral, including:

Transportation costs
Casket or urn
Cemetery plot, grave marker/monument, vault, and grave opening and closing
Crematorium or scattering services
Memorial service and flowers
Obituary

Estimating costs for your funeral gives you direct control over the budget and saves your loved ones from overspending once you are gone.

Who Do I Want to Be in Charge of My Arrangements?

Although you may take care of your own funeral planning using an End-of-Life Plan or another similar planning document, you will still need a personal representative to carry out your arrangements—someone to inform loved ones and government officials of your death, and to see to the proper dispersal of your estate.

The person in charge of your estate is referred to as your executor. They are essentially responsible for wrapping up all of your financial accounts, assets, debts, and following the instructions included in your Last Will or End-of-Life Plan.

You may have more than one executor if you prefer. It is important to choose someone trustworthy and who knows you well. Many people find spouses to be the best choice, while others select siblings, children, or close friends to be their executors.

Once you have chosen an executor or appointed co-executors, make sure that they are comfortable with the responsibility. Also, you should keep them informed of your funeral and estate plans and let them know where they can find your estate documents, such as your Last Will and Testament and End-of-Life Plan. Your executor(s) should also be aware of any changes in your funeral or estate plans so they know exactly what to expect and can make decisions in your best interests.

What Do I Want Done with My Remains?

Most people have thought about what they would like done with their body after death, but few verbalize these thoughts to their loved ones, and even fewer plan these arrangements for themselves.

There are several options for your remains after death, including a standard burial, cremation, entombment, or donating your body to scientific research.

Once you establish what you would like done with your remains, consider where you prefer to be placed after death.

Is there a cemetery that has special meaning to you, or a location where previous family members have been interred?

Along with grave location, you may wish to also consider the type of casket, vault, and headstone you prefer, and if you wish to be buried with specific items or dressed in certain attire.

If you choose cremation, there are several ways to dispose of your remains, including:

Storing them in a meaningful place or in a columbarium
Scattering them in a place of your choosing
Burying them
Other non-traditional options for disposing of your remains (e.g. being planted as a tree)

A traditional burial or cremation are the two most common ways to handle your body after death, but there are other options, including entombment or donating your body to scientific research. The option you choose is a personal preference, but may also rely upon your budget, family, or spiritual beliefs.

Individuals can use an End-of-Life Plan to communicate to loved ones how they want to be laid to rest after they pass away. This document allows family and friends to make arrangements without complication, so they can focus on grieving the loss of their loved one.

What Kind of Memorial Service Do I Want?

A memorial service is typically held in a funeral home, community hall, or church to honor the deceased and celebrate their life.

Memorial services come in all shapes and sizes. The type of service you want may depend on your culture, beliefs, budget, and family.

Your service may include one or all of the following:

A wake: family and friends gather to pay tribute to you and share memories in a family member’s home or a hall.
Viewing: family and friends come together to view your body.
Ceremony or funeral: a formal or informal ceremony is held in a place of your choosing (funeral home, church, community hall, outside). This type of service may include prayers, a slideshow, eulogies, music, or a sermon.

When planning your memorial service, consider your friends and family. While this is a celebration of your life, it’s also intended to comfort your loved ones so they can begin grieving. If there are any special traditions, music, or prayers that are dear to you and your family, consider including these in your End-of-Life Plan.

Additionally, if you are preplanning a service, you may also want to specify:

Who will be your pallbearers
If you want specific people informed of your death and/or funeral service
Who will deliver eulogies, or facilitate the service
Where you would like guests to forward their donations

Is My Last Will Up-To-Date?

A Last Will allows you to name beneficiaries to receive your assets, specify guardians for your children or pets, set aside funds for your family, and give gifts to people or charitable organizations after you pass away.

Your Last Will expresses your final wishes to your loved ones and gives your executor clear instructions on how to allocate your estate. It should always reflect your current intentions. Make sure you have discussed it in detail with your executor, including where to find it in the event of your passing, and special instructions if you have them.

If you haven’t already created a Last Will and Testament, it’s recommended you create one as soon as possible to get your estate in order should something happen to you. You may want to hire a lawyer to help you if your estate is large or complicated, or you can easily create your own Last Will online.

Am I Ready to Start Planning My Funeral?

Death can be a difficult event to process. It can be especially difficult to think about and plan for your own mortality. That said, if you approach funeral planning in a practical and realistic way, your family will benefit from your preparation and responsibility. You will not only lessen the financial burden on your family, but the emotional burden as well.

Communicating your wishes is often the first step–whether that involves a conversation with loved ones, creating an End-of-Life Plan to express your final wishes, or contacting a funeral home to begin preplanning. By planning ahead, you can give your family some peace of mind and comfort in knowing you have taken care of your end-of-life plans beforehand.

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