SALES OF PRE-PAID FUNERAL PLANS SOAR AT THE CO-OPERATIVE FUNERALCARE
Friday, June 8, 2018
Darryl Smith, Funeral General Manager
Sales of pre-paid funeral plans from the Heart of England Co-operative Society are soaring high as more and more savvy customers take the decision to prepare for the inevitable.
The Society, which operates a network of 13 funeral homes in Coventry, Warwickshire, south Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, sold a record number of plans in 2017, achieving a 36 per cent increase on the previous year.
Darryl Smith, General Manager of the Society’s Funeral Division, said one of the key selling points of pre-paid funeral plans was the value they offered consumers.
With the banks still offering low interest rates, and buyers able to lock the cost of funeral plans at the time they make the purchase, the plans are exceptional value in the market place as they also guarantee the disbursements (cremation fees, ministers fees, etc.) will be covered no matter how much they continue to increase thereafter. Prudent clients are finding pre-paid funeral plans a more attractive investment than savings schemes, knowing their money is safe and that they are sparing their loved ones added stress and heartache down the line.
And with celebrities such as Ian McKellan and Linda Nolan among the advocates for pre-paid funeral plans – Sir Ian admitted to thinking about death every day and spending an evening coming up with a wish list for the funeral and service to commemorate his life, while Linda revealed her song requests – more and more people are starting to consider their own wishes.
Darryl said: “Planning for our own funerals is undoubtedly one of the most stressful events faced by any one of us in life.
“As a nation in general we are reluctant to speak about death, but as we have a lot of decisions to make about what happens to us when we die, and there is so much choice out there, planning the perfect send-off just the way we would have wanted it can be overwhelming for our loved ones when they are already suffering a bereavement.
“By investing in a pre-paid plan, which with us can be paid over 12, 24, 36 and 60 months, clients can protect themselves against the ever-increasing costs of funerals – which have doubled over 10 years – and can plan their funeral wishes. Their families will then be safe in the knowledge their loved ones’ funerals will be just the way they wanted them – whether a cremation or burial – down to the very last detail.”
For further information about pre-paid funeral plans log on to the Society’s dedicated website at https://heartofenglandfuneralcare.co.uk