Preplanning: Questions and Answers

What are the benefits of prearranging my funeral?

The benefits of making funeral prearrangements are peace of mind and financial security. When you make funeral prearrangements, you have the peace of mind of knowing you have planned ahead. By doing so, you have selected a meaningful funeral service which will comfort your family and spare your family the difficult and stressful task of making arrangements at time of need.

If I make prearrangements and prefinance them, how do I know my deposit will be safe?

The Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act, established in 1955, requires that preneed funds be placed in trust in an Illinois bank or trust company or federal or Illinois savings and loan institution or federal or Illinois credit union or with an insurance company if insurance is the choice of the prearrangement. To be sure your funds are handled as required by the Act, we suggest you:

• Make arrangements only with licensed firms.
• Be certain your preneed funds are placed in a trust.
• Read the preneed trust contract.
• Let your family know about your wishes.

First, be sure that you make your deposit with Trimble Funeral and Cremation Centers because we are licensed to handle preneed funds. Our license is prominently displayed and signed by the Comptroller of Illinois. The license and the professional whom you select are your assurance that your funds will be properly deposited and will be periodically audited by the Comptroller.

When you make funeral prearrangements with us, we will prepare a preneed trust contract which states the amount of money you have paid, the services which you have selected, and the funeral home's responsibilities. Read the contract carefully to be certain that you have arranged everything just as you want it. Should your circumstances change, you can obtain a refund of both principal and earned interest in accordance with the contract you sign.

Be sure to inform your family or a close friend or your legal representative about your prearrangements. Place a copy of your prearrangement contract along with your other wishes regarding your final disposition in a place where they will be available when needed.

Can I guarantee the price of my funeral when prearrangements are made?

Trimble Funeral and Cremation Centers, like many funeral homes, offers guaranteed prefinanced arrangements. This means if you select your service and pay for it in full now, we will guarantee to provide the service in the future without additional cost. Funds paid today are invested in interest-bearing accounts, with the interest designed to off-set the effects of future inflation. Prefinancing allows an individual to pay for their funeral at today's prices rather than the inflated prices of the future.

If I need additional information or ever have a problem, who can I contact?

In addition to contacting Trimble Funeral and Cremation Centers, you may write or call the Illinois Funeral Directors Association, 215 South Grand Avenue West, Springfield, Illinois 62704, (800) 240-4332.

You may also contact the Comptroller's Office in Chicago at (877) 203-3401. The call is toll-free. Both organizations monitor the progress and professionalism of funeral directors who provide prefinanced funerals for Illinois residents and others. They can confirm for you that we as your funeral director are licensed to handle prearranged funds and are also bonded.

When you visit our funeral home, ask to see the license granted by the Comptroller.

These Frequently Asked Questions are provided by the Illinois Funeral Directors Association. For more information on funerals, preneed insurance and death benefits, visit the IFDA website.