Derek Rogers


No one wants to think about death. No one wants to think about leaving their family and friends behind. No one wants to bother thinking about the details of a funeral, burial or cremation, or about leaving this earth at all. For many, death is just not going to happen to them; they’re going to stay here for ever.

Unfortunately, people do die and they leave their families and other loved ones behind. Often, those left behind, are left bills, the need to deal with funerals, and burials or cremation, and wills. Those left behind don’t have the ability to just forget about all the funeral expenses; they have to put their lives on hold and their wallets on the line.

Leaving this life isn’t something anyone wants to think about, but it will happen, and you’ll want to be financially prepared to help your family out.

The Blessing of Life-Insurance

Today, the cost of a funeral can be more than the cost of a car. Many people just don’t have that kind of money laying around in preparation for the unexpected. There are very few people in this world who actually have the ability to save up money for the emergencies of life. Those that can afford to hide away piles of money should do so. Those who don’t should get life insurance.

Life insurance is a policy that a person purchases in order to ensure that, once they’re dead, their families won’t be stuck paying for an expensive funeral. In some cases, a life insurance policy is large enough to, not only pay for the funeral, but also leaves some financial support for the family of the departed.

To the children of someone who dies, a life insurance policy can be a “lifesaver”. Not having to worry about where their going to get the money for the funeral, for the burial, and for the mortgage on the house is a weight off of their already burdened shoulders. Having someone you love die can be a hard blow, having to deal with their financial mistakes once they’re gone, can be even harder. Purchasing life insurance is one way to ensure that not only you, but your family, will be taken care of in the event of your death.

Leave Your Family Something Other Than Debt

If you die in debt, your debt does not die with you. Unfortunately, there are many people who believe that once they are dead, debt collectors have no one to call. Debt collectors are completely within their legal rights in calling your family in order to collect on your debt. Purchasing life insurance is one way to save your family from your financial mistakes. If you have accumulated tons of debt in your lifetime that you have not been able to pay off, do not make your family do it for you once you are dead.

More and more, life insurance is becoming a life necessity. Not only is it a way to clear your debt once you are dead, but it is also a way to give your family peace and comfort once you are gone.

Life insurance is important; do not leave earth without it!

Trevor Price


Estate planning and trusts are all about planning, not only for your own future, but also the financial well-being of your family and loved ones after you’re gone. However, the reality of life can often get in the way of a smooth transition – divorce, second marriages, step kids, long-term illness and other family changes make life and estate planning sometimes a little unpredictable.

Remember, protecting your wealth and the financial well-being of your family is about a lot more than simply splitting up your assets – it’s about providing for your family members in a way that’s responsible and speaks in detail to your situation. To learn more about how trusts can help you do that, read on.

Trusts are for Everyone

Many people make the assumption that estate planning and trusts are the domain of the incredibly rich or people looking to lower their inheritance tax. However, in the real world, that isn’t accurate.

A trust is an incredibly versatile estate planning tool that allows you to address inheritance goals for your heirs – who may still be children, are disabled, are from a mixed family or answer difficult questions like who will manage your trust if you become incapacitated (a living trust).

How to Set Up a Trust

Setting up a trust will involve the assistance and services of an estate planning attorney. By consulting a legal professional, this person can help you create a trust that speaks to your specific family needs. For these services, you’ll likely pay between $1500 to $5000. Some trust costs are based on a percentage of the total estate value.

Setting up Trusts for Children

Typically, when a child inherits, the money is placed in a custodial bank account and held until he or she turns 18 or 21. Of course, giving a young person access to a large amount of money at the age of 18, or even 21, can be both dangerous and detrimental to their long-term financial health if they lack maturity or sufficient financial wisdom.

Instead, a well-set-up trust for minors will not only hold the assets until the child comes of age, but it also allows you to stipulate at what age they may receive the funds, whether those funds will be given at once or in installments and how the inheritance can be used. For example, many people stipulate that trust funds must be used for expenses associated with education until the child turns 25.

Trusts for People with Special Needs

If you are caring for a child or a dependent with special needs (mental or physical) whom you expect to outlive you, then setting up an inheritance trust should be a critical part of your estate planning. It’s also important to ensure the trust is not set up as an income source as this can interfere with Social Security and Medicaid benefits.

Instead, a special-needs trust will protect your heir’s eligibility for financial assistance, but continue to provide support. It will also legally protect the inheritance from potential squandering or mismanagement.

In short, estate planning and trusts can help address a number of familial issues, but don’t ignore your own inevitable mortality and leave such planning until it’s too late.

Terry Parker


Final expense insurance, also referred to in some capacities as burial insurance, is designed to help families cover expenses resulting from the death of a loved one.

Funeral costs alone can be as high as $25,000 or possibly more, and unanticipated charges such as medical costs that are not covered by health insurance, as well as federal and state taxes and/or other bills in the deceased name can add up, taking a toll on families during what is already an extremely difficult and emotionally taxing time.

By choosing to purchase final expense insurance, you can spare your family much of these expenses, and, in addition, this type of policy also allows you to specify the details of your funeral and burial, including the type of service and casket that you prefer.

If this sounds morbid, consider the alternative: your grieving family scrambling to make important financial and emotional decisions during a difficult time made more difficult by a total lack of preplanning.

According to the national funeral directors association, consumer interest in preplanning of funerals has been rising steadily for the past 30 years, but it is only recently, perhaps as so many baby boomers find themselves approaching retirement age, that the industry has centered on the pre funding of these types of ceremonies.

How were funerals and related expenses funded in the past? Traditionally, funerals were funded with trusts, which were especially complicated to arrange, but do carry tax liabilities and can become complicated if the purchaser of a trust decides to move out of state.

To combat these problems, some consumers created what was termed final life expense insurance policies, i.e. supplementary policies beyond their basic life insurance policies with small coverage limits, sometimes known as face amounts typically of about $10,000 designed to cover the costs of funerals.

The american association of retired persons AARP reports that funerals and burials rank high among the most expensive purchases that older Americans make. For an adult funeral, the average cost is from $4,000 to $5,000, which does not include any funeral service extras or miscellaneous expenses.

In ground funerals can cost an additional $2,500 or more, depending on the state in which the burial takes place, and other factors.

What all of this means is that the traditional $10,000 amount reserved in trust for burial and funeral expenses may simply not be enough, and paying for a typical funeral may necessitate taking funds from the deceased’s life insurance policy. Unfortunately, this is becoming an all too frequent trend.

Final expense insurance policies are individualized, which means that typically anything can be included in them, unless your policy is capped at a specific dollar amount, the highest of which, are typically $25,000.

The types of services and products that you can select will vary by policy, as well as by state, but generally, you can expect to be able to pre purchase and pre pay for the following: cremation, casket or urn, grave marker, flowers, plot, hearses and other funeral vehicles, embalming this is not legally required unless there will be a public viewing, but many people opt for it, in any case burial marker or grave liner, and digging and filling of the grave.

What factors should I consider when purchasing final expense insurance? Your state’s laws and regulations concerning final expense, burial, preneed insurance. The wishes, concerns, and recommendations of your family, your financial planner, and your attorney. The amount of death benefits that you will actually receive from the policy. The verification of the funeral director, agent, or company.

Any free look laws that your state may have in place, which allows you to review your policy before committing. A written list from your funeral home of choice, detailing the types of products and services offered, as well as their costs.

Whether or not the funeral home that you choose elects to give a price guarantee. If the funeral home doesn’t, then your funeral costs will likely be higher than the amount that you pre pay for.

Bringing a trusted family member or friend along to help you shop for the casket and other related products.

Whether or not the funeral arrangements that you make can be moved to any funeral home at any time.

Whether your state requires that the money you prepay to funeral directors be made available to you at any time.

The location of the grave site should be spelled out by section, row and plot number. The policy should specify what type of outer burial container you have purchased e.g., grave liner vs. a vault, and what it is made of.

The policy should specify what kind of marker you have purchased, including size, material, and style, preferably with a sketch. Whether opening, closing, marker installation costs, etc are included. Keep in mind that the costs of digging and filling a grave are not typically included in the cost of the plot.

Whether there are extra fees included if you elect to buy a marker from a monument dealer instead of from the cemetery, as well as if you elect to buy a casket from your own supplier.

Find out what happens if the cemetery ownership changes hands. Know what recourse you have if the cemetery runs out of money and defaults on your arrangement. Ask what happens if your chosen cemetery runs out of burial space.

Survey your desired cemetery to see how well the upkeep is, particularly after a snowstorm.

Look at the contingencies plan if the items you have selected will no longer available at the time of the funeral. Make sure you receive your funeral policy in a timely manner.

Make sure you receive at least one statement each year detailing the status of your account.

Know what happens if you decide to cancel your policy.

How can I obtain final expense insurance? Your insurance broker can help you decide which type of final expense insurance policy is right for your budget and personal preferences. The good news is that most people aged 40 to 85 can afford these types of policies, and the premiums, which generally depend on your age, but are based on other factors as well, are typically low.

As with all financial decisions, be sure to also seek the advice of your certified financial planner before choosing a final expense insurance plan.

Jerry R. Guy


Prepaid funerals have been around for years now and have received a lot of bad and unfair press in my opinion. This is due to the targeting and sensationalism of those isolated incidents we’ve all heard about, where funeral home and cemetery owners have either disappeared or otherwise stolen funds that people have paid in advance for services and/or merchandise. Unfortunately, often these stories and reports are only being over promoted to sell books, newspapers, etc. by those who really have no concept of what preneed funeral planning really is I believe. Sadly the very people who promote this blanket negativity are in actuality only doing so to serve their own agendas in many cases, thereby harming the very people who need this protection most by using these and other “scare tactics.”

The truth is that in most all states now safeguards have been put in place to make sure that people who do preneed planning and prepay for funeral related services are protected. Is there opportunity for abuse in this area? Yes, but the reality is no more so than any other industry or profession where the same standards and opportunities for abuse would apply.

As a funeral director for nearly three decades, I’ve witnessed many changes in how preneed funeral plans were made and funded. In the early years of preneed funeral planning many funeral facilities, cemeteries, etc, would take prepaid funds and open accounts in local banks to be held in escrow until the time of need. This was the standard procedure for most in the funeral industry and set the stage for the abuses mentioned earlier. As time has gone by and due to abuses of this practice by the unscrupulous, other means of safeguarding those funds have been developed. Most firms now use insurance funding for those wishing to prepay for these services. The value of this method is that in most all cases the funds are placed in the purchasers name and controlled entirely by the purchaser. This provides the ultimate protection in that funeral providers have no access or control over these prepayments and most reputable facilities prefer it that way. The consumer is at no more risk of losing these funeral funds than with any other life insurance policies they may have in my opinion.

I have through my many years in the funeral industry assisted countless families in preplanning and often prefunding funeral services and merchandise. I have been privileged to serve these same families again when the death occurred. I have seen firsthand the value of not only preplanning but also prefunding for these families as in many cases it has meant savings of thousands of dollars in funeral expenses. In all my years in the death care industry I have never had a family tell me they were sorry they preplanned OR prefunded these services. On the other hand, I have had many families to tell me that they wish they had!

I urge anyone considering making preneed funeral and/or cemetery arrangements to really consider prefunding. Many firms offer price freeze and other benefits that are worth looking in to. The saving in many cases can be substantial and risks minimal.

If you’re still skeptical, contact your state’s funeral board and insurance commissioner to learn what safeguards you have when doing this type of prefunding. I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find that you’re really at very little risk of losing any money now days and the benefits of doing this in advance are immeasurable for those you leave behind.

Last but not least, be wary of those advising you not to consider prefunding. Chances are great it will be an attempt to sell you something you really don’t need. Get advice from those you trust and make your decisions based on that. It is really the best way to assure lower cost and less stressful funeral planning.

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Brian Scott


Many entrepreneurs, small and private businesses, and individual affiliates, hire freelance writers for SEO writing (also known as “search engine optimization” writing). SEO writing involves writing keyword-rich articles to rank the client’s website higher in search engines and generate more website traffic. SEO articles are less informative and less entertaining than articles you would write for magazines.

If you want to see examples of SEO articles, browse through any of the online article distribution directories. You will notice many of the SEO articles range in length between 500 and 700 words and paragraphs often repeat with selected keywords.

My friend, Peter Callahan, likes to write sports-related material for the Internet. Many writers, like Peter, write material to inform, entertain and educate readers. Some writers understand clients hire them to write web content for web pages (SEO writing) to ensure higher search engine placement. In many cases, these writers still provide quality-written work for SEO. However, if a client requests the writer to provide keyword-stuffed articles with a certain (keyword) density, then the writer is at the mercy of the client. Crafting keyword-stuffed sentences into a well-written article is hard. Still, both article types – magazine-quality articles and SEO articles – pay the bills. If you become a freelance writer who can swing to one type and then back to the next, then you will receive steady paychecks. The commodity you need will be time.

Here are a few things you should know if you decide to write magazine-quality articles or SEO content for websites:

1. Web content will likely range from 100-1000 words depending on what your client wants.

2. It will either be keyword-enriched or informative. Ask your client what his goals are and what he wants to accomplish with his articles.

3. Topics will range around keywords in most cases.

4. If quantity is worth more than quality to your client, then make sure you protect yourself. Don’t use your name. Use a pen name. There’s nothing worse than to ghostwrite a lot of keyword-stuffed articles aimed at search engines, and then to hit a major book deal and find your client had (accidentally) attached your byline to those non-informative, (almost) meaningless keyword-stuffed articles. Publishers will frown on this.

5. Topics for web content are wide-ranging.

WRITING SEO ARTICLES

Writers who write SEO content are in high demand. These writers often have 20+ jobs waiting in line for them at a time because clients will wait on them to do the job right.

SEO writing is an excellent way to break into freelance writing but it will not make you a recognized writer. Most of what you will write will be from the technical angle of search engine optimization.

A client in search of SEO material will submit a list of keywords focused on a specific term or category. The writer uses these keywords and writes keyword-stuffed articles using variations of these keywords

Usually clients who want SEO writing will request a certain number of words per article. If a client hires you to write a large batch of articles, you will want to range the lengths from 150 words to 1000 words. From my experience, SEO articles shouldn’t go beyond 525 words.

Writing SEO content is a wonderful way to make some great money but it won’t do anything great for you as a writer. In fact, SEO article writing can often hinder your talents if you stay with it long enough because it simply isn’t the best work out there to help you prove yourself as a freelance writer.

If you decide to write keyword-stuffed articles, you’ll need to know more than just the topic. You’ll need to write articles using specific keywords to help your clients rank higher on search engines, most specifically, Google.com. By doing this more people will see your client’s website and go to the site more frequently.

As an SEO writer, you will need to know the rules for density rates and so forth. This can be done by doing a search on “keyword density checkers” or “free keyword density checkers.” Find one that is user friendly. Run your articles through these density checkers to determine their keyword density. Clients will want to see articles with varying density. To ensure the best possible articles for SEO content, always use various keywords.

With the Internet adding more and more web pages, you can make a lot of money in web content. However, just because you are a talented writer doesn’t mean you will pick up the knack for writing SEO articles successfully. You will need to research SEO writing thoroughly to do it correctly.

Affiliates often hire writers to write content for their websites. If you want to break into writing for the web, you must know the ins and outs of writing SEO content. We aren’t going to visit those concepts here because you can find many books on the subject. You can also visit many free websites that teach you how to write for search engines.

Here are some tips to write effective SEO content:

TIP # 1: The keyword or keyword phrase should always be in the first line of every paragraph.

TIP # 2: If you are doing keyword articles as a ghostwriter, make sure you have a contract with your client stating he will not use your byline. You don’t want magazine editors or loyal readers to recognize you for writing non-informative keyword-stuffed articles. At the same time, SEO writing is a necessary skill if you want to make a lot of money in writing web content.

TIP # 3: Use Google’s keyword tool to see what keywords connect with other keywords or phrases. You can take Google’s keyword suggestions and use them in your article so your client’s website will rank higher in search engines. Google’s tool enables you to capture some of the keywords associated with a phrase, as requested by the client. If you learn to research which words can pull the most “hits” on the search engines, you’ll become more valuable to your client.

TIP # 4: Take the keyword phrase and use it in several variations.

TIP # 5: When a client hires you to write web content, ask what the client’s goals are because he may want SEO articles, or he may want informative, well-written articles, or he may want both.

FINDING SEO WRITING GIGS

1) Most clients who need SEO writers post their needs on Elance.com, Guru.com and GetAFreelancer.com, and let writers bid for the projects. Clients will tell you how many articles they require; the word length; the topics; keywords; and sometimes the keyword-density.

2) SEO has become an enormously popular type of writing and the demand is huge. Because of the huge demand, we now have many established SEO writing companies, instead of individual freelancers, that provide these same services. These SEO writing companies always recruit outside freelance writers. If you want to write SEO copy and don’t want to bid on SEO projects, then do a search on Google for SEO writing companies and contact the persons in charge for a freelance position.

3) Search Google News for press releases announcing new websites. Visit these new websites and contact the person in charge. These new websites always need SEO writing.

4) Search through the Elance Service Providers at Elance.com and contact freelance graphic designers and see if you can pair up your skills with theirs.

5) Search the search engines, jobbanks, such as FreelanceWriting.com, and advertise your skills as an SEO writer on your own website.

Eshields


The current economic environment provides an excellent opportunity to transfer assets at historically low interest rates, removing future appreciation from your etate. The low rates coupled with discounted asset values have created opportunities to maximize estate tax savings. Strategies such as grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), installment sales to an intentional grantor trust (IGT) and intrafamily loans are some of the ways to capitalize on the low rates and depressed asset values.

Each month the IRS issues the Applicable Federal Rates (AFRs), which are a group of interest rates used for various purposes including the calculation of the minimum interest to be charged on certain loans, and for calculating the value of an annuity or remainder interest. Because these rates are at historical lows?? less than half of what they were a year ago, the cost to transfer assets either by loan, gift or sale is minimized (see table below for 2008/2009 comparison). The low cost provides greater likelihood that the value of the transferred asset will grow in excess of the low rate. This allows a gift?tax free transfer of value to heirs, while also removing the estate tax on the growth from the estate.

Comparison of Applicable Federal Rates (AFRs) Feb 2009 Feb 2008

Short Term (up to 3 years): .60% 3.11%

Mid Term (3 ?9 years): 1.65% 3.51%

Long Term (more than 9 years): 2.96% 4.46%

IRS §7520 Rate (used for GRATs): 2.00% 4.42%

Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT): A GRAT is a transfer of an asset, (typically income producing closely held stock, investments or real estate), to a trust in exchange for an annuity income stream. This is paid to the transferor for a period of any number of years. At the end of the term, the asset passes to the beneficiaries of the trust. The amount of transfer can be structured to minimize the gift value, reserving a taxpayer’s $1M lifetime gift exclusion for other uses. If the transferor does not survive the term of the GRAT, a portion up to the full value of the asset will be included in their estate.

Estate Tax Benefits: The value of the annuity paid to the transferor “freezes” the value of the asset included in the transferor’s estate, removing the future appreciation of the asset from the estate and as a result, reduces the amount subject to estate tax.

Income Tax Treatment: The GRAT is a “grantor trust”, since the person setting up the trust, (the “grantor”) pays the income tax on all income earned by the trust. Payment of tax by the grantor can be Any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used for the purpose of avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code and cannot be used for that purpose.

Example of a GRAT: Joe transfers assets worth $5M to a trust (GRAT) for the benefit of his 2 children, (the term of the GRAT is 10 years). The annual annuity payable to Joe for 10 years will be $556,500, based on the current IRS §7520 rate of 2%. If the assets in the GRAT appreciate at an annual 5%, there will be $1.145M remaining in the GRAT to pass to the children at the expiration of the term. This is a transfer of $1.145M exempt of the gift tax, and provides for an estate tax savings of $572,500 to Joe ($1.145M x current 50% combined federal and state estate tax rate).

Installment Sale to an Intentional Grantor Trust (IGT): This technique involves the sale of an asset to a trust, with the buyer (the trust) paying the seller with installments on a promissory note. The beneficiaries of the trust are typically the children of the seller, but can also include grandchildren and future generations. The trust is a “grantor trust” since it is ignored for income tax purposes, but is recognized for estate tax purposes. Put another way, the person is selling an asset to a trust, which is treated as a sale to themselves for income tax purposes??so no gain or loss is recognized. This is considered a completed sale to the trust, for estate taxes. Prior to the sale, the trust is typically funded with cash or assets equivalent to at least 10% of the sale amount. Although no specific IRS guidance exists regarding this initial funding, this is considered to provide equity to the trust that would normally exist in an arm’s length purchase.

Estate Tax Benefits: The sale price of the asset/value of the promissory note “freezes” the value of the asset that is included in the seller’s estate. This removes future appreciation of the asset from the estate, and as a result reduces the amount subject to estate tax.

Income Tax Treatment: Similar to the GRAT, (because the IGT is also a “grantor trust”), the “grantor” pays the income tax on all income earned by the trust. Payment of tax by the grantor can be considered a tax?free gift to the trust beneficiaries, and allows the assets in the trust to grow without being depleted to pay taxes.

Many commentators have taken the position that if the seller dies prior to the note being paid off, an income tax at the long term capital gains rate can apply on the value of the unpaid balance in excess of the grantor’s basis in the asset sold. The IRS has not provided guidance in this area.

As discussed in the example, if a self canceling installment note is used and the seller dies before the note is paid off, the note balance is excluded from the seller’s estate for estate taxes.

Example of an IGT: Joe sells an asset valued at $5M to a trust (IGT) for the benefit of his 2 children. The trust will pay him $5M over 10 years with an installment note at the February 2009 LT AFR of 2.96%. The annual interest only payments would be $148,000 for 10 years, with a balloon principal payment of $5M in year 10. If the asset owned by the trust continues to grow annually at 5%, there will be $1.28M remaining in the trust for the beneficiaries when the note is paid off. Joe will pay the annual income tax liability on the income earned from the asset owned by the trust. This can be considered an additional tax free gift to the trust beneficiaries, and allows the assets inside the trust to continue to grow without being impacted by income tax.

Also, a self canceling installment note provision (SCIN) can be used on the promissory note, so that in the event Joe dies before the note is paid off, the unpaid balance is excluded from his estate–saving further estate taxes. However, the note balance can be subject to income tax at the LT capital gains rate. The use of a SCIN provision will increase the principal balance or interest rate on the note, in order to compensate for the mortality risk of Joe dying before the note is paid off.

Intra Family Loans: This is perhaps the simplest way to take advantage of the current low rates. A parent can make a loan to their children at the low rates: .60% for a loan of up to 3 years, 1.65% for more than 3 years but not more than 9, and 2.96% for loans longer than 9 years. A child could use this loan for the financing of a new home purchase. Or, if the loan proceeds are invested at a rate of return greater than the interest rate, that appreciation is considered a gift tax?free transfer of wealth, and is outside of the parent’s estate.

As is mentioned above, the promissory note can utilize a SCIN provision to remove the value of the note from the parent’s estate, if the parent were to die before the note is paid off.

For control purposes, the parent could make the loan to the children and the children could contribute the loaned cash to an LLC, in return for an LLC interest. The parent is the manager of the LLC and the investments are made inside the LLC. This allows the parent to maintain control of the assets.

Estate tax benefits: The appreciation of assets purchased with the loaned cash, in excess of the interest rate on the loan, is removed from the estate of the lender. This reduces the amount subject to estate tax. The use of a loan also preserves the lender’s $1M lifetime gift exclusion for other uses.

Income tax treatment: Because the child is making an investment of the cash, even through the LLC structure, they will bear the associated income tax liability. If the child is under age 18 or is a student under age 24, the “Kiddie Tax” rules may apply, subjecting the income to tax at the higher parent’s rate.

Example of Intra?Family Loan: Parent makes a nine year loan of $5M to their two children at the mid?term AFR of 1.65%. The cash is contributed by the children to an LLC. Annual interest only note payments of $41,250 are due to the parents from each child, along with a balloon principal payment of $2,500,000 in year nine. If the money is invested in the LLC and achieves an annual return of 5%, then $1.8 M or $900,000 per child would remain after the note is paid.

Conclusion: After the writing of this article, the March 2009 rates were issued by the IRS. The rates have increased slightly from February to .72% short term, 1.94% mid?term and 3.52% long term, and the §7520 rate of 2.4%.

The current, historically low interest rates used in the calculations of wealth transfers such as grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), installment sales to an intentional grantor trust (IGT), and intra?family loans are providing an opportunity for clients to reduce their estates and projected estate tax liabilities. Depressed asset values combined with the low interest rates, provide the additional opportunity to transfer wealth for discounted amounts. If you believe that over the long term, assets will appreciate in value from current levels, now is the time to consider transferring assets to lower your estate tax.

If you would like additional information about these estate planning techniques, or want to discuss our range of Wealth Management services, please contact: Greg Costantino, CFP® ? gregory.costantino@vitale.com or Peter DeIeso, CPA, CFP® ? peter.deieso@vitale.com

Bryan Burbank


Dying is big business in the USA. Most funeral homes and there directors are nice people but as in any business you will find those who will take advantage. Let us ask ourselves who is more vulnerable than someone who has just lost a loved one.

Learn how to find: Discount Funeral Insurance

There are many misconceptions about funerals and burials and we will attempt to make things easy for you to understand so that you can find funeral insurance.

Get some Advice about: Types of Insurance

First embalming is not a legal requirement but in some states after 24 hours it is required and other state have no requirements at all. Refrigeration is also an alternative that is now offered. A viewing of the body is not a necessity, for some people this may even have a negative effect. In surveys it has been stated that 32 percent of people found it to be not comforting at all. Most people start saying there goodbyes long before death occurs. If the family members choose to have one last look this can then be arranged by the funeral director.

Choosing a casket is really when they tug at the heart of the deceased family. There is no need for a protective or expensive casket. Processes that interfere with the normal decomposition of the body are unnecessary.

Cremation is another area for misconceptions because there is no need to purchase a special urn to bury or store the ashes. They can be kept in the vessel and they are given to you at the time of cremation. Ashes can be buried on any private property as long as the owner gives permission. Cremation means that there are no longer any health hazards so therefore it is considered a final disposition of human remains.

Prepaying for a funeral by using funeral insurance can be a good option for you because first and foremost it takes most of the decisions out of the breve family members. Also you will be paying for the funeral using todays cost. Just remember that all of your plans can not always be meet due to extenuating circumstances. If you are ok with that then this can be the right decision for you. Certain cost such as flowers, autopsy, clergy and obituary notices will be paid by the family estate.

Funeral insurance can be an excellent choice for you so that you can take the worry out of a situation were you may be in distress. We have attempted to make this information on funeral insurance easy for your loved ones you in there hour of need. As with any other business dealings try to work with people you feel comfortable with and that they have been recommended by someone you trust.

Mike Testa


I’m a funeral accountant. Basically, I am a CPA and financial planner that specializes in helping families save money when they need to make funeral arrangements. As the economy has slowed and funeral prices continue to outpace inflation, more families are finding they need help covering funeral expenses.

While it is true that funeral and cremation services are often the third largest expense the average family makes (after a home and car), there are things that can be done to reduce, or even eliminate, many of the unnecessary or overpriced items associated with a funeral.

Funeral and cremation services are expensive because of the law of supply and demand. We are all going to die sooner or later. In fact, the funeral business is a growth industry. As baby boomers age, the American death rate is slowly creeping up. But all of this extra demand ends up at the same place – the funeral home. Although there are less traditional options (such as donating your body to medical science), just about every family uses the services of a funeral home.

The good news is that most families do not need to plan a funeral very often (about once every 15 years, on average). The bad news is that most families do not need to plan a funeral very often. This means the typical family is unprepared both emotionally and financially for the realities of death. Simply put: most families have no idea what they need (or what it should cost) when someone they care about dies.

Funeral directors know this. They realize that the average family has no idea what it is they do. So they sit back and wait. Once they have a family inside the funeral home office it becomes a relatively simple process. They just tell the family what they are supposed to buy. Whether the family really needs (or can even afford) all of the things the funeral director is trying to sell them is beside the point. Very few families are willing to question the funeral director. And even fewer families know that less expensive options are available.

This is where I come in. As a funeral accountant I provide families with objective advice about the options, providers, and expenses associated with funeral and cremation services. Most families like dealing with someone who does not work on a commission basis. They appreciate getting objective information about ALL the options….even the ones that are less profitable for the funeral home.

Unfortunately, there aren’t enough funeral accountants to go around. And since the majority of families face similar circumstances when making funeral arrangements, I decided to create a resource (the Funeral $aver’s Kit) that shows families how they can save themselves money when making funeral arrangements.

Here’s the number one piece of advice from the Funeral $aver’s Kit: Take time to familiarize yourself with the options and prices that are available in your area. Funeral homes offer different services and vary widely in their pricing structure. It’s not uncommon for one funeral home to have prices that are more than double those of a nearby competitor.

Unfortunately, when a death occurs most families pick up the phone and call either the funeral home closest to their house or the funeral home they used in the past. Please don’t do this. If you happen to pick one of the more expensive funeral homes in town, you’ll be stuck with a high bill.

Also, an insidious trend has been occurring in the funeral industry. Large corporate-owned funeral homes have been buying out smaller neighborhood funeral homes. These big funeral corporations often target the most popular funeral homes in an area, buy them, and then secretly raise prices by at least 50%.

This means that if you haven’t used a funeral home in the last five years, there is an excellent chance that funeral home is now part of a large (and expensive) corporation. As a consumer, you would never know this. The large corporate funeral homes normally keep the same local name on the door. They may even keep some of the old employees around too. But make no mistake; the one thing that doesn’t stay the same is their prices!

So before you call a funeral home – any funeral home – take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the services, options, and prices from at least three funeral homes in your area. This simple step can often save you thousands of dollars in unnecessary funeral expenses.

You can check out the funeral-tips website for practical advice that can help you collect and compare funeral prices and options in your area.

Remember: there are lots of things you can do to save money when making funeral arrangements.

Mel M


Breakups are painful; your heart is breaking, and no matter what you do, it feels like your world has come to a halt. Suddenly, the only thing you can think about is how to get even.

There are four surefire ways to ignite your ex’s desire once again.

At first, you may be confused. Give your ex space to collect their emotions, instead of pestering them, which may cause them to get angry. Your ex may need this time to sort things out.

Keep your space from your ex to get them thinking about you and wondering what is going on with you. They may wonder what you’re going to do next.

Get back into your daily routine, but do not let your ex see that you are wondering about getting back together. At this point, they may be pursuing you. Sit back and enjoy being chased.

Your ex will try to make contact. Answer their calls only after they have tried to call multiple times. Tactfully weave in a statement about being busy. But do not delve into relationship issues. You need to maintain your pride.

It’s only natural to want your ex to struggle to win you back. By following these simple steps, you are guaranteed to have them eating out of your hand. Act now, while your ex is pining. Take advantage of the opportunity to win them back.

Want some great resources in the area of relationship, visit the website below, its easy to to be overloaded with information but we have reviewed the best of the lot.