Pre-paid Funerals

A pre-paid funeral — or a pre-paid cremation-only — is a way to make arrangements and settle costs in advance. It gently removes uncertainty for those left behind, and fixes the cost at today’s prices. Any future increase is covered by the funeral director.

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Why People Choose to Pre-pay

Over the years, Marc has seen many different reasons people decide to make plans in advance. You may wish to:

  • Ease the financial burden on those closest to you

  • Help ensure your wishes are followed

  • Improve age or service pension entitlements — see Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs for more information.
    Have something in place if you have few close relatives, or your loved ones live far away

You can pay in full or in instalments — whatever suits your situation. Some couples take out a plan together that can be used by whichever of them passes first.

Working with Australian Unity

The monies are invested in a FuneralPlan Bond with Lifeplan Australia Friendly Society Limited, a Friendly Society regulated by APRA, that is part of Australian Unity.

This information is taken from the PDS:

Lifeplan Australia Friendly Society Limited

Lifeplan Australia Friendly Society Limited ABN 78 087 649 492, AFS License No. 237989 (‘Lifeplan’) is a leading provider of tax effective investment products such as investment, education bonds and funeral bonds. Lifeplan is a subsidiary of Australian Unity Limited ABN 23 087 648 888 (‘Australian Unity’) and is part of the group of companies undertaking investment activities at Australian Unity, generally known as Australian Unity Wealth & Capital Markets.

Funeral Plan Management

Funeral Plan Management is a specialist business of Australian Unity and is dedicated to providing funeral benefits and customised administration services for funeral directors and their clients. Funeral Plan Management was founded in 1984 and since then has become the leader in its field, providing security and peace of mind for over 170,000 clients.

What’s Not Placed in the Bond

As per common practice in the sector, some of the money you pay doesn’t go into the FuneralPlan Bond. A modest one-off administration fee may be included to help cover today’s operating costs. GST is also paid to the ATO at the time of payment, not later on.

What the Contract Should Make Clear

On average, about eight years pass between arranging a pre-paid funeral and when it’s needed. So it’s helpful to ensure the contract makes things clear for the family and those carrying it out. At Marc and Friends, we include:

  • A description of the coffin — including its materials, interior, finish, and lid style — as names and styles can change over time.

  • Clear information about transfer into care outside regular hours. We keep this simple — there’s one flat fee, no matter the time.

What is not normally Pre-paid

Some things cannot or are best not to pre-pay:

  • Cremation paperwork — one of the doctors’ forms (the Cremation Risk Advice) is usually completed at no cost, but when there is a fee, it can vary

  • Grave interment fees — the grave digging or interment fee is usually paid at the time.

  • Flowers — although it’s possible to include flowers in advance, many families prefer to choose them themselves as a way of contributing something personal

  • Slideshows and music — these are best arranged later, as technology and costs tend to change

The purchase of a cemetery plot or crematorium memorial space, respectively, is normally arranged directly with them.

What’s Often Overlooked

People sometimes focus on logistics but not the content of the service itself, if there is one. They do not spend time thinking about the music, readings, or the tone of the gathering. These don’t need to be finalised now, but we’re happy to guide you gently if you’d like help thinking it through. We can also connect you with a celebrant, minister or priest if you wish.