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Page 12 Say nr Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller What You Should Know About Prepaid Funeral Plans Dear Savvy Senior, I have been thinking about planning my funeral in advance so my kids won’t have to later but would like to inquire about prepaying. Is it a good idea to prepay for a funeral that you might not need for a while? Aging Annie Dear Annie, Planning your funeral in advance is defi nitely a smart move. Not only does it give you time to make a thoughtful decision on the type of service you want, it also allows you to shop around to fi nd a good funeral provider, and it will spare your adult children the burden of making these decisions at an emotional time. But preplanning a funeral doesn’t mean you have to prepay too. In fact, the Funeral Consumer Alliance, a national nonprofi t funeral consumer protection organization, doesn’t recommend it unless you need to spend down your financial resources so you can qualify for Medicaid. Here’s what you should know. Preneed Arrangements Most funeral homes today offer what is known as “preneed plans” which allow you to prearrange for the type of funeral services you want and prepay with a lump sum or through installments. The funeral home either puts your money in a trust fund with the payout triggered by your death or buys an insurance policy naming itself as the benefi ciary. If you’re interested in this route, make sure you’re being guaranteed the services you specify at the contracted price. Some contracts call for additional payments for final expense funding, which means that if the funeral home’s charges increase between the time you sign up and the time you sign off , somebody will have to pay the diff erence. Here are some additional questions you should ask before committing: Can you cancel the contract and get a full refund if you change your mind? Will your money earn interest? If so, how much? Who gets it? If there is an insurance policy involved, is there a waiting period before it takes eff ect? How long? Are the prices locked in or will an additional payment be required at the time of death? Are you protected if the funeral home goes out of business or if it’s bought out by another company? What happens if you move? Can the plan be transferred to another funeral home in a different state? If there’s money left over after your funeral, will your heirs get it, or does the home keep it? If you decide to prepay, be sure to get all the details of the agreement in writing and give copies to your family so they know what’s expected. If they aren’t aware that you’ve made plans, your wishes may not be carried out. And if they don’t know that you’ve prepaid the funeral costs, they could end up paying for the same arrangements. Other Payment Option While prepaying your funeral may seem like a convenient way to go, from a fi nancial point of view, there are better options available. For example, if you have a life insurance policy, many policies will pay a lump sum when you die to your benefi ciaries to be used for your funeral expenses. The payment is made soon after you die and doesn’t have to go through probate. Or you could set up a payableon-death (or POD) account at your bank or credit union, naming the person you want to handle your arrangements as the benefi ciary. POD accounts also are called Totten Trusts. With this type of account, you maintain control of your money, so you can tap the funds in an emergency, collect the interest and change the benefi ciary. When you die, your benefi ciary collects the balance without the delay of probate. Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070. nior ior THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, FEbRuARy 6, 2026 Beacon Hill Roll Call Volume 51 – Report No. 5 January 26-30, 2026 By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of January 26-30. DOMESTIC WORKERS’ RIGHTS DAY (H 3417) House 156-0 approved a bill that would annually establish June 16 as Domestic Workers’ Rights Day to honor all domestic workers who work in private homes and in recognition of Massachusetts’ historic enactment of basic labor standards in the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights. “Domestic workers are more likely to experience wage theft, outright exploitation and unsafe working conditions precisely because their labor happens out of public view and outside traditional workplace structures and this bill was fi led in an eff ort to bring visibility to this vital industry,” said sponsor Rep. Priscila Sousa (D-Framingham). “Providing visibility — intentionally and publicly — is not just symbolic. Awareness is safety. Awareness is survival. When domestic workers are counted, acknowledged and celebrated, we make it easier for them to know their rights, to assert those rights and to seek help when their rights are violated.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes REQUIRE APPRENTICESHIPS IN PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION (H 5032) House 154-1, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that seeks to increase the state’s trades’ workforce by requiring the hiring of apprentices for all contracts awarded for public works projects over $10 million. One year after the bill becomes law, it would require projects to hire apprentices to work 5 percent of the total amount of hours worked, 10 percent in three years and 15 percent in four years. Under the bill, public agencies must require, as a condition of awarding a construction contract over $10 million for any public works project, that all construction managers, general contractors and subcontractors maintain or participate in an apprentice program, approved by the Division of Apprentice Standards, for each apprenticeable occupation represented in their workforce. “From the time I assumed the role of Chair of Labor and Workforce Development, I have heard a consistent message: ‘We need clear, reliable pathways to good-paying jobs that allow people to build careers, raise families, own homes and remain here in the commonwealth,’” said Rep. Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham). “This bill does exactly that by expanding access to high-quality apprenticeship programs that provide critical on-the-job training and a direct path into higher-paying careers. And when the commonwealth invests in major construction projects, it will also be investing in a welltrained, resilient and highly skilled workforce prepared to meet the demands of the future.” “Investing in the trades’ workforce will bolster workforce development, ensuring that the commonwealth is able to meet the growing demands for new infrastructure projects,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “Apprenticeships can also lead to the creation of more union jobs and help to replace highly skilled workers who are aging out of the workforce.” “This bill was developed with union representatives and is an example of union representatives not having the political will to tell their members to give apprentices more time in order to gain experience faster,” said Rep. John Gaskey (R-Carver), the only member to vote against the measure. “Vocational school enrollment is at an all-time high and demand is increasing. Unions should be writing this into their contracts. The state should not be mandating labor force makeup.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes REQUIRE DEFIBRILLATORS AT SPORTING EVENTS (H 4993) House 154-1, approved legislation that would require an Automatic External Defi brillator (AED) to be present at all public stadiums, sports centers, gymnasiums or other facilities hosting or providing athletic or sporting events. The measure does not apply to a school-sponsored athletic event at a school gymnasium. The measure also would require the presence of at least one employee of the facility or a volunteer that has completed a training course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and in the use of an AED; or a volunteer that has completed a training course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation that meets the standards established by the American Heart Association or the American National Red Cross. If no employee or volunteer is available, the venue operator, or their designee would be required to make best efforts to identify readily available volunteers, trained in the use of an AED, present at the facility. The request for volunteers may be made through a public announcement. Another provision requires that a placard be installed at each public entrance to the facility with a map of the location of any AED at the facility. “With this bill, everyone has the chance to be a lifesaver and not a bystander,” said sponsor Rep. Marjorie Decker (D-Cambridge). BEACON | SEE PAGE 14

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