Page 10 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, February 6, 2026 Savvy Senior 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 definitely 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 find 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 nonprofit 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 beneficiary. 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 difference. 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 effect? 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 financial 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 beneficiaries 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 payable-on-death (or POD) account at your bank or credit union, naming the person you want to handle your arrangements as the beneficiary. 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 beneficiary. When you die, your beneficiary collects the balance without the delay of probate Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 1. On Feb. 6, 1952, what king died while the heir to the throne was in a Kenyan forest treehouse? 2. What is The Mitten State and The Wolverine State: Maine, Michigan or Minnesota? 3. In New England in what month does maple syrup season usually begin? 4. On Feb. 7, 1914, “Kid Auto Races at Venice” aka The Pest, featuring Charlie Chaplin, was released; where is the Venice in the film located? 5. What in the U.S. Navy is called Seahawk? 6. For preparing for what 2026 event are there 500+ musicians and 182 original costumes? 7. February 8 is Super Bowl Sunday; what number is it: XXXVIII, LV or LX? 8. How many times is “begat” in the Bible: 55, 202 or 320? 9. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, what is BESS? 10. On Feb. 9, 1942, who was born whose “You’ve Got a Friend” won Song of the Year in 1972? 11. What happens to the Boston Public Garden Swan Boats in winter? 12. In January 2026 the film “Cookie Queens” was released about what kind of cookies? 13. On Feb. 10, 2005, playwright Arthur Miller died; what play about sales did he write? 14. What city has the Rideau Canal Skateway — in winter the world’s largest skating rink? 15. How are glas, glace and eis similar? 16. On Feb. 11, 1963, what TV cooking show premiered that was produced and broadcast in Boston? 17. What sport at the Winter Paralympics has heavy stones and teams on wheelchairs? 18. What word for a sled comes from Canadian French and Native American languages? 19. What is the women’s monobob at the Winter Olympics? 20. On February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born; was he the keynote speaker for two hours at the dedication of Gettysburg National Cemetery? ANSWERS 1. George VI (father of Elizabeth) 2. Michigan 3. Late February 4. It is a neighborhood in Los Angeles. 5. A helicopter 6. Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games 7. LX 8. 320 9. Battery Energy Storage Systems 10. Carole King 11. They are dismantled and taken to a location for storage and maintenance. 12. Girl Scout 13. “Death of a Salesman” 14. Ottawa 15. They are words meaning “ice” (in Haitian Creole, French and German/Luxembourgish, respectively) 16. “The French Chef” with Julia Child 17. Curling 18. Toboggan 19. Since 2022, a sliding competition with a single-seated bobsleigh 20. No; it was a former politician/ famous orator, Edward “Ever-atit” Everett, of Dorchester, Mass. (Lincoln spoke for two minutes.)
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