Preplanning and Aftercare
Forever Indebted. Never Forgotten.
VFS understands the tremendous sacrifice our Veterans and their families have made over the years. We will always be indebted to our military, and we work diligently to ensure they are never forgotten. The greatest way to memorialize and celebrate a life well-lived is through preplanning.
Preplanning allows you to take the burden of making funeral arrangements off of your family. After a death occurs, the family members have to make many decisions on a variety of things. Having a plan already in place can make this difficult time much more manageable. You will also be protected from rising funeral costs. For more information on planning your funeral or the funeral of a loved one, you can download your free Veteran’s Funeral Specialist Planning Guide.
If you would like to receive your personal Veteran’s Funeral Specialist Planning Guide to assist you in planning your Family and Friends Tribute, download your free guide now, or we can mail a copy to you. This VFS Planning Guide provides you with a central place to both record the locations of important documents as well as help you organize documents in advance, so your family will be spared difficult decisions during a stressful time.
Please contact us if you have any questions about preplanning a funeral, and we will be happy to help you every step of the way.
Burials
Veteran’s Funeral Specialist affiliates seek to remember the sacrifice of our Veterans and to preserve their legacy in a variety of ways. Across the country, Veterans have access to national cemeteries, which are generally available to them and their spouse; however, many Veterans want their final resting place to be with their entire family, so they elect to be in a private cemetery. VFS firms can help you navigate all the options available to you with a traditional burial. For more information about your military burial benefits, download our free Military Burial Benefits Guide.
Veteran’s Funeral Specialist and its affiliates consider it a solemn honor to serve the families of Veterans. We will enthusiastically apply for all benefits that your loved one is entitled to, as well as, making communications with government agencies, funeral homes, and cemeteries. Contact us today for more information.
Cremation
Many families desire cremation instead of a traditional burial. Veteran’s Funeral Specialist firms offer a variety of options to meet your needs. One of our specialized options is Settings with Significance. Settings with Significance provides unique cremation options for your family that allows you to choose a final resting place that represents your unique passion in life. They include:
- Forever Amongst the Waves
- Eternity at the Holy Land
- A Living Memorial…Tree Planting
- Reach for the Stars
- Local options
Planning for Your Estate
An estate plan can ensure that what you have made efforts to build and protect, will pass on to your beneficiaries and not be overtaxed by the government. If you don't create an estate plan, the government (at great cost to your beneficiaries) will create one for you. It is called Intestate Probate, and it is an extremely complex and burdensome process. If you are passing a large amount of assets (over $800,000) you need to be aware of the federal government's death taxes. The amount of this tax has changed over time and will probably continue to do so in the future. There is much you can do to reduce or eliminate death taxes, but it must be planned for and will not happen automatically.
A Last Will and Testament is good for letting your beneficiaries know how you want your assets distributed, and for very simple estates it is adequate; however, if there are assets to be passed on there will still be a probate process. And that process is time-consuming and expensive and can be traumatic to your family. So many people opt for a Living Trust that will eliminate the probate process completely.
A Living Trust can benefit you in other ways. It is not a public document like a Will. Control of your assets remains with your beneficiaries. If you transfer your real estate to the trust, it will not have to go through the probate process either. And if you are mentally disabled, your trust can provide for your care. It can provide for children with special needs or pay for college education for specified recipients. It can also reserve funds for a family business. All estate planners agree that dying without an estate plan should be avoided at all costs and not just wealthy people can benefit from a Living Trust.
If your estate is greater than $100,000, you'll find a Living Trust offers substantial benefits for you and your family. Estate planning is a specialized field of law, so be sure to choose an attorney who specializes in estate planning for the highest quality service.
Following are just a few of the benefits of estate planning:
- It will save your family money and emotional stress.
- You can designate a personal guardian for minor children.
- It will provide for children with special needs.
- You can use it to reserve funds for college.
- You can preserve a family business.
- You can ensure that your assets and family heirlooms go to the people you want to have them and much more.