Keohane Funeral Home

Transferring Pre-Need Funeral Plans

January 1, 2023

If you have pre-planned your funeral or celebration of life, you understand the peace of mind that provides. However, life situations can change, and you may find yourself needing to move closer to family in a different city or state. Or, perhaps you recently learned that your funeral home changed management or decided to close its doors. Whatever situation you might face, rest assured that your plans can be easily transferred.

Where Is My Money?

The money you paid, when you met with the funeral home director to pre-plan, did not go to the funeral home. Your funeral home director took your check and placed the money in either a traditional bank trust with an account in your name, or in a pre-need insurance company account. Either way, this process is highly regulated by state government officials to ensure the security of your plans and payment.

Moving

If you or a family member needs to move to a different city or state, you may wonder if your pre-paid funeral plans can be transferred. This is a common occurrence and can be easily done. You can arrange a meeting with your funeral director and they will provide everything you need to make the transfer. All contracts are transferable. If you need help choosing a new funeral home to transfer to, read this article on page six of our newsletter.

There is no need to worry about offending or causing extra trouble for the funeral home director. Transferring and accepting transfers is common, and they will know how to guide you smoothly through the process.

Funeral Home Closure

Another extremely rare situation is when a funeral home decides to close its doors. If you or a loved one find yourself in this predicament, know that your plans and pre-payments are kept in a trust that can be easily transferred. State regulations and procedures may differ. However, in Massachusetts, it is required by state law that anyone holding a contract with a funeral home must be notified by certified mail that the business is closing and be advised that they should transfer their contract to another funeral home. They must also provide information to help you through that process.

If your funeral home is acquired by a different funeral home, you will receive a letter informing you of the change of management. The new management will likely contact you to assure you that all of your plans and funds are secure and will be seamlessly transferred to the new management with the utmost respect and care.

You can learn more from our Community Connections newsletter. JUST CLICK THIS LINK and select 2022 VOLUME 3 and scroll down to page six of the article to read How to Choose a Funeral Home When Transferring Advance Plans. This article is full of helpful information from Joe Reardon, our Vice President for Community Development and Advance Planning. You can also watch THIS VIDEO where Joe shares several details to help you understand the entire process.

We hope this article will help you in your unique situation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your friends at Keohane Funeral Home. You can access our WEBSITE or CALL ANYTIME during business hours: 617-773-3551.