It’s never to soon to make plans.......

The time for funeral planning is something we all ,like to avoid even though we know it is going to happen to everyone

We understand how hard and painful it can be to consider a time when you are no longer around. We are aware of the genuine problems created when no planning is taken causing family stress and financial worries.

The aim of Funeral Planner is to provide valuable information allowing you to make decisions about planning your funeral, organising your estate and

supporting the post funeral arrangements for your family.

We offer a comprehensive list of services which allow people to plan a bespoke funeral service which can vary from a traditional funeral to a more modern event including coach and horses or motorbike hearses.

We can plan the type of funeral and service you want, discuss the benefits of a pre-paid funeral plan, explain why it is necessary to have a Will and look at other legal services, offer financial advice from our independent financial advisor, make a choice about flowers or donations, define your own personal funeral poetry and music, plan a reception to celebrate your life and lots more.

Our professional network include probate specialists, independent financial advisors, funeral directors and bereavement counsellors.

We also offer practical post funeral services including house clearance, refurbishment and gardening.

All your wishes will be listed and available in a treasured journal and be available for your family to follow, preventing family arguments

and any confusion.

Funeral Planning Solutions are approved members of the Golden Charter Trust and can arrange pre-paid funeral plans to secure the funeral at today's prices

http://www.funeralplans.co/

Meet The Man With A Plan For Your Loved Ones' Funeral

It's not a day many people want to think about let alone plan for, unless you are Hugh O’Brien, the north west’s first funeral planner.

Hugh opened Funeral Planning Solutions, which he runs from his home on Stanley Grove, Heaton Moor, after being made redundant from his job as a logistics manager.

The 50-year-old hit upon the idea after his aunt died and her service did not run smoothly as it had been arranged at the last minute.

Now he can arrange anything from the church music and wake buffet to organising for the deceased’s coffin to arrive at the church on a motorbike sidecar.

Mr O’Brien, a father of two, said: "I am like a wedding planner but for funerals.

"And this is even more important.

"Your wedding is just one day but overall the impact of a funeral is greater.

"Around 600,000 people a year die in this country but 70 per cent don’t have a will or make the necessary arrangements.

"People just don’t like thinking about the fact that they’re not going to be around forever.

"I leave it up to the individual, the service can be as traditional or extreme as people want.

"Whatever people request I can make happen."

As part of his service, Mr O’Brien offers will-making, the organisation of the whole funeral day as well as the clearance and disposal of the deceased person’s possessions if required.

He works alongside his wife Lesley, 48, and the business has now been running a month.

Mr O’Brien said: "Obviously there are other funeral directors or people who make wills but I am the only person who does the whole lot in the north west.

"When you tell people what you do the reaction varies from ‘that’s a bit ghoulish’ to that’s a good idea.

"Lots of people has a story of going to a funeral that went wrong. That’s what I help avoid."


www.FuneralPlanner.co


menmedia.co.uk/stockportexpress/news/s/1408984_meet_the_man_with_a_plan__for_your_loved_ones_funerals

Funeral Planning Journal

The sensitive subject of planning for your funeral is an area most people want to avoid, we offer the much needed help and support to make the process easier.

There are many reasons why you decide to plan your funeral  and the most important one is to make sure the family knows your every wish for the funeral and how your life can be celebrated.

It will allow you to enjoy the rest of your life having the peace of mind that everything is in order.

All your wishes will be listed and available in a treasured journal, all your personal wishes will be available for your family to follow and it will prevent family arguments and  they follow everything you want.

In certain instances where you have no family the journal will be passed to your friends and carers to make sure all the wishes are followed.

The journal we produce will cover all the essential areas including practical instructions to make sure your full estate is administered by the executors in the best and most sensible way and reducing any areas of indecision.

This document will sit next to your Will with the Solicitor and be available to your family and friends on your passing.

During our meeting we can discuss your thoughts and decide what you may want to happen. We can plan the type of funeral, discuss the benefits of a pre-paid funeral plan, explain why it is necessary to have a Will and look at other legal services, offer financial advice from our independent financial advisor, make a choice about flowers or donations, define your own personal funeral service, plan a receptions to celebrate your life and lots more.

The meeting will allow you to list down lots of answers to a number of key questions which you may not have been considered essential but will support your plans and wishes and help your family and friends when you pass on.

          Sample Questions:

•     What type of funeral service, Religious or Humanist?
•   Pre Funeral gathering?
•   Poetry, Quotes, Readings (Be conscious that a eulogy will be read, you may want to choose the people in advance and the content)?
•   Music: Live or Recorded (This is linked to the funeral theme) Do you want a choir, instruments or a singer (all or part)?
•   The location of the Will (home, lawyer, accountant?) Let someone know where it is stored
•   Who are the executors? (Their names, addresses, telephone/mobile number, email addresses)
•   Do you have a Bank Vault?
•   The combination of your House Safe?
•   Where is your outside Storage unit?
•   What is the name of your Pension provider?
•   Insurance documents are filed where?

There are many questions we ask in order to have a complete understanding of your wishes and we list all the practical details to support the estate management. We will produce a comprehensive  document and arrange the secure storage of the journal with your solicitor or family. We can also securely store in our offices, if required.

The Funeral Planning Journal is a document which will serve as your Letter of Wishes, and offer your family and executors complete clarity at a time when they will be stressed and needing assistance.

We will sit with you and give you time to the finish all the answers to the important questions and will arrange further visits if more time is required.

In our experience we know this will help your loved ones find the answers to all those important questions as they make arrangements.



You Can't Take It With You: Episode 2

The second show in the series introduced us to more couples torn over what to do with their estate once they move on.

The theme this week was to focus on favouritism and how that impacts on families after the Will is read and how it can cause real heartache.

The first family have five daughters, their parents, Robert and Brenda, could not agree on a will because Brenda wanted to leave more of their estate to the youngest and Robert disagreed and wanted it all to be split evenly.

The second family had to deal with an earlier unfair Will which benefited one son more than a daughter; Trevor getting 80 per cent, while his half-sister Pam was left with less than 20%.

He now has to decide how much he should leave to Pam's three children to redress the balance from his half of the estate once he pops his clogs.

Robert and Brenda with the help of Sir Gerry held a family meeting to discuss their concerns which highlighted the difference of opinion. The youngest daughter felt the meeting too emotional and briefly left in tears. The four elder sisters recognised they had received benefits the youngest daughter had yet to receive and they agreed she should benefit by receiving an payment of £35,000 before the estate was split evenly.

This left one final issue. Which daughter would receive their Father's Police Gallantry Medal and Robert finally made a difficult decision which actually met with his wive's approval.

In the second dispute Trevor found the family meeting very difficult and couldn't really discuss the matter though Sir Gerry wouldn't let it go and hustled for a view. This discussion must have suffered from a few long silences as it was edited to a short interchange amongst the family members.

Trevor seemed to have no time for his half sister and favoured only her eldest daughter who could trust with a proportion of his estate. He actually said he trusted his step children with all of his estate but following much discussion, and a little outrage, did he come to his senses.

The second family decided to place one half of the estate in trust for the niece and two step daughters, dependent on her died first, and leave the other half to their spouse. This allowed the surviving spouse to remain in the family home for as long as they wished.

There was a sad footnote as Brenda from the first family had died since filming but at least she died with a valid Will in place and happy that the issue of the estate was settled.

Next week's programme will focus on how tradition and religion can create unfair Wills.

Can't wait.