PLOTTING STRATEGIES; PRE-PLANNED FUNERALS CAN EASE BURDENS.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

Unlike most major financial transactions, funeral arrangements are typically made hastily during a time of deep emotion - but it doesn't have to be that way.

You can pre-plan your own funeral long before you feel the Grim Reaper's cold breath on the back of your neck, thus making your wishes known to family members while easing the emotional and financial burden on your grief-stricken loved ones.

About 98 percent of the nation's funeral homes offer pre-arrangement options, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.

Robert Risher, president of the Los Angeles County Funeral Directors Association, said the process basically involves two simple steps: first, secure the appropriate cemetery property that meets your financial or religious needs. Then, select a mortuary that meets those needs and which will make all other arrangements, including church services, music and printed obituaries, according to your wishes.

``The mortuary is able to do everything for you as long as you have the cemetery property,'' he said.

A good place to start would be your clergyperson, who can direct you to the appropriate cemetery or funeral home, he said.

Meanwhile, here are other tips, advice, costs and words of wisdom to bear in mind while pre-planning your funeral:

HOW TO PAY AHEAD

Prepaying may or may not be required when you prearrange a funeral. If prepayment is required - or if you'd rather pay than have the costs deducted from your estate or billed to your survivors - the following three options are available:

You can set up a trust fund in which money is deposited to the funeral home either in a lump sum or installments to cover expenses.

You can purchase a special insurance policy that provides benefits equal to funeral expenses.

Through a savings or certificate of deposit account, you can set aside for funeral expenses and designate the account as ``payable on death'' to the funeral home.

BEFORE YOU PREPAY

Here are some pertinent questions to ask when you do prepay:

Are prepayments refundable in whole or in part?

What, if any, subsequent cost increases are covered by the prepayment?

Who receives the interest on the account, or pays taxes on that interest?

What if the funeral home you have chosen goes out of business or is sold?

Is the prefunding plan transferable if the purchaser moves?

Keep a copy of the prearrangement plan and other paperwork in a safe place and tell a relative or close friend about the arrangements you've made and where to find that information.

WHAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR

The cost of grave sites and funeral expenses can vary widely depending on the type of casket chosen and other associated services and materials:

AT THE FUNERAL HOME...

Nondeclinable professional service charges $1,078.98

Embalming $369.51

Other preparation (cosmetology, etc.) $132.92

Visitation/viewing $304.84

Funeral at funeral home $325.73

Transfer of remains to funeral home $134.17

Hearse (local) $161.24

Service Car/Van $80.76

Acknowledgment cards $18.74

Casket, 18 gauge steel, sealer, velvet interior $2,175.57

Vault, asphalt coated concrete, sealer $760.79

AT THE CEMETERY . . .

Cost of a grave space ranges from $150 to more than $1,900

Cost of opening and closing a grave ranges from $125 to $750

Cost of a crypt inside a mausoleum starts at approximately $2,500

Cost of an outside garden crypt is about $1,500

Cremation costs range from $75 to $395

Bronze urns cost $230 to $1,800

Above-ground columbaria niches range from $450 to $1,500 per person

In-ground columbaria in an urn garden ranges from $450 to $1,250

Monuments or markers start at about $450 for a simple memorial.

Source: National Funeral Directors Association

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