It’s never too early to create a funeral plan. The earlier you start, typically, the more manageable the costs will be.

To initiate the preplanning process, you’ll want to meet with a knowledgeable funeral director. The funeral director will then gather all relevant information on the details of your funeral, including the location and order of the memorial service, the casket, any memorial or monument you may want, and where you want to be buried. You can also specify who will participate in your service and what readings will be included.

The things the funeral director will need to know to put together your preplan include:

• Name, Social Security numbers, date of birth, marital status
• Children’s names and contact details
• Whether you want the contract to be revocable or irrevocable
• Whether you want a monument
• The type of casket you want
• If there’s anything special you want at a memorial service

Many of the expenses of a funeral can be fixed in advance, but not all. As a general rule, the cost of funeral arrangements, the price of a casket or monument, and the expense of a limo or hearse can all be prepaid. The costs related to the cemetery, including grave opening, are generally not fixed, nor are the costs of clergy or death certificates.

Yes, but only if you have entered into a “revocable” preplanning agreement. In Florida, a preplan may be revocable or irrevocable. With a revocable preplan, you can get your money back, but it will be considered an asset for the purposes of Medicaid. With an irrevocable preplan, the contract is fixed. Any funds contributed to the preplan will be excluded from Medicaid.

All prepaid funeral funds in Florida are paid to the funeral home and can be paid in installments or as a lump sum. The funeral home typically invests the money and uses interest earned to offset eventual funeral costs. The person purchasing the preplan has no control under Florida law over any interest earned on the funds.