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Funeral Expenses
AbsoluteZero
The new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered User regular
The new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered User regular
My father-in-law passed away the other day, somewhat unexpectedly. He was in bad shape but the family expected he would recover, however he took a sharp turn for the worse and very quickly he was gone. Now the family is in a predicament. He was a decorated Vietnam war veteran, so the VA is covering the cost of his burial. Unfortunately, they do not cover the cost of the funeral, which is several thousand dollars even with the most modest options from the funeral home. Worse, the family is strapped for cash, there's no assets to speak of, and the funeral home demands cash up front or they will not perform the service.
Long story short somehow the family needs to find thousands of dollars in a little less than a week to give this man a proper funeral. I'm sure someone here has been in a similar situation. How did you resolve it? Are there assistance programs or some sort of loan you can take out? I've been Googling around but everything I find seems like a scam. This is adding a ton of stress to an already awful situation.
Long story short somehow the family needs to find thousands of dollars in a little less than a week to give this man a proper funeral. I'm sure someone here has been in a similar situation. How did you resolve it? Are there assistance programs or some sort of loan you can take out? I've been Googling around but everything I find seems like a scam. This is adding a ton of stress to an already awful situation.
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Short version is it's a shitty system and sounds like you got a bad funeral company. They should work with you.
Someone may be able to take it a loan through their bank or credit union, or if they can get the life insurance money (if there is any). Often retirement or investments have emergency withdrawal options.
Cremation is often less expensive if that's an option.
Was he involved in a church or other group? Could talk to them. Did he stay in touch with other vets?
Good luck.
When they go to the funeral home or negotiate any price, it's a good idea to have a friend there who is not grieving to advise and negotiate in the favor of the bereaved. I would recommend you talk to the VA / VFW and ask their advice. It's not an uncommon problem, and should be a reminder that it's best to take care of your arrangements while you're living if there's some specific thing you want.
Better to get an (ideally) unsecured loan from a bank or other financial institution.
Surprisingly, Costco apparently has really good prices on caskets.
My grandparents did this too, but they were Jewish and Jewish funerals tend to be dead --> less than 24 hours pass --> maybe a service then box in ground --> food. My uncle was Catholic and not exactly wealthy but the funeral was four days later and an all-day affair moving from place to place. Religious considerations might make things more complicated.
It's harder when it's unexpected, and you're not sure what to do/ what's expected. My grandparents did have the time to make their choices and let everyone know that they wanted very small affairs.