It’s too much money! Rhetoric that kept doing rounds on social media referring to the over 1.2 billion Uganda shillings burial budget for fallen speaker Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah. A state funeral befitting the No. 3 according to order of precedence in Uganda.
Conversely, without prejudice whatsoever, the average family spends around 1.5 million Ugandan shillings (USD $400) to 10 million shillings (USD $2,658) on a loved one’s funeral. However, funeral costs can far exceed this amount in some cases due to the number of invited guests, distance to the ancestral home, particular tribal ceremonies and other reasons.
As shown in the graphic above, the current life expectancy for Uganda in 2022 is 63.73 years. The life expectancy for neighbouring countries Kenya and Rwanda was 66 and 69 years respectively.
The truth is that life only guarantees a few things, one of which is dying. At some point, we’ll all pass away. When that day comes, do you want your family to worry about paying for your funeral?
If not, you need funeral insurance. While you can purchase funeral insurance at any point, you shouldn’t procrastinate too long.
As you consider this option, you might wonder about the top reasons people purchase funeral insurance. Below we’ll explain the top five reasons.
1. It Alleviates the Financial Burdens
While some families might have the resources to pay for a funeral without suffering financially, others don’t. In most cases, funerals come out of nowhere, leaving a family in a rush to find the money to pay for it.
Buying funeral insurance gives you a way to avoid this problem. Your family won’t have to fret or worry about the costs.
Additionally, they won’t have to search for ways to reduce your funeral costs to save money. They also won’t have to go into debt paying for these expenses.
The insurance money will cover everything needed for your funeral, and it will allow your family to give you the funeral services and burial you want as well as give them comfort and closure in a dignified send-off.
You can consider several insurance options when buying funeral coverage. One vital thing to know is that burial insurance is one form of life insurance. As a result, your costs depend on your policy amount, age, and health.
The primary benefit of buying a plan is that you pay for it through your insurance plan, which prevents your family from covering the costs.
2. It Reduces Added Stress to Your Family
The next reason you need funeral insurance is to minimize the stress your family experiences after your death.
You can’t predict the day you’ll die, but you can anticipate that your family will mourn your loss. Of course, they’ll be sad on this day and for years to come, but they might take comfort in offering you the funeral you deserve.
With the best insurance policy, they’ll have the proceeds they need to do this for you. Additionally, your family will have less stress while planning your funeral services and burial plan.
Ensuring that they have the necessary funds to pay for everything takes one thing off their plate. If helping your family suffer less after your death is important to you, this is a great way to do it.
They’ll have plenty of other things to worry about, but they won’t have to worry about paying for your funeral.
3. It Allows Your Family to Focus on the Vital Things
Reducing the stress your family experiences is definitely a plus, but another reason to buy funeral insurance is to encourage your family to focus on the vital things.
Planning a funeral requires many decisions, including the following:
- Funeral location
- Burial vs. cremation. In Uganda, this is more or less burial.
- Casket type
- Clergy
- Service agenda
- Announcements
- Memorials
- Food
- Pallbearers
- Flowers
This list just names a few decisions your family must make when planning your funeral. If your family knows that you have funeral insurance, they’ll have a budget to work with from the start.
They can use this budget to decide on the things listed here and others, and they can give the budget to the funeral director that assists with the services.
As a result, your family will be able to focus on the important decisions for your funeral. They’ll also be able to relax more and take comfort in talking with all the guests that show up to offer their condolences.
4. It Covers All the Costs Involved With a Funeral
As you consider that the average cost of a funeral is over 5 million Uganda shillings (USD $1,410), you can properly plan for your funeral expenses. The purpose is to ensure that you have enough coverage to pay for everything.
A great way to do this is by speaking with an insurance agent to discuss your needs. You can let them know that you’d like an affordable insurance plan that covers all the funeral costs. The insurance agent can help you determine how much you’ll need by asking questions about your desires.
Next, the agent will look for affordable insurance options that fit within your budget but provide the coverage you need. If your policy provides enough coverage, your family won’t have to spend a dime out of their pockets.
5. It Encourages People to Plan Their Funerals
The last reason to buy funeral insurance is to avoid procrastinating about this event. Death isn’t a subject that most people enjoy discussing or thinking about, yet it’s a fact of life.
Buying funeral insurance often prompts people to consider their desires and put them in writing. When you put your funeral desires and wishes in writing, it eliminates much of the guesswork.
Your family won’t have to wonder what you want as when Archbishop Desmond Tutu died, his burial wishes were clear and this is part of what goes into your plan. Your family won’t have to wonder where to host your funeral, what songs to play there, and what clergy to hire. Instead, you can plan all these things in advance. In a way, leaving them your last message to them.
While buying funeral insurance doesn’t require planning your funeral, it often encourages people to take these steps ahead of time.
Buy Funeral Insurance to Reap These Benefits and More
Funeral insurance is a product that you might view as optional. But, hopefully, you see now that it’s an essential insurance policy to purchase.
It offers many benefits and helps ease a family’s burdens after losing a loved one. As a result, you might realize that funeral insurance is something you shouldn’t live without.
