Each year, Americans spend billions of dollars arranging more than two million funerals for family and friends. In fact, funerals can be one of the more expensive consumer purchases a person will make in a lifetime. Consumers should consider the following when they plan funeral services for a loved one or pre-plan one for themselves:

- Get as much information as possible about the options available. If you choose to prepay, ask for a specific list of those items that are included as well as those that are not.

- Get EVERYTHING in writing and in detail. Like many contracts, details can become unclear over time if only general agreements made. This step may solve a lot of difficulties for your family in the future.

- Check to see if payment agreements can be made now with money delivered later. In some areas, for instance, consumers are allowed to make the funeral home a beneficiary of life insurance meant to cover this particular service

- Check to see if the funeral home puts the money in a trust or escrow upon pre-payment. An affirmative answer is usually a sign that the funeral home is a reputable provider of pre-planning services.

- TALK TO YOUR FAMILY!

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Additionally, some funeral homes are changing—and not for the better. In fact, many locally owned funeral homes are being bought by large corporations and may exploit consumers by offering less service and charging higher prices. As a result, consumers should consider asking the following questions:

- Are you a locally owned funeral home?

- Are you a member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes?

Answers to these questions and the questions mentioned above will help guarantee consumers a more informative and beneficial experience during an extremely stressful and vulnerable time.