Funding for Future Needs

There are so many good reasons... practical ones, like saving money by paying in advance over time...and emotional ones, such as making sure your choices concerning memorial services, music and other matters are carried out...and giving your family and loved ones the peace of mind they deserve. Let’s discuss the practical ones first. Funeral prices have more than doubled in the past ten years. If you preplan with us, we guarantee that the funeral arrangements you specify will be available without additional costs when the need arises. Emotional reasons are even more important. Preplanning saves your family the burden of having to make difficult decisions at the worst possible time. You don’t want your family to guess about what kind of funeral service, or casket, or monument you prefer and you don’t want to leave them with extra unanticipated expenses.

Whelan Schwartz Funeral Home offers three convenient ways to pre-pay for a funeral. We will assist you in determining which funding method is best for you:

• Pre-payment in Full via a Qualified Funeral Trust
• Interest Free Monthly Payment Plan via a Qualified Funeral Trust
• Pre-funding Through a Life Insurance Policy Specifically Designed to Fund a Pre-Arranged Funeral

When you initiate your pre-paid funeral plan, we immediately establish a Qualified Individual Trust account in your name. Under the terms of the Trust Agreement, the funds are held in Trust only for the funeral services and merchandise specified in your contract. 100% of all funds prepaid are placed into a Qualified Funeral Trust at AmeriServ Trust and Financial Services Company, a Pennsylvania Banking Institution specializing in the administration of prepaid funeral funds. Funds are available for release from the bank trust to the funeral home only upon proof to the Bank Trustee of death and performance of the preneed contract.

As specified in each contract, we guarantee to deliver every preneed contract with no additional charge for any item prepaid in the contract, including all services as specified, and delivery of all merchandise specified.

• Your personal wishes are carried out, to the selection of every detail
• Tax free benefits
• Relieves your family of a financial burden
• Gives you peace of mind
• All funds prepaid are placed into an Individual Qualified Funeral Trust at AmeriServ Trust and Financial Services Company, a Pennsylvania Banking Institution specializing in the administration of prepaid funeral funds. Funds are available only upon proof to the trustee of performance of the preneed contract. Tax returns are filed by the Bank Trustee and taxes are paid from the Individual Trust. Neither the Beneficiary or the Purchaser of the Preneed Contract pay taxes on the earnings in the Trust.
• Protect Your Assets

The Individual Qualified Funeral Trust established in your name is exempt from being considered as part of your assets for Medicaid Qualification. We can assist you in protecting up to $12,500 of your assets.

Planning in advance of need provides peace of mind. The death of a loved one is a time of great loss and advance planning can reduce stress for your family with the knowledge that your preplan has been completed. This allows your loved ones to devote more time to coping and understanding the loss and less time concerned with funeral arrangements and financial details.

We understand that your personal choices are of the utmost importance. We will meet with you to assist you with the selection of the necessary merchandise and help you make the proper arrangements. Through pre-planning the cost of a funeral will be frozen. Merchandise selection during your pre-planning helps insure that you do not exceed what you want to pay. Pre-payment also offsets the risk of rising funeral costs in the future due to inflation.

When your family faces some of the most difficult times of their lives, don’t settle for anything less than the best. Choose the experts. Choose quality. To request more information regarding pre-planning/pre-arrangement, or to begin the pre-planning process, please call us at 610 374-0962. 

Online Pre-Arrangements Form