Spotlight On: Funeral plans
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The news is full of death, destruction and poverty. And while a new funeral plan policy launched by RIAS this week does nothing to alleviate that, it could be an option for those who want everything in place when they finally pop their clogs.
Like other plans on the market, you pay the company a fee and they sort out your funeral needs through a partner funeral director, in this case Dignity. Plans start from £2,339, which you can pay as a one-off lump sum, over 12 months or over 10 years, and RIAS is offering a £50 discount.
You have to be over 50 and the contract is only valid for 10 years – probably because the effect of inflation over a longer period would probably leave RIAS out of pocket.
It may strike you as odd that under this sort of plan you give a company several thousand pounds which they may hold for years, without getting anything back in the way of interest.
But it saves your family having to work out what your wishes were. And by paying out before your death rather than afterwards,the payment is not subject to inheritance tax.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments