It is very likely that, at some point, you will have heard of the term funeral cover.
A funeral plan helps to take away the financial strain of those left behind when you pass away. The average cost of a funeral arranged by AVBOB is about R12 000. When you pass away, the last thing you want is your mourning family to struggle with cash. A funeral plan will make sure that your family will have funds as soon as possible.
With a funeral plan, you will make a small monthly contribution towards your provider. Your needs help determine the cost. For example, your age, amount of people covered and insured amounts. Your can amend your premiums and cover amounts until you are 100% satisfied with your policy.
When you pass away, because of an accident or illness, the insured amount will pay out. This amount will pay out to the beneficiary of your choice. Your nominated beneficiary will usually receive this payout within 48 hours of a valid claim.
Your beneficiary will then be able to clear all the bills related with your burial. Some providers like AVBOB provide a full service. A full service means they can help your beneficiary arrange the funeral. Other providers like Brightrock, Discovery, Hollard, Liberty, Momentum & Sanlam will offer your beneficiary a cash payment. Your beneficiary can then use the money for whatever reason they deem fit.
A funeral plan can sometimes offer more than monetary benefits. Over and above the cash, you will receive, there will also be peace of mind. It can sometimes be just as valuable as the money.
With a decent funeral plan, you will usually receive many benefits. The benefits will usually be over and above your cash payout. For example, some providers will offer discounts on a tombstone, coffin and other related services.
Funeral plan providers will have benefits to enhance their product. The benefits can sometimes make having a funeral plan extra worth it.
With most providers, you will be able to insure your direct and indirect family members. You can cover your spouse, children parents and parents in law under direct family.
Everybody needs some form of burial cover. It does not matter how old you are today. Death does not discriminate. Anybody can die on any day. It is a sad but true reality.
If you are on the older side of the spectrum, you are usually the more susceptible to illness. Thus, it is important to take out a funeral policy before it is too late. The older you become, the more expensive your funeral policy will be. It is due to the risk factor associated with age.
It does not mean that younger people are immune to death. Accidents claim lives unexpectedly every minute of every day. Rather be prepared before it is too late.
With funeral cover, there will be a standard waiting period of 6 months. This waiting period is only applicable to death caused by natural causes. It is an industry standard. It is to prevent families taking out funeral policies when the insured life is about to end.
Most funeral insurance providers will not have any waiting period for accidental death. This includes murder, car accidents, etc. Some policies will double the insured amount if the claim is due to an accident.
This waiting period should not scare you; six months pass quickly. If you are healthy, this should not worry you. This waiting period needs to be in place for various reasons.
There will be no medical examinations required when you sign up. A funeral plan will always give you the benefit of the doubt. This is another reason funeral insurance providers in South Africa must have a waiting period. Most plans will not even exclude HIV/AIDS.