Planning a funeral or cremation in advance gives you more time to make decisions. Decisions made together, without the blur of emotions that are present when a death has just occurred results in better peace of mind. Your surviving family members will have less to worry about in the event of your death. When everyone knows everything is taken care of, they will not have to wonder what you would have wanted and can avoid common family disagreements about many important decisions. When you pre-pay, your estate will owe nothing on funeral expenses. More of your assets and life insurance proceeds will go directly to your family.