Prepaid Funerals
When you make the decision to preplan your funeral arrangements, you take a positive step to make your wishes be known, and you remove the stress of planning a funeral in the moments of grief, from your family, providing them the space and time to acknowledge and move through their grief journey.
Prepaying your future funeral needs takes that one step further, by removing the financial pressures that are associated with a funeral, you are giving your family the greatest gift of all.
Our close relationship with Sureplan Friendly Society enables us to set up your funeral bond with a leader in the Australian market, offering great peace of mind in knowing that your investment is secure for when it is needed.
At McCartney Family Funerals, our family will be happy to discuss options for prearranged and prepaid funerals with you. Appointments can be made either at home or at our premises, if that is more convenient. Consultations with our pre-planning staff are free of charge and are a relaxed and easy process.
How to Pre Arrange a Funeral in Brisbane
We make the process of pre planning your funeral arrangements simple & easy. Call us today on 1300 043 522 to arrange a time to meet with one of our Funeral Directors in Brisbane to discuss your prearrangement needs, or complete the form below and we will get in touch with you to make a convenient time to visit you in your home.
What is a Funeral Bond?
McCartney Family Funerals is proud to work with Sureplan Friendly Society to provide industry-leading funeral bonds for those who want to forward plans for their funeral expenses. Our Funeral Directors can provide a funeral bond that suits your needs and arrange for fast coverage for your funeral bond products.
Sureplan’s funeral bond is called Sureplan Gold, and it is a conservatively managed bond that is an ideal way to put aside funds for your funeral expenses. You can either invest a lump sum or save using regular deposits from as little as $50 per month. Therefore it is an ideal funeral savings plan.
Why is a Funeral Bond a good idea?
Funeral bonds are a simple and effective way to ensure that your loved ones are not left to foot the bill after a person has passed on. By planning ahead with prepaid funeral bonds, you effectively take the pressure off your family and friends when it comes to organising the type of funeral you had planned or expected. During times of loss, we want family members to have the time to grieve their loved one instead of stressing over funeral costs and planning. Taking this additional pressure off those who are in mourning is a thoughtful way to allow them extra time to reflect and remember the best moments with their deceased friend or family.
What are the Benefits to Planning Ahead?
If you choose to plan ahead by using prepaid funeral bonds with the team at McCartney Funerals, you will have the opportunity to plan your final farewell in the way that you want. Though it may feel like a bit of a morbid undertaking, by planning ahead, you can clearly communicate the kind of send-off you would like. From the type of music played to the flower arrangements, you can have complete control over your celebration of life with our available funeral bonds. This kind of forethought will help those you love move through their grief at their own pace. Our team offers a helpful funeral planning kit that has been developed using our combined years of experience in planning beautiful farewells. These kits are designed to help you understand all of the elements involved in planning a funeral to ensure that you have everything pre-organized and covered.
Why McCartney Family Funerals?
At McCartney Funerals, we pride ourselves on offering years of experience and the kindest compassion to the residents of Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Southeast Queensland. With multiple funeral homes dotted throughout Southeastern Queensland, there is a location near you that is more than ready to help answer all of your questions about funeral bonds. The collective experience within our team will provide you with all the support you could need to plan your final farewell. We encourage you to bring close family members along with you to ensure that everyone is comfortable with the plans that you want to make. If you have any questions at all, our funeral directors are more than willing to help in any way that they can.
How Can A Funeral Bond Benefit Me?
Funeral bonds in Australia
Our prepaid funeral bonds are managed under a plan called Sureplan Gold. With Sureplan Gold, you are not locked into a contract to pay monthly funeral insurance premiums. You choose how much you wish to pay, and you are free to change your saving program at any time. And crucially, as you do not have to make compulsory payments (as with other funeral bond programs), you cannot lose your money if you fall into arrears — your money will always be there for your family when the time comes. But please note, as Sureplan Gold is a funeral bond, you will be unable to access your funds after the 30-day “cooling off” period. Funeral bonds are designed to only be accessible after your death, so you should always be sure of the investment before starting a funeral bond.
Sureplan Gold has some significant benefits over traditional savings and investment funds which we have detailed below.
Pension Maximisation
The maximum amount you can contribute to funeral bonds is currently $15,000 (as of 1/7/2023) without being subject to the Centrelink or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Income and Assets Test. This is relevant for self-funded retirees who are either receiving a part pension or are just outside the pension entitlement threshold. Read more on the government Funeral Bonds and Prepaid Services page for more information.
Reducing aged care costs
Funeral bonds in Australia can be beneficial to those who are entering a time in their life where they may be looking at moving into an aged care facility or retirement home. When entering an aged care facility, an investment in Sureplan Gold may reduce your assessable assets and, as a consequence, reduce your accommodation costs. Sureplan recommends you receive independent financial advice before making a decision to invest in Sureplan Gold for this purpose.
Security
Sureplan Gold only invests in government bonds, highly rated corporate bonds (senior debt instruments issued by the major Australian corporates and banks), and cash. We aim to keep your investment as secure as possible to ensure that the funding required for your funeral is ready and waiting to carry out all of your final wishes. All prepaid funeral bonds are managed per the rules of the Australian government, so you can be sure that when you take a funeral bond with our team at McCartney Funerals, your money will be managed in the most responsible of ways.
Solid, predictable returns
At McCartney Funerals, we want to be sure that the money you are investing into your funeral bond is maximised when it comes to receiving a return on your investment. Since its inception in 1998/99, Sureplan Gold has produced an annual return that equalled or bettered inflation for that year. While past performance does not guarantee future results, the investment strategy employed focuses on delivering returns that equal or exceed CPI, with minimum risk. Following a great deal of research when we first initiated our funeral bonds service, and after continuing to offer this service over many years, Sureplan Gold is the fund that we trust most to take care of your money.
Taxation Minimisation
Any bonuses credited to your Sureplan Gold bond will not be required to be included as income for taxation purposes. Unless you assign your Sureplan Gold bond to a funeral director or cemetery/crematorium business, bonuses paid as part of your funeral benefit will be subject to tax in your estate. If you declare the total of your prepaid funeral expenses in your funeral bond, then this amount will not be included in any assets tests conducted by Centrelink or other government bodies. Likewise, if you have prepaid for a burial plot, this will also not be included in any asset tests.
Low fees
Sureplan Gold has no entry, contribution, or exit fees. However, if you die within 12 months of commencing your account, any bonuses credited will be reversed. At McCartney Funerals, we want to ensure that your funeral bond is not detrimental to making plans for your final farewell. We ensure that our fees remain as low as possible so that you can feel secure in making your plans and taking out your funeral investment plan with us.
Easy and speedy claims
Sureplan guarantees to pay the funeral benefit within one working day of receiving verification of your death from an independent source. Our funeral bonds are designed to be one of the simplest parts of the process for your family and friends, so our team works to ensure that claims are processed smoothly so we can begin executing your funeral plans as soon as possible.
Contact McCartney Funerals to begin making plans Today
Pre-planning your funeral is one of the kindest things you can do for those that you will be leaving behind. We strongly encourage considering prepaid funeral bonds for those that are unwell or are interested in learning more about making these arrangements. If you would like to meet with one of our Pre-Need Funeral Specialists and talk through your wishes in a relaxed and obligation-free environment, fill out the form below or contact us directly.
We will be happy to meet with you at one of our funeral home locations from the Gold Coast to Brisbane, making the planning process as simple and convenient as possible for you. We are more than happy to talk you through the benefits of a Sureplan Gold bond and answer any questions that you might have. Contact us today to start the process of planning your final farewell in exactly the way you will want it.
Our comprehensive guide will give you a good understanding of the process and what is required during the arrangement process.
You can download our comprehensive guide by clicking the image.
Please take a few moments to download and familiarise yourself with what you can do to prepare for your funeral arrangement, and as always, if you require any assistance, please feel free to call us on 1300 043 522.