Frequently Asked Questions – Why Plan Ahead?

Pre-planning a funeral is an effective way to make sure that your final wishes are represented accurately after death. Our dedicated staff will meet with you and your family to discuss all options available to you. They will guide you through the process to ensure that you feel comfortable with your pre-planned funeral arrangements. Our staff is available to meet with you about pre-planning at our facility, located at 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, or can travel to you to talk about pre-planning in the comfort of your own home. Staff can also meet with you through video calling, should you not feel comfortable coming to the facility or having someone at your home. The staff at Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home and 603Cremations.com will ensure you are comfortable and informed about all the options available, and are available to answer any questions that you may have.

You can discuss costs at this time, or simply about the types of services available. During pre-planning, you will have the option to pre-pay, or simply prepare you final funeral arrangements.

There are many options our staff will discuss with you during a pre-planning appointment. Considerations that may be discussed can include, but are not limited to:

• Traditional burial or cremation services
• What type, if any, of visitation - viewing, wake or reception
• Where the will services be held - funeral home, place of worship, cemetery or other
• Religious/spiritual ceremony vs. secular gathering
• Specific music to be used
• Specific scripture/spiritual readings to be used
• Floral preference; donation requests in lieu of flowers; memorial contributions
• Any unique and specific desires of the individual or family to personalize a service
• Once all of the pre-arrangements have been made, we will keep copies of all decisions on file.

Individuals and families can pre-arrange a funeral at no cost to them. The arrangements will be available once death has occurred. The option is available to pre-fund your funeral arrangements, which alleviates the burden and responsibility of your family to pay for the funeral at the time of death.

For individuals who choose to pre-fund their funeral, there are different payment options. It may involve a cash purchase of an insurance policy or trust, which will be utilized at the time of death. The policy or trust is designed to increase in value over time to keep pace with any increases in funeral cost over that same period. Payment programs, in which you may payments over time, are also available.

One of the main advantages of pre-paying for your funeral arrangements is that you are guaranteed the products and services that will be provided at a later date. This means that you will pay for what the cost of services now, and that price remains valid in the future, should those prices increase over time. While we cannot control external costs such as flowers and newspaper obituaries, pre-paying for your funeral arrangements with Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home and 603Cremations.com assures that all of the primary funeral and burial costs will be covered. This means that your loved ones will not feel the pressure of unexpected raised costs during an emotional time.

Pre-planning is much like it sounds - making the decisions of how you would like to be remembered. It allows you to make your wishes known to your loved ones and gives you the opportunity to create your own unique celebration. Your loved ones will greatly appreciate you pre-planning your funeral, as it alleviates many questions that may arise.

Pre-funding is the next logical step in the planning process. One of the key advantages of pre-arranging a funeral, is that when you also choose to prepay, you are guaranteed tomorrow's products and services at today's costs. Pre-funding allows you to pay for your funeral plans, saving loved ones from incurring those costs. We offer different options for pre-funding your funeral arrangements, which our staff will guide you through at your pre-planning appointment.

Are you faced with a deadline for your loved one to qualify for Medicaid? Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Homes and 603Cremations.com has expertise in establishing irrevocable funeral accounts. Our staff understands that time is of the essence with a Medicaid Spend Down. If you don't have your application in on time, it could mean paying more health care bills than necessary. We are ready to work quickly and efficiently to assist you, to ensure you do not have to pay more in health care bills.

Where timing is crucial with the Medicaid Application, you do not have to know what kind of funeral you want. The plan can be funded, and the specific details can be decided upon later. The most important aspect of this type of pre-arrangement is ensuring that your loved one qualifies for Medicaid. If the applicant already has a life insurance policy, please have the death benefit and cash value available. We’d be honored to walk you through this process.

The best way to establish an irrevocable funeral account is to call Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home and 603Cremations.com and set up an appointment with one of our funeral directors.

Our staff will ensure that all of the details outlined in the pre-arrangement, and any possible new items, will be processed with no additional expense to you. We are locally owned and operated and have been providing meaningful funeral services to the families of the Lakes Region and New Hampshire for over 150 years. Our staff is led by fourth generation Funeral Director, Craig S. Beane, who has followed in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father, and is dedicated to you and your family to ensure you receive the best service available. We are happy assist you with the process of transferring your arrangements. Please call us at 603-524-4300 to complete the necessary paperwork to transfer your pre-arrangement.