New Jersey Prepaid
Funeral Trust FundTM What are the benefits of prefunding my funeral? When you prearrange and prefund your funeral you ensure, that the funeral reflects your wishes, that there is sufficient money readily available to pay for your funeral, and that your family or friends are not burdened with having to make important decisions or face financial concerns at a very stressful time. The New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust FundTM meets all Federal and State consumer protection preneed laws. Our goal is to ensure that people can prefund their funerals – safely, conveniently and with complete confidence. What do I need to do? Talk with family and close friends and let them know of your desire to preplan. It is important for them to know that you are making these arrangements. Meet with your
funeral director and discuss the kind of funeral you desire. If possible, bring a family
member or friend with you. Select the specific services and merchandise (including: type
of ceremony, viewing hours, memorial service, casket and place of committal). Your funeral
director will then provide you with an itemized statement listing your choices and their
charges, along with your trust fund agreement. How does the New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust FundTM work? The New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust Fund places your money in an FDIC insured account – so you can be sure it is safe. Your money stays in your name and it is completely refundable, except in the case of SSI/Medicaid. Should you need to apply for a public assistance program in the future, your trust account can be converted to qualify as an excludable resource. (Ask your funeral director for our Medicaid Preplanning brochure.) To earn the best
possible interest, your money is pooled with thousands of other accounts. The interest
earned over time should help to offset the costs of inflation. This means that, even with
future price increases, as long as you do not withdraw any of your deposit or the interest
earned, your funeral director should be able to provide you with the funeral of your
choice. And unlike traditional savings accounts, which may close or become inaccessible at
time of death, your New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust Fund account becomes immediately
payable. What about payment and confirmation? When your
arrangements are finalized, simply write a check directly to the New Jersey Prepaid
Funeral Trust Fund for the cost of the funeral. (You may pay in full, or make a minimum
payment of $500 and arrange a payment plan with your funeral director.) Within 10 days,
you will receive a confirmation of your account directly from the Trust Fund. For more
information about how you can benefit from the New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust Fund,
simply ask us. The New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust FundTM Your account is 100%
trusted. It is totally refundable*, with interest and with no penalty, and is
transferable.
SSI, Medicaid and Prepaying a Funeral What are the benefits of prepaying a funeral prior to your eligibility for SSI or Medicaid? Prepaying allows you to pay for the funeral of your choice before assets are used up for medical care and before assets are reduced to SSI or Medicaid eligibility levels. Ask your funeral director about Funeral Planning ChoicesTM prefunding options – the New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust FundTM and Sure TrustTM. These programs meet all federal and State laws. And, visit our website at www.njsfda.org. What does the law allow? Federal and State law permit you to pay in full for future funeral arrangements by depositing funds into one properly established irrevocable account tied to a prepaid funeral contract. Such funds are considered excludable resources when SSI, Medicaid or General Assistance eligibility is determined. Will your prepaid funeral arrangements qualify as an exemption? If you prearrange a
funeral through Funeral Planning ChoicesTM – New Jersey Prepaid Funeral
Trust FundTM or Sure TrustTM, you can be sure the funeral
arrangements qualify for the SSI/Medicaid exemption and are being provided by a properly
registered funeral home. Opening an account with Funeral Planning ChoicesTM
allows you to arrange the funeral of your (or your loved one’s) choice, provided
that:
Established in 1981, the New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust FundTM is a well managed trust that deposits 100% of your trusted money in an FDIC insured account. Thousands of accounts are pooled together to earn the best possible interest intended to offset the costs of inflation. This means that, even with future price increases, your funeral director should be able to provide the funeral you selected. And unlike traditional savings accounts which may become inaccessible at the time of death, your New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust FundTM account is immediately available to cover funeral expenses. Can I use an existing life insurance policy to prefund my funeral? Yes. Sure TrustTM, the Funeral Insurance Administration Trust, is prefunding option that benefits families who would otherwise have to surrender whole life insurance policies during the spend-down process for SSI, Medicaid or General Assistance eligibility. Sure TrustTM meets all SSI, Medicaid and General Assistance requirements, ensuring that you will not be forced to "cash out" insurance policies in order to qualify for assistance. *State law requires that any excess money remaining in irrevocable accounts after funeral expenses have been paid be forwarded to the State Medicaid Program) this applies only to accounts opened on or after February 27, 2000).
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