Q. How are funeral services priced? 

A.The cost of services is determined by the type of service chosen and the individual components of that service.  Shackelford Funeral Directors offers convenient service packages consisting of items that are chosen most often by the families we serve.  A service package includes all components of a particular type of service for a single fee.  Examples of different service packages would include the traditional funeral service, graveside service, forwarding to another funeral home, receiving from another funeral home, immediate burial, and cremation packages.  Individual service components may also be purchased separately from our itemized general price list.  The cost of a service is based on the actual expense related to the specific items chosen, as well as a percentage of operating expenses.

Q. Dad wants to be cremated, but I want to have a visitation and service for him.  Can we do both? 

A.Yes you can!  Cremation is nothing more than a means of final disposition.  Many people recognize the need to have a time for family and friends to come together and share their feelings and experiences following the death of someone they love.  Most also understand the importance of planning some type of personalized ceremony that remembers and pays tribute to a life that has been lived.  A traditional visitation and service may be planned with the body present, or a memorial service may be planned following cremation.  Your funeral director will be able to discuss different options that are available to you and answer any questions you may have.

Q. What options are available to pay for a funeral? 

A.Many people choose to pre-arrange and pre-pay for their funerals in advance.  Death is one of the certainties of life, and preparations must be made for its eventual occurrence.  By pre-paying, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your family will be protected from future price increases. 
For payment at the time of death, Shackelford Funeral Directors offers many options for your convenience.  We accept assignments on life insurance, and will take care of all details involved in the filing of claims.  If the deceased person was not insured, we accept cash or personal checks.  In addition, some of our locations also accept credit and debit cards.  While we do not offer in-house financing, those wishing to make payments over time may make those arrangements with a bank or other financial institution.  Payment or the securing of payment is requested at the time arrangements are made. 

Q. How does pre-arrangement work? 

A.You may pre-arrange today for a funeral to be delivered at an unknown date in the future.  Your wishes and selections are recorded and kept in a personal file.  When death occurs, we can go to your information and determine exactly what is to be done.  If you choose to pre-pay for the services and merchandise selected, you pay at today’s price.  Your money is then invested in an irrevocable trust that earns interest until death occurs.  The trustee then releases the money to the funeral home to pay for the funeral.  The funeral home receives from the trust the cost of the funeral on the day it is delivered.  For example, if you select a service and merchandise that totals $5,000.00 today, and at the time of death that same service and merchandise totals $5,600.00, the trust would pay $5,600.00 to the funeral home.  The payment would consist of the $5,000.00 principal amount plus $600.00 in interest earnings.  If there is more money than is needed in the trust to cover inflation, that excess may be used to upgrade the service or to pay for different third party services, such as flowers, honorariums, or paid obituaries.  The excess may also be refunded to the family if no other expenses are incurred.  If there is less money in the trust than is needed to cover the pre-selected services and merchandise at the time of death, then the funeral home must provide the pre-selected services and merchandise for the amount that is in trust, and discount any remaining balance.  Pre-arrangement can definitely provide peace of mind and inflation protection to the person who is pre-arranging as well as to their immediate family members.  For more information, please contact one of our Directors.