Planning Ahead

Advance Planning FAQs

These are some of the questions we often get asked about advance planning at Sinai Memorial Chapel. If you have others, please get in touch with us.

• Q. How do I pay the costs associated with my plan?

  A. You can choose to pay nothing prior to death, knowing that a plan is in place that you have chosen and that meets the financial, emotional, and spiritual needs of you and your family. Or, you can pay a lump sum up-front or make payments over a period of years.

• Q. If I decide to pay for my services in advance, how will I be confident that the funds will be there at the time of need?

  A. If you decide to pre-fund your advanced plan, Sinai Memorial Chapel will see that all funds are placed in a separate Preneed Funeral Trust. Sinai Memorial Chapel has made arrangements with ClearPoint Federal Bank and Trust, an FDIC-insured bank, to hold such funds in trust, assuring that they will be there at the time of need.

• Q. When I make an advance plan and pre-fund it, is the price guaranteed, or will my family have to pay more at the time of my death?

  A. Sinai Memorial Chapel does not guarantee prices when an advance plan trust is created. However, we will work with your family to stay within the budget you have set. Sinai and most other cemeteries will guarantee the price of a plot when reserved and paid in full or over time.

• Q: What happens if I die before the funeral is fully pre-paid?

  A: The amount paid and the interest accrued will be credited toward the cost of the funeral.

• Q: My family member has limited income. I was advised that I could reduce their assets for Medicare and MediCal eligibility by pre-funding funeral expenses. How do I go about doing that?

  A: In this case, the funds are placed into an account set up as an irrevocable trust, those funds will not count toward a person’s assets for Medicare and MediCal eligibility purposes, based on current Medicare and MediCal rules. Sinai Memorial Chapel has made arrangements with ClearPoint Federal Bank and Trust, an FDIC insured bank, to hold such funds in trust, assuring that they will be there at time of need.

• Q. If I make an advance plan with Sinai, what happens to the plan itself?

  A. You should keep a copy of the paperwork in a place that your family knows about. It is not advisable to keep it in a safe deposit box unless a family member has ready access to it. In addition, Sinai Memorial Chapel will keep a copy on file.

• Q: What happens if I die out of town?

  A: If you are going to be buried in the Bay Area but die while traveling, if you regularly spend a portion of the year elsewhere, or if you move out of the area, make sure your family knows to call Sinai Memorial Chapel directly. The professional staff at Sinai will make all the arrangements to transfer your body back to the Bay Area and provide funeral services.

• Q. Once I make advance plans, can I change them?

  A. If you have made the choice to establish a revocable trust, in most cases it is very simple to revise your advance plans. Sinai Memorial Chapel’s Advance Planning Counselors will review your plans as part of our no-cost services whenever you wish.

• Q. How can I be absolutely sure that my wishes will be carried out?

  A fully funded Preneed Funeral Trust established for oneself is a legally binding document, and the plans must be carried out after the person’s death. Sinai Memorial Chapel is entrusted in such cases to carry out these plans. The choices made, such as burial rather than cremation, or vice-versa, cannot be changed if a fully funded Preneed Funeral Trust is in place.

• Q. Can I include my wishes about organ donations or donating my body for medical research?

  A. Yes. Once you make arrangements, that information can be included in your plan. However, you should also convey that information to you family and physician as soon as you have decided what you want to do, so that they know to contact the appropriate institution either when death is imminent or immediately following death. You should also register as an organ donor with your state’s registry. To register as an organ donor in California, click here.

• Q: Are pre-planned funerals regulated by any government body?

  A: Yes. The Department of Consumer Affairs, Cemetery & Funeral Bureau, 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite S208, Sacramento, CA 95834 oversees pre-funded funerals in accordance with the laws established by the State of California.