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1 i Page 16 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, March 26, 1997 Section Two Consider Preplanning Your Funeral Thinking about preplanning preplanning your funeral? A lot of people are. In fact, many even pay for everything in advance - right down to the newspaper notices. It's a big advantage because you're doing it at a time when you and your spouse are in a rational state of mind. That's important because you'll be making decisions about the kind of funeral you want - not what your children bul your cheque must be or relatives think you should made paya bl e to the cemetery owner. Example: have Average cost of a traditional traditional funeral today is about $5000 plus cash disbursements disbursements of $300 to $1,500 for extra services which are provided provided by someone else but arranged by your funeral service service provider on your instructions. instructions. These include death Municipality of Clarington," which owns Bowmanville and Bond Head Cemeteries. Cremation charges may be prepaid and a certificate issued (similar to a cemetery deed) by the crematorium to be held by the client or funer- director indicating that a ] U11CUIU1 muivaimg mui and regulatory fees, the cost these services have been paid of opening and closing. the for and w ju be rendered when required. Third Party Trust The balance of the funds are placed in a third party trust in your name under the funeral service provider. These funds are not dispersed to the funeral service provider until the trust holder has confirmed confirmed that you have died and funeral arrangements have been carried out. The trust may be'cancelled by the purchaser or legal representative representative at any time, with principle and accrued grave, church/clergy fees, newspaper notices, flowers, even GST. If you prepay these costs, you'll be paying for a service you will use tomorrow in today's dollars. Here's how it works: After you decide on the services, casket, vault/urn and disbursements you wish to pay for, you write a cheque to the funeral service provider for the total including taxes - for example $5500. The funeral service ; " all pillivijjie aiiu avvi uvu provider will recommend you interest, or may be transferred prepay all items they or you t0 ano ther funeral provider n™ ohi^ tr. m tirtx;tinrp under certain provincial regulations. regulations. One key caveat: are able to in advance. Cemetery plots can be arranged by a funeral director UV: Hazardous To Eyesight Did you know that each time you step outdoors without proper eye protection you are exposing your eyes to the sun's harmful rays?. The sun emits many types of radiation, including visible light, which enables us to see; infrared radiation, invisible but felt as heat; and ultraviolet radiation, also invisible but often called the sunburn rays. Mounting scientific evidence shows that long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can damage our eyes. With the continual thinning of the earth's ozone layer and the growing popularity of outdoor activities, there is a strong possibility that UV-related eye disorders will increase within the next decade. WHY IS UV DANGEROUS? Two types of UV radiation have been shown to be harmful to the eye. They are: UV-A and UV- B. UV-A penetrates deep into the eye and" may injure the macula, the central part of the retina responsible, for sight in the center field of vision. While most UV-B is absorbed by the front of the eye - the cornea and lens - evidence has shown this type of radiation is more damaging, presumably because it has a higher energy level than UV-A. EYE DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH UV Ultraviolet radiation can contribute to the development of various eye disorders, such as macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss among older Americans, and cataracts, a major cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. Other UV- rated eye problems are pterygium, a growth of tissue on the white of the eye, photokeraiitis, also known as corneal sunburn. PROTECT YOUR EYES Ideally, all types of eyewear - prescription and non-prescription glasses, contact lenses and lens implants - should absorb the entire ultraviolet ray spectrum. Prevent Blindness America recommends that eyewear block 99 percent to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B. UV blockers on your eyewear are inexpensive, do not interfere with vision and can be incorporated into nearly all optical materials. Polaroid or mirrored coatings and photosensitive darkening of lenses may be useful features for some people, but they do not, by themselves, provide protection from ultraviolet rays. When purchasing sunglasses, check the product label for UV protection. Be wary of labels that say "Provides UV Protection" without specifying exactly what percent of ultraviolet light the product blocks. You can also ask your eye doctor to have the product tested to determine its UV protection. In addition to sunglasses, a wide-brim hat can maximize protection from the sun's harmful rays. - Courtesy of Prevent Blindness Americathe nation's leading eye health and safety organization dedicated to saving sight. For further information on this or other eye care concerns please contact: Dr. Karen McPherson 45 Liberty St. N., Bowmanville L1C 2L8 Phone: 905-623-3252 Fax: 905-623-4583 X e-mail eyecloc@durhammall.com ©J.P.J Find out whether the funeral provider has a guarantee guarantee on prepaid funds. The Funeral Directors and Establishments Act allows for guaranteed and non-guaran- teed services. Not all funeral service providers offer the same guarantees. Here's what to look for: Under the new Funeral Directors and Establishments Act (June 1990) which controls controls prepaid trusts - if the trust fund, with accumulated interest, has more money in it than the funeral service provider's cost at the time of the funeral, the surplus is, returned to your estate with a T-5. The accumulating interest interest in the trust is non-taxable unless the trust is cancelled or excess monies are returned. The excess may also be used to pay disbursements if they were not paid with the initial prepayment. Proper documentation documentation and accounting must accompany this type of distribution of the trust. Prepayments prior to June 1990 come under a different act and are "grandfathered" to protect the consumer. Example, GST is not applicable. applicable. On a guaranteed prepaid funeral, if the fund does not have enough money in it to meet the cost at the time of your death, the shortfall is assumed by the funeral provider. When guaranteed, and as long as you do not change these arrangements, the funeral provider should guarantee guarantee that the funds on deposit, plus . accumulated interest, will provide these services when required. In Ontario, licenced funeral funeral providers must place 100% of your money in a financial institution, insurance, or fraternal fraternal society approved by the Act to administer your trusted funds. The funeral provider must invest this money to generate a level of interest at least equal to the interest paid on Canada Savings Bonds in any given year. Costs Funeral service costs, like any other services, are subject to inflation. As a rule, the increase in funeral costs is somewhat less than the annual annual rate of inflation. Cemetery costs are normally based on the price of replacing the land for the grave they sell you at the time. In that sense, cemeteries cemeteries are like any other piece of real estate - the higher the land cost the more the plots will cost. The cost of opening and closing a grave for burial of a casket or cremated remains is based on labour and equipment cost at the time of need. A note of caution: Make sure you inform your family of your plans before or after preplanning your funeral. In particular, tell them what you plan to do and why you've done it. If no one in your family family has ever been cremated - and this is what you plan to do - it can be quite a shock on your family, if they don't know in advance. Always keep in mind that your funeral funeral is not for you but for your family and friends. •Cremation, by the way, is an alternative to earth burial following the funeral. It is becoming popular in recent years due to the cost of cemetery cemetery plots or because clients prefer to be interred in the family plot that is full with casket burials. Cremated remains can still be interred at these plots. Cremation is perceived to be less expensive, but check with your local funeral provider. The cost of cemetery cemetery lots and cremation in Toronto is not necessarily the same in Clarington. A final note on costs: The Canada Pension Plan and other plans have death benefits that can be used to pay for the cost of your funeral, funeral, amounting to a maximum lump sum set each year (CPP 1997 is $3580) for someone who qualifies, has paid into CPP for a minimum of 3 consecutive consecutive years and has never taken benefits. For someone who is receiving CPP benefits, benefits, the amount is based on a multiple of your monthly CPP cheque. The above article includes information from a column by financial author Brian Costello. r our Wishes Will Be Honored Although no one likes to think about it, careful pre- arrangement of your funeral plans can help ease the burden on those you leave behind, while insuring your wishes will be honored as well. And while you cant predict your own fate, you can take some control over y our destiny through pre-arrangement. We invite you to come and speak with one of our caring, experienced funeral directors at your convenience. v-j ■ < t..>i e 1 * -am fe-Aipyuu, Serving Durham Region Since 1841 Morris Funeral Chapel Where professional etiquette is important. Funeral Directors: Paul R. Morris Robert B. Williams Gary M. Conway Doug R. Rutherford Answering your call 24 Hours Convenient off street parking • Central Air Conditioning 4 Division Street (at Queen) Bowmanville