Preamble
There are two main types of funeral insurance contracts:
– the capital contract which only provides for the financing of the funeral (without benefits)
– the contract with services which makes it possible to define the services (for example: coffin, presentation care, ceremony, etc.) and their financing.
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Should we choose several beneficiaries?
Usually, there is one “first rank” beneficiary and up to three “second rank” who take over if the latter should, for example, die prematurely. In the case of a service contract, the question of the first beneficiary is settled, since the funeral operator is automatically appointed, that is to say the funeral agency which will organize the funeral.
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What is its exact role?
The beneficiary of a funeral insurance contract receives the accumulated capital. It is he who is in charge of carrying out the funeral in accordance with the wishes of the deceased. Since July 26, 2013, this is a legal obligation: the capital constituted must be used for the payment of funeral costs, including under a “capital” contract.
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What qualities should he have?
He must be clearly identified, reachable and available within 24 to 48 hours of death. These requirements already make it possible to exclude certain people: a relative who lives abroad or a notary whose hours are fixed and the schedule complicated. It is also preferable that your beneficiary is a trusted person with whom you have been able to discuss your arrangements.
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Parent, relative or professional?
In theory, you have a choice. You are therefore free to choose your spouse, your children or even a close friend who is not related to you. You can also choose a legal person (which has a legal existence: a company, an association, etc.). It will above all be necessary to formalize your wishes clearly, indicating their full contact details with date of birth if applicable. This information will in particular be necessary for the second-tier beneficiaries in order to contact them and return to them any remaining balance due to them.
Examples of possible choices:
- My spouse, my partner or my PACS partner
- My children born or to be born
- A funeral operator (as part of a service contract)
Keep in mind that it is always preferable to clearly designate the beneficiaries and to update the clause in the event of changes: marriage, divorce, death of a beneficiary, loss of contact, move …
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Can we change it?
Absoutely. A choice can always be questioned or simply evolve. To change your wishes, all you need to do is send a letter of “modification of beneficiary clause” to your insurer by registered mail.
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The advice of PFG advisor : by subscribing to a service contract and therefore choosing your funeral operator as the primary beneficiary, you are assured that your choices will be respected. Failing that, in the case of a capital contract, you can appoint a trusted relative and deposit, as a precaution, your Essential Wills (burial or cremation, civil or religious ceremony, worship and destination of the ashes if applicable) with ‘an association that will protect them for you after your death. At PFG we trust the Colombe Association, governed by the law of 1901. Conscious of the importance of this process, we take charge, for you, of the entire cost of membership in the association.
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