Pre-Planning Services
Lasting Gift of Love for Family
Through our custom pre-need arrangements, we help you record your exact preferences for funeral, burial, or cremation—at our administrative office or in the comfort of your home. In partnership with Homesteaders Life Company, your plan locks in today's rates to protect against future cost increases while ensuring your cultural and family traditions are honored exactly as envisioned. Schedule Free Pre-Planning Consultation Available 24/7
Document Your Wishes
Record preferences for funeral, burial, or cremation so your family never has to guess.
Reduces Family Burden
Grieve without the stress of making difficult decisions in an emotional moment.
At Home or Our Office
Make arrangements in our administrative office or in the comfort of your own home.
Why Pre-Planning is important?
Locks in Today's Costs
Protect your family against future price increases by funding arrangements at today's rates.
Insurance with Homesteaders
Partnered with Homesteaders Life to fund your arrangements with a trusted, established preneed provider.
Personalized Guidance
Our compassionate team visits you, answering questions and guiding every decision.
Honor Your Traditions
Ensure your cultural and religious traditions are carried out exactly as you envision.
No Obligation Consultation
Speak with us anytime—there's no cost or obligation to explore your options.
Bilingual Planning Support
Plan in English or Spanish with a team that understands your family's needs.
Pre-Planning Specialists Supporting Your Family
Pre-planning specialists serve as trusted advisors who guide individuals through documenting their funeral, burial, or cremation preferences in advance. At Memory Eternal Funeral Directors, these bilingual (English/Spanish) professionals offer compassionate consultations at home or in the office to ensure religious and cultural traditions are honored while protecting families from future price increases through preneed insurance.
Why Choose Us?
With years of experience helping families plan ahead, we are committed to providing exceptional care and attention to detail. Our goal is to give you clarity and confidence, and to protect your family from unnecessary burden.
Contact Us
Let us help you plan ahead with peace of mind. Reach out today to schedule a no-obligation consultation with our team.
Contact Memory Eternal Funeral Directors
Available 24/7 to assist you in English or Spanish.
Especialistas en Planificación Previa Apoyando a su Familia
Los especialistas en planificación previa sirven como asesores de confianza que guían a las personas en la documentación anticipada de sus preferencias para funerales, entierros o cremaciones. En Memory Eternal Funeral Directors, estos profesionales bilingües (inglés/español) ofrecen consultas compasivas a domicilio o en la oficina para garantizar que se respeten las tradiciones religiosas y culturales, al tiempo que protegen a las familias de aumentos de precios futuros mediante seguros de previsión funeral (preneed insurance).
Por Qué Elegirnos?
Con años de experiencia ayudando a familias a planificar con anticipación, nos comprometemos a ofrecer una atención excepcional. Nuestro objetivo es darle claridad y confianza.
Contáctenos
Permítanos ayudarle a planificar con tranquilidad. Contáctenos hoy para programar una consulta sin compromiso.
Funeraria Memory Eternal
Disponible las 24 horas, los 7 días de la semana, para atenderle en español o inglés.
Pre-Planning Frequent Questions
What is funeral pre-planning, and why should I do it?
Pre-planning (also called prearranging or preneed planning) means recording your exact preferences for funeral, burial, or cremation ahead of time. At Memory Eternal, you can document your wishes at our administrative office or in the comfort of your home. Planning ahead spares your family from making difficult, emotional, and expensive decisions at the moment of loss, and ensures your cultural and religious traditions are carried out exactly as you envision. In fact, more than 50% of families report going into debt after the death of a loved one, and a large majority of families agree that advance planning is a good idea.
What is the difference between pre-planning and pre-paying? Do I have to pay to plan?
You can do one without the other. Pre-planning is simply documenting your wishes (often free of charge) so your family knows what to do. Pre-paying / pre-funding is setting aside money now to cover those costs, typically through preneed insurance, a trust, or savings. We will record your preferences without any obligation to fund them. Prepaying adds price protection and removes the financial burden from your survivors, but it is not required to have a plan on file.
How does pre-planning “lock in today’s costs”?
When you fund a plan, the current prices for the selected services and merchandise are locked in at today’s rates. Memory Eternal works with Homesteaders Life Company, whose preneed insurance policy is designed to grow in death benefit over time — helping to offset funeral-cost inflation. This means your family typically will not have to pay additional money to cover the services you selected, even if prices rise before the plan is used. Ask for a written guaranteed contract so there is no ambiguity.
Who is Homesteaders Life Company, and how does the funding work?
Homesteaders is a preneed funeral-funding company in business since 1906, rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best, and one of the most widely used preneed funding providers in America. You don’t buy a policy directly from them — you work with a funeral home like Memory Eternal that partners with Homesteaders. Our director helps you choose services, calculates the cost, and sets up an insurance policy that pays for those services when needed. Policies can generally be paid up front in a lump sum or over multiple years, depending on your age and the product. Growth on the policy is not taxable, unlike interest in some bank-funded trusts.
Do I have to pay for everything at once?
No. Homesteaders-funded plans typically offer flexible payment options — a full lump-sum payment or installment payments spread over several years, depending on your age. The right structure depends on your budget and how soon you want full coverage, and a Memory Eternal specialist can walk you through the options with no obligation.
What happens if I move or want to use a different funeral home later?
Your Homesteaders policy is fully transferable. Although prices for services and merchandise vary between providers, the coverage continues to grow to offset inflation regardless of where you live. If you relocate, you can generally transfer the plan to another funeral home that accepts the policy (state laws vary). If you change your mind about services, contact us first — changes to the plan may require a change to the insurance policy, and our preneed professional can explain any cost impact.
What if I already have life insurance? Why do I need preneed insurance too?
General life insurance is meant to help your family with living expenses after you die. A preneed plan is specifically designed to cover your funeral, burial, or cremation — so funding a funeral plan in advance leaves your existing life insurance intact for its intended purpose. It also locks in today’s prices and documents your exact wishes, which ordinary life insurance does not do.
Is a pre-planning consultation really free and no-obligation?
Yes. There is no cost or obligation to explore your options, and we are available 24/7 in English or Spanish at (847) 375-0095. You can meet a specialist at our administrative office or in your home and ask questions without any commitment to purchase a plan.
What is the difference between a “guaranteed” and “non-guaranteed” preneed contract?
A guaranteed contract locks in the cost of the selected services and/or merchandise — you or your estate will not be charged more for those items, even if prices rise. A non-guaranteed contract sets the price when the plan is used; payments act like a deposit, and your family pays any difference at the time of need. Under Illinois law (the Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act), every pre-need contract must disclose in writing whether it is guaranteed or non-guaranteed and how the plan is funded. Always read the contract and ask which items are guaranteed versus paid at the time of need.
What is NOT included in a typical pre-need plan?
Preneed contracts usually cover the services and merchandise you select, but some costs may still be payable at the time of need — commonly death certificates, cemetery fees (opening and closing the grave), clergy or celebrant honoraria, flowers, obituary notices, and other cash-advance items. Ask for a written list of expected “at-need” charges so there are no surprises later.
What happens to my plan if the funeral home closes or changes ownership?
Insurance-funded preneed plans like Homesteaders are designed to protect consumers. Homesteaders has established procedures for funeral-home closures or ownership changes and typically works to transfer arrangements to another funeral home or honor coverage another way. Choosing a stable, well-established funeral home like Memory Eternal (formerly John G. Adinamis Funeral Directors) reduces this risk. Ask your provider how your plan would be handled in such a scenario.
Can I cancel or change my pre-need plan, and are there refunds?
Rules vary by state and funding method. With insurance-funded plans, cancellation terms are set by the policy and provider — ask what happens if you stop paying premiums or cancel. With trust-funded plans, Illinois law requires most payments to be deposited with an independent trustee, and contracts generally include a cancellation/refund clause. You can generally change your arrangements at any time before they are needed; contact our preneed team to update your wishes.
How does pre-planning affect Medicaid / SSI eligibility?
A properly structured irrevocable preneed funeral contract can help preserve assets for Medicaid planning because the funds are not counted as an available resource. Irrevocable plans (which cannot be canceled for a refund) are typically exempt from the Medicaid resource limit, while revocable plans are usually counted as a resource. State limits vary, and Medicaid rules have recently changed — ask our team how your plan can be structured, and consider consulting an elder-law attorney for guidance. This is not legal advice.
What should I bring to a pre-planning consultation?
Helpful items include your preferences for burial versus cremation, any religious or cultural wishes, a list of family and clergy contacts, and, if you wish to fund the plan, financial details. Our specialist will guide you through everything — you do not need to be prepared. Consultations are available at home or in our office, and in English or Spanish.
Who can pre-plan? Is it only for older adults?
Anyone can pre-plan at any age — it is about protecting your family and honoring your traditions, not about age. Our specialists serve families of all ages, including bilingual (English/Spanish) support for Latino and Hispanic families, so cultural traditions are honored exactly as envisioned.
How do I get started?
Call (847) 375-0095 (available 24/7), visit our administrative office at 2800 S. River Road, Ste 170, Des Plaines, IL 60018, or use the Schedule Free Pre-Planning Consultation button on this page. There is no obligation and no cost to begin.
