Columbarium | Funeral Trust

A columbarium is a room or a simple self-supporting structure, typically found in a cemetery or church. It is made up of niches (recessed compartments) for placing urns that hold cremation ashes. A columbarium can consist of a freestanding urn, or part of a large public mausoleum. The edifice may consist of an outdoor wall containing niches.  It can alternately be inside a building made just for this purpose.  A columbarium can also be built into a wall, alongside a vault for coffins.

If you’ve decided that a columbarium is how you want you and your family to be remembered, you may want to consider ways to pay for it ahead of time. This is where a funeral trust can be helpful.

Most people understand that a trust involves the distribution of assets when someone passes away. A funeral trust is somewhat similar as it is a way to plan for funeral arrangements. A funeral trust is an agreement you enter into with a funeral home or burial service provider. Often, the trust is entered into directly with the funeral home, which may agree to “lock in” costs for future funeral or burial services at an agreed upon price. The funeral home sometimes acts as trustee (manager of trust assets). You usually fund the trust with cash, bonds, or life insurance. A revocable funeral trust can be changed and revoked by you. An irrevocable trust can’t be changed or canceled. In this situation, your money can only be used to pay for funeral services.

Locking in a price for your columbarium with a funeral trust protects you from paying more later because of inflation. It’s important to note that Arizona state law, Title 19, can affect how you manage your trust.

At Mountain View Funeral Home, we understand that preparing for funeral arrangements can be difficult, both emotionally and financially. But, our caring staff is here to help make things easier for you. If you would like to learn more about setting up a funeral trust for your funeral and columbarium, please contact us here.