The average funeral costs between $5,975 and $9,950 in Alabama, so many people need financial assistance when it comes time to sort out a celebration of life for their loved ones. Thankfully, there are many ways to gain access to such funding.

In this article, you'll learn how to pay for a funeral in Alabama, enabling you to choose which method works best for you. 

How To Pay For A Funeral

1. Use Life Insurance Funds

Your life insurance policy typically pays your beneficiary a lump sum when you die. This money pays for your funeral or other financial needs of your survivors.

Your beneficiaries don't have to go through a probation period to get this money. Instead, it's paid out very quickly following your insurance.

Some people choose to take out burial insurance too. The money from this policy can be used to pay death-related costs. Others choose a pre-need insurance policy that pays out a predetermined amount for the funeral.

With that said, the FCA or Funeral Consumers Alliance advises against buying burial or pre-need insurance. Why? Because you'll usually pay as much or more in premiums than the policy will eventually pay out.

2. Unsecured Personal Loans

You can get an unsecured personal loan to cover funeral costs from banks, specialized lenders, or credit unions. But since they're unsecured, you need a decent credit score, and they'll often be rather expensive.

Interest rates on these loans can run anywhere from 5% to 36%. Naturally, it depends on your credit score (the higher it is, the lower your interest rates). 

This method is essentially like paying for a funeral on a credit card. It's probably not the wisest choice (but it's still a choice nonetheless).

3. Department Of Veterans Affairs Death Benefits

Another way to answer your "how to pay for a funeral in Alabama" query is to be buried in a national cemetery. Anybody who served in the military can be buried here without charge for the marker or gravesite.

But space is limited. So, if you'd like to rest forever here, get a predetermination of burial eligibility beforehand. Also, bear in mind that you still need to pay for embalming, burial, and body pick-up.

The Department of Veterans Affairs still offers various death benefits if you choose not to be buried in a national cemetery. These services include the following:

• $300 burial allowance and up to $807 for a plot if the death is non-service-related
• Up to $2,000 for burial costs for service-related deaths
• Up to $807 for burial costs and $807 for a plot if the death wasn't service-related, but you were hospitalized by the VA when you died

You can find eligibility for the benefits on the VA website. 

4. Payday Loans

With a payday loan, you can borrow between $100 and $500 to fund part of a funeral. While you won't get enough to pay for the entire event, it offers enough to bridge the gap between the money you have and the money needed. 

The best part about payday loans is that you don't need to have an excellent credit score. In fact, you can qualify with a poor score, provided you have the following documents:

• Government-issued photo ID card
• Social security card
• Recent 30-day bank statement
• Most recent pay stub
• Blank check from your active checking account (it must be open in your name)

Once you have the documents, head to our store and one of our friendly loan associates will help you with the rest. You can even kickstart the process by filling out our online inquiry form.

5. Alabama Title Pawn

With a title pawn from us, you can borrow between $300 and $15,000, depending on the value of your vehicle. We accept cars, trucks, or vans, allowing you to get a lump sum of cash to fund your event even with a poor credit score.

Just follow the steps below to get one:

1. Complete the online request form found on this website.
2. Pick up the phone when one of our loan associates gives you a call. They'll tell you about the process, answer your questions, and ask where you'd like to meet (we can come to you).
3. Head to the agreed location with your state-issued photo ID, lien-free vehicle title, and a vehicle for inspection.
4. Wait while a loan associate examines your documents and assesses your vehicle to establish whether you qualify for the loan.
5. If you gain approval, complete the paperwork.
6. Finally, receive the money you need on the same or very next bank business day.

Get An Alabama Title Pawn Today!

Thanks to our top five payment methods, you'll never need to search "how to pay for a funeral" again! 

Give us a call or complete our online form to get enough money to fund the event right now. One of our loan associates will be happy to help you through the process.

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.