Since death is an inescapable reality, it is important to think about our own departure. Do we want to be cremated or buried? Would we like a secular or a religious service? Would we rather simply leave in silence? Because wishes differ from one person to the next, funeral planning is a reassuring step that ensures everyone’s choices are respected. When a loved one dies, it also spares the family any difficult decisions and relieves them of the financial burden of the funeral. In this field, Azur Prévoyance Funéraire SA, the funeral planning specialist since 2002, offers a wide range of services, all adapted to its clients’ wishes, culture, religion and budget. The budget can also be adjusted during a meeting with expert advisers, who provide support throughout the planning process. Florence Bédoïan, director of Azur Prévoyance Funéraire SA, highlights the benefits of such a decision.
Florence Bédoïan, what does a funeral pre-planning contract include?
First of all, every funeral plan is unique. It covers everything from the choice of coffin to writing the death notice in advance, including the choice of venue for the
ceremony, the type of burial or cremation and even the flowers. We take the time to go through our clients’ wishes together, to reassure them about any concerns and to draw up a budget that suits their means. It is important to take time to reflect, because this is a personal step that can sometimes be difficult to take.
Why is this so common today?
Setting up a funeral plan reassures the person concerned, because they know they will be taken care of quickly and that everything will go according to their wishes. Today, family members often live in all four corners of the world. For children, it is reassuring to know that their parents have planned everything and that, by the time they return from abroad, the arrangements are already under way. There are also sometimes conflicts within families. A funeral plan brings peace of mind and puts everyone in agreement. We also notice that more and more people live alone. Here too, it is reassuring to know that everything is organised and that our wishes will be respected. Finally, the financial side matters too, because everyone who comes to see us knows that, when the time comes, they will not leave a financial burden to their family.
What options do you offer?
We are able to offer two basic packages. For example, the first, “simplicity” package costs 2,920 francs. However, we find that our clients tend to choose a personalised arrangement. In our field, it is hard to stick to a set package, because wishes differ from one person to the next and everyone has their own idea of simplicity. No two people want the same thing, and that is the very essence of our profession.
More precisely, what does the client’s bill correspond to?
Contrary to what many people think, Azur Prévoyance Funéraire is not insurance, and a funeral plan is not a monthly contribution based on a lump sum payable on death and calculated according to the subscriber’s age. With a funeral plan, the bill corresponds to the real, total price of the funeral as if it had been organised on the date the contract was signed. Once the contract is paid in full, whether death occurs one year or 20 years later, the funeral director’s prices for supplies and services are guaranteed. The only readjustment that might be made when the time comes concerns third-party costs (for example, increases in crematorium fees, in the cost of publishing the death notice or in the price of flowers), which are outside our control.
Some clients also decide to change their contract, which is possible at any time. In addition, if someone moves abroad and sends us a letter asking for a refund of their contract, we deal with it straight away. Finally, in cases of force majeure, such as during the Covid-19 pandemic, when some families had to forgo ceremonies, the services that were not carried out were refunded to the estate. Our rigour is also our strength in the sensitive field of funerals. That is why we never depart from our rule: we cannot make refunds to just anyone.
What about the investment arrangements in place?
Azur Prévoyance Funéraire SA is a public limited company whose sole purpose is to manage funeral plans and the funds entrusted to it, so as to guarantee, when the time comes, that its clients’ wishes are properly carried out. It is therefore important that the funds invested are, ultimately, secure.
The funds are managed by Swiss financial institutions. Azur Prévoyance Funéraire SA chooses secure investments, only in Swiss francs and in Switzerland. Returns are lower, but the risk is very limited. This means the money for the plan is not paid to a funeral home that could use it as cash flow to run its business — which could pose risks if that business ran into difficulties.
How important is the support of funeral planning advisers?
It is important to turn to funeral professionals so that everything recorded in the contract can actually be carried out at the time of death, and also to choose a long-established funeral planning company with a recognised presence. We are seeing a growing number of online platforms that are not funeral professionals, giving information and advice on what to do when the time comes and offering to record your wishes without knowing local customs, practices and fees — even though formalities differ from one canton to another.
Only an independent company specialising in this field, such as Azur Prévoyance Funéraire SA, can guarantee that its clients’ wishes will be respected and that the funds paid in are as secure as possible.
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