PBM
Green Funeral
Patricia Bloom-McDonald • Oct 12, 2018

A very large percentage of Americans have a funeral followed by an in-ground burial when they die. Approximately 43.5 percent of Americans choose burial as their preferred method for what happens to their body after death.

As more information about environmental effects of burials is unearthed, some Americans who are choosing to be buried are choosing to go green with the process. Often called a green funeral or green burial, here’s a look into what you need to know about how you can make your end-of-life plans more eco-conscious– it aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.

The Carbon Footprint of a Traditional Burial

The environmental effects of a burial probably aren’t something a person has given much thought to, especially in the midst of mourning.

Traditional burials take a toll on the earth. An article in Business Insider reports that about 800,000 gallons of formaldehyde are put into the ground every year in the United States as a result of American burials, and that the amount of casket wood used alone in a single year is equivalent to four million acres of forest that could otherwise remain intact, or be used to construct about 4.5 million homes. The use of embalming fluids, concrete vaults, and non-biodegradable burial containers, combined with the destruction of natural resources, all contribute to the environmental problem.

How Can a Burial Be ‘Green?’

Some people are choosing to donate their bodies to science or research. However, if burial is important to you for religious or other personal reasons, there are options for being buried in a more sustainable way.

A Natural, or Green, burial is the interment of the body of a dead person in the soil in a manner that does not inhibit decomposition but allows the body to recycle naturally. It is an alternative to other contemporary Western burial methods and funerary customs.

An article in The New York Times cites the Green Burial Council, which is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable death care. Some of the different options the council suggests for making a burial more eco-conscious are:

  • Choose biodegradable materials for a coffin or burial container – Cement, steel, and other non-natural materials can be damaging for the earth. Some people may even choose a simple cotton shroud.
  • Skip the embalming chemicals – Many people are under the illusion that embalming a body is necessary, but it’s not. You can skip this step and keep the body cool for a funeral and viewing service using refrigeration, or even bringing the body home and keeping it cool with fans.
  • Cremation uses far fewer resources than almost any other disposition option but it still has an environmental impact. Cremation burns fossil fuels, and some older cremation facilities can use significantly more energy compared to newer ones. Mercury is also emitted when a person with dental amalgam fillings is cremated, but effective filtration devices that can fully mitigate mercury pollution should come on the market in the very near future. While no standards yet exist that allow consumers to determine which cremation retorts produce the most pollution and carbon emissions, there are several things that can be done to “green” cremation such as recycling medical parts, and making a contribution to a carbon fund.
  • Coffins made from cardboard, bamboo, or jute; the use of shrouds, or biodegradable urns are all dignified ways to unite with nature more rapidly.
  • Make small changes where they work for you – this might include choosing a green cemetery, choosing locally-sourced materials for a coffin or burial site, foregoing a headstone, or even minimizing other funeral norms, like the use of flowers or the expense of new clothes.

Start Planning Today

If being eco-conscious is something that’s important to you, a green funeral may be something you’re interested in learning more about. Start the process of planning your funeral now – pre-planning is a gift to the family left behind grieving your loss.

Be sure to discuss funeral arrangements with your family about this concept well in advance. Death is often a difficult process and your family members may not think to consider the environment in making arrangements. Even if they do, they may not have a grasp on what are the best and greenest courses of action to take. To further enforce this, prepare a Final Disposition document which is an advanced funeral wishes directive that stipulates your green funeral concerns. The Law Offices of Patricia Bloom-McDonald, offers experienced end-of-life planning and can help you create a plan for your funeral and burial that meets your wishes. Call our Massachusetts attorney today for an initial no-cost consultation.

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Using a Credit Card When You Have a Special Needs Trust

25 May, 2023
A special needs trust (SNT) allows you to meet your needs while receiving government benefits, such as Medicaid/MassHealth and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). When you have a special needs trust, you can use it to pay for goods and services government benefits do not cover, such as therapy, education,and housing. Since receiving income directly from your trust would jeopardize your eligibility for benefits, your trustee cannot give you cash from your SNT. When you use a credit card for permitted transactions, and your trustee pays off the balance with funds from your trust, these payments to a credit card company are not considered income. An SSI or Medicaid/MassHealth recipient who is capable of managing their own affairs can therefore use a credit card to make small purchases, and the trustee of the special needs trust need not micromanage every transaction. In the past, beneficiaries of SNTs sent their bills to their trustees for payment. Today, an individual with an SNT who qualifies for a personal credit card may find that using a credit card is more convenient. Credit cards have several benefits. Using a credit card to manage payments from your special needs trust allows you to maintain independence, gain access to some of the advantages of a credit card, and easily keep records while preserving your eligibility for Medicaid/MassHealth and SSI. Although credit cards can help people manage their special needs trusts, there are also several important restrictions and considerations to keep in mind. Consult with a special needs planner to ensure all transactions are acceptable under the trust's rules and comply with government regulations. The Benefits of Using Credit Cards When You Have a Special Needs Trust If you have a special needs trust, using a credit card has many benefits, including: Independence : Allowing you to maintain your independence. You can use your card to make qualifying purchases yourself. Your trustee does not have to make the transactions for you. Access to the Typical Advantages of a Credit Card : Using it responsibly can help you establish or build credit history, which may be important for your future financial needs. Record-Keeping : Credit cards provide easy record-keeping and a convenient way to monitor transactions from your special needs trust, which can also help special needs trustees fulfill their duty to maintain records. When you use your card, your trustee can observe your purchases and ensure that all expenses are allowable under the trust’s rules. Your statements can help your trustee keep track of funds leaving the trust. Benefits Eligibility : While adhering to Medicaid/MassHealth and SSI’s income and asset limits, you can access funds from your SNT. Credit cards can help prevent your trustee from accidentally providing you with cash payments that could affect your eligibility for government benefits. Considerations When Using a Credit Card for Your Special Needs Trust While you can use a credit card to access funds from your special needs trust for certain transactions , restrictions apply. If your trustee sees a charge on your card that could affect your benefits eligibility , they can flag it for review. You cannot use your credit card to pay for food and shelter, which SSI would cover. When administering your funds, your trustee must ensure that any expenditures are for your sole benefit if you have a first-party special needs trust. While using a credit card is appropriate, you should not use a debit card. Debit cards are considered cash income. Best Practices When using a credit card for a special needs trust fund, remember several best practices. Choose a card with low fees and interest rates. Set a clear budget and monitor transactions regularly. Keep thorough records and receipts of expenses. Consult with your special needs planning attorney. A special needs planning attorney can help you navigate the rules that apply to your trust and understand how to use a credit card to preserve your Medicaid/MassHealth and SSI eligibility. 

How an ILIT can help offset estate taxes

12 May, 2023
With the Federal estate tax exemption possibly about to be lowered, it may be time to think about steps you can take to keep your estate from being taxed. An irrevocable life insurance trust allows you to pass on money to your heirs while avoiding both the federal estate tax, as well as any applicable state estate tax which is currently $1 million in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Senate Democrats have proposed lowering the current estate tax exemption from $11.7 million for individuals and $23.4 million for couples to $3.5 million for individuals and $7 million for couples. While it is unclear if this proposal will pass, it is likely that some change to the estate tax is coming. Even if Congress does not take any action, the current rate will sunset in 2026 and essentially be cut in half, to about $6 million per individual. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the current estate tax exemption is $1 million for individuals and is taxed at dollar $1.00. A proposal to raise it to $3 Million and the tax to start at $3 Million (not at $1.00) has been submitted in the legislature but has not yet been voted on or enacted. One way to make up for any estate tax your estate may have to pay is by setting up an irrevocable life insurance trust [ILIT]and funding it with a policy that has a death benefit that would pay your heirs some or all of the amount your estate will be taxed. If you purchased such a life insurance policy directly, it could end up being taxed as part of your estate. But if a trust owned the policy, it could pass outside your estate. While a life insurance trust can be highly beneficial, it is also complicated to set up and maintain properly. The following are some of the requirements: Trustee . If you are setting up the trust, you cannot also serve as a trustee. If you are the trustee, you have control of the trust, which could lead to the trust being included in your estate. You will need to name another trusted person or financial institution to act as trustee. Policy ownership . The trust must own the life insurance policy. If you transfer an existing policy to the trust and die within three years, the policy will still be considered a part of your estate. To avoid this risk, the trust can purchase a policy directly rather than receive an existing policy. Premiums . You need to transfer funds to the trust to pay the policy premiums, which creates an issue with gift taxes. A transfer to a trust is usually not subject to the $15,000 yearly gift tax exclusion. For a gift to qualify for the exclusion, the recipient must have a "present interest" in the money. Because a promise to give someone money later does not count as a present interest, most gifts to trusts aren't excluded from the gift tax. To avoid this, you can use something called a “Crummey” power which gives beneficiaries the right to withdraw the funds transferred to the trust for up to 30 days. As part of the process, the trustee needs to send them a letter, known as a Crummey letter, letting them know about the trust funding and their right to withdraw the funds. After the 30 days have passed, the trustee can use the funds to pay the annual insurance premium. You run the risk of the beneficiaries withdrawing the funds, but if they know that by allowing the money to stay in the trust they will receive more money later, it shouldn’t be a problem. Beneficiaries . The beneficiary of the life insurance policy is usually the trust. Once the funds are deposited in the trust, the trustee can distribute the assets to the beneficiaries in the way specified by the trust. For example, if your beneficiaries are minors, you can wait to have the trustee distribute the assets. Keeping the assets in the trust will also protect them from your beneficiaries’ creditors. The downside of an irrevocable life insurance trust is that you do not have the ability to change it once it is set up, although the policy would effectively be canceled if you stopped paying the premiums. If you are considering this type of trust, discuss it with your attorney.
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