December Is the Perfect Month for Families to Review Their Funeral and Estate Plans

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Bennie Smith Funeral Home under Funeral Education
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As the year comes to a close, December naturally brings moments of reflection. Families gather, long conversations unfold, and people take stock of what the past year has brought. It is also a time when many choose to organize, prepare, and put important matters in order before the start of a new year.

For Maryland families, this makes December one of the smartest and most meaningful times to review funeral plans, pre-arrangements, and estate documents. Planning ahead offers clarity, reduces future stress, and ensures your wishes are known and honored.

Why December Is Ideal for Planning Ahead

Family Is Already Together

The holidays bring loved ones under one roof. It is often easier to share information, discuss preferences, and make collaborative decisions during this time. These conversations do not need to be heavy. In fact, many families find peace in knowing decisions are made together.

Completing important planning in December allows families to step into January with a sense of accomplishment and confidence. A new year begins more smoothly when essential decisions are already handled.

Many Maryland residents use December to:

Review insurance policies

Update wills or beneficiaries

Check financial accounts

Organize personal documents

Including funeral planning in this process is a natural fit. It aligns with the practical end-of-year mindset that many families adopt.

Funeral preferences can be deeply personal. Making them known in advance relieves loved ones of difficult guesswork later. Whether you prefer a traditional service, a celebration of life, burial, cremation, or specific religious customs, documenting these choices brings peace of mind.

Our team understands that making plans today is one of the greatest gifts you can give your family. Pre-planning offers:

Cost protection and the ability to secure today’s prices

Organized documentation for loved ones

Reduced emotional and financial stress during times of loss

Confidence knowing your wishes will be honored exactly as intended

We walk families through every step, answer every question, and ensure the process is simple and comfortable.

December is more than the end of a calendar year. It is a moment to reflect on loved ones, appreciate life’s blessings, and prepare thoughtfully for the future. By reviewing your funeral plans or beginning the conversation now, you offer your family a clear path forward and a measure of comfort they will always appreciate.

Bennie Smith Funeral Home of Maryland is here to help you make these important decisions with care, clarity, and compassion.

Bennie Smith Funeral Home

From humble beginnings on a farm in Faceville, Georgia, Bennie Smith became a respected businessman whose standards of compassion and excellence continue to guide our work today. Bennie Smith Funeral Home of Maryland is part of one of the largest African American–owned funeral service organizations on the East Coast. In Maryland, we serve families from multiple chapels across the Eastern Shore — including Salisbury, Easton, Princess Anne, and Chestertown — with dignified funerals, cremations, memorials, and preplanning. Since 1982, we have cared for generations of Maryland families with clarity, respect, and faith. More than 40 years later, our mission remains the same. We are here to honor every life well lived and to walk beside you, every step of the way.