It’s not the cheeriest of subjects and certainly not one to liven up a get-together this Christmas, but having money put aside for funeral costs is an increasingly serious issue.

Recent statistics reveal that the average cost of a funeral in 2004 was £1,920 while today, it’s £3,897. That’s more than a 100% increase and at this rate a funeral in 2026 could well cost more than £7,000.

That’s a lot of money to find at a distressing time for your loved ones.

But as always with these things, a little pre-planning now can save a lot of heartache later.

From just a few pounds a month – a few pence a day – you can set up a funeral plan to cover the costs and have the peace of mind that your loved ones won’t have difficulties when you’re gone.

The biggest such plan provider is Golden Charter who have provided more than 400,000 such plans and who are owned by an association of funeral directors and recommended by the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF).

Their prices start at just £17 a month and if you take out a policy it can be switched between a husband or wife, depending on which dies first. They have a range of plans and when a claim is made you get the funeral director’s services at a cost that’s fixed at current prices.

My advice is always to get some independent help when choosing long-term insurance products, as it is important to make sure you get the right product for your needs – especially when, we hope, you won’t need to make a claim for a very long time!