Provider services
Selected services and applicable basic fee
Part of the agreed provider bill
Funeral Loans
Finance only the funeral expense you have agreed to pay
Before financing funeral expenses, get the selected arrangements priced in writing and identify who is agreeing to pay. Expected insurance or estate money is not the same as funds available for a deposit.
Bottom Dollar Payday is a product of FSST Financial Services, LLC, not a lender. An independent provider processes the application; terms and availability depend on the provider.
- Choose your amount
Start with your cash need and repayment.
- Complete the application
Continue to the provider’s online form.
- Review any offer
Check the cost and dates before accepting.
Merchandise
Item selected and alternatives priced separately
Do not use a package total without detail
Cemetery or crematory
Separate seller, charge and due date
May be outside the provider’s payment arrangement
Start with your situation
Which agreement needs to be clarified?
Keep service selection, family contributions and credit obligations separate.
The family has not chosen the arrangements
Request itemized prices and separate required charges from optional goods or services. The FTC Funeral Rule provides price-information and selection rights for covered funeral providers; its scope is not every independent cemetery or seller. [R23]
A deposit is due before other funds arrive
Confirm the deposit amount and deadline, then count only contributions or benefits available by that deadline. Ask the provider about an alternative schedule without assuming one will be offered.
Someone has offered to sign for financing
Read who is the borrower, any co-borrower and any guarantor. Agreeing to repay credit can create a personal obligation; do not assume an estate or another relative automatically replaces the signer.
Separate the provider package into actual selections
Ask the funeral provider for the price list and a written, itemized statement for the arrangements selected. Covered providers must offer certain price information and itemization; some basic service fees and legally required items may still apply. Verify which rule applies to the business you are using. [R23]
| Charge category | Clarification to request | Financing implication |
|---|---|---|
| Provider services | Selected services and applicable basic fee | Part of the agreed provider bill |
| Merchandise | Item selected and alternatives priced separately | Do not use a package total without detail |
| Cemetery or crematory | Separate seller, charge and due date | May be outside the provider’s payment arrangement |
| Other third-party expenses | Payee, estimate versus final amount | Can create a second cash deadline |
On a narrow screen, scroll inside the table to see every column.
An itemized comparison helps identify what the family is actually choosing. It does not mean every basic charge can be removed or that every seller is covered by the same federal rule.
Build a ledger of money available for the first deadline
Illustration: $2,400 is due under the selected agreement. Available family cash is $600, and $400 of other support is confirmed and usable in time. The remaining need is $1,400. If the actual net loan proceeds are $1,350, another $50 is still needed.
A relative’s intention to contribute, an insurance claim submitted or a future estate distribution should remain outside the available-funds column until the amount and timing are established. If you use money personally and expect reimbursement, record that as a separate uncertain event, not a reduction of the creditor’s claim.
Local worksheet
Selected-arrangements funding gap
Use the amount you have agreed is due now, not an unitemized package or an expected estate reimbursement.
Enter 0 where applicable. Use a decimal point and no commas. No data is sent.
Result
Method and limits
Gap = max(0, expense − timely cash − timely confirmed help). Still unfunded also subtracts actual net proceeds; excess is shown separately. These four entries must not overlap. Pending aid, a credit limit, or a later reimbursement is not timely cash. Inputs stay in this browser; this is not an eligibility test.
Compare payment routes and responsibility
Compare the full cost and the signer’s responsibility, not just a monthly figure. A personal installment loan can carry fees that change the money received and the total cost. A payment arrangement with the provider is a different agreement and must be read on its own. [R06] [R15]
| Route | Before relying on it | Main question for the signer |
|---|---|---|
| Available contributions | Amount received and agreed use | Is anyone expecting repayment? |
| Confirmed benefit or insurance | Recipient, amount and payment date | Is it usable for this deadline? |
| Provider arrangement | Deposit, charges and all due dates | Who owes the remaining bill? |
| External loan | Net proceeds and entire schedule | Who is contractually required to repay? |
On a narrow screen, scroll inside the table to see every column.
Compare like-for-like arrangements. Reducing a bill by choosing different services is not the same thing as financing the original bill at a lower cost.
Do not borrow against an unconfirmed reimbursement
Ask the relevant insurer, benefit administrator or estate representative for the actual claim process and timing. This page does not determine benefit entitlement, probate timing or who owes a deceased person’s debts.
When a reimbursement is uncertain, test repayment from the signer’s own available income. If that budget cannot support the obligation, an assumed reimbursement is not a reliable repayment plan. Seek qualified advice for questions about estate liability or guarantees.
Check a changed arrangement before increasing credit
A change in selections may change both the provider’s bill and the credit amount. Ask who issues any refund, how it reaches the finance account and whether the scheduled payment changes. Do not assume canceling a service cancels the credit agreement.
Keep receipts, signed selection documents and the financing disclosure together. They answer different questions: what was ordered, what was paid and what remains owed. No worksheet result replaces these records.
Use the itemized amount for the next conversation
Bring the agreed selections, immediate due amount, confirmed funds and the signer’s affordable payment. Ask the provider whether a written payment schedule can match the available funds; then compare any outside offer using the same remaining need.
Do not pay an unknown intermediary to “guarantee” a loan approval. Verify any financing contact independently and review the actual agreement before providing sensitive information. [R08]
Questions before your next step
Can I remove every charge by declining a package?
No. Itemized selection rights do not necessarily remove a permitted basic-services fee or legally required items. Review the covered provider’s price information. [R23]
Should an insurance claim be entered as confirmed support?
Only if the amount, recipient and availability before the deadline are confirmed. A claim merely submitted is not money received.
Does a funeral loan automatically become the estate’s debt?
Do not assume that. The financing agreement identifies the borrower’s obligation; estate-liability questions require appropriate legal advice.
Related decisions
Ready for your next step?
Continue to the online application. Review the terms of any offer before you accept.
Sources and scope
Sources support general product facts, not a Bottom Dollar lender offer or endorsement. Numerical scenarios are illustrations, not available rates or terms.
