Frequently asked questions

Guardian Plan bears the investment risk associated with your funds, so you don’t have to. Your money is invested with the Over Fifty Guardian Friendly Society Limited, which appoints investment managers with appropriate expertise to manage the investments, in accordance with guidelines established by the Society, and regulated by APRA.

You can rest assured your money is held safely until the time comes for your funeral to be finalised, and the services will be provided according to the wishes you set out in your contract.

Yes. Once you agree to the price of your Guardian Plan prepaid funeral, you can either:

• pay in full; or
• pay a 30% deposit, followed by monthly instalments over 12, 24 or 36 months.

You have the option of authorising your instalments to be paid by direct debit so they happen automatically. 

If your payments are up-to-date and the Guardian Plan is required before your instalments have been fully paid, Guardian Plan can ensure those payments are put towards the agreed funeral. Any shortfall will be payable to the funeral director at that time.

Note: Monthly instalment payments are not available for packages; full payment is required at the time of arranging your pre-paid funeral.*

*Any outstanding instalment balance is required to be paid at the time of arranging the funeral

Guardian Plan invests your funds with the Over Fifty Guardian Friendly Society Limited on your behalf. You are entitled to cancel the Guardian Plan within 30 days of receiving the Society’s policy confirmation letter, or such other period as required by legislation.

After the cooling off period, you cannot cancel or reduce the services written in the plan, and the money can only be used to pay for funeral expenses.

No, the cost is locked in, meaning you and your family can relax, knowing you are protected against price rises and inflation.

In some cases, your funeral plan may be exempt from both the assets test and deeming rules, so your pension may not be adversely affected. Please read the disclosure document and seek advice prior to making any decisions.

In most cases, your prepaid funeral plan benefits come free of any personal tax implications. Please seek advice based on your own circumstances prior to making a decision.

No, once it’s paid in full, your funeral plan will be provided in accordance with your wishes. If the plan is required before it is paid in full and the instalment payments are up-to-date, we will invite your family to contribute to the balance to finalise payment*. This ensures you receive the full benefits as per your plan.

*Any shortfall will need to be made payable to the funeral director at the time of arranging the funeral.

Guardian Plan can arrange repatriation from anywhere in Australia to your nominated funeral director so your funeral can take place where you intended. A Travel Protection Plan option covers additional funeral-related costs which can be charged when someone dies while travelling away from home. (This is subject to terms and conditions contained in the Guardian Plan contract.)

If you have prearranged your funeral, it makes sense to consider prearranging your memorial too. Prearranging a memorial means you secure a permanent memorial type and position in a memorial park cemetery or garden, and pay for it at today's price.

Call us on 1800 220 888 and we can recommend beautiful memorial parks near you.