A cremation Urn doesn’t have to be plainly designed and ordinary...

As the name suggests, a cremation urn is a container that is meant to hold the cremated remains of the deceased. There are many different standard forms of urn, such as ceramic, granite, glass or biodegradable. However, with custom companies creating unique urns, it is becoming more common to add a personal touch to this keepsake item.

These urns are hardly anything close to the traditional urns that people usually purchase. Here is a list of some of the most unusual but individual urns, which could even possibly help you if you are looking for a bold, out of the box idea for memorialising your loved ones.

• A Ghost Urn.

A ghost shaped Urn can be a nice eternal resting place for those who had a sense of humour. They are time capsule inspired and have a modular design. They look good as white porcelain, but can also be made out of silver, gold and bronze.

• Martini Glass Urn

A martini glass is just one example of urns shaped into beverages, from a beer to a martini  glass, some of which, titled ‘companion glasses’ are big enough to store the remains of a loving couple. They tend to be made from glass or maple and are painted in the style of the drink.

• Huggabe Urns

Cremation urns generally create a feeling of uneasiness, especially with younger children. Turning these into huggable shapes, a teddy for example, can be much more accepting. The bears and teddies can also be personalised with accessories belonging to your loved ones such as a blanket or an item of clothing.

Star Trek Cremation Urn

An incredible way to memorialise a true Star Trek fan, would be to use a 23^rd Century stainless steel and wood design which features the Trademark Starfleet Delta Insignia detail, and shall serve as a family heirloom for generations.

• An Hourglass Keepsake Urn

An interesting twist on a standard urn would be an Hourglass Keepsake Urn. With this, you would fill it with cremated ashes as opposed to sand, creating a lovely symbol of the passage of time in every person’s life. If you and a loved one would like to share an hourglass, your ashes can be mixed into a single urn.

• Severed Head Urn.

Possibly the most bizarre Urn would be that of a severed head. The head can either be a likeness of the person deceased, a favourite star or anyone else for that matter. The head is created using an image of the desired person along with 3D imaging techniques. The head is then mounted onto a marble base. With this you can either have a full size Urn for storing the remains of an adult or a keepsake Urn, which tends to be smaller.

5 Ways to Reduce Inheritance Tax

A recent study has found that the UK and Ireland have the highest inheritance tax rates in the developed world.

In the UK if you're estate exceeds the threshold £325,000 then 40% inheritance tax will be charged on anything above that value. Meaning an £1.8m estate would see 32.9% taken away for tax, compared to the European average of 14% this is considerably higher.

Rising house prices mean more and more people will be liable to pay inheritance tax over the coming years.

However there are some ways to significantly reduce the level of inheritance tax your estate is liable for.


1. A gift to your partner
As long as you are both permanent UK residents, then you can make tax-free gifts to your spouse or civil partner. When you pass away anything you give to them will not be counted as part of your estate.


2. Give to family and friends
If you give something to a friend or family member, the value of the gift will only be liable for inheritance tax for seven years. For example, if you give a family member a sum of money and live for another seven years then inheritance tax will not have to be paid on the value of the gift.


3. Invest in a trust
If you invest cash or property into a trust which neither you, your spouse or children under 18 benefit from then they are no considered to be part of your estate therefore no longer liable for inheritance tax. For example, you set up a trust to pay for your grandchild's education the value will not be eligible for inheritance tax.


4. Give something to charity
Inheritance tax will not be charged on anything you leave to charity, so you can reduce your inheritance tax bill and donate to a good cause at the same time. Also if at least 10% of your estate is left to charity, only 36% of your estate over £325,000 is liable for inheritance tax rather than 40%.


5. Life insurance
Although taking out life insurance will not reduce the amount of inheritance tax your estate is liable for, the payout may make paying the bill much more manageable for your family members. For example, having this extra cash available when you pass away could save your family from being forced to sell the family home to afford the tax on your estate.



Many of these ways to cut inheritance tax can not be achieved without a Will. Therefore it is important that you have one in place to ensure you can provide as much as possible for your friends and family should you pass away. If you have not made a Will, ConsumerCare can help you by providing a professional Will at a fraction of the price that the average solicitor would charge.

Unusual gifts and requests in Wills Part 1

Our Last Will and Testament is usually a document which we use to distribute our possessions to loved ones and ensure that our families are taken care of when we pass away. However,  listed below are a few people who have used their Will to make more unusual requests:

Harry Houdini

Born in 1874, Harry Houdini is still considered to be one of the greatest escape artists of all time. After his death in 1926, his possessions were distributed between his family and friends according to his Will.
His vast libraries of books on magic were offered to the American Society for Physical Research on the condition that J. Malcolm Bird, the research officer of the facility would resign. This wish was not fulfilled, and therefore the books were instead gifted to the Library of Congress.

His most unusual gift was ‘ten words chosen at random’ which he would use as a secret code from the dead...to contact his wife. For ten years after his death, his wife continued to hold annual séances on Halloween, however to no avail.

Marie Curie

Marie Curie, one of the most famous pioneers of radioactivity, died from her work in 1934.  At her point of death, her only asset of value was a gram of pure radium gifted to her previously, which she decided to give to her daughter. Her Will stated, "The value of the element being too great to transfer to a personal heritage, I desire to will the gram of radium to the University of Paris on the condition that my daughter, Irene Curie, shall have entire liberty to use this gram . . . according to the conditions under which her scientific researches shall be pursued."

John Bowman

John Bowman had a strong belief that after his death, he along with his dead wife and two daughters would be reincarnated together. When he died in 1891, a $50,000 trust fund was set up for the maintenance of his mansion in Vermont.  The maintenance also required the servants to prepare a meal every evening, in case the reincarnated family were hungry when they returned from the dead. This tradition was carried out until 1950, when the money ran out.

What is the cost of dying in the UK?

What is the cost of dying in the UK?

Only one thing can be guaranteed in life... death. But what is the cost of dying in the UK? This article explains the cost of dying in the UK and how you can help reduce the burden on loved ones by preparing for the inevitable.

According to recent research, funeral costs in the UK are continuing to rise at a higher rate than inflation. The study by AXA shows that the average UK funeral now costs £3,284 - an average annual increase of 7% every year since 2004.

Whilst people are continuing to live longer, many are failing to make the necessary provisions to prepare for when they die. Many families have found that the flagging economy has forced them to tighten their monthly expenditure over the last few years, especially as higher inflation rates have squeezed budgets even further by increasing the cost of household items.  

This was echoed in the AXA study, as they found that 17% of the population currently struggles to afford a funeral, with an average shortfall of £1,246 on the cost of their funeral - further illustrating how important it is to plan forward and take control of your affairs even after death.

There are many different ways you can make provision for a funeral, the most popular being: personal savings, over 50’s plan, life insurance or a pre-paid funeral plan from a funeral provider.

Another way to prepare for the inevitable is writing a Will. A Will is sometimes perceived as something that the rich have to avoid overpaying on their Inheritance Tax, however, that is only a small part of why you should make a Will. A Will is initially put in place to ensure that your Estate is distributed to those who you wish, as well as ensuring that anyone under 18 you are responsible for have the security of a legal guardian should the worst happen.

Although it isn’t something you may want to think about, planning for the future is one of the most important things you can do and can be the best gift you could make to loved ones. Alongside being able to reduce Inheritance Tax (so your loved ones do not have to pay thousands in unexpected tax bills), you can also ensure that those you care about receive something. There are currently no provisions for friends, unmarried partners, associations (church, charities etc) and pets if you were to die without a Will.

By making a Will you can also appoint legal guardians for your children, so you choose who will look after them if you were to die before they turned 18. Without a Will, the law decides who benefits from your estate and who would be legally responsible for your children – which may not be who you would ideally choose.

Planning for the future is relatively straight-forward and once your arrangements are complete they only need to be reviewed every few years to make sure that they accommodate for any changes to your circumstances.

The most common New Year's Resolutions in the UK

The first of January is generally the day when we decide to make a change for the better by making a New Years' resolution, such as stoping smoking, losing weight or sorting out finances, but what are the most common New Years' resolutions in the UK?

According to latest studies the most common New Years' resolutions in the UK are predominantly centred around fitness and finances. The study, published on the Daily Mail website, found that 95 per cent of Brits will try to keep some sort of resolution in the New Year.

For most people the New Year is about getting fit and slimming down. Losing weight, getting fit and eating more healthily are the top three most common New Years' resolutions respectively. That may also explain why there are so many adverts for healthy eating plans and diets at the beginning of the year, as people start their fitness kick. It's also why there's more of a queue at the gym for the treadmill, with many people joining the gym in January hoping to trim the excess weight that they may have put on over the festive period.

After that, our attentions turn to issues of a financial matter by way of sorting out finances and saving money/spending less. Intentions to bolster our savings accounts and tackle debts are often dealt a nasty blow when credit card statements, store cards and bank statements are received, and we finally realise just how much we have spent over Christmas and New Year.

Another popular way to sort finances for the longer-term is to make a Will. This remains the only way to ensure that any assets, property, savings or special items are received by loved ones after you pass away Making a Will also ensures that you appoint guardians for your children, so you get to decide who looks after your children. Without a Will the law decides who receives your estate and who looks after your children - which may not be exactly as you would wish.

Once health and wealth have been addressed, the next most popular New Year’s resolution in the UK is getting a new job. Whilst this may help with your health and wealth, in most cases it is to do with overall happiness why people want to change.

Others to make the top ten most common New Year’s resolutions include spending more time with friends and loved ones, along with visiting a new country, getting out of a rut and reading more. The ten most common New Year’s resolutions are:

1.    Lose weight

2.    Get fit

3.    Eat more healthily

4.    Save money/spend less

5.    Get a new job

6.    Spend more time with people who matter

7.    Try new experiences

8.    Get out of a rut

9.    Visit a country you’ve never been to

10.    Read more

Nation of procrastinators put off making a Will

According to latest research, we are a nation of procrastinators, as around 41 million adults in the UK regularly put off doing everyday tasks like completing DIY projects or making a Will.

The study, conducted by OnePoll, highlighted that the majority of people would rather wait for tomorrow, as the people questioned confirmed that they continuously put off carrying out everyday tasks (such as finding cheaper insurances, doing DIY) but that they also delayed completing important duties such as paying bills and making a Will).

This can have serious consequences, as the study also pointed out that these bad habits leave more than one in 10 people (14%) ending up in financial trouble because of their failure to keep on top of their personal admin duties.

These results also support the findings of another recent study, which found that around two-thirds of adults in the UK had yet to make a Will. 62% of those asked in the survey by insurance comparison service Unbiased said that they had yet to make a Will, despite it being an important document for all UK adults to have.

Whilst the consequences of putting off a DIY project or finding a better deal on your home insurance may seem quite trivial, the impact of not making a Will could be much worse.

Nathan Cameron at Will writing specialists Consumer Care, said: “These stats confirm what we see every day, as customers regularly tell us that they haven’t got around to making a Will – yet all of them recognise just how important it is.

 “Making a Will ensures that you decide who receives your estate and who looks after your children, if the worst were to happen. Without a Will, the Courts could determine what happens to your estate or who should be your children’s legal guardian - which might not necessarily be as you would wish.”

Consumer Care is a specialist Will writing service that offers Single Wills and Mirror Wills online. Follow this link for further information on making a Will.

£1m from those who die without wills passes to Prince Charles's estate

Under powers dating back to medieval times, the Duchy is entitled to all unclaimed property and estates left when someone dies in Cornwall, in an arrangement known as bona vacantia.

In the last financial year alone, £552,000 passed to the Duchy under the ancient law, which was put in place when the Duchy was created by Edward III in 1337 for his son and heir, Edward, the Black Prince.

The Prince of Wales does not, however, keep any of the money; instead it is distributed in charitable donations through the Duke of Cornwall’s Benevolent Fund, with a small amount kept in reserve for any future claims on unclaimed estates.

In most of Britain, the estates of people who die without making a will, and who have no obvious heirs, go to the Government.

But because Cornwall is owned by the Prince of Wales, unclaimed estates go to the Duchy, which has been the personal possession of the eldest son of the sovereign since the Charter of Edward III.

Since 2006 a total of £1,019,000 has come to the Duchy under bona vacantia, the Latin for vacant land.

Last year the Duke of Cornwall’s Benevolent Fund received £450,000 as a result of bona vacantia, with a total of £154,000 being held in reserve for any future claims.

A Duchy of Cornwall spokesperson said: "The Prince of Wales decided almost forty years ago that the bona vacantia funds should be given to charity."
The anti-monarchy campaign group Republic said the Prince had "no right" to the funds.

As the Duke of Cornwall, the Prince has several little-known rights and powers, including the right to veto Westminster legislation.

Last year the Prince earned £18.3 million from the Duchy, mainly coming from residential and commercial property rents on the 132,000 acres of land he owns. The Prince’s income in the 2011/12 financial year was £500,000 up on the previous year.

The Prince pays income tax voluntarily, earning the Inland Revenue around £4.5 million last year.

As well as land in Cornwall, the Duchy owns land in 22 other counties, with more than 3,500 lettings, which include 1,000 commercial agreements and 700 residential lettings.

The Oval cricket ground, the Isles of Scilly and much of the foreshore around Cornwall are among the Duchy’s possessions. The Duchy also owns land as far north as Cheshire.

Although the Duke of Cornwall is entitled to the annual income of the Duchy, he is not allowed to sell its assets for personal gain, meaning that all property transactions with a value of £500,000 or more must be approved by the Treasury.

03/10/2012 - Telegraph.co.uk

We hope you may now realise how important making a Will can be, please visit Consumer Care to learn more.