Make plans before your time comes

I KNOW this might seem a bit morbid, so I apologise in advance. But it turns out there's a third certainty in life after death and taxes - the cost of dealing with the former.

- Katie Elliott

The price of a traditional attended funeral jumped 5.3% to average £4,510 last year, says SunLife's latest Cost of Dying Report. This marks the largest annual increase in a decade.

That alone could be enough to startle you, but the sting really is how wildly prices vary depending on where you live - it's a postcode lottery.

Brace yourself if you're in London. Pure Cremation's research analysing data by country and region showed a traditional funeral in the capital averages £5,710. This works out almost £1,500 more than in Wales, the cheapest place to die at £4,136.