An Illinois Funeral Directors Association Lawsuit was revealed yesterday. The lawsuit
class action
refers to the IFDA Preneed Trust. The IFDA issued a short statement with the specifics and a basic defense of their actions in a 59 million dollar loss.
This is significant to your funeral cost because every time a preneed funeral fund is misused costs are raised. The average cost of a funeral goes up when the funeral directors do not receive their funds. The costs are passed on to the consumer.
Here is part of the IFDA statement on the class action Lawsuit:
“The IFDA Preneed Trust began operating in 1980 under a license issued by the Illinois Office of the Comptroller which regularly renewed the license over the course of more than 25 years. At this juncture, our counsel is reviewing this legal filing to determine the most appropriate course of action to defend our Association, our members and the truth.”
No surprise, Politicians are involved.A detailed political commentary can now be found here. A Preneed Lawyer breaks this apart and gives his comments on the confidence breakdown with the IFDA.
The bottom line for the consumer is that preneed funds are risky if not dangerous.
Blog by Your Funeral Guy.
IFDA Lawsuit Statement E-mailed on 1/30/09 to members ifda
Funeral Directors are pulling out all the stops to help boost their dying Industry. Sadly they openly state they will advocate preneed and prepaying for a funeral. Most Funeral Advocates do not recommend this unless one checks out the company and the people involved very carefully. The latest to comment on this is Angie from Angie’s list in an Indiana News Outlet.
The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)press release states that the following “On Air sites” on the Telly(Internet and TV) “will be airing the National Report Series from the NFDA.” Historically a television and internet campaign of this nature has never been conducted by the funeral industry. Here are the outlets.
“NFDA-produced segment will reach millions
via television and Internet” ‘TheNational Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is currently wrapping up production of a video segment it’s producing for “National Report,” a series of short educational programs hosted by world-renowned journalist Hugh Downs‘
“National Report segments air in-between regularly scheduled programs on major television networks”
Since The Wall Street Crisis consumers around the country have been requesting lower cost funerals not the traditional ones the NFDA Advocates.
This is “The Funeral Bill of Rights” You have a right to a lower cost funeral done your way.
1. You have the right to know the prices of the Goods and Services you are paying for in advance, at any funeral home, either when you visit, or over the phone, when you call. You do not need to give them your name, address, or other information before they give you the prices you ask for when you phone them.
2. You have the right to see the casket and vault price list when you go into a funeral home and at an arrangement conference. If you are shopping for a funeral you must be shown a casket price list. While some detailed casket information may appear on the list of goods and services, usually funeral homes have a separate written list for casket prices. The funeral home will be sure that you see their most costly caskets first. Before they show you any caskets, be sure that you get a copy of the written list so that you can identify less expensive caskets that would suit your needs, and request to see them.
3. You have the right to negotiate your contract with a funeral director and funeral home.
4. You have the right to choose embalming, cremation, or direct burial. A funeral home director or agent is obligated to inform you of this right. Sometimes a funeral director or agent may ask instead just for permission to embalm your loved one when the funeral home arrives to transport the body. (See Chapter 2 of the book “Rest in Peace Insiders Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral”)
5. You have the right to bring a casket or urn from another source (including a wholesaler or internet provider) into the funeral home, that will be used to contain the remains of your loved one for display or burial.
6. You have the right not to pay a funeral home an additional fee if you bring in a casket or urn from another source. A funeral home cannot charge you a fee for using a casket/urn from another source and you do not need to be present when it is delivered at the funeral home.
7. You have the right to have services at a different site from the funeral home you have chosen.
8. You have a right to produce the items you need for a funeral service or buy them from another source (other than the funeral home you are using for some goods or services), including: flowers, the Order of Service programs, registration/guest book, memorial folders, prayer cards, and other service related items, as well as electronic media presentations like slide shows and videos.
9. You have the right to write the obituary.
10.You have the right to your funeral service your way. You have the right not to select a “package” from a funeral home’s group of packages.
The Funeral Bill of Rights Copyright 2008 by R.Brian Burkhardt. All Rights Reserved.
Blog by Your Funeral Guy, Author, Funeral Director
R.Brian: I am here with Matt Bacak and we are here to discuss the subject
of lowering the cost of your Funerals.
Your Funeral Guy
Matt. Good Afternoon, R. Brian
R.Brian: Good afternoon Matt.
Matt. How did you come to Speak and Write on the subject of lowering the cost of funerals?
R.Brian: I am a Funeral Director in Illinois and Virginia. While in the Washington DC Metro Area I learned how to Lower the Cost of family funerals from government leaders and immigrants.
Matt: What have you done Recently?
R.Brian: Recently I wrote a book Rest in Peace Insiders Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral
MATT: Now we are going to interview R.Brian about the 7 Golden Keys Secret
Funeral Cash.
Matt: We are here to discuss the 7 golden keys to secret Funeral Cash.
What is Secret Funeral Cash?
R.Brian Answers: Secret Funeral Cash is cash that is can be saved and obtained in the funeral process.
Golden Key
Matt : What is the first Golden Key?
R.Brian. Answers Plan Ahead
Matt What is the second Golden Key?
B Answer write it down preferably in the will.
Matt: What is the Third Golden Key
R Brian Answers: Do the Detail work.
Matt: What is the Fourth Golden Key
R. Brian answers: You or your designate are the Funeral Direct
Matt: what is the 5th Golden Key Prearrange the arrangements
Matt: What is the 6th Golden Key
R.Brian: Make Em follow the rules the funeral rule to be exact.
Matt: What is the 7th Golden Key
R. Brian Answers PAY at the END
Matt: What is the biggest Question one needs to answer when planning a Funeral.
R. Brian Answers: There are 2 big Questions.
1.Whose in Charge?
2. Embalming, Cremation, Closed Casket?
Don't throw Your Money Down the Grave
Matt Bacak later went on to say this about Rest in Peace Insiders Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral;
“You are holding in your hand a guide that should be in every home. This work can dramatically save your survivors, time, stress, grief and money when you move on to what comes after this life.It is the How To Manual for Families on the Funeral”
Blog by Your Funeral Guy
Be sure not to throw Your money down the Grave!
Interview copyright by R Brian Burkhardt 2008.
Matt Bacak comment copyright by R Brian Burkhardt from R.Brian Burkhardt Rest in Peace Insiders Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral.
Interview edited by your funeral guy, full transcript available.
As mentioned in a previous post, within the last year I wrote a book “Rest in Peace Insiders Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral.” Here are five of my motivations for writing the book.
9/11 Grief
·Why did you feel compelled to write this book?I get asked this often.
I felt compelled to write this book for these reasons and more.
(Compassion) My first day in Funeral Service was September 11th 2001.
This event was quite a motivational factor in being successful in this profession, helping families at their time of need.The Book is simply a continuation of the September 11th motivation of compassion
Capital Rotunda after Reagan Funeral
(Professional)My Unique Funeral Experience in Washington DC. .My experience here with government leaders, and immigrants gave me an eye and a vision for how families could lower the cost of their Funerals.These 2 groups negotiated Funerals at lower cost continually. With this experience came a moral obligation to share this information with families. I wrote this book because I am obligated to share the information.
(Personal) Growing up in the sixties the possibility to change the world is very appealing. I now believe that this book changed the world of funeral industry as we know it. This world is now in a major paradigm shift.
(Business) I know that by publishing this book I would become an authority in this arena, that is if I was the first to get this information to market. This enabled me to do things with my business that otherwise would not have happened.
Here is a little more about Your Funeral Guy.
“R.Brian Burkhardt, Your Funeral Guy is from Illinois.I met Robert Kennedy in Washington D.C in 1966 only to watch his State Funeral from a hospital bed in 1968.
Little did I know he would someday be a Funeral Director in Virginia serving both the nation’s poor and elite as Funeral director.”
Blog by Your Funeral Guy, Author, Funeral Director
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