Breaking News January 29th 2009-This is an historic move on funeral cost, the funeral Industry and Preneed. (prepaid funerals) The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) announced plans to reach the masses in the defense of their industry.
This was done in reaction to two disastrous Scandals in 2008 -National Prearranged Services(NPS) and the Illinois Funeral Directors Association IFDA Preneed Trust Mismanagement Debacle. The NFDA will spent thousands of dollars to reach millions on a major television advertising blitz.
This will do nothing but raise the average cost of a funeral in the United States. I have estimated the average funeral cost to be $8,500.00 USD plus.
In times of deep economic trouble with folks demanding lower cost funerals. this is clearly an attempt to drum up business for an industry clearly in trouble with massive overhead.
The full press release can be viewed at Nfda.org
Blog By Your Funeral Guy
Tags: "funeral cost", "lower cost funeral", "National Funeral Directors Association", advertising, average cost of the funeral, average funeral cost, funeral, IFDA, illinos funeral directors association, national prearranged services, NFDA, television, www.nfda.org
I wish to offer a clarification on this post. Plans for the National Report television segment were approved by the NFDA Executive Board in 2007 for the 2008 budget year, long before the issues surrounding NPS and IFDA came to light.
While the focus of the piece is on preneed, it is in no way a response to the NPS or IFDA issues.
Jessica Koth
NFDA Public Relations Manager
Thank you for the clarification.
It should be mentioned that a few may take it as a response to the NPS and IFDA scenarios as I did.
You might want to consider that a responsible thing could have been done in January at the time of filming.
It may have been “best for all” to have mentioned NPS and IFDA. Some of the public is aware. Odds are more people may notice.
From your press release from about 1/29/09
“NFDA-produced segment will reach millions
via television and Internet”
‘The National 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”
Respectfully,
R.Brian Burkhardt