Coming Funeral Business Bailout? from Treasury?-Your Funeral Guy.

Life Insurance Funeral Industry? May get a Bailout

As all of us know the banks and the auto industry have received huge pieces of  American Bailout out pie. But the  next guys to get bailouts-some of them are a part of the funeral industry.

It appears that Funeral Directors may get a DIRECT AND REAL GORVERNMENT BAILOUT(freebie). It may happen before the coming day of  bye bye bailout pie.

The US Treasury will be bailing out Life Insurance Companies soon. It is more than apparent that many in the funeral business work with life insurance companies.

From michellemalkin.com

“The Treasury Department has decided to extend bailout funds to a number of struggling life-insurance companies, helping an industry that is a lynchpin of the U.S. financial system, people familiar with the matter said.”

‘The department is expected to announce the expansion of the Troubled Asset Relief Program to aid the ailing industry within the next several days, these people said.”

It was also stated it would happen very soon in th 9:00 oclock  pm central time hour on Fox News April 8th 2009.

If you are a funeral owner and connected to a life  insurance company do not go out and have a a party yet.

The World’s Largest Funeral Corporation, Service Corporation International, which can be called (thanks to the AP)

” Criminal Veteran Corpse Abuser Corporation” is in line for this bailout.

They also have ties to many  Life insurance companies like SLAICO which  is connected to SCI Preneed.

If you are a Funeral home owner in order to get a life insurance bailout you will need the permission of the CEO and Chief of the USA(last week’s Saturday nite  live sketch). You may have to bow to the Oval office or the Treasury to get your money.

Be careful though you may end up working for Uncle Sam.

In spite of my sarcasm it really is going to happen.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Costs Blogs by your funeral guy.

And I thought IFDA, MLBT, and IFDA meant bailout!

Article in reaction to “Funeral Industry Feeling  Six Feet Under“
preneed

Dead and Defiled Veteran in Garage Months|at SCI Va.Site -yourfuneralguy

Entrance to National Memorial Park -Grounds where National Funeral Home and SCI Central Embalming facility are located.(7400 Lee Highway Falls Church, VA)

The County prosecutor in Fairfax County,VA is now involved National Funeral Home’s (SCI)  Scandal. If what is stated as true it is very close to a felony. It all points to criminal activity under Virginia Law and the Prosecutor will decided if charges will be brought.

Service Corporation International, SCI is the world’s largest funeral corporation headquartered in Houston, Texas.

This is the scenario as presented by the The Washington Post Article and Video.April 5th, 2009

“The body of Maj. Richard Morgan was left from November to February in a light oak coffin in the garage at SCI’s central care facility, located in the same building as National Funeral Home, according to current and former employees who saw the coffin and the body inside.”

First I would say if I was a funeral director, embalmer or employee at that site I would have been placing  the Major back in the cooler continuously. Before taking pictures I would have had a log of dates and times that Major Richard  Morgan went back in the cooler. That is how “Your Funeral Guy” would have handled his obligations to the major. I would not care if it was insubordination. This is fact, I was not there.

If what is stated is true it appears the Major was defiled. It is the County prosecutors job to figure out how to proceed. I did say “Not my Job” but I will be  watching with great interest. I used to work at several funeral homes in Fairfax, County.

More from the Washington Post on April 7th:

Richard Morgan Jr., a Harrisonburg, Va., criminal defense attorney……said his father’s body was “defiled” because it was left to rot on a garage rack, a possible felony under a Virginia law regulating the treatment of corpses….an SCI official contacted him over the weekend and denied the allegations” and Morgan said the SCI official agreed to refund

National Funeral Home is a short drive from the Nations Capitol

the $14,111.65 the family paid for funeral services.

If the Va attorney, the deceased son, accepts the Service Corporation  refund for the funeral services he may fore go a civil complaint.

Matthew Sargent at Artco Casket Company reminded everyone that this is not the norm in the funeral industry. This event is the exception not the rule for Northern Virginia Funeral Homes and Funeral Homes across the USA.

It should be noted that the actions of  SCI National Funeral Home’s central embalming facility are unacceptable in the funeral profession. This embalming scandal is of historic proportion for the Funeral Profession  in America.

Funeral Industry| Funeral blog byYour Funeral Guy. Funeral Director Commonwealth of Virginia.

National Memorial Park Entrance Pic from flickr

M.V. Jantzen’s photostream

service corporation international

Revealed-Free Life Insurance for some IFDA members-YourFuneral Guy

What other IFDA PERKS will they discover?They just discovered our free IFDA life insurance policies.

Today it was revealed that IFDA members got free life insurance policies.  It is another piece of evidence that some who where involved in the  IFDA Preneed Trust fund paid themselves with a bunch of fancy perks.

It  is a word of warning for those who turn their money over to funeral directors for their final expenses. They might just spend it on themselves. As in the case of the IFDA Trust they can keep some of the money for themselves. According to the Chicago Tribune April 7th 2009 on the “IFDA Preneed Trust”

“Funeral directors could keep a cut of the interest earned on the accounts.“

Who got the perks?  Were their other perks? Did IFDA leaders get free life insurance policies?

Did the Current NFDA(National Funeral Directors Association) Executive Secretary Randall L Earl get perks? He is not talking.

What was the funding vehicle or how/if  funds were transfered out of the trust were used to pay for the policies is not known. The likely candidate is  IFDA Services, INC.  Again from the Chicago Tribune.

“One type of policy used individual funeral directors as the insured. Schainker allegedly solicited funeral directors by offering them a free $25,000 life insurance policy that would be funded by the IFDA, the complaint said.

It’s not clear from the complaint whether consumer deposits were used to pay for the $25,000

Corruption at the IFDA started years ago.

policies.”
The secretary of state charges that the solicitation violated the state’s insurance laws and constitute illegal payments.”

Does this mean that the IFDA made Illegal Payments?

THE LESSON FOR THE CONSUMER IS DO NOT PREPAY YOUR FUNERAL TO THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Costs Blog By Your Funeral Guy. Funeral Director, Illinois and Virginia.

Corruption Starts here pic from flickr

DottieboBottie’s photostream

To Washington Post-Funeral Directors Did get a Bailout-Your Funeral Guy

Washington Post said Funeral Directors asked for a Bailout. They did not, but they got one in Illinois anyway.

Contrary to what your recent article says funeral directors did get a bailout, but they did not ask for one as a recent article seems to say.

From the The Washington Post Article and Video entitled “FUNERAL BUSINESS FEELING SIX FEET UNDER. BAILOUT?”

“So funeral directors did what everybody else does: They asked for a federal bailout. “We recognized that there may be a situation where a lot of folks who were displaced or unemployed might need some help in paying for their funerals,” John Fitch Jr., lobbyist for the National Funeral Directors Association”

First Funeral Directors in the article did not ask for a bailout as your article states, NFDA officials were asking for “stimulus help” for indigent  funerals(people in tough times) in the states, a noble cause to say the least. I would like to know what government leaders opposed that one.

That is were my defense of the National Funeral Directors Association Stops.

The funeral folks who got the INDIRECT  bailout were in Illinois.(Where Else?). The leaders of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association (IFDA)got a bailout via Merrill Lynch and the Bank of America  through US Treasury Funds. Note -The IFDA Trust lost 59 million in an alleged Ponzi Scheme.

Indirectly the IFDA – the Illinois Funeral Directors Association- AND THE FUNERAL INDUSTRY got a bailout.

This happened when Merrill Lynch Bank and Trust  (MLBOT)picked up the management of the IFDA Preneed Trust Fund announced  November 2008. Merill  later got a 10 billion bailout from the US TREASURY in December 2008.

After that Merrill Lynch got a bailout(purchase) from Bank of America which received an unthinkable amount of Money from the US Treasury in 2008 and 2009.

If all that money would not have been transferred the IFDA may have gone bankrupt which  still could happen. anyway.

Problem is THE IFDA PRENEED TRUST is an alleged PONZI SCHEME. That is the fund that  was BAILED OUT.

FYI Senator Roland Burris and the NFDA Executive Secretary Randall L Earl are involved in this mess in a big way.

Funeral Industry| Funeral Costs Blog By Your Funeral Guy.

Sources: Your Funeral Guy’s Political and Funeral Industry Experience, The Washington Post Article and Video.  Washington Posts Pic from Flickr Creative Commons License from:

krossbow’s photostream

SCI Va. Body Desecration Atrocity Leads back to GWB-Your Funeral Guy.

The  recent treatment of the Dead at the Service Corporation International- National Funeral Home in Falls

The SCI Demaine Servicing Funeral Home, Manager told the customer it was a misunderstanding. Abusing deceased loved ones is never a misunderstanding. Demaine Funeral Home pictured.

Church,Va is a tragedy for funeral professionals around the country. More and more trust and respect is taken away from funeral directors because of the inability of the funeral industry to police themselves(Gosh, that sounds familiar).

The fact that the events occurred within a few miles of the nations capital makes it all the worst. The story was first reported in The Washington Post Article and Video.

The SCI Trail first goes back to grave desecration in Florida At Service Corporation International (SCI) Cemeteries. This mess was reported settled for 100 million dollars.

A Snippet from Fox News:

“December 20, 2001

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Attorneys suing a cemetery company accused of recycling graves showed grisly photos and video footage Thursday of crushed burial vaults and human remains discarded in the woods.

They also presented internal documents they say show Menorah Gardens & Funeral Chapels in West Palm Beach and its owner, Houston-based Service Corporation International, were aware of the grave desecration’s SCI is the world’s largest cemetery company.”

The fact is that the next steps backward lead to “funeralgate”and George W Bush before he became President in 2000.

The Current SCI Atrocity at National Funeral Home relates back to a Scandal in TEXAS involving then Governor Bush.

GWB complicated things a bit. This was a SCI “EMBALMING SCANDAL” like the one  Service Corporation International-SCI- is now facing in Virginia at National Funeral Home, and Demaine Funeral home. Funeral Directors and Embalmers are responsible for the treatment of the dead under their care.

A snippet from Wikepedia :

“In the late 1990s, SCI was involved in a controversy involving alleged violations of Texas State EMBALMING LAWS. The proceedings took a political slant due to Robert Waltrip’s friendship with the family of then-governor George W. Bush and Waltrip’s campaign contributions to various members of the Bush family..[11]

Referred to as “Funeralgate” or “Formaldegate” in the media, the controversy was widely publicized when Eliza May—a director with the Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC)—was fired while investigating SCI. May alleged in a civil suit that she was fired because she refused to halt her investigation, despite pressure to do so from Governor Bush.…..

The lawsuit was settled in 2001 for more than $200,000.”

Robert Waltrip the CEO and founder of Service Corporation International needs to step down. There have been too many scandals. Some kind of national regulations  needs to be put in place for both preneed and the treatment of dead folks including proper embalming.

There need to be guidelines beyond the funeral rule. You may be surprised to know that the dead have rights. So may Service Corporation International, Robert Waltrip and the Folks at Demaine Funeral Home and National Funeral Home.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Demaine Funeral Home pic from FLICKR

NCinDC’s photostream

George Bush Pic from Flickr.

Trpster*’s photostream

service corporation international
falls church
funeral rule

Questions IFDA TRUST FOUNDERS must answer.-YourFuneralGuy

Senator Burris it is time to answer questions on the funeral trust situation in Illinois.

The two founders of the Illinois Founders Preneed trust fund are Eric Trimble of Moline, IL  and Roland Burris of the United States Senate or if you like Chicago,IL. Eric Trimble was  IFDA President in 1979 when the trust was founded in 1979. Roland Burris issued a license to the fund in 1980 when he was comptroller of the State of Illinois.

The IFDA ,Illinois Funeral Directors Association, when operating the trust has been accused of offering a ponzi scheme in lawsuits. In the Fall of 2008 there was a writedown of 59 million dollars. The Illinois Funeral Directors aasociation no longer manages the trust.

Some Funeral directors in the state are out a lot of money. Funeral Directors are claiming they are going to cover non guarranteed policies. But a failed promises were the cause of this mess in the firstplace.

“The IFDA on the IFDA Preneed Trust. In addition to the growth trust which has been available since 1979 a tax exempt fund first offered in 1986 gives your clients the option of having their accounts grow tax free.”-from the 2008 yearbook.

For Mr. Eric  Trimble of Moline, IL. When the IFDA Preneed Trust was created why did it not have a corporate fiduciary? This question goes to the core of the IFDA Preneed trust problems.

For US Senator Roland Burris.When the IFDA was given a license to sell and manage the IFDA Preneed trust, why was not the IFDA  required to have a corporate fiduciary? This would clear up basic questions.

Answers to these questions would go along way toward “trust” the ingredient needed for realistic solutions.

Funeral Consumers and Directors in the State of Illinois and around the USA would like answers.

Funeral Industry| Funeral  Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Burris Pic fromThe Third Estate Sunday Review’s photostream on Flickr

Caught-Worlds Largest Funeral Provider Abusing the Dead(Again)-yourfuneralguy

Demaine Funeral Home an SCI location where Mr.Frederici wanted his father to go.

News 4.05.09 The worlds largest funeral company(SCI) has been caught abusing the dead(AGAIN). This happened in the nations capitol and was reported in the Washington Post.

The story gets worse,  it appears that many of those families hurt were  military Veterans  headed for Arlington National Cemetery according to the report.

“Ronald Federici’s father, a retired Army colonel, had just died, and Federici wanted to escort his body to Demaine Funeral Home in Alexandria. But the driver who came to pick up the remains at the hospital said he wasn’t going to Demaine, he was going to some other place……Federici said, the foul odor of decomposition smacked him.” upon arrival at the other place.

It is a good thing that Mr Frederici followed the van to National Funeral Home in Falls Church,Va. It is always best for the consumer to check up on the Funeral Home and the Funeral director.

“Let’s just say that bodies were not  cared for properly, as  Mr.Frederici said:

The stench was horrific,” Federici, 53, said about the cooler. “Bodies were laying buck naked all over the place. There was no dignity whatsoever. It was disgusting, degrading and humiliating.”

From my own experience of working in the area I can say that National Funeral Home has some of the highest funeral costs in the area. One of the 4 employees that spoke to authorities presented pictures.

The Washington Post Article and Video are a must see.

Service Corporation International or SCI is the Largest Funeral Corporation in  World.  The SCI Founder Robert Waltrip is a close friend of the Ex Presidents’  Bush Family. It is time for this SCI executive to go. Check out a previous SCI scandal here.

Service Corporation International (SCI) operates over 1500 Funeral Homes and over 400 Cemeteries according to their website. SCI is conducting an independent investigation. The authorities are also investigating the situation.

This is as disaster to as i see it for the funeral industry. A  national corpse  abuse scandal at the same time as preneed fraud is focused in Illinois on the IFDA and nationally on the NFDA Executive Secretary Randall L Earl.

More Black Marks on Funeral Directors.

Funeral Costs| Funeral Industry Blog by your funeral guy

Funeral Director Illinois and Virginia.

I’m sure SCI did not treat Ronald Reagan’s body this way.

Robert Waltrip is a national figure connected to the BUSH Family. He has been mentioned in many newspaper and web articles over the years. This post is not an attack on his person or corporation. Too many Scandals for a public figure often means they should step aside, until things are resolved,

Demaine Funeral Home pic from FLICKR

NCinDC’s photostream

service corporation international

Revealed Now: A Doctor Spock Casket for You-YourFuneralGuy

Beam on to the other side Scottie in Spock's Coffin. Picture from STAR TREK Convention .

With the advent of a new Star Trek movie a funeral company will be offering you a Dr Spock Casket.  Eternal Image is the one offering the casket and if you prefer cremation there are star trek urns available. A new Star trek movie is several months away. It is also true that these items will not help you lower your funeral costs.

Technically the casket is a “Torpedo Tube“  similar to the one that was used in the end of  a Star Trek Movie.

From Wired Magazine:

“Soon, you can be buried in a full-size recreation of the torpedo tube (above) used to launch Spock’s corpse to the Genesis Planet at the end of Wrath of Khan.”

“trek monuments and burial vaults are also coming. The entire collection doesn’t arrive until later this year, and no prices are listed yet.”

A recent agreement with Wilbert Vault  is making Trek vaults available along with more personal options.

Eternal Image has a line of many unique products including Major League Baseball caskets and urns.

Funeral Industry |Funeral Costs blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Smitty’s Wife’s photostream on flickr is the photosource

Your funeral guy  has no connection with Eternal Image

“Randy Earl” NFDA Secretary Walk Away!-R Brian Burkhardt(Your Funeral Guy)

It is Time for "Randall L Earl" Executive Secretary of the NFDA to walk away.

Randy Earl NFDA Secretary needs to walk away. Being an executive at the National Funeral Directors Association is not a place to be when caught up in a Funeral Scandal. The National Funeral Directors Association is suppose to be the place of integrity for funerals.

Randy Earl needs to resign and give up his place at the NFDA.

Here are Ten Reasons why  Secretary Earl of the NFDA should resign.

1. To preserve the integrity of the Funeral Profession in the United States of America.

2. To maintain the trust the American Public has in the National Funeral Directors Association.

3. To Distance The NFDA from THE ALLEGED IFDA PONZI SCAM.

4.Because details of his involvement with the defunct IFDA Capital, Inc have not been revealed.

5. Because the details of the transference of funds to the IFDA  Museum of Funeral Customs (Closed but Mr. Earl is the  current director )have not been made public. It appears that funds were transferred from the  scandal ridden IFDA Pre need trust.

6. because Mr. Earl failed as (IFDA President) and is failing in his obligation to manage the IFDA Trust Fund (According to the NFDA website he is still active at the IFDA )

7. because MR .EARL is named in IFDA Lawsuits.

8 because Secretary Earl is still involved with the IFDA as Director 0f the IFDA’s Funeral Service Credit Union.

9. because Randall L Earl  has failed in is NFDA mission of maintaining the highest ethical standards in Funeral Service as stated in the NFDA Mission statement.

“The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is the worldwide resource and advocate across all facets of funeral service dedicated to high ethical standards and helping members provide meaningful service to families.”-from the NFDA website.

10. because Mr. Earl is still in deep and has not disassociated himself from the  Scandalous Illinois Funeral Directors Association

For these ten reasons Randall L Earl Should resign as Executive Secretary of the NFDA.

It is my understanding that the NFDA is standing behind Secretary Earl because they are waiting for more information. In this blog post they just received more info!

Funeral directors, funeral consumers, and all those involved in a future funeral purchase, that’s everybody should call the NFDA on this one!

NFDA 1-800-228-6332

Funeral Industry|Funeral Costs Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

photo from

roger g1′s photostream

on flickr

museum of funeral customs
nfda

Two Reporters show up for NFDA|Funeral Industry Burial-YourFuneralGuy

Washington Post did a story and a video on Customer Thrift killing the Funeral Industry

According to the Washington Post The Funeral industry is getting a burial and maybe the NFDA -National Funeral Directors Association as well. Two reporters showed up for an NFDA advocacy summit Press Conference. The Washington Post did an article on the press conference and in their video appeared to be almost “making fun” of the NFDA and the Funeral Industry.

“The Funeral business is getting a  burial”, “Even the Funeral Industry has one foot in the grave.” Perhaps heaven should lower it’s admission fee?”

NFDA leaders appearred to make  a few crazy statements like folks are turning to Bazooka bubble gum at visitations (said Patrick Lynch NFDA Treasurer), others are serving cheese and crackers instead of full funeral meals said another leader.

The article mentioned that the Funeral Industry failed to get a bailout and qualify directly for a government stimulus.

Funeral Industry| Funeral Costs blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Chris Raymond Editor of the Director NFDA Magazine objected to the term stiff used by one of two reporters.