NFDA issues new numbers on the Average cost of A Funeral-Your Funeral Guy

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The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has issued numbers for the average cost of a Funeral in 2009 comparing the Numbers to 2004. The NFDA says the average funeral cost  for a traditional funeral at the funeral home  in 2009 is 7, 755 USD.

The previous numbers for the average cost of a funeral in 2006 were $7,323.00 USD.

These are NFDA numbers for median funeral cost in 2009.

Non-declinable basic services fee  2009 $1,817  2004$1,460  growth 19.6%

Removal/transfer of remains to funeral home 2009 $250  2004$195 growth 22.0%

Embalming 2009 $628  2004 growth$498  growth 20.7%

Other preparation of the body2009 $200 2004$175  growth 12.5%

Use of facilities/staff for viewing 2009$395  2004$339 growth  14.2%

Use of facilities/staff for funeral ceremony 2009$450 2004$395  growth12.2%

Hearse 2oo9$275 2004 $225  growth 18.2%

Service car/van 2009$125  2004$100 growth  20.0%

Basic memorial printed package 2009$125 2004$95 24.0%

Subtotal without casket $2009$4,265 $2004$3,482 18.4%

Metal casket (average charge for the most
frequently purchased item) 2009$2,295 $2004 $2,100

8.5% AVERAGE COST OF A FUNERAL 2009  $6,560 2004 $5,582 14.9%

Vault (average charge for the most
frequently purchased item) 2009 $1,195 2004 $998 16.5%

Total with vault 2009 $7,755 2004$6,580 15.2% * Median Price – The amount at which half of the figures fall below and half are above.

via www.nfda.org

Funeral. Industry|Funeral News Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

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Summary,Links to the Top 100 Funeral News Stories of 2009-YourFuneralGuy

Top 100 Funeral News Stories of 2009

Walmart Selling Caskets,the  Digital funerals-an  example: Facebook Memorial, the Michael Jackson Funeral along with that of other celebrities, the scandals of Service Corporation International, Burr Oak Cemetery, and declining funeral industry revenue.were front and center in 2009.

Walmart Selling  Caskets dominated because this symbolized the shift away from the Traditional Funeral  taking place in American Culture.

Digital Funerals, the Facebook Memorial, Webcasting, and the online obituary all exploded into the Funeral Industry in 2009.

The Michael Jackson  Online Funeral and that of other celebrities, politicians all were introduced. The result We expect to see celebrity funerals on The Internet.

For More LIKE  THIS CHECK  OUT These links to the Top 100 Funeral News|Funeral Cost Stories of 2009.

Counting down the Top 100 Funeral News Stories of 2009(100-75) 

Continued Countdown of the Top 100 Funeral NEWS Stories of 2009(74-50)

Winding Down TOP 100 Funeral News Count down(49-26)

Top 100 Of Funeral News Stories in 2009(#25 to#1)

Here are the Top Ten Neglected Funeral News Stories of 2009|YourFuneralGuy

Sad news

Revealed here are the the top ten neglected funeral news stories of 2009.

1.FTC 09 ruling will change everything in the Funeral Industry.

2. New Funeral Alliances In the Funeral Industry are conspiring against the consumer.

3 Batesville Casket Company Financial demise in 2009.

4. How The Iraq War has Changed  funerals.

5 Walmart selling Caskets is bigger than you think!

6. Congress Neglects the The Bereaved Consumer Bill of Rights Act

7. How Celebrity Funerals in  09  Changed  Funerals Forever.

8. Funeral directors try? to reform guaranteed preneed.

9. Why the National Funeral Directors Association NFDA-has “0″ Integrity.

10 The Financial Failures of the big Funeral Corporations in 2009.

Rest assured Your Funeral guy is working hard to bring these stories to you.

Funeral Industry| Funeral Blog by Your Funeral guy

Your Funeral Guy Booted for Pro Family Lower Cost Funeral Comments.

Your Funeral Guy has been booted by Connecting Directors, an attempt to throw him under the funeral industry bus.

Your Funeral Guy has been booted from a  major Funeral Industry Website for comments promoting the Pro family low cost funeral options. My agenda is the presentation of the low cost funeral alternatives. For many Funeral Homes this works well.On the whole the funeral industry is vehemently opposed to presenting  the lower cost funeral  in the arrangement conference.

Keep In Mind that The WEBMASTER WHO KNOWS WHAT’s Good for Funeral Service has never worked in a Funeral Home!

Disabled Account

Dear Brian,

I have decided that your commentary on my website is not for the betterment of funeral service or for my members. Although debate is healthy, I feel you are using my site to further your personal agenda.

I have disabled your account and any new accounts created as an alais will be disabled as well.

Sincerely,

Ryan Thogmartin, CEO
Connecting Directors
P.O. Box 430
4300 West Pike
Zanesville, Ohio

Your funeral guy was with ConnectingDirectors.com for 2 years referring professionals to the site..But no more.  At one point  early on I donated copies of the Low cost funeral book “REST IN PEACE to the  First Connecting Directors store for sale to help this site..

Testimonial: Shay Wheat -YourFuneralGuy is a very kind soul, he is very professional and always willing to help others, especially in a time of need.-Naymz

---

Statement From Your Funeral Guy:

Your Funeral Guy debates fair and honestly on the web. My agenda has always been THE LOW COST Funeral options for families and the consumer. I have never set up an account with aliases. Who I am and what I represent is clear to all.

Unlike Connecting Directors.com I am not beholding to funeral industry Corporation Advertisers. I can speak freely.

My internet and personal agenda are always clear. I have  not  actively promoted  funeral homes ( but have mentioned a low cost funeral home example once)or businesses  at my sites only the lower cost funeral. There are no advertisers, nothing advertised, (at Your Funeral Guy Blogs)save amazon .com and the “Rest In Peace” book so folks can access low cost funeral options.

Funeral Industry| Funeral News Blog | by Your Funeral Guy

Nice present for the last day of 2009 and the end of a decade.

Your Funeral Guy Statement Original to this blog post

Sadly another funeral industry site says goodbye to alternative funerals, fair balanced and unafraid.

To make matters worse there are no forum|comment rules or guidelines at ConnecingDirectors.com

Your Funeral Guy under Fire for saying Excellent Free(Low Cost)Funeral Services available-YourFuneralGuy

Your Funeral Guy under fire from ConnectingDirectors.com

Your Funeral Guy- some fire today from Connecting Directors.com.  It was simply stated in a recent blog post that the consumer does not have to put up with(be ripped off) by High End Funeral (Specific)Services.. This is the main theme of your funeral guy blogs.

High Funeral Expenses are not to be paid  when the same high quality free and lower cost funeral services are available.

Here are  some of the  connectingdirectors.com comments on the post.

“Apparently their is someone in the funeral industry who believes that funeral homes, with the help of industry companies like FuneralOne and ConnectingDirectors.com, have came together in 2009 to formulate new ways to rip off the consumer. According to the statements, by ‘Your Funeral Guy‘ in the following article he apparently thinks that offering services like, online obits, Webcasting and better websites, services the consumer is demanding, is ripping them off because the funeral home charges for these services.

I strongly disagree with the article. It is ridiculous to think that a funeral home should offer these service and not charge for them. Also, funeral homes are not “pushing” these services on the consumers, the consumer is demanding and requesting these services!! The 7 “New and Improved Ways” funeral directors are ripping the consumer off”via www.connectingdirectors.com

Firstly ,Connectingdirectors.com, and FuneralOne.com are pro funeral owner, funeral director sites. Secondly, by charging high fees for for tech and other services that are available for free or at low cost they really are really not helping funeral directors or the industry.

Thirdly, I have seen no proof that Funeral Consumers are demanding these services. Funeral Consumers.are definitively not demanding services that they can obtain with high quality at no or little cost.

Fourthly, Funeral directors do have the right to charge for their services, but NOT OVER CHARGE WHICH APPEARS TO BE  THE PERPETUAL PROBLEM IN THE FUNERAL INDUSTRY.

Fifthly, OVER CHARGING  FOR YEARS IS THE REASON FOR THE CURRENT FUNERAL INDUSTRY DECLINE.

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by YOUR FUNERAL GUY.

Read more reply at www.connectingdirectors.com

Yes the sites, people mentioned above and in the previous post did come together in 2009 to take more money from funeral consumers, families.:) That is rather obvious.

Federal Burr Oak Cemetery Reform|Named Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act

Congressional Funeral and Cemetery Reform H. R. 3655

The Congressional Reform  sparked by the Burr Oak Cemetery act is now available to view onine. The legislation is not named the Bereaved Consumers Protection Act-as reported in the Press. THE BEREAVED CONSUMERS  BILL OF RIGHTS ACT OF 2009 is the Official Name of the proposed law. The legislation is a welcome addition to the Funeral Rule.  Federal Burr Oak  Cemetery Reform is overdue.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE NATIONAL BURR OAK CEMETERY REFORM LEGISLATION.

This legislation is increasingly important in 2009 not just because of the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal  but  because of a plague of recent  Cemetery and Funeral Scandals across the USA.

YOUR FUNERAL GUY FULLY ENDORSES THE BEREAVED CONSUMERS  BILL  OF RIGHTS ACT OF 2009.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Why The National Funeral Directors will not support H. R. 3655: NFDA OPPOSES  the FUNERAL RULE

Wall Street Bundling Life Insurance to hurt Funeral Industry-YourFuneralGuy

The sale of life insurance policies will hurt the funeral industry

Because of the severity of the recession banks have been buying up life insurance policies. Some of the big banks are bundling them together just as they did debt before the Wall Street Crash a year ago. These  Wallstreet banks are selling them as bonds.

This is a risky investment scheme. This will hurt the funeral industry because in the majority of cases life insurance is the vehicle that folks pay for a funeral.

This is another bad sign for the traditional funeral industry in the USA.

From the New York Times:

“The bankers plan to buy “life settlements,” life insurance policies that ill and elderly people sell for cash — $400,000 for a $1 million policy, say, depending on the life expectancy of the insured person. Then they plan to “securitize” these policies, in Wall Street jargon, by packaging hundreds or thousands together into bonds. They will then resell those bonds to investors, like big pension funds, who will receive the payouts when people with the insurance die.

The earlier the policyholder dies, the bigger the return — though if people live longer than expected, investors could get poor returns or even lose money.”

This  will mean lost income for the Funeral Business.

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

The Funeral Industry takes another hit

Ted “Edward” Kennedy Funeral|Video to the Funeral Mass-YourFuneralGuy.

Revealed is the Video to the Ted Kennedy Funeral Mass. The Funeral Mass took place on Saturday August 29th 2010 from 10:30 to 12;30 pm. There is a link here to the Video of the entire Mass.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A VIDEO OF THE TED KENNEDY FUNERAL MASS

The Funeral Service was held at our Lady Of Perpetual Help Basilica also known  as

There is Link here to the Full Ted Kennedy Funeral Mass Video.

the Mission Church in  Boston.

44  Siting United States Senators were present along with 10 former US Senators.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy .

From CSpan.com

“Pres. Obama gave the eulogy at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston. Sen. Kennedy’s tenure in Congress spanned 43 years, making him the third longest-serving senator in U.S. history.”

Front of mission church Uploaded on June 11, 2009
by EdKopp4

Ted “Edward Kennedy”|Funeral Mass|live streaming video-YourFuneralGuy

Mission Church Boston Place of the Ted Kennedy Funeral Mass

Now you can  follow the Senator Edward Kennedy Funeral Mass online. Only the Washington elite are at the Funeral Mass in Boston. It can be followed online by live streaming video.

CLICK HERE FOR CSPAN VIDEO OF THE SENATOR KENNEDY FUNERAL MASS

Senator Ted  “Edward”Kennedy Funeral Mass—-There will be Live streaming video for the  the Senator “Edward” Ted Kennedy Mass.

This will be at tedkennedy.org.

CLICK HERE ON SATURDAY MORNING FOR LIVE STREAMING VIDEO ON THE SENATOR KENNEDY  FUNERAL MASS

CLICK HERE ON SATURDAY MORNING FOR LIVE STREAMING VIDEO ON THE SENATOR KENNEDY  FUNERAL MASS

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Senator Ted Kennedy Funeral|Final Motorcade to stop at US Capitol

Kennedy Funeral | Final Funeral Motorcade

Mission Church Picture Uploaded on June 11, 2009
by EdKopp4

Senator Ted Kennedy Funeral|Memorial Service Program-YourFuneralGuy

Kennedy brothers will be together again at Arlington National Cemetery Saturday

Here is the Senator Ted Kennedy Memorial Service Program-for his “Private” Celebration of Life Service  for Friday, August 28th, 2009. Here is a list of speakers(confirmed) and order of service. This looks like we will see one of the most inspirational tributes of 2009. Do not miss this on television or online.

This begins at 7pm Eastern time And will take place at the John F Kennedy Presidential  Library and Museum.

From Ted Kennedy.org

- Paul G. Kirk, Jr.
- Father Gerry Creedon, S.J., Opening Prayer
- “God Bless America,” Boston Community Chorus
- Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II
- Senator Christopher J. Dodd
- Nick Littlefield
- Governor Deval L. Patrick
- Senator John McCain
- Video Tribute
Directed by Ken Burns and Mark Herzog
- Senator John F. Kerry
- Senator Orrin G. Hatch
- “The Impossible Dream” sung by Brian Stokes Mitchell, soloist
- Mayor Thomas M. Menino
- Senator John C. Culver
- “Just A Closer Walk with Thee,” sung by Boston Community Chorus
- Vice President Joseph R. Biden
- Caroline Kennedy

Funeral industry| Funeral Blog By Your Funeral Guy

Kennedy Pic from Flickr under the Creative Commons License from

neprowell’s photostream