Pay back 10 million: Order in Illinois Funeral Scandal-YourFuneralGuy

Illinois Funeral Leaders to pay back 10 million Dollars

TEN  MILLION DOLLARS TO BE PAID BACK

In the Illinois Funeral Ponzi Scheme where 59 million dollars disappeared., the IFDA has been ordered to payback 10 million.Dollars

The Illinois Funeral Directors Association has been given an ultimatum by the Comptroller of the State of Illinois to payback 10 million This is in regards to excess fees it skimmed from the 300 million Dollar trust fund from 2000 to 2006.

“SPRINGFIELD,ILLINOIS STATE JOURNAL REGISTER ARTICLE“

Quoting from the posted  May 12th 2009, Springfield, Illinois State Journal Register Article:

“If the IFDA, which is based in Springfield, does not create a plan by June 26 under which the money would be repaid by May 22, 2010, the comptroller’s office will take the matter to court, according to spokeswoman Carol Knowles.”

COMPTROLLERS OFFICE

“They improperly took the money, and they need to pay it back,” she said. “We have asked them to contact us and put together a repayment plan, and if they do not do so in a very brief period of time, we intend to take them to court through the attorney general’s office.”- IL Comptroller Spokesperson Carol Knowles

How Are We GOING TO PAY BACK 10 Million Dollars?

BLOOMONGTON, ILLINOIS PANTAGRAPH NEWSPAPER

“Marking the latest chapter in a saga that has spawned at least two lawsuits, a proposed new law and a legislative task force, Hynes is demanding the Illinois Funeral Directors Association repay $9.6 million it received in excess of what was allowed by state law.

“These excess management fees are a display of greed and a betrayal of the consumer trust that will not be tolerated,” Hynes said in a statement.”  posted May 12th 2009 -Pantagraph Newspaper

Duane Marsh the executive director of the Illinois Funeral directors Association said they would oppose the Comptrollers Statement.

This is not good for the Illinois Funeral Directors Association. There are three lawsuits against the IFDA and their Leaders. There membership is mad and it is renew membership time. The IFDA is collecting dues as this is written. The IFDA is in the middle of electing new leaders.

SPECIFIC FUNERAL LEADERS INVOLVED 2000-2006 Ex- IFDA Presidents:

2000 David McReynolds, Marion -got a 900,000 loan from IFDA Capital, INC-Wilson- McReynolds Funeral Home

2oo1 Randall L Earl, Decatur, IL current National Funeral Directors Associationn (NFDA) Exec. Secretary.

Specific FUNERAL LEADERS INVOLVED

2002, King Sutton, Paris, IL

2003, Jack R. Kynion, Northbrook, Il

2004, Derek S Johnson, Benton, Il

2005, Brent M Davis, Carlinville, Il

2006, Charles S Childs Jr. Chicago, IL

Funds were misappropriated to the Museum Funeral Customs, lobbyists including Illinois Senator  Roland  Burris.

This entire situation is indeed sad  for funeral consumers and funeral Directors in the State of Illinois.

Funeral Industry Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy, Funeral Director, Illinois and Virginia

IFDA LOGO FROM E-mails received fom IFDA  List of IFDA presidents from your funeral guy’s Life experience with the IFDA.

These Ex IFDA PRESIDENTS are mentioned here because they are public figures in this scandal and mentioned in three Illinois Lawsuits. If the money is not paid back, it can be called theft or fraud and these men are responsible  PDF: Read the comptroller’s letter to the IFDA

Funeral Preneed Scam; Honesty,Money|YourFuneralGuy

Trust is a word used by funeral directors. Often you have to keep them honest so there can be trust.

The one thing you need the most in planning your funeral is honesty. Honesty about death,  about your funeral wishes, and  honesty from the funeral director. It takes courage to think about death and your funeral. You also need the courage to find an honest funeral director and strength to keep that person honest.

This is the lesson learned from the Illinois Funeral Directors Association Ponzi Scheme  The IFDA was not honest about the where they were putting the money. They kept funeral directors in the dark as to what was going on with the money. They did not “notify the folks” (policyholders) as to the fact that the  their money invested in insurance policies as is required by law. A  letter to the editor at the State Journal Register sums it up this way:

“Since an increasing number of Americans are pre-arranging their funerals (although not always pre-funding), they deserve to know exactly what will happen to any money they give their funeral director. If the current status of the IFDA fund is just the result of bad judgment, that’s one thing. However, if more is involved, then any corrective measures will certainly be aided by transparency — not translucency as you now have. (Perhaps we do need a bill similar to that proposed by Dan Brady from Bloomington.)”

Even the Six Funeral homes who have filed a lawsuit did not do their due dillegence and keep track of their customers money. If they had done right by their customers the problem may have been resolved years earlier. The Lawsuit led by Calvert Funeral Homes may not have been needed to be filed on  the IFDA Preneed Trust. The very act of filing that lawsuit shows a lack of due dilligence with the folks money.

Honesty and trust are keys to coming in under the average cost of a funeral.

Funeral Cost/Funeral Industry blog by your funeral guy

Your Funeral Guy: Funeral Cost remains of NPS picked over.

Funeral Cost remains of NPS picked over. As Funeral homes pay for this your cost goes up.

NPS- National Prearrange Services- Funeral Cost Scandal hits 500 Million. Here is a quote from a recent article on Funeral Cost. “The FBI is interested. Funeral homes across the nation wonder if they will be forced to pay for tens of thousands of funerals. Authorities are tracing the various fates of $500 million in prepaid funeral funds.”

More importantly as Funeral homes pay for this your cost goes up.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/3F4D6DC2E8D284FC862574810011E33E?OpenDocument

Again the lesson here it is do not do preneed. Preplan but do not prepay. No matter what is said a low cost or lower cost funeral cannot be done by prepaying a funeral director.

Will the same fate happen to the IFDA? IFDA Preneed trust? Illinois Funeral Directors Association? There loss was only 40 million dollars! Look inside the funeral cost book.

Rest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral by R Brian Burkhardt and Matt Bacak. #1 International Best Selling Author Jason Oman also gave thumbs up to this book. This book is published by Morgan James Publishing.

Your Funeral Guy, R Brian Burkhardt, Funeral Director, Author, Blogger, State of Illinois

The “Google Books Search” give a look inside the book.

http://books.google.com/books?q=r+brian+burkhardt&btnG=Search+Books

Your Funeral Guy: Newsweek article creates Funeral, Cost, FCA controversy.

On July 3rd 2008, Newsweek did an article creating a funeral, funeral cost and FCA- Funeral Consumer Alliance stir. The picture of the biodegradable casket gives you a look at future funeral cost. Joshua Slocum of the Funeral Consumers Alliance also did a great Job handling comments after the article appeared. Slocum is a true Funeral Futurist. The article is Called “A Serious Undertaking.”

Quoting from the Newsweek Article:

“the annual conference of the Funeral Consumers Alliance, a watchdog group for the death-care industry that advocates simple, personalized and environmentally sound alternatives to the typical American burial.”

Joshua Slocum is exactly correct when the article quotes him:

“I want people to be shocked,” Slocum says, “that in some states, the body belongs to the mortuary by state law. And once a funeral director has got a body in the door, it’s over.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/144482

As stated in the Book Rest in Peace Insiders Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral Once the Funeral Director puts your loved one on the mortuary cot, The funeral cost clock starts running.

Two books can help here with the average cost of a funeral.

Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial by Mark Harris

Rest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral by R Brian Burkhardt and Matt Bacak

Your Funeral Guy, R Brian Burkhardt, Funeral Director, Author, Blogger, State of Illinois

Be sure to let me know how you achieved low funeral cost.

Your Funeral Guy:Funeral Cost too High in the USA!(last 2 weeks)

Your Funeral Guy:Funeral Cost too High in the USA!(last 2 weeks). Funerals always cost too much in any situation because a person is involved. But the death of these folks is too much funeral cost to the  world. May they all rest in peace. All three.

First there was the Tim Russert  Wake and Memorial Service:
The funeral cost to the nation was too great.
Maria Shriver read the poem….The Little Ship in Washington DC. Bruce Springsteen was front and center.
It would be wrong not to repeat it. It is one of the best funeral poems ever written.

The Wife of the Actor and  California governor “Arnold” gave a great funeral poem.

“The Little Ship”

I stood watching as the little ship sailed out to sea. The setting sun tinted his white sails with a golden light, and as he disappeared from sight a voice at my side whispered, “He is gone”.

“But the sea was a narrow one. On the farther shore a little band of friends had gathered to watch and wait in happy expectation. Suddenly they caught sight of the tiny sail and, at the very moment when my companion had whispered, “He is gone” a glad shout went up in joyous welcome, “Here he comes!”

A Good post on this is here:
http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2008/06/maria-shriver-poem-at-tim-russerts-funeral-service.html

Then there was the  funeral song “over the rainbow”. People walked out of his memorial service to this Rainbow. Was this a blessing from the man upstairs(apologies to atheists if this does not make you a believer nothing will)

If you do not cry during this Video! You are not human. Barack Obama and John McCain sat together at this event. If you ever click on a Your Funeral Guy, funeral cost link click on this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBddo1RGiJU

Then there was the Tasha Tudor death: The great literary illustrator original  green lady died.
Kids will miss her. Even guys read “The Secret Garden.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/22/AR2008062202026.html”

As if this was not enough we also lost to funeral cost, George Carlin the modern Free Speech almost pornographic comedian. The famous 7 words guy.

Even Jerry Seinfeld is coming back to honor him.

In the 2 weeks Funeral Cost has been too high in the USA!
May all Rest in Peace.
Now there is more funeral story and history in Rest in Peace.

Rest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral by R Brian Burkhardt and Matt Bacak

Your Funeral Guy:Funeral Directors Raise Funeral Cost-The apprentice

The Funeral Cost of a Funeral Director is about 20 to 26 USD a hour in 2008. It is a large factor in the average cost of a funeral.

The funeral home owner cost is much more. If you use the traditional funeral home engage the funeral owner’s (or manager )services—- you certainly are paying for the service. Here are two of the Tricks funeral home owners employ is to raise funeral cost.

1. use apprentices to lower their cost

demand a licensed person!

2. limit the time that funeral directors spend with you without lowering your cost.

take as much time as you need!

A simple tip to lower funeral cost is to ask for a green funeral, green burial and information on the average cost of a funeral. Remember it is best to be your own funeral advocate.

More information on what is involved with a funeral and Average Funeral Cost here in two books.

Two books have contributed to the Funeral cost reduction situation.

Mark Harris’s “Grave Matters”:

Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial by Mark Harris

And “Rest in Peace” by R. Brian Burkhardt and Matt Bacak.

Rest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral by R Brian Burkhardt and Matt Bacak

Both these books creatively examine the issues around green funerals and burials and funeral costs.

More information on this can be found at the Funeral Consumer Alliance, Green Burial Council and the AARP

in this article:

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/consumersmarts/archives/141653.asp

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Your Funeral Guy: Call Funeral Directors to honesty on Funeral Cost

Your Funeral Guy: Call Funeral Directors to honesty on Funeral Cost

Recently I thanked a Funeral Director on another blog for his honesty on Funeral Cost.

Here is what I said it is worth repeating here:

“Thank you for your honesty.

we share a trust level well short of that of mechanics, stockbrokers, real estate and insurance agents. This information should be a wake up call.

Only a few in our profession are this honest and candid. On another blog on this site I have mentioned & commented on some scandals. They are the result of the sins of more than a few. Let it be known that inspite of some blogs and comments that are tough, I have withheld information from the media on these events. Instead I have called on Leaders in the Funeral Industry to be honest. You sir are a part of the city set on the hill.

Your ethics are appreciated. I love helping families and for that reason I wrote a new book called Rest in Peace. In this work I declare that there are honest ethical funeral directors like yourself who are willing to embrace the changes that are to come!”

It is my hope that the ILLINOIS FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION (IFDA )will embrace ethics and honesty.

Right now I just find myself too busy helping folks lower the cost of their funerals…to keep up with this.

The IFDA knows the changes that are coming.

To the IFDA I Wish you the best.

There will be blogs here from time to time as things become public on the IFDA Funeral cost issue and the “IFDA Preneed Trust.”

The IFDA has had it’s wake up call.

Earlier this year it came out that the IFDA- had mis managed 40 Million Dollars of the folks “IFDA Preneed Trust” money in Illinois.

Beware of organizations like the IFDA in keeping Funeral Directors Honest and keeping your lower cost funeral Specific State Senator Randall Hulfgren refused to take action on this along with hultgrenfh. Hultgren Funeral Home is not the only culprit. Trimble Funeral Homes www.trimblefuneralhomes.com had family on the IFDA committees and has refused comment on the IFDA Preneed Trust situation inspite of positve press from…Quad-City Dispatch

More information on keeping funeral directors honest can be found here including average funeral cost:

Rest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral by R Brian Burkhardt and Matt Bacak. #1 International Best Selling Author Jason Oman also gave thumbs up to this book. This book is published by Morgan James Publishing.

Your Funeral Guy, R Brian Burkhardt, Funeral Director, Author, Blogger, State of Illinois