New Affirmations on the Death, a Dying of Preneed- Your Funeral Guy

Traditional Preneed has appeared to have an abrupt death due to decapitation in 2008 Too much time on the unsafe teeter totter of death-funeral director greed.

Breaking News-March 15- The Chicago Tribune gave some   new affirmations to the death and dying of  preneed or prepaid funerals. As the death of  preneed continues the average cost of a funeral will go down.

In a post on March 10( “IFDA SPEAKER says Preneed is terminal,it will die.“) I stated that preneed will die or be dead by January1st 2010.

The Tribune Article came up with statements by  funeral directors and several experts who stated preneed was no longer profitable for the funeral director.

‘David Nixon, an Illinois financial consultant to funeral homes…..The (IFDA) debacle has given Nixon more reason to advise Illinois funeral directors to stop selling guaranteed funeral contracts. “It really doesn’t make sense in the long run to guarantee things that are beyond your control,” he said.’

“In Rockland, Mass., Robert Biggins stopped offering guaranteed contracts six months ago at his funeral home. Some funeral costs increase by more than 5 percent a year, but banks are not paying that much for deposits, said Biggins, past president of the National Funeral Directors Association.“

Also quoted was Bonnie McCullough, executive director of the New York State Funeral Directors Association. She said  ” We’re in unprecedented times right now,” she said. “Can you guarantee what something is going to cost 15 years from now?”

The main reason over the years that Funeral Directors collected and hung on to large numbers of preneed policies was they received the interest on the folks money. Large Funeral Homes and funeral groups, corporate funeral homes, in actuality  during many years received more money in preneed commissions than they did from doing funerals each year!  Just like Wall Street it all came down to greed.

The evidence for this also comes from the two big Funeral Corporations, Service Corporation and Stewart Enterprises who showed extensive losses in  their cemetery preneed in there last financial reports.

This  was  a bubble for funeral directors and  it gave funeral home owners lots of dollars.  Like all bubbles this one has burst.

Traditional Preneed in effect was decapitated in 2008 by the economic down turn, the NPS and the IFDA scandals. In spite of efforts to reattach the head, it cannot be done.

Thanks to the Chicago Tribune for some affirmations on the death of preneed.

Your Funeral Guy thanks the Chicago Tribune for the affirmations on the Death and dying of preneed, or prepaid funerals.

Funeral Industry| Funeral Cost blog by Your Funeral Guy, R.Brian Burkhardt

Sources :The Chicago Tribune Article here and the research and funeral experience of your funeral guy.

Decapitation picture from flicker creative commons license from Old Scool’s Photo stream

President Obama the Dead Need a Bailout too.-yourfuneralguy.

President Obama the Dead need a bailout because of too much Debt.

One of the unknown secrets in the funeral industry is that the Dead need a funeral cost bailout. So President Obama instead of bailing out mortgages please consider bailing out the dead after their funeral. This is not political satire. It is the honest to God Truth. Many a dead person has left their family with extreme financial death: a large amount of debt.

I have had some personal experience with this. When I almost died in 2007 i wrote the book Rest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral

One of the big fears at the time was that I would leave my family with too much debt.  So I wrote the work at a supersonic speed. The threat of death gave me an almost divine laser focus. The book helps folks but is not a big money maker. It has not helped in the elimination of my debt.

I bring this up because tough economic times have  given rise to a a funeral industry spin off the “DEATH DEBT COLLECTOR” it is something to keep in mind when planning for a funeral or when someone dies. Death debt collection  is big business now.

These folks really exist and they are devilish folks. This according to a  New York Times article:

“Collecting from the dead, however, is expanding. Improved database technology is making it easier to discover when estates are opened in the country’s 3,000 probate courts, giving collectors an opportunity to file timely claims. But if there is no formal estate and thus nothing to file against, the human touch comes into play.”

Funeral Industry| Funeral Cost Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Mmmm…I wonder if these new funeral industry guys will collect from the IFDA?

Your Funeral Guy: Chris Rock Funeral?

No  as far as I know Chris Rock did not die. This guy however can be quite funny. Many times the best way to think about a funeral is through humor. One should not go so far as to take on the role of the Joker. Chris has put his head together on funerals. He will be doing a movie. In fact he co-wrote the  remake of “Death at a Funeral“

Laughter is one of the best ways to put some distance between you and death, grim reaper, vampires, your funeral  etc. The movie bucket list did a good job with this last year. In fact it has been said that laughter can reduce funeral cost because it puts more time between you and your final event.

The entertainment magazine Variety reports that the American version will be directed by Neil LaBute. The comedy will be done by Screen Jems. The film centers on a dysfunctional family where arguments, tension and stress reign.

Anyone working in the funeral business sees this sort of thing all too often. I look forward to “Death at a Funeral”

Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Your Funeral Guy: Five Reasons For a funeral Industry and cost Tsunami Like Wall Street.

Will there be a funeral cost credit crunch like Wall street? Here are five warning signs.

1. Every month we hear of the funeral  homes either taking money or breaking the law. Here is one of the latest:

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Nov03/0,4670,FuneralHomeInvestigation,00.html

2. In  the UK bodies are piling up do to the credit crunch.  The article on this pile up of dead bodies is referenced here:

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hmsIReYtM60fZi_y5jdOCkZpIk6Q

Quoting from this article: “This distressing aspect of the credit crunch shows that the hurricanes blowing down Wall Street have the power to affect us all in unexpected ways,” the newspaper wrote.

“The sad story of the unburied dead should alert us to the much worse things that lie ahead if we do not pull out of this dive.”

3. The funeral industry is rocked  with scandal. Specifically the preneed scandals of this year.

The IFDA Preneed Trust deficit and Scandal is witnessed here.

a-http://yourfuneralguy.wordpress.com/2008/09/14/your-funeral-guy-ifda-preneed-trust-40-million-deficit-funeral-cost-scandal-fades-with-fannie-and-freddie-takeover/

b-http://www.progressiveu.org/075616-key-month-funeral-cost

This was a 41 million dollar loss but is nothing compared  to  the 500 million dollar loss of NPS.

4. NPS or National Prearranged Services shut down and had a 500 million Loss-theft.

http://ifda.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/ifda-will-the-ifda-have-a-low-cost-funeral-like-nps/

This caused more expense for many funeral homes which also pass the cost on to the folks, and more lack of trust for preneed and the funeral industry.

5.    According to  Fox News Broadcasts on November 7^th and November 8^th 2008 it was reported that credit card companies  at the Direction of the Federal Reserve are to put higher standards in place for credit even lowering the limits for and raising interest rates for people with good credit.

Most likely it will go the way of Great Britain for the funeral industry as well.

How will this affect  funeral cost in America? Folks simply will not have the money to pay for the Family Funeral. Honest funeral directors will tell you that the lion’s share of their people pay for the funeral on a credit card.

Will there be a Funeral Cost Credit Tsunami? Your Funeral  Guy says yes.

Will there be a bailout for the Funeral Industry. Probably it will happen.

But not just for the five warning signs mentioned above. The FTC, the United States Treasury, and The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) all have policies in place to make it happen. Yes before advocating a lower cost funeral a government bailout may occur. This will be covered in a later blog post.

Your Funeral Guy

Your Funeral Guy: Three videos on Funeral Cost

The First of the Three Videos on Funeral Cost is covered here to day.

This “last lecture” covers the dreams in your life and how you may achieve them  This is a real lesson on how you can continue through life with funeral cost that will count. It is nothing to do with the monetary cost in funeral. The funeral cost of one’s life….is the subject here.

What is stated leaves out religion and spirituality, but  not the true funeral cost of death and dying. The virtual reality guy takes us right into reality of death, funeral and funeral cost.

The video and last lecture of Randy Pauch.

He died of complications from pancreatic cancer at age 47.

Here is the best lecture on Funeral Cost, Death, Dying etc, of recent times. Viewing the whole video is well worth your time.

http://theimpactfactor.com/blog/

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

Your Funeral Guy: Traditional verses Low Funeral Cost

People over 70 want traditional funeral cost

Boomers want funeral cost lowered

“Younger people want to plan in advance and think about costs of their own funerals and older people – over 70 – are more traditional, using funeral homes familiar to the family, for example” says Mark Duffy, CEO of Everest, the first national funeral planning and concierge service.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/funeral-want-service-2100292-people-cremation

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:Slow Economic Times bring Lower Funeral Cost.

It as apparent that as the economy is sliding...that low cost funeral is arising. This is indicated with the rise of Low Funeral Cost Cremation. A Casket and a traditional funeral often do not help a family in hard times We see the rise not just of low cost funerals but low cost cremations go strong as well.

This video from El Paso, Texas is informative.

http://medianewsgroup.a.mms.mavenapps.net/mms/rt/1/site/medianewsgroup-tnmnp-elpaso-pub01-live/current/launch.html?maven_playerId=timesmedia&maven_referralObject=e9184947-d40f-4ae8-99f9-17861b424b8f

If you prefer to read an article here is one.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_9712934

More information on Lower Cost Cremations can be found here:

There are Four benefits of a low cost cremation funeral.

1. A lower burial cost option.

2. A no burial cost option

3 A Scattering of Ashes at a later date.

4. A burial of ashes at a later dare.

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 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: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: 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

Your Funeral Guy: Low Funeral Cost Cemetery Video and TV

Here is You tube video that shows why low funeral cost cemeteries are needed. The low cost funeral cemetery is a green cemetery. Update Nov 18, 2008 This link has been taken down by you tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GGvaHFbJZY

try this link instead for a view of a low cost cemetery.

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=92649&videoChannel=74

CSI, Donation to Science, Organ Donor, Green Funeral, Cremation, but not Funeral Cost–TV. Modern Marvels:Corpse Tech.
This was a very informative television program. From the decomposing of bodies, to the traditional funeral business. There was even a look inside cremation ovens.

The cemetery of the future was addressed. The focus was on the San Francisco Area. The Green Cemetery and the green funeral.
Funeral Cost that can be saved in cremation and green was not addressed,
The good news is that the series Modern Marvels: Corpse Tech continues to shown on the History channel.

The shows how the dead help the living.
Organ donation, tissue donation and research.
The newest and best cremation machines were featured.
Good Stuff.

The statistics given in the show were not entirely accurate coming from 2006.
Cremation rates are up. Funeral Cost is down.

More info with average Funeral Cost Information can be found here.

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.

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

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