Cremation Funeral Cost|YourFuneralGuy

Revealed here is a brief outline of Funeral and cremation costs or Expenses. Funeral homes and directors often  pride themselves on their “Sales”ability to bring up YOUR FUNERAL costs or expenses.

Average Cost of a Traditional Funeral (No Cemetery) $7,000-10,000 USD

Neptune Society Cremation Cost : $1499.00 USD

World’s Largest Funeral Corporation $2,200-$2,950 USD(World’s Largest Funeral Corp is Service Corporation International, NYSE:SCI)

Cremation Cost to Funeral Home or Funeral Director, $125-$250 USD

FAIR CONSUMER PRICE FOR A CREMATION: $425.00-$625.00 USD.

Cremations are becoming increasingly popular as families, pinched financially by the still-slumbering economy, seek to memorialize their loved ones more affordably.

Of the 2.4 million people who died in the U.S. in 2005, 32 percent were cremated, according to the Cremation Association of North America. The association estimates almost 40 percent of people who die in 2010 will be cremated, and that by 2025 about 57 percent will be cremated.

A traditional funeral typically costs from $7,000 to $10,000 for services, casket, burial and a headstone, according to funeral-tips.com.

Based on data collected by the Cremation Association, the average cost of cremation is about $1,600, ranging from less than $1,000 to more than $5,000 with additional services that might include a coffin, custom urns and a burial plot.

But consumers should be aware that package options and add-ons can bring costs in line with traditional funerals. The key is knowing how much a memorial and burial of ashes will cost.

Basic: The most basic of cremation services is called a direct cremation. It includes transportation of the body from the place of death to the funeral home, refrigeration, transportation to and from the crematorium, the cremation and the return of the ashes in a container. The Neptune Society, one of the largest direct-cremation companies in the country, with locations in Des Plaines and Orland Park, charges $1,499 for these services.

Rates vary, however.

A basic cremation offered by Service Corp. International, North America’s largest provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services, can range from $2,200 to $2,295, depending on transportation costs.

via mobile.chicagotribune.com

Funeral industry|Funeral News|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

creepy Wal Mart Caskets comments stopped on Casket Page-Your funeral Guy

Comments and Reviews have been disabled at the Wal Mart selling Caskets page due to jokes and pranks.

Wal Mart selling caskets has brought quite a few comments at their site: strange creepy and bizarre reviews. Wal Mart has put an end to the mocking, jokes and creepy reviews at their casket selling page. This is a good thing for Wal Mart Customers. Walmart has build its brand on its pro customer promotions.

In the meantime strange comments and commentators continue on the Web both in the News and on the blogs.

But far from silly, the comments posted on Walmart’s casket selection were creepy — and creepiness, presumably, is not a trait Walmart wants its customers to see when they’re choosing a burial option for a loved one. Before Walmart shut down the caskets’ review section, Advertising Age documented a few of the reviews, like this one: “I picked one up to bury my cat in. Other than having room for about 100 cats, it worked well. Oh, had to dig a really big hole too, and that was rough on my back. But at least when my dog dies I can just open ‘er up again and stick him in too.”

via www.dailyfinance.com

Wal Mart selling caskets continues to go viral both in the news and the blogs. This is indeed a turning point for funerals in the United States of America. It spells a better future for the funeral Consumer. Funeral Directors an Funeral Homes as well as the traditional casket companies continue their opposition to third party caskets. Some quite vehemently.

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

What’s next for Funerals?-YourfuneralGuy

Wall Mart now sells caskets? So what is next for Funerals? Whatever it is probably not good for the Traditional Funeral Industry. Does anyone remember Full Service Gas Stations? They are gone.

Just Maybe sometime in the future……. Does anyone think about  those Traditional Funerals and the Funeral Home On the corner that was dark and somber? Yes i know all but the graveside service is now being  done online. Everything costs so much less, that sure makes death easier to deal with. Those old blacksuits and the ties, they’ve been gone for awhile. Just a few years back it was a big deal when Walmart began selling caskets online. Now they are on the showroom floor. Order on line and go down to Wal-Mart and Pickup. Now you do not even a funeral director for that.  What were those old casket companes, Batesville, York, Aurora, too bad they did not sell those ecopods back in the day before green funerals. I heard that they had to meltdown there metal caskets and sell the wooden ones for kindling.

Here’s a snippet from a blogger who takes you into the near future.

The funeral homes industry has reason to be concerned. I am sure their argument is these funeral homes can provide full service (like gas station) and ability to provide comfort and empathy, but it comes at a price. If it works for Wal-mart, the next one to join would be Target. They would invite Stella McCartney or Phillipe Starke to design caskets that costs just a little more, but with a lot more style. Amazon.com will follow with online customization that you can pick your favorite patterns or engraved your family crest.

via www.business-strategy-innovation.com

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy Funeral Director, Illinois, Virginia,

Another Funeral Scandal Indictment(NPS)-YourFuneralGuy

National Prearranged Services pulled off their frauds with Life Insurance policies.

The National Prearranged Services Scam, will cost between 600 million and 1.6 billion dollars according to different estimates. It is by far the largest funeral Scam in the nations history.The indictments will continue finding their way to the founding Cassidy Family(owners). This preneed insurance  scandal went on for decades.

The tragedy here is three fold. 1)Funeral directors have to complete paperwork to get paid for these contracts from State Assurance Guaranty Agencies. Sometimes the reimbursement is not complete. 2)This is a massive taxpayer expense to pay on these contracts. These Costs get passed on to the consumer and the cost of traditional Funerals is raised.

And (3) The distrust of Funeral Directors and the Funeral Industry multiplies exponentially.

From St. Louis:

In August, NPS chief financial officer and director Randall Sutton, 63, of Chesterfield, was indicted on mail fraud, money laundering, and wire fraud charges.

Thursday, Sharon Nekol Province, 65 of Ballwin, was charged in a superseding indictment with five felony counts of mail fraud.

Province was president and office manager of NPS and held a position with an affiliated company.

NPS marketed the prepaid contracts as a way for consumers to ensure that they would not burden heirs with the cost of their funerals. The price they paid for a contract was used to fund a life insurance policy that would pay the actual funeral costs. But the indictment says that company executives and others knew as far back as 1998 that the anticipated costs were exceeding the anticipated insurance income by $98 million.

via www.stltoday.com

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Celebrity Funeral Director Lawsuit discarded-YourFuneralGuy

The funeral director turned poet has had his lawsuit thrown out of court.

Thomas Lynch the traditional funeral director turned poet has  had his Lawsuit against Lisa Carlson, and the FCA (Funeral Consumers Alliance)thrown in the wastebasket. This was a libel suit for $75.000.oo USD.  The US District Court of Eastern Michigan stated that there was no defamation or libel.

The court also found that some of the statements that were cited as libel were indeed true.

Thomas Lynch is the defender of the traditional funeral and the role of the traditional funeral director. These points of view have come under fire due to scandal and the economy.

Funeral Industry Funeral Blog By Your Funeral Guy.

Source: FCA

Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal:NFDA Asks FTC To Help-YourFuneralGuy

The National Funeral Directors Association has asked the Federal Trade Commission to bring cemeteries in under the Funeral Rule. This is the Result of the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal.

The National Funeral Directors Association has asked for Cemetery Reform as a result of the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal. Christine Pepper the CEO of The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking the FTC to strengthen  the “Funeral Rule” to include all deathcare vendors which includes Cemeteries. This would be an excellent step in preventing future cemetery scandals like Burr Oak.

The Funeral Rule already applies to Funeral homes but needs to apply to Cemeteries as well. the Full NFDA Letter can be viewed here.

From the letter:

Any time the government extends regulations over sellers in an industry or profession, it has the effect of curtailing the opportunity for abuse. If a seller is not licensed, not inspected and not regulated by federal, state or local governments, it operates in a free-for-all world where there is no accountability for any transgression… NFDA, AARP and other organizations have documented the harm that consumers have experienced…

The FTC has refused to even investigate these complaints by arguing (without any support or evidence) that the practices are not pervasive throughout the industry. As a result, cemetery and crematory consumers continue to suffer from these reoccurring scandals.”

This is the a step forward for the NFDA and they should be commended for sending the letter to the FTC, Federal Trade Commission.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Corazon Cory Aquino |Funeral|Burial|send Condolence to Cory’s Family-yourfuneralguy

Revealed here is the link where You can send a condolence directly to the Former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino Family.

The Philippine National Police handled the Funeral escort to the Aquino Family Mausoleum from the Manila Cathedral. They were the honor guard at the burial.

If you view this post before the burial service finishes you can watch it on streaming Video

LINKS:

CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK WHERE YOU CAN SEND A CONDOLENCE DIRECTLY TO THE AQUINO FAMILY.

If the service is still going on CLICK HERE FOR  LIVE STREAMING VIDEO

CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST TRIBUTE AND MEMORIAL ARTICLES FOR  PRESIDENT CORY AQUINO

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy Funeral Director USA

Funeral Preneed is Dead Even in the Richest Towns-YourFuneralGuy.

A Preneed Funeral Arrangement is a contract, it is not wise to participate

Funeral preneed is dead and in need of a burial. This is true even in the richest cities and towns. The main reason is that no honest funeral director will say that you can lock in today’s prices 1, 2, or 10 years from now. In the Uncertain economy the pitch given for 30 years in the funeral industry has become a lie.  If a funeral director or preneed specialist(counselor) tells you that prices are “locked in” get up and leave.

Even In the posh suburbs of Chicago Preneed sales are scant.

From  Naperville the plush Chicago Suburb.

“Stephanie Jones-Kastelic, co-owner of Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home, said the number of prepay{PRE NEED} packages purchased is going down.

In previous years, financially well-off couples in their 70s and 80s would come to the funeral home to pre-purchase funeral packages so their children or family would not have to cover the costs. This year, Jones-Kastelic said, she sees very few of those couples, and most of her pre-pay customers are seniors about to go on Medicare who want to spend their own money on the expense, which Medicare does not cover.”-THE NAPERVILLE SUN

The Funeral Preneed Scandals have been massive in the last several years:Illinois Funeral Directors Association  (IFDA up to 100 Million), National Prearranged Services(NPS over 1 Billion), Wade Funeral Home, Burr Oak Cemetery-many more.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Source: THE NAPERVILLE SUN and the Funeral Experience of Your Funeral Guy.

Cook County to file a lawsuit Against Burr Oak Scandal-yourfuneralguy

Cook County to File Lawsuit Against Owners of Burr Oak Cemetery

The Cook County Board voted  Tuesday night to file a lawsuit against the owners of Burr Oak Cemetery, Perpetua, Inc. The Cook County Sheriff, Mr.Dart has stated that he has used up over $350,000 of the county’s money and it certainly appears that he will need much more to bring the Burr Oak Tragedy under control.

The FBI has also state that they have not found one set of human remains that is complete. This is not just grizzly it is an incomprehensible horror. The country may not have the DNA testing facilities available to handle all those remains without a solid list of those interred there.

From the Huffington Post:

“”About $350,000 has been expended on the investigation,” Dart said at a news conference. “I can’t turn over county assets without receiving compensation.”

The sheriff described a chaotic situation in which headstones had been removed, some bodies may have been buried on top of each other and pieces of wood that might have been part of coffins were found scattered around the cemetery.”

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy, R.Brian Burkhardt, Funeral Director.

Illinois Governor Quinn Names Cemetery Oversight Task Force-YourFuneralGuy

The Governor of the State of Illinois Patrick Quinn has named a nine member cemetery oversight  task force to investigate and make recommendations on cemetery reform.  The governor did this by Executive Order.

The executive order tells the task force to make a thorough examination of “the circumstances surrounding the recent tragic events at Burr Oak Cemetery”|“provide detailed recommendations on what policies, laws, rules and regulations should be implemented.”

The Task force is to report back to Governor Quinn, by September 15th 2009

The task force will consist of  leaders of  business, state government, human resource agencies, who are religious leaders, lawyers and executives.

Snippet  From cbs2chicago.com

Quoting  the Governor in an article entitled “Governor Quinn Names Cemetery Oversight Task Force”

“The Burr Oak Cemetery scandal is an outrage. I believe in providing a proper and respectful burial,” said Governor Quinn. “This task force will ensure that our loved ones are always treated with reverence and dignity.”

I am pleased that the Governor is taking his time and evaluating the situation properly. This is a wise course for funerals and cemeteries in the State of Illinois.

Comptroller Dan Hynes was offering some quick legislation, but it appears that cooler heads are prevailing.

Still the raw emotion affecting the victims of the Scandal, will continue to be hard for all to deal with.

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