OUTRAGE-National Funeral Directors Assoc.| Ponzi Scam Man (Earl) to Testify before Congress-YourFuneralGuy

It is being reported that one of the Leaders involved  in the Great Illinois Funeral Association Ponzi Scheme  will testify before Congress on behalf of the National Funeral Directors Association, NFDA. on Cemetery Reform.

According  to AHN(ALL  HEAD LINE NEWS), Randall L Earl, a key player in the IFDA TRUST PONZI SCHEME  will testify before  The House Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce, Wednesday.$100 million dollars is gone from the IFDA trust.

The Hearing is on the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act which will extend  the Federal Trade Commissions FUNERAL RULE to cemeteries. This all came about because of the Burr oak Cemetery Scam

The fact that the NFDA Would send Randall Earl, their treasurer has foul political smells and is a total

OUTRAGE!

Earl is implicated in  theft, misappropriation of Funds, by the now defunct IFDA Services in the Illinois Funeral Directors Association PONZI SCHEME.

Earl’s resignation has been called for here. Even ConnectingDirectors com a mouth piece for the Traditional Funeral Industry has questioned Earl’s integrity.

Other Leaders in the Funeral Industry have called for Earl,s resignation.

Specifically Earl has been accused of misappropriating TRUST FUNDS to the Illinois Museum of Funeral Customs.(owned and operated by the IFDA)

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

Illinois Governor Calls Illinois Funeral Directors Ponzi 8 year Coverup-Your Funeral Guy.

IFDA leaders took money from a funeral trust fund

The Illinois Governor Called the Illinois Funeral Directors Ponzi Scheme a 8 year cover up by his opponent The Illinois Comptroller  Dan Hynes. Quinn also refered to the IFDA  Preneed Trust Scandal  as  a Madoff Like Scheme -something I have been saying for years.

The Illinois Funeral irectors Association pulled off a Madoff like Insurance sacm to the tune of 100 million dollars

Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes did not report the scandal as Criminal activity early on when Randall L Earl  was IFDA Presdient Eight Years ago. EARL IS Currently the  NFDA,National Funeral Directors Association Treasurer.

QUINN CAMPAIGN DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM DAN HYNES ON EIGHT-YEAR COVER-UP OF $100 MILLION FUNERAL FUND SCANDAL
SAYS FAILURE TO END 8-YEAR FRAUD UNDERMINES CLAIM OF EFFECTIVE FISCAL MANAGEMENT

CHICAGO — The Quinn for Illinois campaign is calling on Comptroller Dan Hynes to give honest answers to consumers about the Illinois Funeral Directors Association Pre-Need Trust Fund – a Madoff-style Ponzi scheme that flourished for almost a decade under the Comptroller’s direct supervision.

via radiochicagoland.blogspot.com

Funeral Industry| Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Theft of preneed Funds does not help families with funeral cost

Madoff Crowd Opportunity from panthor’s photo stream at flickr under the creative commons license

NFDA Confirms it:Folks spending less on Funerals, Caskets-YourFuneralGuy

The sale of traditional funerfal goods and services are in decline says the National Funeral Directors Association

The  National Funeral Directors Association is stating that The Lower Cost Funeral and the  Lower Cost Casket are king. Consumers are spending less on Funeral  Goods and Services, specifically caskets. Cremation is on the rise. Folks are moving away from traditional caskets(Batesville,York Aurora). In fact  NOT focusing on lower cost caskets was  one reason for  the leading casket maker Batesville Casket Company Revenue decline in 2009.

If anything, the fiscal constraints families are experiencing have taught people to be more selective or cautious with the money they have, especially with regard to such things as funeral expenses, said Daniel Biggins, spokesman for the NFDA.

“I think the economy has forced people to be better consumers,” Biggins said.

via www.ivpressonline.com

The  Funeral Industry is having  a hard time accepting this. Your funeral Guy got the boot at a Funeral Industry Site for saying  comments like “ye old traditional funeral world is dissipating” and suggesting low cost funeral homes as a business model.

Your Funeral  Guy began advocating  the low cost funeral in 2006, published a ground breaking book on the subject in 2008 and became a recognized Authority on Consumer Funeral Cost and Funeral News  in 2009.

Yes You Can have the Funeral Home discount the Basic Service Fee-YourFuneralGuy

There is good news for the Funeral Consumer. The Federal Trade commission has clarified discounts on  the funeral homes basic service fee. This is useful to the consumer in coming in under the average cost of a funeral.

The Federal Trade Commission issued an advisory ruling on November 24th 2009. In the ruling the Federal Trade Commission stated that the consumer can receive a discount to the Funeral Directors basic service fee.

Specific alternative services were mentioned. These services are forwarding remains,  receiving remains, direct cremations and immediate burials.

Snippet from the NFDA

“…the [Funeral] Rule permits funeral providers to reduce their basic services fees for forwarding remains, receiving remains, direct cremations, and immediate burials, in order to reflect the proportionate reduction in facilities overhead and services of funeral director and staff required to provide them.”

This FTC Staff Advisory Opinion is important because it finally puts to rest the question of whether a funeral home’s prices for these four alternate services must be greater than the funeral home’s basic services fee. The answer is that it does not. When pricing the services of forwarding remains, receiving remains, immediate burial, and direct cremation, a funeral home may include only a portion of its basic services fee; it does not have to incorporate the entire amount of the fee into the price of those services.

via www.nfda.org

Many Funeral Directors will tell you that you cannot discount the basic service fee or the charges for funeral director and staff- on what is known as the general price list(GPL). Now you can simply tell the funeral director they can be discounted, to lower your funeral cost.

By using alternative services consumers across the United States have lowered the cost of their family funerals.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Average cost of A Funeral-$7,622 per Year-NFDA|by yourfuneralguy

Average cost of the funeral is $7,622.00-National Funeral Directors Association

The National Funeral Directors Association has declared the Average Cost Of a Funeral to be $7,622.00 per year. The previous figure listed for average  funeral cost at the NFDA website was $7,323.00 per year. This figure does not include cemetery costs but does include a casket and a vault. Most Industry experts put the average cost of a funeral in the United States at $10,000 in 2009.

Snippet from the  Daily Journal .com in Kankakee,Illinois.

“According to the Wisconsin-based National Funeral Directors Association, our nation’s sluggish economy is taking a toll on the funeral industry.

The group reports that the average cost for adult funerals in Illinois that include a casket and vault is $7,622. Yet, some families are spending less than that by choosing cheaper caskets and urns, reducing services and events — for instance, shorter visitation hours, or foregoing a graveside service — and purchasing fewer flower memorials.”

The average cost of a funeral has been trending downward. Cremation has been on the rise. Still the National Funeral Directors Association Lists a  higher average for funeral expenses.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Felony Charges a possibility in Illinois Funeral Fund theft-yourfuneralguy

The Illinois Funeral Directors Association has conducted a Funeral Scam where up to 100 million dollars was lost

Felony Charges  could happen in the Illinois Funeral Directors Association Preneed Ponzi Scheme. The former trust administrator Karen Blankenship, admitted this in a deposition in April. The Illinois Comptrollers Office confirmed this.

Funds were taken out of the IFDA preneed trust beyond the amount allowed by law. This is a felony.

From Karen Knowles, the Office of the Comptroller, State of Illinois via the State Journal Register, Newspaper

“We are pursuing civil actions because they are the best way to obtain funds for consumers,” Knowles wrote in an e-mailed response to queries from The State Journal-Register.

“A criminal action in state court is always an option. … The comptroller’s office alerted appropriate authorities of its findings. In cooperation with the attorney general’s office, we have demanded return of $9.6 million in excess fees.”

More of what has been kept from the public is coming into the light.

The IFDA presidents in 2006 and 2007 should be held directly accountable. So Should the Director of the Museum of Funeral Customs.

IFDA:President 2006-2007-Charles Childs Jr, AA Rayner and Sons Modern Funeral Service, aarayner.com/FuneralHome

IFDA President 2007-2008 Geoffrey W. Hurd, Hurd Hendricks Funeral Homes, hurd-hendricksfuneralhome.com

Director Of Museum of Funeral Customs: NFDA Executive Secretary, Randall L Earl.www.brintlinger.com

If anyone else misappropriated, stole or embezzled 2 million dollars.
Where would they be….prison.

What is taking so long?

Collecting from the Folks Funeral money 2 million dollars 2 years in a row is a despicable theft.
Quoting from the State Journal Register Article, Springfield, Illinois:

“Audits commissioned by IFDA show the association collected more than $2 million in fees in 2006 and again in 2007′.”

Funeral Industry |Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Randall L Earl is named here because he is public figure as the National Funeral Directors Association Executive Secretary. He is an ex IFDA President and named in this Scandal in the publication the Funeral Service Insider.

Charles Childs Jr. is a public figure because he is an ex IFDA President and has been named in this Scandal in a February 2008 State Journal Register Article.

Geoffrey W. Hurd is named in this post because he is an ex IFDA President named in the press.

The three are defendants in multiple lawsuit(s).

The gentlemen mentioned here are innocent till proven guilty but given the gravity of the situation, they should not be in leadership roles in the industry. This is your funeral guy’s opinion. Other people in the industry and the press have addressed these matters.

THE IFDA LOGO COMES FROM E_MAILS TO YOUR FUNERAL GUY FROM THE IFDA.

NFDA needs To Dump “EARL” part of Fed Investigation-YourFuneralguy

Randal L Earl Executive Secretary of the NFDA needs to resign for the sake of Funerals in the United States.

Why has not the National Funeral Directors Association not dumped Randal L Earl, It’s executive secretary? He is now part of a Federal Investigation, multiple lawsuits, and State of Illinois investigations.

By taking no action against Randal Earl the NFDA is indicating that it does not care about FUNERAL or CEMETERY Scandal.

Randal L Earls role in the Illinois Funeral Direcdtors Association Ponzi Scheme is more than obvious.

Calls for NFDA Secretary To Resign Growing-

NFDA Secretary”Mr. Earl” Should Resign-

In light of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association(IFDA) Ponzi Scheme, The Burr Oak Cemetery. the CEO of the Executive director of the NFDA needs to be called out on this, along with the other members of the NFDA Board!

The Integrity of the Executive Board and the NFDA itself is in Question

Patrick E. Lynch,Michael R. St. Pierre, William C. Wappner,and others need to move him out. Maybe these folks in roles at the NFDA are there for personal gain and not the good of funerals in the United States.

Info from the State Journal Register on the Fed Investigation:

Federal prosecutors have begun a criminal investigation into a pre-need funeral trust fund that critics, including funeral homes that stand to lose millions of dollars, say operated like a Ponzi scheme.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy
christine pepper
national funeral directors association

nfda
illinois funeral directors association

Now is the Time for NFDA Board Members to weigh in on Randal L.Earl.-yourfuneralguy

The NFDA Executive Secretary is a key player in Illinois Funeral Scandal. He HAS SHOWN NO REMORSE.

The NFDA Executive Secretary Randall L Earl is closely tied to the Illinois Funeral Directors Funeral Scandal. He was IFDA President when the decline of the IFDA Preneed Trust Began. Earl has been mamed in every lawsuit in the Illinois Funeral Directors Association scheme where nearly 100 million has been lost, misappropiated.

Randal L Earl   is the  named in four IFDA Lawsuits. He may well become an albatross around the neck of the National Funeral Directors Association. His involvement in the transfer of IFDA Preneed Trust funds  to the Defunct Illinois Funeral Directors Association needs to be addressed.

Randall L Earl is speaking this week at the Illinois Funeral Directors Asosociation Convention. This is evidence that the IFDA does not want to change and address their Scandal. It indicates an unwillingness to move to an honest Funeral Directors Association in Illinois.

It is time for NFDA Executive  Board members to weigh on te NFDA secretary who is involved in a major funeral scandal.

Some NFDA Board Members-Source nfda.org

John D. Reed Sr., CFSP, CPC
2008-2009 President

William C. Wappner, CFSP
2008-2009 President-elect

Patrick E. Lynch
2008-2009 Treasurer

Michael R. St. Pierre, CFSP
2008-2009 Immediate Past President

Christine Pepper, CAE
NFDA Chief Executive Officer

Hopefully the Executive board of the NFDA will weigh in on Randall Earl and ask him to resign.

Funeral Industry| Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

National Funeral Directors Association Exec.named in 4th Lawsuit-yourfuneralguy

The National Funeral Directors Association is giving up it's integrity for one guy.

The National Funeral Directors Association  Executive Secretary, has been named in a  fourth lawsuit  for Fraud. Randal L Earl of Britlinger and Earl Funeral Homes in Decatur, Illinois is on the  executive board of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA).

One individual may eliminate the integrity of the professional organization for Funeral Directors in America. How can the Board of Directors of the NFDA stand for it? How can the CEO of  the National Funeral Directors

allow this?  Certainly Christine Pepper the CEO should be concerned. For one man she is risking the organization? Why risk the same fate as the Illinois Funeral Directors Association

Here is the Link to the latest lawsuit submission.

Here are the names of the defendants listed in the Court Document:

“I.F.D.A. Services, Inc., Illinois Funeral Director’s Association, Linda Allan, James D. Bosma, Kevin Burke, Charles S. Childs, Jr., Mark K. Cullen, Brent M. Davis, Dennis R. Davison, Steven Dawson, Vickie Diedrich, Paul G. Dixon,

Randall L. Earl, Michelle Harrison, Donald Henderson, Geoffrey W. Hurd, Derek S. Johnson, Robert Konzelmann,Jack R. Kynion, David M. McReynolds, Robert W. Ninker, Michael Sayles, Edward Schainker, King Sutton, Eric R. Trimble, Chris Wooldridge, Richard D. Yurs, Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc., U.S. Bancorp and Sikich LLP”

If you hug a Funeral Director make sure he/she is not named in a lawsuit

Take it as you will, Randall L Earl, should resign in the interest of  all the Funeral Directors in the Land.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

You Can view the State Journal Register Take on this lawsuit here.

randall l earl
christine pepper

Have you hugged your funeral director today picture from flickr under the creative commons license from

G. J. Charlet III’s photostream

Revealed|Preneed Law Proposed in Illinois Funeral Scam-YourFuneralGuy

The Illinois Funeral Directors Association had a Scandal Where 59 Million of the Folks money disappeared!

News- May 1st, 2009 It has been revealed that a new preneed law has been proposed in the Illinois Funeral Directors Association(IFDA) Scandal. Hopefully the new Law will protect peoples funeral money who choose to put  dollars into prepaid funerals.

The Illinois Funeral Directors Association lost 59 Million plus in a ponzi scheme involving insurance. The funeral funds went to high IFDA salaries, loans to board members, a funeral museum that failed, and other things still under investigation.

This was all revealed in a press release by the Illinos by the Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes yesterday

“”SPRINGFIELD, IL — Comptroller Dan Hynes is proposing stronger regulations to protect consumer investments used to pay for funeral and cemetery goods and services.”

” Hynes said the legislation (SB1682) is needed to help prevent shortfalls similar to the one that occurred with a trust fund intended to pay for consumer funerals that was used by hundreds of funeral directors and administered by the Illinois Funeral Directors Association”

The Springfield, Illinois Newspaper the State Journal Register summed up the bill in an article today.

“Under the bill, which is sponsored in the General Assembly by Sen. Deanna Demuzio, D-Carlinville, pre-need funeral trust funds would have to be managed by corporate fiduciaries. The bill would also establish a consumer protection fund built from $5 fees taken from each pre-need funeral contract sold. The money would be used to pay restitution to consumers if funeral homes don’t live up to their end of deals.”

Sadly this scandal has spread to the National Funeral Directors Association(NFDA). Funds were misused by the current NFDA executive Secretary, Randall L Earl,  when he was IFDA President in 2oo1.(10.6 million loss). He also continued to misuse funeral folks funds in management of the IFDA’s Museum of Funeral Customs. NFDA Executive Secretary Earl has refused to step down. He has been named in three lawsuits.

The Leadership of the NFDA refuses to let go of Randall L Earl. It would be good to let him leave before more of this mess is revealed.

Because of all this in the end there is lack of trust for funeral directors, the IFDA and the NFDA.

Funeral|Funeral Industry blog by Your Funeral Guy