Clergyman Finds: Folks Go to Cremation Site,Skip Funeral Home-yourfuneralguy

To save money on a Funeral You can skip the funeral home and go right to the cremation facility

One strategy folks have been following to come in under the average cost of a funeral is to skip the funeral home and go right to the crematory. Money wise people who find themselves faced with a funeral are choosing cremation. But some are taking it further, letting go of the funeral home altogether and going right to the cremation site.

One Clergyman had a discussion with a funeral director in this:

“Having asked why there seemed to have been so few funerals in the period since Christmas (genuinely, because it seems to have been unusually quiet), I was told that not least because of the current economic circumstances, people were by-passing Funeral Directors and Clergy and taking their relatives directly to the crematorium to keep costs down.”

This is a significant low cost funeral tool. Skip the funeral home and go to the crematory.

Watch out however for a funeral home that has a crematory. Remember the processing cost for a cremation is $400.00 USD in the USA. The funeral home is entitled to make money on their services.

But what is fair is up for you to decide.

Funeral Cost | Funeral Industry Blog by Your Funeral Guy

view the full clergyman’s post here

Pic from Dr.Mo’s photo stream on Flickr.

Your Funeral Guy: Merrill Lynch Employee who sold IFDA Ponzi Policies license suspend

Springfield, IL Newspaper states IFDA Trust Investment adviser license is suspended. It appears that investigators are getting close to those responsible for this scandal.

The Illinois Funeral Directors Association lost 59 million dollars in an alleged Ponzi Scheme. Now the Merrill Lynch Employee who sold a large portion of the three hundred key guy life insurance policies has had his license suspended. This was done by the Secretary of State of the State of Illinois.

The investigation into the preneed scam is continuing.  The Lesson for the average person is you should not purchase “preneed” to pay for funeral cost!

According to The State Journal Register  Newspaper in Springfield, Il:

“The Illinois secretary of state’s office has suspended the license of a Merrill Lynch employee who sold life insurance policies to finance a pre-need funeral trust fund that is in deep financial trouble.

The secretary of state says Edward Louis Schainker, a Merrill Lynch investment adviser and salesman, broke state law when he sold hundreds of policies to the Illinois Funeral Directors Association.”

The more important question is DID THE IFDA BREAK STATE LAW IN PURCHASING THE POLICIES AND USING THEM TO FINANCE THE IFDA PRENEED TRUST?

This is the question yet to be answered.

It does appear that investigators are getting close to those who are at the source of the IFDA Ponzi Scam.

Funeral Industry| Funeral Cost blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Source State Journal Register Article: “Investment Advisor for funeral Trust has licensce suspended.”

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News-Bizarre Twist on Funeral Cost-Dead Body Subpoena-yourfuneralguy

Chrysler Corporation gets a Court Order for a deceased person's body- burial stopped

News 3/09/09- In a bizarre twist on Funeral Cost Chrysler has subpoenaed  a dead body.  This has added Emotional and Financial funeral cost  as the body was snatched after a funeral and right before burial.  The family is fighting the court order. The trial was set to begin on March 9th 2009. The person involved has not had a burial.

In an article at The Truth about Cars:

“The trial was set to begin March 9. Unexpectedly, St. John died on February 28. Though he had undergone a painful biopsy to provide a lung tissue sample while still living, Chrysler insisted on taking the body from its burial site before it could be laid to rest.”

This approach seems to be distasteful and disrespectful. It surely shows a lack of respect for the dead. It appears that the law has no respect for persons living or dead.

From michiganmessenger.com

“Chrysler had asked the court for permission to obtain tissue samples, but the court order was not issued until the day of the funeral. The process server waited until after the funeral but before interment to serve the order, offending the grieving family who claim they caught completely unaware of Chrysler’s request.”

It was a good thing that the process server showed discretion and respect.

What can be learned from this? DEATH and the LAW are no respecter of persons.

Maybe it would have been best if the automakers did not get a bailout and had their own funeral.

Funeral Industry|funeral cost blog by Your Funeral Guy.

IFDA Lost $59 Million|Opposes Regulation Seeks Medicaid help-Your Funeral Guy.

IFDA misappropriated 59 million then came up on the wrong side of funeral legislation in Illinois istockphoto picture of IL Statehouse

The Illinois Funeral Directors Association is at it again. They misused 59 Million of their Trust Fund in an alleged ponzi scheme. Now they are opposing preneed reform and seeking medicaid aide for member funeral homes . This is beyond arrogance. Why do they not just take out a 59 Million dollar Loan and give the money back to the IFDA Preneed Trust?

State Representative Dan Brady of Bloomington , IL has proposed legislation in Springfield, IL that will regulate the preneed trust sellers in the State of Illinois. The Illinois Funeral Directors Association is not supporting the legislation. One would think that they would want to make things right. I would suggest that they give their non guaranteed funds back to the citizens who have lost monies in the non guaranteed policies.

To add insult to injury the IFDA is  supporting legislation which would give more medicaid aide to funeral homes their members. That legislation in Springfield, Il is sponsored by Bob Rita of Blue Island.

Quoting Rep Dan. Brady in  a March 7th post in the Chicago Tribune.

Brady said, “To ask for more money when the IFDA has other problems is not the message to send right now. “

It is very unsettling that the new executive director of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association is making false statements to the press . His name is Duane Marsh. In a State-Journal Register|Galesburg.com  Article he said:

‘IFDA supports Rita’s bill. Marsh says the issue is a “humanitarian thing,” but funeral home directors will still help the indigent.

“Funeral home directors are going to continue to provide the service no matter what, ” Marsh said.’

First of all as many an indigent person and funeral director know that all funeral homes do not help the indigent.

To say that directors are going to provide the service no matter what is garbage. It may be fraud.

How can Duane Marsh make this statement? He is a former funeral director from Michigan and has been in the State of Illinois for only two months and several days. I call upon Mr. Marsh to retract his statement made to the oldest newspaper in Illinois.

Funeral Industry| Funeral Cost blog by your funeral guy.

Any time  a Funeral Trust Fund is misapplied Funeral directors have to cover costs and consumer costs are raised.

Sources:

Galesburg.com Article posted March 5th

Chicago-Tribune Article posted March 7th

illinois funeral directors association
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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?

Revealed Important Questions for Chicago Tribune & IFDA-Your Funeral Guy

What do you expect from a newspaper with the name Chicago in it?

There are many questions that have been asked of me since the Article on Sunday regarding the Illinois Funeral Directors Association in  the Chicago Tribune. Any time funeral cost money is misused  in a trust funeral cost is raised. The big question is: When funeral directors in Illinois run out of money to cover their losses with the IFDA who will cover the funeral  bill of the folks involved? The answer is we do not know.

Here is some of the questions I have been asked?

1. Why was  Senator Roland Burris not mentioned in the Chicago Tribune Article?

Answer: I do not know. It certainly raises some suspicions as to who else may be involved. Senator Roland Burris is a significant player in this Scandal.

2. Why did the Tribune not name the names of specific IFDA officials involved?

Answer: I do not know. Several of the folks involved are well  recognized funeral providers in Chicago and the suburbs.

3. Why did the Tribune not name the names of Board Members involved?

Answer: I do not know but other  Newspapers in the State have revealed some of the  Board players involved.

4. Why did the Tribune mention Preneed as a viable option in another article in the same  March 1st edition that they reported a 50 million+ USD IFDA  Preneed  Trust Scandal?

Answer: There is no Excuse for that.

5. Why did not the Tribune not mention the size of the IFDA Board members and committe members that

What do you expect from a trade organization with the name Illinois in it?

make up the IFDA. (Hint- the number here is Quite small)

Answer: A small elite group of people ripped off other funeral directors and the citizens of the State of  Illinois. My true answer to this is unspeakable.

There are many more questions. Enough for now.

But the General Answers are:

What do you expect from a Newspaper with the name Chicago in it?

What do you expect from a  trade organization with the name Illinois in front of it?

Funeral Cost|Funeral Industry Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Image licences from IStockPhoto.

Source: The research and experience of Your Funeral Guy.

Your Funeral Guy: Medicaid, Preneed, Funeral Cost

Medicaid in most states encourages the purchase of prepaid funerals or preneed. In the last year we have  had tw0 major funeral cost scandals that involve prepaying and preneed. The Illinois Funeral Directors Association IFDA Preneed Trust Scandal and the National Prearranged Services Scandal or NPS Scandal.

These are reasons enough not to prepay a funeral or  purchase a preneed policy. It does appear that medicaid in most states allows and encourages the purchase of a prepaid funeral. This is not a good idea because these funds are suspect because of Scandal.

Recently I received an e- mail from someone I am helping with lower cost funerals:

“Department of Human Services in the State of Illinois has a form “about pre-paid burial funds and which items are non-exempt and which are exempt.  Medicaid encourages individuals to set a pre-paid funeral trust.  On the bottom of this form is states that funeral homes are entitled to 5% of the principal and 5% of the annual interest.  This was substantiated by our funeral home.  The funeral homes get a kick-back for setting up these trust funds.  The contract of course needs to be irrevocable and if anyone tries to dissolve the funeral home is entitled to 25%.  I believe that some funeral homes are truly on the take and now the more honest ones are caught up in this dirt.’

In the United States then medicaid has at least a loose affilation with the sale of preneed insurance funeral policies. This does affect your Funeral Cost. If this affects you be sure to ask your state about the situation.

Funeral Cost/Funeral Industry Blog by Your Funeral Guy.
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Your Funeral Guy: Corpse Left in Hearse 2 months dead 2 years!

As mentioned before it is important to sign your Funeral (Cost) Contract. A funeral is both an emotional contract and a financial or funeral (Cost) contract. BE Sure To Sign and Understand YOUR CONTRACT! This is both for your financial and emotional protection..

According to the Associated Press and KansasCity.com some folks did not do this and there was shocking results. A cremation did not happen. Instead:

“Funeral Director Allegedly leaves Corpse in Hearse” for over 2 months,person dead 2 years!

“A funeral director faces a felony charge after police found a woman’s decomposing body in the back of a hearse. Police said the 76-year-old funeral home owner was charged Tuesday with abusing a corpse. Police said the woman died of natural causes in November 2007 at the age of 52. Relatives said they wanted her remains cremated.”

The family was negligent in that they never signed the cremation papers or paid the funeral home.

You can find out more information on your funeral cost contract either preneed or at need here.

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

Funeral Cost/Funeral industry Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Source: kansascity.com

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rest in peace insiders tips to the low cost less stress funeral

Your Funeral Guy: Exposing the Funeral Cost Scam-by World Famous Author

In March  a Creative work exposing the Funeral Industry and your funeral cost will be published by a world famous author. The story is a creative mystery and it addresses problems in the funeral industry.

‘The Undertakers Tale” will Rock the Funeral Industry with humor and creativity and expose charlatan behaviors. I have not read the story but because of the author’s world wide status it will be good. This author is very creative so I do not believe that the current Illinois Funeral Directors Association (IFDA)Scandal-Alleged Ponzi  scheme or the National Prearranged Services (NPS) scandal  will be addressed. There are rumors of another  eastern exposure of these recent events.

The best selling author has a large number books published and was at one time the most popular author in the United States of America. I am the author of a book on the funeral industry and will never be as  famous as the “Undertaker Tale” guy. Neither will anyone else alive today.

You see the famous author is Mark Twain.

Funeral Cost/Funeral Industry Blog- Your Funeral Guy.-R.Brian Burkhardt
funeral cost

Information on the upcoming story is here.

Now A Funeral Cost Last Stand-Your Funeral Guy.

In an effort to come in under the average cost of a funeral an Illinois Resident has taken her stand on  preneed for her family. She has recovered funeral cost money $1000.00 USD of the principal that was paid in 2003.

This lady successfully stood up to an Illinois Funeral Directors Association Funeral Home.  Not only did she negotiate with the Funeral Home(advocated here), she negotiated with the Comptroller of the State of Illinois, and the Illinois Funeral Directors Association-IFDA. You can view the full article here: Pre-need Funeral Investor Demands Repayment of Principal

This is a helpful example of how you can come in under the average cost of a funeral and negotiate your funeral cost.

The scenario is also instructive on why one should not prepay or purchase a preneed contract.

This is outlined in the funeral cost book.

Rest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral.
funeral cost

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rest in peace insiders tips to the low cost less stress funeral
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