NFDA issues new numbers on the Average cost of A Funeral-Your Funeral Guy

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The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has issued numbers for the average cost of a Funeral in 2009 comparing the Numbers to 2004. The NFDA says the average funeral cost  for a traditional funeral at the funeral home  in 2009 is 7, 755 USD.

The previous numbers for the average cost of a funeral in 2006 were $7,323.00 USD.

These are NFDA numbers for median funeral cost in 2009.

Non-declinable basic services fee  2009 $1,817  2004$1,460  growth 19.6%

Removal/transfer of remains to funeral home 2009 $250  2004$195 growth 22.0%

Embalming 2009 $628  2004 growth$498  growth 20.7%

Other preparation of the body2009 $200 2004$175  growth 12.5%

Use of facilities/staff for viewing 2009$395  2004$339 growth  14.2%

Use of facilities/staff for funeral ceremony 2009$450 2004$395  growth12.2%

Hearse 2oo9$275 2004 $225  growth 18.2%

Service car/van 2009$125  2004$100 growth  20.0%

Basic memorial printed package 2009$125 2004$95 24.0%

Subtotal without casket $2009$4,265 $2004$3,482 18.4%

Metal casket (average charge for the most
frequently purchased item) 2009$2,295 $2004 $2,100

8.5% AVERAGE COST OF A FUNERAL 2009  $6,560 2004 $5,582 14.9%

Vault (average charge for the most
frequently purchased item) 2009 $1,195 2004 $998 16.5%

Total with vault 2009 $7,755 2004$6,580 15.2% * Median Price – The amount at which half of the figures fall below and half are above.

via www.nfda.org

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

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Your Funeral Guy has Got Average Funeral Cost Covered

Your Funeral Guy has Given Extensive Coverage on the Average cost of a Funeral.

The average cost of A Traditional, funeral is between $9,500.00 USD and $10,000 US Dollars. The average cost of a funeral when cremations are factored in is between $8,300.00 USD dollars and 8,400.00 US Dollars.

The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) lists average  funeral cost to be $7,323.00. in 2006.

None of these figures take into account Cemetery Cost.

Here are a few important links:

What is the average cost of a Funeral In 2010?

Come in Under The Average Cost of a Funeral Pay later.

Be sure to negotiate your Funeral Cost

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

Often It’s Best To Opt for below Average Funeral Cost-YourFuneralGuy

Many Times it is best to sign a contract for a low cost funeral rather than resent the high funeral costs later.

Many times it is best to come in under the average cost of a funeral. Grief Counselors and Social Workers often find that people resent the high funeral costs after the event.  The thought process goes something like this:

(Just let me sign this contract, with these prices I haven’t discussed much with anyone,and get it over with.Maybe it’ll come out of the insurance or the estate—-I can’t deal with this too. If this is what it costs,I loved____.)From-REST IN PEACE INSIDERS TIPS TO THE LOW COST LESS STRESS FUNERAL-copyrighted material from your funeral guy.

As you can see this kind of thinking can make you feel victimized later.

From Social Worker Nancy Adler- Jones

“Common themes in my practice are the high cost of funerals and the victimization people feel when arranging for burial/funeral services. Click here to read a Newsweek article that sheds light on the topic.”

A good funeral director will be sensitive to what you can pay and want to pay in funeral cost. He or she will make sure you do not resent what you paid for the funeral, now or weeks later. Be sure to come in under the average funeral cost of $8,500 per year.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Costs  blog by Your Funeral Guy

How to Stay Below Average Funeral Cost-Rent The Casket-Your Funeral Guy

One way to stay under the average cost of a funeral and have a low cost funeral is to rent the casket. This is an option that folks have employed in good times and bad to have  lower funeral cost.

Your Funeral Guy has some experience with this- most excellent caskets run well above $2000 USD. Even in expensive funeral homes a casket can be rented for a funeral traditional  for $1000.00 USD.

Renting a casket in most cases means there is a cremation afterwards. A traditional service does not have to be had at a funeral home when had at a funeral home. In fact you can have the service at church or a community center.

In this case you  cutting out the cemetery and having a funeral service. It is the opposit of the low cost option of having the service at the cemetery and cutting out the funeral service.

The strategy employed here will require the purchase of an urn.

Funeral Industry -Funeral Cost Blog by your Funeral Guy.

If you want more information on coming under the average cost of a funeral visit yourfuneralguy.com

Source-the life and funeral experience of Your Funeral Guy

Service Corp Inc sales drop, Average Cost of a Funeral Down-yourfuneralguy

According to SCI (Service Corporation International) It’s Cemetery operation Sales were down 59% in the Fourth Quarter. This means the Average Cost of a Funeral is going down. Service Corporation International is the largest funeral corporation in the world.

Quoting from the Press Release:

“Cemetery operations were more susceptible to economic and financial market conditions, with comparable gross profit decreasing $28.4 million or 59%, driven by lower preneed sales, lower trust fund income recognized and less cemetery property construction revenue.”

They stated that there was a  a reduction in preneed cemetery sales. Translation-folks just are not buying burial property.

This statement coupled with the continued rise in cremation as reported in media sources means the average cost of a funeral is going down!

In Cremation Vs Burial the lower cost cremation option appears to be the winner in the bad economy.

I have declared the average cost of a funeral to be 8,500 USD in 2009.

Funeral Cost/Funeral Industry Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Source finance.yahoo.com
average cost of a funeral
preneed

NPS Scandal plus IFDA Scandal equals Higher Average Funeral Cost

NPS Scandal plus IFDA Scandal means a higher average cost of a funeral or average funeral cost.

These numbers sound like Wall Street Bailout numbers.

The final numbers are in for these two Scandals  National Prearranged Services has 1.9 BILLION  in LIABILITIES, 312 million in assets(Cash). FBI may seize officials personal assets.

This leaves 1,587,100,000 in liabilities for NPS Adding in the 59 million IFDA(ILLINOIS FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION) write down of their trust fund the number comes to  $1,646,100,00 USD loss in the funeral industry. Industry experts now put the funeral industry yearly value at 15 Billion. (Some folks say the Funeral Biz is a 22-24 Billion Industry but as far as I can tell these numbers do not come from experts)

That is a more than 10% loss for the funeral business. These numbers are staggering but in some ways not surprising. National Prearranged Services operated in 38% of the United States of America or in 19 of the 50 states.

This amounts to a Funeral Cost Tsunami on the average cost of a funeral. State Insurance guarranty Associations and generally holding back flood waters by covering peoples Funerals. Paperwork challenges and other factors generally mean a pressure on average funeral cost.

We will have to see what the final outcome will be. Long term funeral industry and government losses in the Wall Street Meltdown remain to be seen.

Scandal plus Scandal still means an upward pressure on funeral cost. Integrity, and due dilligence by funeral directors will be addressed going forward.

Blog by Your Funeral Guy.average cost of a funeral

Source: Kansas City.com

Disclaimer:This blog post asumes the figures at KansasCity.com are correct.

funeral cost

Your Funeral Guy: NFDA to Defend Funeral Cost/ Industry/Preneed.

Breaking News January 29th 2009-This is an historic move on funeral cost, the funeral Industry and Preneed. (prepaid funerals) The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) announced plans to reach the masses in the defense of their industry.

This was done in  reaction to two disastrous Scandals in 2008 -National Prearranged Services(NPS) and the Illinois Funeral Directors Association IFDA Preneed Trust Mismanagement Debacle. The NFDA will spent thousands of dollars to reach millions on a major television advertising blitz.

This will do nothing but raise the average cost of a funeral in the United States. I have estimated the average   funeral  cost to be $8,500.00 USD plus.

In times of deep economic trouble with folks demanding lower cost funerals. this is clearly an attempt to drum up business for an industry clearly in trouble with massive overhead.

The full press release can be viewed at Nfda.org

Blog By Your Funeral Guy

Your Funeral Guy: New High for Average Cost of a Funeral

Is there going to be a new golden age for those who charge funeral cost? Some funeral industry folks think so. I disagree. More and more folks in today’s economy are choosing the lower cost funeral.

Some say it will be due to a steep rise in the death rate. I have been hearing that since I went to mortuary school in 2001. It has not happened. Mistakenly, I thought it might happen fast…and  I would make great money as a Funeral Director. 😦

Here is a quote on this:

“Though dipping slightly over the last several years, and expected to be stagnant for several more, the death rate of about 8.1 per 1,000 people is expected to inch significantly upward sometime in the next decade and eventually go as high as 10.9.

The exact dates are tough to pinpoint because of the size of the generation and medical advances”-the Deuce

Experts have been predicting the death rate will sky rocket since the early 1990’s. It has not happened.

And then there is a more scarier statistic- some are saying that the average cost of a funeral including burial is $12-15,000 USD.

“Though it may vary slightly from one state to the next, the average cost of a funeral in the United States ranges from $12-15,000. This is heavily dependent upon the type of funeral a family chooses. At present, there are pre-paid insurance plans available for “End of Life” expenses.” –Chad Willey

In my estimation people are now choosing lower cost funeral options. If this trend continues the average cost of a funeral will be reduced.

I therefore stand on my estimate of average traditional  funeral cost to be $8,5000 USD in 2009. (This does not include burial expenses) Be advised that there are many folks out there now saying things about funeral cost that may not be true. always check your information. Your funeral guy checks funeral industry reports and with folks around the country before making statements.

A Reminder: Preplan your funeral but do not make it prepaid!

Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Your Funeral Guy: Overall Average Cost of a Funeral.

Overall the Average Cost of a traditional  funeral in the United States is $10,000 USD. This according to research on the industry other than the National Funeral Directors Association or NFDA for short.

The NFDA lists the average cost of a traditional funeral to be in 2006 to be $7,323.00 USD to start. This includes a vault.

It appears that  the NFDA gets their statistics from their members. The organization collects this information usually by survey. This is maybe why their figures are  behind several years.

This year in 2009  I have declared the Average Cost of a Funeral to be $8,500 USD. This is due to the rise in cremations and low cost funeral options because of the economic downturn in 2008.

People are wising up and negotiating the lower cost funeral.

Please do not do a funeral  for more than $8,500.00 USD.You should be able to negotiate a high end exquisite funeral for that price.

Save money for the living, lower the cost of a funeral.

Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Source:NFDA’s figures for 2006 here

Comment on NFDA surveys from NFDA press releases.