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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Are Boomers helping or hurting the Funeral Industry?|Your Funeral Guy

How and When will Baby Boomer Deaths impact the Funeral Industry?

This is the question that is will determine the future of the funeral industry:”Are Baby Boomers hurting or helping the Funeral Industry? For the Funeral Industry?” this is the funeral industry question of the decade? Will it be cremation, Alkaline hydrolysis(green cremation)? Will they go for Walmart caskets? Will the dead live on online? Will the boomers avoid digital death?

So with the Boomers’ history in mind, the following questions come to mind: Will funeral homes remain relevant? How many Boomers will chose to be cremated? Will the somber tones and creepy music of the traditional funeral be replaced with celebration and rock ‘n’ roll? Will there be religious services? Or, if it’s available, will they buy a funeral kit online or at Wal-Mart // [WMT  51.30  -1.74  (-3.28%)   ]// and handle their own funerals? Will funeral services be cyber rather than in-person? Will the deceased live on as avatars? How will funeral directors communicate with Generation Y kids as they make funeral arrangements for their Boomer parents?

The funeral industry is at a crossroads, with change bearing down on it. The next five years or so will be defining. Demand will most certainly increase and the progressive contingent will prepare, change and dramatically prosper.

Bob Dylan pondered this idea when he penned the lyrics, “The times, they are a changing….” And how!

via www.cnbc.com

Another important question is how will funeral directors approach generation y?

Funeral industry| Funeral news| Funeral blog by your funeral guy

Walmart is selling Caskets online-YourFuneralGuy

Walmart has started to sell caskets online. Prices range from $999.00 dollars to3,199.00 dollars. There does nor appear to be a press release about Walmart carrying caskets. This another indication of the move from Funeral Services away from the traditional Funeral Home.

Under the Funeral Rule in the USA you have the right to obtain a casket from a third party source even off the internet or in a Casket Store.

You can check out Wall Mart’s supply of Caskets here.

There are 14 Star Legacy Caskets and shipment must go to a funeral home.

From the Wall Mart Link:

You must confirm the shipping address for casket delivery with your funeral home director. Often this address is different from the funeral home itself. Enter the following information for the shipping address at checkout:

First and last name: name of the deceased
Company name: name of funeral home or mortuary
Address: shipping address given to you by the funeral home director
Phone Number: phone number of the mortuary

The movement of goods and services away from the traditional Funeral Home indicates a further decline in traditional Funeral Services.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Your Funeral Guy: The Average Funeral Cost of Traditional Funeral is over $8000.00 USD

The Average Cost of a Funeral in 2008 was $8000.00 USD +and maybe more. This year the NFDA  raised the average funeral cost in 2006 to $7,323.00 Dollars. This has been mentioned at this blog. Now how can this happen? The National Funeral Directors Association.collects statistics from funeral homes and funeral directors around the United States. If they receive more information they change the numbers.

Cost for traditional Funerals has been trending upward.  but at the same time lower cost funerals such as green funerals, cremation and direct burial are also growing to  the broad prosperity of all. This also has sent the traditional funeral cost upward. It has cut into funeral home profits.

So after much research I am lowballing the average cost of a funeral in 2008 to be $8000.00 USD.

The Over 50 Website declares the same average funeral cost. “the average US funeral costs over $8,000 as far as I can deduce from the sparse information that is published, and it seems very easy for funerals to cost from $10,000 to $20,000 or more!”

More information on how to lower average funeral cost can be found here:

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

Your Funeral Guy.

Your Funeral guy: If you do not fit in the average hole you will pay more for funeral costs:

If you do not fit in the average hole you will pay more for average funeral costs!

This comes from an excellent blogger–check the link below.

“Tall John, 6′5″, asked, ‘If tall bodies cost more, do short ones get a rebate?

Is there a surcharge for fat people? Can two thin people be interred for the price of one?

Where does it stop?!

We should all be able to rest in peace and one price fits all.”

More on this at this link:

http://lilymunsta.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/funeral-talk

Many times you can lower your funeral costs and actually come to lower funeral costs where one size fits all.

Here are five steps toward one size fits all.

1. Green Funerals make for rest in peace.

2. Home Funerals can make lower funeral costs happen.

3. Cremation brings one to lower funeral expenses.

4. Having the funeral at an alternate location other than  funeral home lowers costs.

5.Going to the funeral home and asking for a low funeral costs is a great strategy.

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If you are too tall or obese you may not fit in the casket. You may pay more for a traditional funeral.

if you investigate you will not have too pay more if you do a low cost funeral! Find out more in the Rest in peace book and funeral book.

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

(your) funeral guy

More funeral information can be found here:

http://www.lower cost funeral/rbrianblog

Your Funeral Guy: Home Funerals can mean A Lower Cost Funeral with minimal mental health risk.

Your Funeral Guy: Under the best circumstances, ( with funeral cost  lower)  the home funeral offers mental health advantages that are difficult to reproduce with some of the excessive methods our commercialized society has put into action. This many times involves funeral director hand holding with excessive funeral costs. Many Funeral directors have adopted an organized, hidden, costly approach  to deal with the inconvenience of a death in a family.

Sometimes because of certain circumstances, a home funeral can add significantly to the trauma, grief and stress of a funeral. The difference between a helpful, caring (traditional or home funeral) funeral event and a funeral nightmare lies entirely with the family’s collective abilities to provide specifics in offering emotional, psychological support with connection to community.  There must be a strong family structure (family of origin, extended and other) with community ties in place so that the shared burdens of trauma,grief and stress results in a smaller individual doses of the same.

For families with a solid church affiliation, the church most often acts as an effective extension to the family with a social support system.
When there is no strong church affiliation, most churches stand ready to assist the unchurched family with the traditional and in some cases the home funeral. Almost always this church option costs less than a Traditional Funeral Home Service.

Funeral Cost Saving  should not be the reason to have a home funeral, although it is often sited in blogs and articles as a cost benefit in funeral terms. Home funerals can end up having higher funeral cost  because of being new to the public and  the intense involvement of so many folks whose efforts are sometimes ineffective from a financial funeral cost perspective.

That said if there is strong family structure, good church ties, and friends in the community the home funeral can be the lower cost funeral. Home funerals done correctly by a qualified home funeral professional can be the low cost less stress funeral. This is often the case in countries outside the USA.

Source: http://www.bartonfuneral.com/funeral-basics/home-funerals/

as well as the experience of your funeral guy

Home funerals were predicted in this book. There is also lots of information on your lower cost funeral 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. This book is published by Morgan James Publishing.

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

Your Funeral Guy: Barton Family Funeral Service good on Home Funeral Cost

Home Funerals and Home Funeral cost are not quite mainstream but soon they will be and here are some important funeral cost facts on the home funeral. This is the best information I have seen on Home Funeral Cost. This quote from the Barton Family funeral Service and the link.

http://bartonfuneral.com/funeral-basics/home-funerals/

“Under the right circumstances, a home funeral offers mental health advantages that are hard to duplicate with some of the alternative methods our commercialized society has adopted to deal with the inconvenience on a death in the family. Under the wrong circumstances, a home funeral can add significantly to the trauma. The difference between a good experience and a nightmare lies entirely with the family’s collective abilities to take care of the details and offer emotional support. There must be a strong enough family structure in place so that the shared burden results in a smaller individual burden. For families with a church affiliation, the church acts as an extension to the family.” Even
when there is no church affiliation, some churches stand ready to help with a home funeral.”

“Cost should not be the reason to have a home funeral,”

“although it is often cited as a motivation. Home funerals can end up being quite expensive because of the intense involvement of so many people whose efforts are often inefficient from an economic perspective……”

Summary:

1. A home funeral offers mental health advantages.

2. A family’s collective abilities to take care of the details brings about a successful home funeral.

3. The church can act as an extension of the family and provide assistance in a home or traditional funeral.

4. Cost should not be the major Consideration of a Home Funeral

Just for your information Home Funerals are only briefly in Rest in Peace Insiders Tips to the Low cost less Stress Funeral.

Funeral cost video#3 Traditional Funeral cost

The “PBS Frontline” is video serious. A look at funeal service and funeral cost. It is truly from the Tratidional Funeral cost persprctive

This post on the upcoming emmy conideration of this video can be attributed to connecting directors.

“The Undertaking” presented a moving, insightful view of funeral service and the important work performed by funeral service professionals every day. The documentary featured multi-generation, National Funeral Directors Association-member (NFDA) firm Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors, which operates from several locations in suburban Detroit, Michigan. More information about “The Undertaking” can be found at http://www.pbs.org/frontline/undertaking. View the show and them come back to Rest in Peace so you can consider low cost through the Valery Booth Blog.

Rest in Peace:

REVIEW: Rest in Peace Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral

July 8th, 2008

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Death, Dying and Funerals – who wants to even think about it, much less PLAN for it?

Last week I found myself reading R. Brian Burkhardt’s book, “Rest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral.” I’m sure you’re wondering why I’d ever read from this genre; more on that in a minute…

“Rest in Peace” is a primer for those who have never been to a funeral and an excellent guide for those who must plan a funeral. The author’s voice is, at the same time, compassionate and pragmatic, gentle yet firm. And his call to action can serve you best in your time of need.

Imagine having the right words for a grieving spouse, parent or child. Or saving money because you knew exactly what you are legally obliged to pay for and what you can do for yourself. How about a funeral without family drama?

“Rest in Peace” shows you how you can take charge of the process, saving money and preserving relationships at the same time.

So why would I read a book in this genre? I blame it all on Facebook. R. Brian Burkhardt and I have a mutual friend in common. I can’t remember who wrote on whose wall first, but Robert and I became friends. Since I love to read, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse. I just didn’t expect to be so impressed with the way he handled the subject.

My complete book review is available at Amazon.com.

Share the Love: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

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• You may view Valerire’s full blog here:
• http://www.valeriebooth.com/

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