Funeral Trends

Why do so many funeral homes not display funeral prices on their web sites? Surely in order to complete the process of selecting a service, we need to know the price, right? And aren’t more of us discerning consumers now using the Internet as a valuable means to research a purchase? The funeral industry call … Read more

It may not be the ideal venue for all, but funeral homes are now moving into the market as life celebration event venues. It is not surprising when you consider that the industry estimates that around 50% of funeral chapel and gathering facilities are largely stood unused these days, and that many funeral homes have … Read more

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces law known as the Funeral Rule in an effort to protect consumers in their purchase of funeral goods and services. It ensures that there are clear guidelines for funeral homes to comply with when they are selling their services and products to the general public. Funeral homes who fail … Read more

Baby Boomers – a generation that has effected change! They are a generation that has been known for making their mark and choosing to do things differently, and there is no exception when it comes to death. The Funeral Industry has been eagerly anticipating the influx in what has been a declining death rate, when … Read more

Obesity has become a significant concern of modern society, and the effects of obesity are already impacting our health care industries in the United States. But how is the growing obesity rate impacting upon the death care industry? What does it mean if you are fat and need a funeral? How do funeral directors have … Read more

Service Corporation International (SCI) was initially founded in 1962 and has its company headquarters in Houston, Texas. They own 1,435 funeral homes and 374 cemeteries in the U.S. and are the largest funeral and cemetery services company in the world. SCI provides any and all funeral-related services mainly in the United States and Canada but … Read more

Tough economic times have left many families struggling with day-to-day expenses, with little savings to cope with an emergency. Unfortunately, death is still a taboo subject in our society, so often a family member can pass and there has been no preparation for their funeral. This can mean that no financial provision has been made … Read more

With our lives so documented in a digital world today, the deceased are even easier victims of identity theft than ever. It can be extremely distressing to discover that your loved one’s identity has been stolen following their death. Not only can it be very emotionally tormenting, the financial implications to the good-standing of the … Read more

“Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.” — John Lennon Have you created a ‘bucket list’? Have you consciously thought about all the things you want to do before you die? Urgh, no, you may say, that’s very distasteful! Why? Because in our culture the “D”words are still rather … Read more

‘Homegoing’ funerals have gained some notoriety of late, first The Learning Channel (TLC) aired a feature reality show based in a funeral home in Dallas where elaborate and unusual homegoing funerals were staged. Now, Christine Turner, a filmmaker in New York has made a documentary centered around an African-American funeral home in Harlem, NY that … Read more

Last month whilst on a trip to New York City, I took the time to visit Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. As I stepped off the noisy, chaotic streets of Brooklyn into the acres of quiet tranquility sitting above Brooklyn, it was like stepping into the ‘Secret Garden’. The history of Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood cemetery originally … Read more

Understanding the terminology used by funeral directors can sometimes be confusing. By law all funeral homes need to be able to provide you a general price list (GPL). The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) established this rule to ensure that consumers were given clear information about pricing when negotiating with funeral homes. Unfortunately the ‘al la … Read more

Typing ‘Funeral’ into a Google search recently, I was completely surprised when Google suggested ‘Funeral Potatoes’ as a searched phrase. Curious, I clicked on the suggestion to find out more. What I discovered is that “Funeral Potatoes” is a term given to a dish, made largely from potatoes, that is traditionally served at Mormon funerals. … Read more

America’s first funeral home to cremate bodies by liquefying them has been ordered to stop performing the process. The process called alkaline hydrolysis, or also known as resomation, uses lye and heat, to speed up the natural process of a human body breaking down. In an age where ecological and environmental policies are rife, and … Read more

Funeral People Explained Funeral Service Terms Cremation Terms Explained Burial Terms Funeral Home Terminology Explained Funeral Merchandise Terminology Death Care Legal Terms explained Funeral People Explained – the different roles you may encounter when dealing with a death We have listed below some of the people you may encounter when you visit a funeral home, … Read more

Federal Trade Commission ‘Funeral Law’ conducts Undercover Investigations The ‘Funeral Law’ is a federal law that protects consumers. The Funeral Industry needed to be governed by trade laws just like any other retail industry, as funeral homes can take advantage of consumers and exploit them. Grieving families who don’t know their legal rights are vulnerable … Read more

Preplanning a funeral or cremation Visitor 77116313 04 Apr 2014, 02:31 PM My mother, perhaps unfortunately, signed up for direct cremation with PRENEEDS Family Service Eastern Region. The rate they charged her in 2006 is double what you cite here. Now they want to charge for death certificates. Is this a fee I can get … Read more

The old cliché resonates “Nothing is certain but death and taxes” and I have heard many talks about the ‘death’ industry as a “recession-proof” business. Yet the Funeral Industry is now feeling its own pinch as the current troubling economic times continue. This once very traditional industry has to move out of the dark ages … Read more

Bizarre, or just a sign of the culture of our times: Drive-thru Viewing at Funeral Homes The funeral industry that has often been criticized for being something of a ‘dinosaur’ is certainly now demonstrating some assimilation of modern cultural trends. The introduction by some funeral homes of web-casting of funeral services, was viewed by many … Read more

Our great shopping icon ‘Walmart’ always there to offer us “choice” and “value” has rocked the media and funeral world this week by announcing that they are to start selling caskets. Is this a good move? I am sure many funeral homes do not think so, but this nationalized news has brought one key message … Read more

Securing your DNA: A wise step to take before cremation! I was first introduced to the concept of securing DNA by a funeral director earlier this year. DNA has become a household word these days, one that we generally think of in terms of genealogy, genetics or paternity. This was the first time I considered … Read more

In the United States there is a rich cultural heritage of black owned and operated funeral homes. Indeed black funeral parlors were some of the first businesses to be set up by African-Americans after the abolition of slavery. How do you locate an African-American owned and operated funeral home? Often at US Funerals Online we … Read more

There seems to be a growing interest in the concept of a ‘living funeral’, that is holding a goodbye life celebration BEFORE a death occurs. Funerals have traditionally been somber events that occur once a person has died, an event for surviving family and friends to pay their last respects. Funerals often tend to be … Read more

The ‘fusion funeral’ – the alliteration works well doesn’t it?  As Dan Katz rightly points out in his post ‘The emergence of the fusion funeral’ we are witnessing some amazing examples of innovation by some funeral companies now.  It is an interesting time for this industry, with the huge shift towards cremation, a radical shift … Read more