News and Links

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Green Burial:  A Different Way of Death: Why the Alternative Funeral Movement is Taking Hold in the United States: 

"A growing paradigm shift is taking hold throughout the country that is once again bringing simplicity to the ways we care for the dead" by Kristen Wafield.

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Debt after Death: WREG investigates the high costs of funerals, surveys local homes

"New research indicates some funeral homes don't do a good job of disclosing prices, especially online. A WREG investigation also found that getting precise details about costs can be difficult even when speaking to funeral directors over the phone."(Click the link above to watchWREG interviewing Furniss Harkness - FCAMS President.)

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Living Will

Help take the burden off your loved ones by taking your end-of-life decisions in advance.

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A funeral may cost you thousands less just by crossing the street.

"Direct cremation is the same no matter where you go," says Slocum. "When we're talking about situations where some consumers do not know or can't find out that that same business offers the same service at a lower price, maybe at a similar location, that is when I would have a problem with it."

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Despite decades old law funeral prices still unclear. 

"It took me as a longtime lawyer and a professional consumer advocate literally an eight-hour day just to get a solid list of what funeral services were offered by nearby funeral establishments and how much they cost. Eight hours," he says."

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National Funeral Consumers Alliance

Click here for information about the National Funeral Consumers Alliance

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Nation’s Largest Funeral Home Company Charges High Prices and Refuses to Disclose These Prices On Their Websites

“Consumers charged high prices undisclosed online are not treated with dignity by the many funeral homes operated by Dignity Memorial,” said Josh Slocum, Executive Director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance.  

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Complying With the FUNERAL RULE

These rules are for the funeral provider. The Funeral Rule, which is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), mandates that all funeral providers must provide consumers with clear, itemized price information for any funeral goods and services. It also prohibits them from misrepresenting fees or other deceptive or unfair practices. They can be fined a penalty for violation of the Funeral Rule.

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