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All consumers deserve transparency in funeral planning, but up until now no one was willing to tackle this problem.

The federal government is supposed to regulate the funeral industry. They are supposed to act as a watchdog to ensure that funeral directors don’t take advantage of the vulnerability of grieving families. But in reality, the government is letting (some) funeral directors get away with shameful, dishonest practices that shouldn’t be tolerated – and certainly wouldn’t be in any other industry.

So as not to get ahead of myself, let me back up a bit …

Government Regulation: The FTC’s Funeral Rule

In 1984, the Funeral Rule was enacted by the Federal Trade Commission with the goal of bringing more transparency to the funeral industry by requiring funeral directors to provide adequate information to funeral planners. Specifically, the Funeral Rule requires funeral providers to give an itemized list of their prices to anyone who asks for it and accept caskets and urns purchased elsewhere without charging an extra fee. Additionally, it allows planners to choose the goods and services they want and don’t want (i.e. funeral directors can’t force the purchase of funeral packages).

Funeral Rule Violators

But many funeral homes simply refuse to comply with these regulations. The FTC knows about some of these violators, but because the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) runs the Funeral Rule Offenders Program, all those in violation of the government regulations are protected via anonymity. So instead of naming the funeral homes in violation of the Funeral Rule and indicating the extent to which they violated the regulations, the FTC simply states, for instance, “In Baltimore, Maryland, 1 of the 9 funeral homes inspected had significant violations.” Or “In Everett, Washington, 4 of the 11 funeral homes inspected had significant violations.”

And let’s say one of your neighborhood funeral homes has violated the Funeral Rule, what’s their punishment, for violating requirements for transparent and ethical business practices? The Funeral Rule Offenders Program gives funeral homes the opportunity to enter a three-year “training program” to increase compliance with the rule and make a “voluntary” payment to the U.S. Treasury and pay annual administrative fees to the NFDA. The alternative if the funeral home decides not to enter the program?  An FTC lawsuit that could lead to up to $16,000 in fees per violation. Needless to say, I would guess that most funeral homes would opt for the training program and voluntary payment.

The Impact on Funeral Planners

To be clear – not all funeral directors or funeral homes are deceptive. In fact, I would argue that for the most part funeral directors are among the kindest individuals on the planet. Death never takes a day off and is never a joy to be around, yet these individuals have devoted themselves to helping families day in and day out with the most painful experiences of their lives.

But, the shadowy practices of the minority has a definitive impact on families, especially those who are unaware of their rights. Imagine needing to buy a car within 3 days. In this scenario, you have no idea how much one vehicle costs versus another (because the dealers won’t tell you), you have no access to consumer reports or online resources like prices, ratings and reviews (they just don’t exist), you have no time to test drive the cars, oh and by the way, your mom just died.

While the Funeral Rule was meant to bring transparency to the industry, it hasn’t done enough to help funeral planners scrambling during a time of crisis to make quick, expensive, emotional, complicated decisions. Not only does it not do it’s job of easing access to information that should be freely available, it also protects violators! Funerals run in the multiple thousands (the average cost for a burial, not including a plot or cash advance items is $8500+), and they’re one of the most important life-cycle events of our lives, yet families still have to make painfully tough decisions with limited time and virtually no information.

eFuneral’s Role

We started eFuneral in 2011 with the mission of helping families get the information they need to make truly informed funeral decisions. Mike Belsito, Co-Founder of eFuneral, experienced for himself what it’s like to plan a funeral completely in the dark. And that inspired him to transform the industry and bring transparency to funeral planning via free pricing information, ratings, and reviews, along with a resources center that includes helpful articles and videos.

Nearly two years later, we’re the leading provider of industry information, and we’re proud to help families plan with confidence … and save time, money, and headache at the same time.

If you need any assistance at all accessing the information you need to make informed funeral decisions, please contact us at anytime! Simply call us at [phone] or email us at [email protected]. We’re here to guide you every step of the way.

[efuneraldotcom]

In addition to the beautiful weather, the Browns season opener, and a refreshing dip in Lake Erie, Clevelanders are thinking about something a little unexpected this summer: death.  It seems everyone’s leaving their mark on the Market Garden Brewery’s “Before I Die, I Want to…” chalk wall in Ohio City, where passersby can pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on their hopes and dreams, and share their personal aspirations in a public space. From lighthearted musings to ambitious life goals, “chalkers” are having fun, examining their lives, and giving attention to the certain end we will all face.

The wide array of responses on the chalk wall got some of us here at eFuneral thinking: what do we want to accomplish before we die?  Here are responses from some of the people in the office:

Mike Belsito, Co-Founder Before I die, I’d like to write a book specifically for my family.  I don’t mean a published novel….or something that I’d sell.  But I’d like to write a book that would allow my family — for generations — to know just who I was.  As I’ve grown, I’ve realized that memories are often captured by pictures that we take.  However, those pictures only tell a story one snapshot at a time — and, often times, much context is lost.  I’d like to be able to provide additional context with meaningful words, where I can share the big picture of my life with my children, their children, and generations to come.  This way, they can understand who I am and, possibly, get to know themselves a bit better through my story.  After all, we’re often a reflection of our own past.

Chelsea Gumucio, Liaison Social Worker Before I die, I want to be a mother not only to my children, but I want to foster and adopt along the way and love the unloved. I want to travel to many countries- take my husband to Europe where I was born- see the amazing animals in Australia and visit South America to meet my husband’s family. I want to have a life that is meaningful and touch the lives of everyone I meet whether it be as a social worker, friend, or stranger. I want to be a wonderful example of a loving wife, mother, sister, child and friend. I want to inspire others to hope for the best and believe in something higher then themselves.

Leah Yomtovian Roush, Senior Manager of Strategic Development Before I die, there’s a lot I want to do, see, and experience. For starters, I want to see my children grow and start families of their own. It would be such a blessing to be an active member of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s lives! Next, I want to have a tangible impact on the world, making the world a better place. Hopefully, G-d willing, I have many, many years left so that before I die I can also have some fun with my husband, traveling the world, discovering hidden gems, and exploring various cultures. I want to take a trip to Antarctica and climb a glacier, have some sushi in Japan, go scuba diving in the Red Sea, take my entire family on a biking adventure from the northern most tip of Israel to the southern most tip, spend a few weeks on an African safari, climb Machu Pichhu, get to Everest base camp, explore a Columbian rainforest, experience the midnight sun in Scandinavia … there’s so much to see and so much to do before I die.

Nicholas Kania (me!), Marketing Intern Before I die, I want to live in New York City.  Although it may seem like an oddly specific goal, it’s something I’ve wanted to do since my first visit when I was 15 years old. Since then I have frequented the Big Apple many times, but feel to truly connect with the city’s energy you just have to live there.  Each time I go, I’m in absolute awe of the sheer volume of amazing restaurants, unique boutiques, and fascinating people.  The fact that my friends who inhabit the island can point to a world class tapas bar (“It’s just around the corner from my apartment!”) or a one of a kind brunch spot (“You HAVE to try the oyster bloody mary!”) is reason enough to want to live there for a while.  Although I eventually want to return to Cleveland and raise a family in one of the many wonderful kid-friendly suburbs that I have grown to love, I want to spend at least a couple of years absorbing all that is New York City.

What do you want to accomplish before you die?  Is there a similar chalk wall in your city?  Let us know in the comment section below!

Nicholas Kania works in marketing for Cleveland, Ohio-based eFuneral, an online resource providing caregivers and those thinking about end-of-life with free, helpful information.

[efuneraldotcom]

Death Cafes make people comfortable to open up about death | wkyc.com

eFuneral is in the news!  Check out this great coverage of our recent Death Cafe event:

ROCKY RIVER -- There are groups and gatherings for just about every interest these days. But a new kind of meetup is gaining attention for the way it's tackling an uncomfortable topic.

The concept of death cafés has come to Northeast Ohio.

"When you hear about death café, it sounds kind of morbid. It sounds kind of scary. But the reality is, these are positive events," Mike Belsito explains.

Belsito is the co-founder of eFuneral, an end-of-life planning website. Death cafés started in Europe and have made their way across the Atlantic to the United States.

The purpose is to make people comfortable enough to open up about the subject of death. And there is coffee and cake too.

The first death café in Cleveland attracted 26 people. The numbers have grown steadily since then.

Roughly about two hours in length, a host may start the discussion by throwing out questions about death: How do you want to die? Surrounded by loved ones in your home? In a hospital? How do you want to be remembered?

Attendees break up into small groups of five or six to talk about their personal experiences.

"We are very clued into living and living as long as we can, but eventually we come to a decision that we are not going to live forever. When we come to that realization, we want to have a discussion," explains Shelly Barnard, a licensed social worker who has attended several death cafés.

The casual get-togethers are held in coffee shops, restaurants and even homes. In other cities, death cafés have even been held in cemeteries.

Cafés are hosted by social workers and chaplains, though all beliefs and nonbelievers are embraced.

"One of the beauties about death café is that it's open to absolutely everybody. We don't segment this and only welcome certain people. Anybody can come to a death café, and the purpose is that it's an open and accepting environment for people to have real conversations about end of life," according to Belsito.

"It's not grief support. It's an open frank discussion about death," Marcella Boyd Cox said. Cox is director of the Boyd and Son funeral homes. She went to her first death café in June.

Cafés don't allow sales pitches. But directors like Cox are more than welcome to join in the discussion and answer questions about their business.

Cox sees benefits to facing your own mortality sooner, rather than later. She whole-heartedly welcomes the movement.

"If you deal with your own mortality, I think it sets you free to go on and live your life."

Death cafés are free. They are not a grief support group.

If you would like to learn more about the next Death Café scheduled in October, events are posted on a Cleveland Death Cafe Facebook page as well as the eFuneral website.

[efuneraldotcom]

Although the FTC is supposed to regulate the funeral industry, families are often forced to make funeral decisions with little information. Read more now!

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eFuneral is excited to be featured as a JumpStart Inc. "One To Watch."  

Companies that qualify for an investment from JumpStart must be “high potential and innovation-oriented.” And eFuneral certainly meets those criteria! We’re transforming the way funeral planners make arrangements, giving individuals and families the tools and resources needed to make informed decisions. Up until now, the “death care” industry lacked transparency. And, it hadn’t seen major technological advances for decades. Planners had to make quick, expensive, and emotional decisions without access to pricing information, ratings, or reviews even while such information was freely available for restaurants, hotels, apartments, and cars.

We wondered: How is it that we can make a more informed decision about a meal, which costs around $20, than we can about a funeral, which costs an average of $8,500+, and carries with it a huge emotional weight? eFuneral Co-founder, Mike Belsito explains in the video belowhow our team dared to challenge the age-old funeral industry.  We believe that everyone has the right to any and all information that will help them plan the best funeral service possible for their loved ones.

Leah Yomtovian Roush is the Senior Manager of Strategic Development for Cleveland, Ohio-based eFuneral, a comprehensive and free online resource that enables those thinking about end-of-life to research, plan, and arrange a wide variety of funeral-related services. Leah is the editor of eFuneral's Online Resource Center, and she manages the company's marketing efforts and develops strategies for company growth. Leah also serves on the Boards of multiple non-profit organizations, helping them expand their reaches and increase their impacts.

[efuneraldotcom]

All consumers deserve transparency when planning a funeral – even superstars!

In June 2012, when Rihanna’s grandmother died after a long battle with cancer, the world famous singer planned – like we all try to do – a memorable funeral service. Except in Rihanna’s case, the funeral celebration was elaborate, costing over $150,000 and including two memorial services (one in New York and one in Barbados) along with a party decked out with tents, large screens, and exotic flowers. But when it came time to pay for the funeral, Rihanna refused to pay the entire bill, claiming that it was exorbitant. Now, I’m not taking sides in this case, nor am I taking a position on the type of funeral Rihanna planned. But what I will say is that this instance demonstrates, once again, a fundamental problem in the funeral industry – and that is a lack of transparency.

It’s not news that some funeral homes refuse to share their pricing information with funeral planners who ask for it. Though federal regulations dictate that funeral homes provide consumers (or anyone, even competitive businesses) with a list of their itemized prices, there are those who simply refuse. Alternatively, some funeral homes only share information on their funeral packages with planners. And because consumers are unaware of their rights, they’re often left scrambling during a time of crisis to make quick, expensive, emotional, and complicated decisions.

So what can you do to avoid a situation like Rihanna’s where you receive an unexpectedly high bill?

1. Learn funeral industry jargon

Prior to making funeral arrangements, or even speaking with funeral directors, learn the common terms associated with funeral services. Understanding the difference between a direct burial and a traditional burial, for instance, can ensure that you choose the option that best meets your needs. Other key terms include direct cremation, basic services, viewing, graveside service, celebration of life, grave liner, burial vault, outer burial container, alternative container, and casket gasket.

2. Know your legal rights

Funeral homes are legally obligated to provide itemized pricing information to anyone who asks! So when researching funeral homes or making funeral arrangements, be sure to request a GPL (general price list). If the GPL does not include specific prices for the caskets and outer burial containers they carry, ask for them – federal regulations require the funeral director to show you the price lists, including descriptions, for those items before showing them to you.

And keep in mind that while many funeral homes offer a variety of funeral “packages,” you do not have to buy a package. Additionally, you do not have to purchase a casket from a funeral home – you may buy a casket from a third party and have it shipped directly to the funeral home. Not only do federal regulations require that funeral homes allow you to use a casket purchased elsewhere, they also require that funeral homes use the casket without charging an additional fee.

3. Understand how cash advance items can impact the total cost of a funeral service

Even if you do request a general price list and use that pricing information to plan a funeral service, it’s important to understand that the fees associated with “cash advance items” – products or services that funeral homes offer via third parties like limousine services, death certificates, and floral arrangements – may not be included on the price lists. Some funeral homes don’t mark up those cash advance items, but others add a service fee to their cost. So, it’s important to discuss those items – in advance – with the funeral director with whom you plan to work.

4. Apply the same smart shopping techniques used for other major purchases

Making funeral arrangements is never easy, and often, funeral planners feel like they have no control over the process. But a little research can go a long way to ensure your loved one gets the care they deserve, while staying within your budget. A funeral is a large purchase, and like other large purchases – like buying a new house or car – the more you know, the better you can feel about your decision. So, when making funeral arrangements, gather as much information about your area funeral homes as possible. You may start by finding out the services offered by each funeral home, along with the prices they charge. But don’t stop there. Ask around for feedback on your local funeral homes so you can learn more about their service quality and understand how the funeral homes vary from one another. If you don’t know anyone who has used a particular funeral home, if asking around seems like a hassle, or if you don’t want to call all your area funeral homes for pricing information visit eFuneral.com where you can access all the information you’ll need – for free.

For more assistance planning a funeral, visit the eFuneral resources center.

Leah Yomtovian Roush is the Senior Manager of Strategic Development for Cleveland, Ohio-based eFuneral, a comprehensive and free online resource that enables those thinking about end-of-life to research, plan, and arrange a wide variety of funeral-related services. Leah is the editor of eFuneral's Online Resource Center, and she manages the company's marketing efforts and develops strategies for company growth. Leah also serves on the Boards of multiple non-profit organizations, helping them expand their reaches and increase their impacts.

[efuneraldotcom]

From the eFuneral Resource Center.  Would you be interested in using cremation jewelry as a keepsake for your loved one?

Cremation jewelry is a new way for families to memorialize their loved ones, in addition to burying or scattering remains. Learn more about this trend here!

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For all the caregivers and those facing challenges in their lives... you ARE amazing!