Funeral Director Daily

SCI 2Q 2026 Report: I see higher revenues, but funeral margins, gross profits challenged

By Funeral Director Daily / July 31, 2026 /

    Service Corporation International (SCI) reported their 2nd Quarter of 2026 on July 29 — which happened to be a bad day on Wall Street.  On that day the Dow Jones Index dropped 2.19%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.52%, and the NASDAQ dropped 1.74%.  It was a day where the Federal Reserve held tight…

NFDA, Selected Independent Funeral Homes to pursue merger

By Funeral Director Daily / July 30, 2026 /

  Yesterday we received this press release from the National Funeral Directors Association that stated a Letter of Intent was signed between the Boards of Directors of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) and Selected Independent Funeral Homes to pursue a merger to unite the two organizations.   The press release also made this comment:…

The U.S. still has Covid-19 deaths

By Funeral Director Daily / July 29, 2026 /

  Maybe it is just because I want to put that time period out of my mind but I don’t think of the global pandemic of 2020-2021 very often anymore.  It was a time period that I was pretty much home-bound and cautionary.  And, I remember it as a time of great uncertainty for many…

Marketing and Public Relations: Better Together

By Funeral Director Daily / July 28, 2026 /

    Today’s funeral homes and funeral suppliers understand the importance of marketing. Whether they have a dedicated marketing department or rely on an outside resource, most companies invest considerable time and resources in websites, social media, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), digital advertising, and online reputation management. These tools are essential, and today’s…

National “Cremation Placement Day” coming on October 17

By Funeral Director Daily / July 27, 2026 /

    If you are in the Death Care business you know that the number of cremated remains that reside in peoples’ homes is a large, and more than likey, growing number.  Some estimate that 60-80% of those people who are cremated have their cremated remains brought to a private home initially.   Others estimate…

Can “Roll-ups” work in a “Price-Sensitive” environment

By Funeral Director Daily / July 24, 2026 /

  Earlier his week I heard from a couple of people who notified me that Foundation Partners Group (FPG) apparently had a recent round of employee layoffs. That seems to be confirmed by employee and now former employee posts on Reddit and other conversational websites.  One of those individuals sent me this comment that I…

Somebody finally said it, “Industry revenue for Death Care is estimated to drop”

By Funeral Director Daily / July 23, 2026 /

  Over the years that I owned and operated a funeral home I saw an increasing cremation percentage almost every year.  And, like most funeral homes, my charges for traditional burial were more than my charges for any type of cremation.   If one did not increase pricing, that dynamic in itself would lead to…

“Complimentary Disposition”. . . Another uphill climb for the traditional operator?

By Funeral Director Daily / July 22, 2026 /

  Recently, to prepare for a presentation at the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) annual convention I’ve been looking into the future to try and see where Death Care is going.  And, I’ve been looking at the Death Care profession in America dating back to the Civil War and trying to figure out how…

OneRoom’s “Stories” feature is proving successful

By Funeral Director Daily / July 21, 2026 /

    There seems to be an amazing number of technological advances coming into Death Care that can help funeral homes, crematories, and cemeteries enhance the services that they provide.  Many of these breakthroughs can make a Death Care “experience” more meaningful for the families those businesses are serving.   And, it just makes sense,…

The Natural Funeral brings Natural Organic Reduction to the local level

By Funeral Director Daily / July 20, 2026 /

  In a press release we received last week we learned that The Natural Funeral, Inc.  of Colorado is bringing their Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) program to the Northeast and Southeast parts of the United States.   The Natural Funeral, Inc. is what we believe to be one of at least four NOR companies operating…