Funeral Director Daily

Matthews International, EV automaker Tesla at odds over lawsuit

By Funeral Director Daily / July 8, 2024 /

    Matthews International is a company that according to this rating action from Fitch, collects 45% of its revenue from its Memorialization Segment and also brings home approximately 60% of its EBITDA from that source.  As you may know, Matthews International is the parent company of Aurora Casket and Matthews Cremation and  other death…

Read More

Minnesota’s “Transfer Care Specialist” category is now effective

By Funeral Director Daily / July 5, 2024 /

    In an effort to help alleviate some of the worker shortages in the funeral home profession the State of Minnesota Legislature passed what is known as the “Transfer Care Specialist” category for funeral homes this past session.  That category of workers became effective on July 1 and is now in effect.   In…

Read More

The story of the “Last Signer” of the Declaration of Independence

By Funeral Director Daily / July 4, 2024 /

  A rallying cry for colonists in pre-independent America was “No taxes without representation”.  That basically referred to the act of taxing the colonies through British laws where colonists had no say, or vote, in the matter.   However, most people don’t realize that one of the last indignities for this growing independence movement was…

Read More

Nebraska board member proposes columbarium under the football field

By Funeral Director Daily / July 3, 2024 /

    The University of Nebraska is evidently facing a $58 million budget shortfall  for the coming season and ideas to eliminate it are coming forward.  One such idea mentioned in this article, proposed by Nebraska regent Barbara Weitz, is to build a columbarium under the football field where departed fans can have their cremated…

Read More

Recent reviews of Death Care credit

By Funeral Director Daily / July 2, 2024 /

    In the last couple of weeks Funeral Director Daily has noticed three companies involved in the Death Care business being under review.   You can read a short commentary from either Fitch Ratings or A.M. Best on the following companies:   Matthews International Heritage Life Insurance Company Homesteaders Life Insurance Company   Enter your…

Read More

Public consumer funeral operating companies show stock price growth in first-half of 2024

By Funeral Director Daily / July 2, 2024 /

    The Funeral Director Daily Death Care Index (DCI) which consists of five stocks that deal in Death Care in some way continued to move lower in the 2nd Quarter of 2024 which ended last Friday.  As a matter of fact, the only stock in the DCI that moved forward in the 2nd Quarter…

Read More

Politics, political correctness, and your funeral home

By Funeral Director Daily / July 1, 2024 /

    It was almost impossible last week to live in the United States and not know or hear about the Presidential Debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.  Even if you didn’t want to know it was happening, you knew anyway because it dominated the news and announcements on almost every…

Read More

Lots of competition. . .lots of opportunity

By Funeral Director Daily / June 28, 2024 /

    I received the July 2024 edition of The Director and read many of the articles.  One that interested me was authored by Curtis Rostad and was titled “Prices vs. The Internet”.  I enjoyed the entire article and think the author makes a great point, but what really captivated me was his perception that almost…

Read More

Homesteaders Life partners with Gather’s case management platform

By Funeral Director Daily / June 27, 2024 /

    Homesteaders Life Insurance Company of Iowa has been in the news a lot lately.  The preneed company that issued its first policy for final expenses in 1906 most recently announced in this press release that they have formed a partnership with Gather’s case management platform.   According to the press release,  “The new…

Read More

Podcast points out importance of “Focus” in building your brand

By Funeral Director Daily / June 26, 2024 /

    Only a few years ago Dan Garrett of the United Kingdom founded the will writing company Farewill in that country.  He estimates that his company has moved, via estates, a wealth transfer of more than 100 billion pounds of assets.  He’s moved on to also start a firm in Direct Cremation with “Farewill…

Read More