Preneed

U.S. Life Insurers pay out record $90.43 billion in 2020

By Funeral Director Daily / December 17, 2021 /

This article that appeared in Newser indicates that American life insurance companies paid out death benefits totaling about $90.43 billion dollars in 2020 – the first year of America’s battle with Covid-19.  It also indicates that was a 15.4% increase over death benefits paid out in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic situation. The article…

Minefields up ahead??

By Funeral Director Daily / December 9, 2021 /

Just yesterday Funeral Director Daily brought you an article that showed, through the reports of public companies, that consumer based funeral homes and cemeteries seem to be doing really well financially over the past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.  For the most part, and their are exceptions, the 12-15% increase in American deaths has…

Reflections on “Our” world

By Funeral Director Daily / November 17, 2021 /

Writing on “Death Care” gives me very wide latitude.  There’s a lot to it — and it’s not only about funerals and cremations, funeral homes and crematories, cemeteries and burials, but there is the finances of the industry, the manufacturing of the industry, the mortuary training of the profession, and all of the interesting people…

Acquisition vs. Retention. . . .where to concentrate?

By Funeral Director Daily / October 5, 2021 /

It’s an age old debate that is carried on even in MBA classes at major colleges.  . . . . .Where are your advertising dollars spent best — on Customer Acquisition or on Customer Retention?  A local issue in a concern outside of the death care industry had my friends and I debating it over…

This is the week

By Funeral Director Daily / September 27, 2021 /

This is the week that Congress should act on the Biden Administration’s key piece of legislation, the $3.5 trillion “Human Infrastructure” bill.  Regardless of what happens or how you feel about that bill, I thought it would be interesting to look back on how death care has fared from the other two large social bills…

An interesting look at disposition intentions

By Funeral Director Daily / August 26, 2021 /

Every once in a while I will come across a survey on some aspect of the death care world that doesn’t quite jive with what I’ve been led to believe.  Normally when that happens I’ll find out the survey was constructed and completed by some one from outside the traditional death care world. When that…

Assurant closes sale of Global Preneed unit to CUNA Mutual Group

By Funeral Director Daily / August 11, 2021 /

In a follow-up to what Funeral Director Daily reported in March, this press release will inform you that Madison, Wisconsin, based CUNA Mutual Group has closed on its acquisition of Assurant Global Preneed.  The press release states that the purchase price was approximately $1.35 billion. Assurant CEO Alan Colberg said this in the release, “This…

SCI sees 2Q 2021 Revenue per Service jump over $600 per case

By Funeral Director Daily / July 30, 2021 /

Earlier this week the largest funeral home and cemetery operator in North America, Service Corporation International (SCI), revealed their results for the 2nd Quarter of 2021.  It was a much anticipated report as it would mark a comparison with the 2nd Quarter of 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic was flourishing and funeral homes and cemeteries…

South African preneed market exploding

By Funeral Director Daily / July 28, 2021 /

I can remember back to a time when I thought sending out direct mailing pieces for preneed funeral planning was too forward and bordered on being in bad taste.  At that time we were always worried about offending someone who had an illness in the family or who recently had a death in the family. …

Death care receives criticism on three continents

By Funeral Director Daily / July 13, 2021 /

I’ve operated and managed a thriving funeral home.  If you’ve been there and done it. . . you know it is 24/7/365. . . .not many days go by when you don’t worry about something.  And, I’ve dealt with grieving family members, regulators, and the consumer movement too.  When you operate a community funeral home,…