I served as a “front line” funeral director for over 33 years. I did my share of night calls, prep room work, arrangements, and funeral duty. One thing that I take from that experience is that “I always felt, by the way I worked with a client family, like I could make a…
Read MoreOur funeral home experts from the podcast “Two Guys and a Question” are back with what I thought was a really thought provoking commentary. It seems like all we hear about now is “artificial intelligence” and in the death care field how that is going to lead to digital and online arrangements. …
Read MoreSecurity National Financial Corporation (SNFC) issued their report on their results for the 1st Quarter of 2023 last week and in doing so credited their “balanced nature of their businesses” for the performance. We follow SNFC because of their involvement in what they term their “Memorial Segment” — a portion of their…
Read MoreIt was announced last week by InvoCare, Australia’s largest death care provider, that San Francisco based private equity firm TPG Capital had sweetened their offer to acquire the company. As you may recall, TPG Capital made an unsolicited offer on March 7 to the InvoCare board to acquire the company for a total…
Read MoreThe Cremation Association of North America (CANA) has announced that the final cohort of the 2023 class for their Certified Cremation Specialist training may begin filing applications on June 1. The program is an online program that spans 17 weeks and comprises eight courses. According to the registration form that you can see…
Read MoreBUSINESS
Do Death Care consumers trade down in a weak economic environment?
Has the death care community ever studied if, when faced with economic difficulties, the purchase of death care such as funerals, caskets, cremations, and other services reflect those economic times or do…
Matthews International continues to lead Death Care Index companies in 2023
All three major indexes of the U.S. stock market, the Nasdaq Composite, the S&P 500, and the Dow Jones Industrials grew by 1% or more on Friday. That convinced me that, over the…
Pandemic’s death benefit payments come to an end. . .average award about $6,275
President Donald Trump declared a nationwide pandemic public health emergency on January 31, 2020. That public health emergency has now expired as of midnight on May 11, 2023. . . . a period…
FINANCE
Matthews International continues to lead Death Care Index companies in 2023
All three major indexes of the U.S. stock market, the Nasdaq Composite, the S&P 500, and the Dow Jones Industrials grew by 1% or more on Friday. That convinced me that, over the…
Security National Financial Corporation: Balance leads to 1Q 2023 profitability
Security National Financial Corporation (SNFC) issued their report on their results for the 1st Quarter of 2023 last week and in doing so credited their “balanced nature of their businesses” for the performance.…
TPG Capital back in the game for InvoCare
It was announced last week by InvoCare, Australia’s largest death care provider, that San Francisco based private equity firm TPG Capital had sweetened their offer to acquire the company. As you may recall,…
REGULATIONS
Pandemic’s death benefit payments come to an end. . .average award about $6,275
President Donald Trump declared a nationwide pandemic public health emergency on January 31, 2020. That public health emergency has now expired as of midnight on May 11, 2023. . . . a period…
CEMETERY
CREMATION
PRENEED
Do Death Care consumers trade down in a weak economic environment?
Has the death care community ever studied if, when faced with economic difficulties, the purchase of death care such as funerals, caskets, cremations, and other services reflect those economic times or do…
Carriage Services announces national preneed partnerships
It was less than three weeks ago, on May 4, when listeners of Carriage Services earnings call got an idea that something was going to be decided in the way that the company…
PRODUCTS
Do Death Care consumers trade down in a weak economic environment?
Has the death care community ever studied if, when faced with economic difficulties, the purchase of death care such as funerals, caskets, cremations, and other services reflect those economic times or do…
Matthews International continues to lead Death Care Index companies in 2023
All three major indexes of the U.S. stock market, the Nasdaq Composite, the S&P 500, and the Dow Jones Industrials grew by 1% or more on Friday. That convinced me that, over the…