Positive public relations can do more good for a business than any amount of advertising money spent. Public relations looks at the “good” in us to do things, not for the profitability aspect, but for the goodness to the community. That’s not to say that “goodness for the community” does not help in reaching those…
Today we bring you several news reports, articles, and video pertaining to a crematory in New York state that last week had black smoke billowing from its cremation stack. The funeral home, and its crematory, are located in Tonawanda, New York, and according to some of the articles, this is not the first time that…
Deaths will always be with us. However, the way we ritualize death and provide permanent memorialization for our loved ones seems to be ever evolving. I believe that permanent memorialization has been under attack for a long time and faces long-term decline, but I also believe that ritual, and the way it evolves, may bring…
In our first Afternoon Edition following the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 Attack on America we bring you the latest podcast from the National Funeral Director’s Association, which features an interview with funeral director Dominic Carella. According to NFDA, Carella was the first funeral director called on 9/11, 2001, and he and his team provided…
There were a couple of items in the news recently that brought about this headline. The first was the death and funeral services for young actor Chadwick Boseman and the second item that I caught was the notice that CBS is developing a one-hour drama series that will be called “Closure”. “Closure” is loosely based…
BUSINESS
Washington crematories stymied by air quality regulations
Washington State cremation owners and operators find themselves in somewhat of a Catch-22 when it comes to new cremation equipment. According to this article from the Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Magazine old cremation machines…
Slacking into the New Year
We’ve noticed at Funeral Director Daily that readership drops by about 33% in the last half of December. It was particularly noticeable this year as we reached a record of over 21,000 page views…
Bill back on the table to increase Social Security Lump-Sum Death Benefit
Back in September 2024 Funeral Director Daily let you know that the Social Secuirty Survivor Benefits Equity Act had been introduced to the the United States House of Representatives. While the bill failed to…
FINANCE
Investors shy away from Death Care stocks
The price of equity ownership (stocks) in public companies is a function of supply and demand. The more people that want to own the stock (equity or ownership in the company) the higher the…
2025 Business Story of the Year: “Rise of the Regionals”
If you would ask Gemini Artificial Intelligence what percentage of funeral homes will be sold in the next five years, here is the answer that you will be given: “While an exact percentage…
The Question: “How does the economy look for 2026?” , The Answer: “Depends on who you ask?”
The overall economy and, more importantly, the way consumers and Death Care clientele feel about their individual situations has some effect on purchases of Death Care products and services– both Pre-Need and At-Need. It’s…
REGULATIONS
Slacking into the New Year
We’ve noticed at Funeral Director Daily that readership drops by about 33% in the last half of December. It was particularly noticeable this year as we reached a record of over 21,000 page views…
Bill back on the table to increase Social Security Lump-Sum Death Benefit
Back in September 2024 Funeral Director Daily let you know that the Social Secuirty Survivor Benefits Equity Act had been introduced to the the United States House of Representatives. While the bill failed to…
New York audit of state funeral industry finds “Red flags”
A recent report (November 2025) from the State of New York Department of Health with the results of an audit “which covered April 2019 through November 2023, concluded that the state Department of…
CEMETERY
Cremations, and now tariffs creating headwinds for monument dealers
American monument dealers have become accustomed to dealing with the rising cremation rates in the country and the dwindling sales opportunities for cemetery monuments that fact brings. But now, according to this recent…
The Green Funeral movement is alive in New York City
Amy Cunningham is a friend of mine. She was a writer/editor who has become a funeral director and she has teased me that I was a funeral director who has became a writer/editor with…
Opinion: The Jewish Faith and Cremation
I grew up in the very homogeneous community of Alexandria, Minnesota. From this Wikipedia article you can see that the city at the time of my growing up had a population of a little…
CREMATION
Washington crematories stymied by air quality regulations
Washington State cremation owners and operators find themselves in somewhat of a Catch-22 when it comes to new cremation equipment. According to this article from the Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Magazine old cremation machines…
Cremations, and now tariffs creating headwinds for monument dealers
American monument dealers have become accustomed to dealing with the rising cremation rates in the country and the dwindling sales opportunities for cemetery monuments that fact brings. But now, according to this recent…
Opinion: The Jewish Faith and Cremation
I grew up in the very homogeneous community of Alexandria, Minnesota. From this Wikipedia article you can see that the city at the time of my growing up had a population of a little…
PRENEED
More Americans take on debt to cover funerals
I came across this recent article from USA Today titled “Americans are going into debt over death. Here are affordability tips.” Reading that article led me to a survey and results from Debt.com and…
Preneed companies emerge as funeral home lending sources
Morgan Stanley, a global financial services firm that provides a wide range of products and services, including investment banking, wealth management, consumer banking, and brokerage services, recently made this comment in an article, “Life…
Co-op Funeralcare increases “Funeral Plan” sales over 17% despite cyberattack
An April cyberattack which you can read about here probably cost the parent company of Great Britain’s largest funeral home operator, Co-op Funeralcare, about a US$ 107 million profit swing but didn’t seem to…
PRODUCTS
Washington crematories stymied by air quality regulations
Washington State cremation owners and operators find themselves in somewhat of a Catch-22 when it comes to new cremation equipment. According to this article from the Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Magazine old cremation machines…
The Trend for 2026: Technology keeps on coming
I’ve been thinking about this “Trends” article for the past month. I was going to originally title the article “Back to the Future” on the premise that I’ve seen two trends emerging this…
Cremations, and now tariffs creating headwinds for monument dealers
American monument dealers have become accustomed to dealing with the rising cremation rates in the country and the dwindling sales opportunities for cemetery monuments that fact brings. But now, according to this recent…
