Over the years I’ve moved from really long-range planning about my business to a method where I plan for shorter durations. I think my move has coincided with many who have went from developing long range “strategic” plans to plans that are shorter in duration, less set in stone, and allow a business to be…
You have heard me say many times that small funeral home operators can learn a lot from watching what the public companies are doing in the business. I’m also of the opinion that those of us in North America can learn much from what our colleagues in Australia and Great Britain are doing. . . …
In the past week we’ve seen news that a vaccine or vaccines against the virus that causes COVID-19 are rapidly advancing in clinical trials. It’s lead me to think about a post-COVID world and, specifically, a post-COVID world in the future of death care. I’ve also had the experience of visiting with a couple of…
As we post our final Afternoon Edition before the Labor Day holiday we do so with some articles that are heavily weighted to the cemetery side of the death care profession. In today’s News from the World of Death Care we bring you an article from “The Conversation” that deals with how the cemetery could…
It is somewhat unbelievable to me how fast we have moved from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but here we are. Among the American debate, many schools are opening, the election is soon here, and the one constant is that those in the funeral profession continue to give comfort and guidance to those in need.…
BUSINESS
Slow the erosion, relocate graves, or letting nature take its course. . . .
When it comes to a cemetery on a river bank and the river has moved the shoreline back over 20 feet in the past 30 years and you now realize that in the…
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…
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
Slow the erosion, relocate graves, or letting nature take its course. . . .
When it comes to a cemetery on a river bank and the river has moved the shoreline back over 20 feet in the past 30 years and you now realize that in the…
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…
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…
