Preneed: A Pandora's Box of Problems
Several states have passed laws in the past few years mandating greater preneed oversight. But with state budgets in decline after the 2008 market crash, regulators are hard pressed to find a way to pay for consumer protection.
Colorado’s new law simply states that the contract seller shall bear the cost of its examination.
In…
The Comptroller’s Office mailed out letters to funeral homes last week advising how to report the first contribution to the Pre-Need Funeral Consumer Protection Fund. The letter tracks the first few paragraphs of the “Senate Bill 1682 Information” page from the Comptroller’s website.
The funeral home letter includes two documents: a Fee Payment…
Missouri funeral homes will get their first glimpse of their State Board’s proposal for self reporting for preneed sales. Under the prior law, preneed sellers merely reported the number of contracts sold and their aggregate sales price.
For Missouri regulators to properly assess whether ‘old’ Chapter 436 trusts and joint accounts are properly funded, the…
The next round of legislative proposals have been posted to the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors website. At the top of the list is whether the trusting requirement should be raised from 85% to 100%. The proponent believes this will enhance consumer protections. He is not alone.
The Illinois Legislature heard the…