The risk of COVID to family members is causing some preneed contract holders to rethink the traditional funeral they have purchased. During the early stages of the coronavirus spread, a handful of funerals were found to have been super spreader events. Dozens of attendees were infected, and several deaths resulted. Funeral homes have since implemented
prearrangements
Missouri’s Religious Cemeteries: a Preneed No Man’s Land
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Cemeteries, Preneed Development
As suggested in our prior Cemetery Preneed Exemption post, Missouri’s endowed care cemetery law (Chapter 214.270 et seq) has a huge flaw when it comes to religious cemeteries: they are either all in or all out. Religious cemeteries often have good cause for seeking exemption from state endowed care laws. Our religious cemetery clients…
A Treasury Market Out of Whack: Preneed Insurers and Preneed Sellers
In our last post, we used Allan Sloan’s article on the Treasury bond market to highlight the investment exposures to death care trusts. Today we will look at how the Treasury market is also impacting funeral homes that rely upon insurance for preneed funding. Mr. Sloan’s article alluded to insurance companies being required by statute…
Missouri’s Exam Progress: Time for Changes?
By Bill Stalter on
The Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors will meet in a few weeks, and the topic of fees may be on the agenda. The staff broached the fees topic at the spring meeting, but the matter was tabled for subsequent discussion. Fees and the preneed examination process go hand in hand, and…
Missouri’s Preneed Reform: the 2015 Factor.
By Bill Stalter on
On January 14th, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon will be sworn in for his second term, and we are wondering whether the Governor’s plans for 2015 are influencing the direction of Missouri’s preneed reform. With commentary such as that published by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the Governor may have his eyes on a 2015…
Missouri’s Examination: an idea of what to expect
By Bill Stalter on
The new era of preneed exams and audits got off to a slow start in Missouri, but now there are indications the process is picking up speed. The first notices of preneed financial examinations went out to sellers last January, and some are now going through on-site examinations. A second wave of examination notices has gone out, and the State Board has begun preparations for…
Preneed: down but not dead?
By Bill Stalter on
With some industry members having already declared the preneed transaction dead, a recent AARP bulletin reports that the patient is not only alive, but it is regaining its strength. But, the reason for increasing preneed sales will only bedevil many death care operators: the rising costs of funerals.
Operators who face preneed competition will have…