In a recent Statement Batesville Casket Company said that the Lower Cost Funeral will be the future for everyone. This is an incredible statement for the leading casket maker in the Traditional Funeral Industry to make.

“In addition to a lower number of deaths, we believe the year-over-year rise in the cremation rates for the quarter was higher than it has been historically. As we’ve discussed in previous calls, the economic crisis led consumers to seek lower cost funeral alternatives which in turn caused the growth in the cremation rate to spike in the second and third quarters of 2009. We’ve seen it moderate somewhat over the past two quarters but it still remains above the historical increases of approximately 120 basis points. Looking ahead, we believe the cremation rate will continue to normalize but the fact is over time, cremations will continue to grow to replace burials.via seekingalpha.com”

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

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Graphic from NFDA Survey illustrating lower cost funeral

There is  a graphic available illustrating the lower cost funeral. There are 7 steps to a lower cost funeral illustrated in this graphic.

1. Choose a  Less Expensive Casket

2. Choose Cremation

3. Have less expensive services and related events.

4.Do not have a family Limosine.

5. No flower Van or car

6.Have fewer Flower memorials

7. Purchase less expensive urns and Keepsakes.

Graphic credit-www.ivpressonline.com

Funeral industry| lower cost funeral blog by Your funeral Guy.

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The retail giant has begun selling caskets and urns online.

Bentonville, Arkansas (WiredPRNews.com) – Wal-Mart is now offering caskets and urns for sale online. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the move may provide increased competition for funeral homes, which typically sell their caskets for significantly higher than Wal-Mart’s current price offerings.

R. Brian Burkhardt, funeral director and “Your Funeral Guy” blogger, is quoted by the AP as stating of the benefits the move will have for consumers,

“You can get a quality casket for $1,000 rather than pay $2,000, $3,000 or $5,000 in a funeral home. That’s where it helps the consumer.”

Some, however, believe Wal-Mart’s online sales will not be a threat to funeral home businesses. Pat Lynch, president-elect of the National Funeral Home Directors Association, is further quoted by the AP as stating, “There’s no question in my mind as a funeral director for nearly 40 years that the most critical element is the human contact.”

As noted in the report, the retail giant’s competitor Costco previously began offering the items for sale online as well.

WiredPRNews.com – The latest in Business News

Photo Credit: Wikipedia User Jared C. Benedict

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Lower Cost Funeral Guy Featured in the Huffington Post

The Lower Cost Funeral Guy has been featured in the Huffington Post-His comments up the Markup on Caskets was carried there along with his perspective of Walmart selling Caskets online.

Snippet from the Huffington Post:

The move gives more power to consumers and helps them avoid high mark-ups on caskets, which can often be several hundred percent, said R. Brian Burkhardt, a funeral director who blogs as “Your Funeral Guy.”
“You can get a quality casket for $1,000 rather than pay $2,000, $3,000 or $5,000 in a funeral home. That’s where it helps the consumer,” he said.

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy “the lower cost funeral guy”

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Do not throw Your Money Down the grave

The lower cost funeral is no joke. It can be accomplished rather easily. That said presented here is a Halloween Joke.

“The back of the hearse flew open and the coffin, with its rollers attached, came out of the back and began rolling down the hill. It accelerated to a frightening rate of speed and just zipped along the street. Citizens who had stopped in respect to the funeral procession had to jump to avoid being hit by the speeding casket.

When the rolling coffin finally began slowing down the street was coming to a “T” and directly ahead was a pharmacy. It crashed through the glass front door of the pharmacy and slid all the way back to the prescription counter. As the coffin hit the counter, the lid flew open and the corpse sat up right in front of the pharmacist on duty. The surprised pharmacist automatically said, “May I help you?”

The corpse asked, “Yes, do you have anything to stop my coffin?”-Snippet from misscellania.com

Funeral Industry| Funeral Blog by yourfuneralguy the lower cost funeral guy.

This will help with YourLower Cost Funeral, the recent Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights act and the

Funeral Bill of Rights©|

created by R.Brian Burkhardt-a summary of the funeral rule.

Recent Grave desecration’s at Burr Oak Cemetery near Chicago and Eden Memorial Park near Los Angeles have inspired me to blog post my Funeral Bill of Rights©

You may not share this blog post under the creative commons license, this is copyrighted.

The company Perpetua, Inc are responsible Burr Oak Cemetery tragedy

Service Corporation International is responsible for the Eden Memorial Cemetery Tragedy.

FUNERAL BILL OF RIGHTS©

1. You have the right to know the prices of the
Goods and Services you are paying for in
advance, at any funeral home, either when you
visit, or over the phone, when you call. You do
not need to give them your name, address, or
other information before they give you the prices
you ask for when you phone them.

2. You have the right to see the casket and vault
price list when you go into a funeral home and at
an arrangement conference. If you are shopping
for a funeral you must be shown a casket price list.
While some detailed casket information may
appear on the list of goods and services, usually
funeral homes have a separate written list for
casket prices. The funeral home will be sure that
you see their most costly caskets first. Before they
show you any caskets, be sure that you get a copy
of the written list so that you can identify less
expensive caskets that would suit your needs, and
request to see them.

3. You have the right to negotiate your contract
with a funeral director and funeral home.

4. You have the right to choose embalming, cremation,
or direct burial. A funeral home director or
agent is obligated to inform you of this right.
Sometimes a funeral director or agent may ask
instead just for permission to embalm your loved
one when the funeral home arrives to transport
the body. (See Chapter 2 of this book.)

5. You have the right to bring a casket or urn from
another source (including a wholesaler or
internet provider) into the funeral home, that
will be used to contain the remains of your loved
one for display or burial.

6. You have the right not to pay a funeral home an
additional fee if you bring in a casket or urn from
another source. A funeral home cannot charge
you a fee for using a casket/urn from another
source and you do not need to be present when it
is delivered at the funeral home.

7. You have the right to have services at a different
site from the funeral home you have chosen.

8. You have a right to produce the items you need
for a funeral service or buy them from another
source (other than the funeral home you are
using for some goods or services), including:
flowers, the Order of Service programs, registration/
guest book, memorial folders, prayer
cards, and other service related items, as well as
electronic media presentations like slide shows
and videos.

9. You have the right to write the obituary.

10. You have the right to your funeral service your
way. You have the right not to select a “package”
from a funeral home’s group of packages

Funeral Bill of Rights from “Rest in Peace Insiders Tips  to the Low Cost Less Funeral©” by R.Brian Burkhardt

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Don't Throw Your Money Down the Grave

Revealed here is a new AARP article in support of the Lower Cost Funeral. Probably the most important Statement in the article is the statement on purchasing funeral packages. It is always best to pick an choose only the the goods and services desired. This greatly reduces funeral expenses.

From the AARP.Com

“For many families, the grief over losing a loved one is compounded by the stress of dealing with higher-than-anticipated expenses—and at a time when Americans can least afford it. Older Americans are particularly pinched. They’re facing historically high unemployment rates and steadily mounting medical costs, and their retirement savings and home values still have not recovered from the effects of the lingering recession.

Sometimes, the financial burden of a funeral is unbearable. Los Angeles County officials reported in July that nearly 700 bodies lay unclaimed at the county morgue in the first half of the year, often because families could not afford funeral costs.

No wonder that sticker shock is driving families to choose alternatives to a traditional funeral. Many are rejecting funeral homes’ comprehensive “packages” and buying only what they can afford. Increasingly, some are choosing cremation, a “green” burial or even a service performed by the family at home.”

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy-Lower  Cost Funeral Guy

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Breaking News-Man shows up at his own Funeral

A Man showed up at his own lower cost funeral. No he did not rise from the dead. Friends where shocked to sse him alive after after seeing his obituary in the paper. This truly was a lower cost funeral because it was not his own funeral and did not have to pay for it!

Snippet from:www.kcra.com

As Jesse Armenta grieves for his father, he’s also trying to get over shocking reports of his own death.Jesse’s photo had been mistakenly used for his father Jesus’ obituary in the pages in the Merced Sun-Star, in the pamphlet at the funeral, and on the casket.The funeral home posted the wrong picture.“The lady in the office said they made a mistake, a big one,” Jesse Armenta’s wife, Mary Lou, said.A big crowd of people turned out to say goodbye to the wrong man.”My father, he lived in Los Banos all his life, so a lot of people would have come to see him,” Armenta said.Jesse’s fine, but it was news to his friends who saw his photo in the obituary pages of the newspaper and came out to the Ivers & Alcorn Funeral Home.

Funeral industry| Funeral blog by the lower cost funeral guy, Your Funeral Guy-R.Brian Burkhardt

More Information on the lower cost Funeral can be located in Rest In Peace Insiders Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral(c)

Technorati Tags: blog, cost, cost funeral, death, funeral, funeral home, funeral industry, lower, lower cost funeral, obituary, r brian burkhardt, your funeral guy

It has been recently reported that Patrick Swayze  had a lower cost funeral and HOME FUNERAL It all happened before his death was even reported. A home funeral is an alternative funeral that happens at home. Sometimes it is caused a “Cowboy Funeral” because that is the way the cowboy’s did it.

Generally a member of the family cleans and dresses the loved one. Then within a day or two friends come over there is a private funeral service in the home.  The Funeral generally does not cost the family much money, but carries great meaning and leaves the families with great memories. A home funeral is most always a lower cost funeral.

Traditional Funeral Directors generally are opposed to home funerals because they do not make much money off  home funerals. In spite of this many Funeral directors in the USA.

Funeral Industry | Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy -The lower cost funeral guy.

Source evri.com

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Cremation is the easiest way to a lower cost funeral

The way to make a lower cost funeral happen is to choose cremation. If you are a Consumer  this is the best way to lower your funeral cost. This is happening around the country, Now!

Yes Cremation is growing in Oklahoma. This the center of the Bible Belt!

“The cost of funerals is rising and more families are opting for cremation — with or without a service — according to experts in the field…..Carter Bradley, who operates three area funeral homes in the county, said he’s seeing a 20 percent cremation rate. Jerry Millsap, who also operates three funeral homes in the county, says 15 to 20 percent of his business is cremations.”

Funeral Industry| Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

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