November 26, 2019
Dear friends and supporters,
You’ve made the year wonderful for us at Funeral Consumers Alliance with your consistent generosity—thank you! As the holidays approach, I have a few pieces of news to share.
FCA is on Youtube
We’ve just uploaded our first video; check it out
direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw1hlKxbYhU&t
We’ll be shooting and posting more soon where we take a more detailed look at common funeral questions on cremation, burial, costs, and more. What topics would you like to see us feature? Drop a line to josh@funerals.org
We want these videos to be helpful to the public and to our affiliated member organizations. Feel free to share and re-post anywhere you like.
Action from the Federal Trade Commission
Last week the FTC formally announced its intention to consider amendments to the Funeral Rule. We knew this was coming, but it’s not yet clear what the timeline will be. It’s likely the FTC will soon ask for public comment on amending the Rule. As you know, our main goal is convincing the FTC to require funeral homes to post their General Price Lists online.
We’ve just uploaded our first video; check it out
direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw1hlKxbYhU&t
We’ll be shooting and posting more soon where we take a more detailed look at common funeral questions on cremation, burial, costs, and more. What topics would you like to see us feature? Drop a line to josh@funerals.org
We want these videos to be helpful to the public and to our affiliated member organizations. Feel free to share and re-post anywhere you like.
Action from the Federal Trade Commission
Last week the FTC formally announced its intention to consider amendments to the Funeral Rule. We knew this was coming, but it’s not yet clear what the timeline will be. It’s likely the FTC will soon ask for public comment on amending the Rule. As you know, our main goal is convincing the FTC to require funeral homes to post their General Price Lists online.
Here’s where you come in. Now is the perfect time to draft a letter in support of amending the Rule to require online pricing. Let’s show Washington the power and commitment of FCA members and affiliates coast to coast. Your letter doesn’t need to be long or detailed. We’re asking the FTC for something simple and straight-forward. Here’s a sample:
“Dear Commissioners,
The [name of your organization] is a member of the national federation Funeral Consumers Alliance. Our goal is to educate the public on funeral options and on a family’s legal rights when arranging a funeral so that bereaved Americans can arrange funerals that meet their needs and their budget.
We urge you to amend the Funeral Rule to require funeral providers to post their General Price Lists on their websites. There is no practical way for a grieving family to effectively compare prices at the time of death under the current Rule. Bereaved families do not have the time or wherewithal to physically call on three, four, or five different funeral homes in order to obtain price information. Requiring online price posting is a natural extension of the Funeral Rule’s intent: Transparency of prices for grieving Americans.
Sincerely,
Your Organization’s Name and Officer Signature”
We’ll take it from there. Just email a copy of your letter to me at josh@funerals.org and I’ll add it to the testimony I take to Washington. You’ll be joining our partners Consumer Reports, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer-Action, and, all of whom have signed on to this effort. We’re stronger together!
~*~
#GivingTuesday is coming up. Will you make FCA your go-to charity on this special day of philanthropy? Just $50 will give a family a knowledgeable, compassionate voice to guide them through arranging a funeral that will not leave them broke and sweating their living expenses. You can be a hero that saves at least one family from funeral poverty this Thanksgiving!
With warm wishes and gratitude,
Joshua L. Slocum
Executive Director
