Cut Funeral Expenses

Planning funeral services is the last thing anyone wants to do when grieving. That’s why you may want to spare loved ones this task by planning ahead, saving potentially thousands of dollars in the process. Start by discussing with your family the type of services you want.

Know your Rights

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a funeral rule that gives consumers rights, including the right to learn of casket prices before seeing them, to refuse embalming, and to receive price information by phone and an itemized price list in person. You also have a right, for example, to buy an urn or a casket elsewhere, including at warehouse shopping clubs, where these items are often less expensive.

Further, the FTC recommends that you compare the costs of at least two funeral homes and get an itemized price list from each. Know that you have a right to refuse items or services you don’t want.

You can find this and other valuable information at www.consumer.ftc.gov. Also check out the Funeral Consumers Alliance at www.funerals.org and click on local FCA, where you can find contact information for an FCA in your area. The FCA offers tips and, in some locations, price surveys you can download.