Funeral Guide What Is The FTC Funeral Rule?

Because funerals are such emotional times for family members who are planning them, the Federal Trade Commission set up the Funeral Rule. This rule helps to regulate the funeral industry and protect people who have just gone through a loss. Its basic purpose is to ensure that consumers know their options when it comes to funerals. With the average cost of a funeral at about $6,500 today, this is a very important rule that protects you as the consumer from people or funeral homes who might try and take advantage of you.

 

The main piece of the Funeral Rule is that the funeral home has to provide a General Price List for consumers who are pre-planning or planning funerals. The list has to include prices for everything from embalming to cremation to different types of caskets offered for funerals. It’s easy to plan funerals only to find later that certain items are way out of budget. The GPL is there to help protect consumers from getting in over their heads for funerals.

 

The Funeral Rule also states that the funeral home has to let the consumers know in writing what they are required to buy and are not required to buy. For instance, consumers who are choosing cremation are not required to buy a full casket for funerals or cremations. In fact, funeral homes around the nation are actually required to provide low-cost plain wooden caskets that are cremated with the body, often at no additional charge. While you can certainly cremate a body in a regular casket if you want, you may want to consider a plain box as a way to save your money.

 

Funeral homes are also required to let consumers know about the different types of funerals they can opt for. They have to tell consumers about things like direct burials, graveside funerals, and the costs for viewings and visitations. The Funeral Rule has been an important protection for grieving consumers who want to do what’s right but who don’t have any idea how much funerals actually cost. So learn your rights – and be protected.

Subscribe for newsletters &
Get Latest Updates & Offers

Stay
Connected