Funeral Regulations

Funeral Home General Price List

A key requirement of the FTC’s Funeral Rule is that funeral homes must provide consumers with information in person or over the phone regarding prices BEFORE they start shopping or discussing services. The industry refers to the price list as a General Price List (GPL). Besides a list of prices for funeral services, funeral homes must show consumers […]


Who are the Funeralwise Wise Guys?

Funeralwise is led by a team of seasoned business pros who have many years of combined experience with funeral home and cemetery operations, as well as in-depth experience in other service industries. Richard Paskin, Co-Founder and Managing Partner “The Accidental Funeralwise Guy” I’m the co-founder and Managing Partner of Funeralwise. That did not come about […]


Classical Songs for a Funeral Service

Classical songs for funerals are characterized by emotion, passion, and timelessness. Regardless of the mood you would like to set, there are appropriate classical pieces. That’s why the genre has been an important part of marking many life milestones. Weddings, anniversaries, and funerals are all events where classical music, with its diversity and range, can […]


Keep the conversation about suicide going: focus on elder suicide

NOTE: This article was originally published in September 2014. While some of the statistics may have changed, elder suicide is still a much too common problem. We urge you to learn more about the issue and open up a conversation with anyone you feel might be in trouble. It’s been a little over a year […]


The self-penned obituary: Is this labor of love a trend or a movement?

Among my clearest childhood memories is my Dad turning to the obituary page when the afternoon paper hit the porch each day. Some days he would make a comment about a person who had passed, other times he would just scan the page and move on to the sports section. In our small Florida town, […]


Secular Readings for a Funeral Service

Quick Links for Secular Readings: General Selections | Spouse | Child | Unexpected Death | Suicide | Long Illness Secular Readings for Funerals — General Selections Out of Solitude



Poetry Readings for a Funeral Service

Quick Links to Selected Poems: General Selections | Spouse | Parent | Child | Unexpected Death | Long Illness | African American | American Indian | Military Remember


Laid to Rest on Her Own Acreage

A couple years back I met a group of gentle people at their favorite pub for a funeral arrangement. Wanda’s friends were stumped that I couldn’t list Wanderer as her occupation, and The Earth as the accompanying industry on her death certificate. After all, this is what she was and what she did. Her friends […]


Working with a Funeral Director: Arrangement Conferences

After a death has occurred there are many decisions to be made and details to be organized. The time set aside to accomplish these things is called the arrangement conference. Depending on the complexity or amount of details needed, this could take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. Being prepared and knowing what to expect can greatly reduce confusion and stress during this time.


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