Cost of a Funeral

[Mark]

I wanted to poll you all and see what Insurance agents thought the cost of an avg funeral today would be.

I'm talking about every cent it would cost to stick someone in the ground. I mean everything!

I found this from the Wall Street Journal in 1996. This was the avg cost of a funeral in 1996.

COST OF FUNERAL
$1,025 Professional Service Charge
$343 Embalming
$129 Other Prep (Cosmetology)
$292 Viewing
$125 Transfer to Funeral Home
$155 Hearse
$76 Service Car
$25 Acknowledgement Cards
$2,146 Casket
$497 Burial Vault
$689 Single Cemetry Plot
$462 Grave Digging and Refilling
$5,964 was the total for the funeral home. This does not include things like the flowers and other things. Just the Funeral Home bill.

Maybe someone of you just had to pay the bill of a funeral
What do you tell your clients it would cost to pay for everything to stick their loved ones in the ground?

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

I should know, but I don't. I always say in the $10k range.

That might be high.

 

[Jim Jenkins]

fee for the funeral director’s services: $1,500

cost for a casket: $2,300

embalming: $500

cost for using the funeral home for the actual funeral service: $500

cost of a gravesite: $1,000

cost to dig the grave: $600

cost of a grave liner or outer burial container: $1,000

cost of a headstone: $1,500

In this example, total costs would approximate $9,000….and that’s just for the “main” items. There could be additional charges for things like placing the obituary in the newspaper, buying flowers, and limousine rental. There could also be additional charges for prayer cards, use of the hearse, and a donation to the organist, soloist, or officiating clergy.

 

[somarco]

Affiliates Directory

Georgia society

 

[somarco]

We have lots of rivers in the south and cement isn't very expensive.

 

[theinsuranceman]

In eastern NC, my Father's funeral was about $7600, back in 2002. Plot was already paid for. Headstone about another $800. Nothing fancy, just middle of the road funeral/burial. YES! He had insurance, one of his policies he had bought from me couple yrs. prior to death.

 

[David C]

Bob, The rivers comment reminds me of something.

Years ago a friend worked as a fireman and was also on a search and rescue squad, they had a report that a fisherman had found a submerged auto.

At the river they found the car and pulled it from the river. Opening the trunk they found a body, and a rather large catfish.

So, a small catfish swam into the trunk through a small hole, found a good food supply, and grew into a large catfish.

My friend still will not eat catfish.

 

[Newby]

In my area you can get a complete funeral for $4,995 (not counting cemetery space) but the average is around $9,000.
$12,000 funerals are very common and people will occasionally spend much more.

Believe it or not, the funeral home that advertises the $4,995 funeral only gets around 30 funerals per year.

On another note, I just learned that Wal-Mart has not only begun selling caskets, they are getting ready to start selling final expense life insurance.

The world is changing.

 

[AttillaTheOne]

Call your local funeral home(s). Ask for their "GENERAL PRICE LIST". Have to give you a hard copy by Federal Law. Cover up any identifying company info and go thru it with clients.
This is how preneed is done. Everything in the funeral business can be setup ala carte. Most "PACKAGE" deals > yes, they have them are usually a joke when it comes to getting any really discount.

You an also go thru the list and help them pick out everything, and then tell client to take a copy of their policy and their list to their favorite funeral home. At "time of need" > DEATH, all family has to do is call funeral director, open his "UNFUNDED" file and it's all over but the crying and the salami sandwiches at the reception after the funeral!

 

[somarco]

David, someone had posted (and then later deleted) that funerals in NY cost $15 - $25k and wondered what part of the country we were in that funerals cost so much. Hence my remark . . .

Catfish are bottom feeders and scavengers. I prefer my mercury filled ocean fish vs. catfish.

You are what you eat.