By: Andrew Kennedy –Senior Loan Officer – Live Oak Bank The Small Business Administration recently issued a new procedural notice1 offering significant benefits for small business owners seeking an SBA loan. The changes open the door to: Asset sales for partial changes of ownership acquisitions. Blended term for partial change of…
Read MoreFuneralVision.com has been keeping tabs of the latest mergers and acquisitions in funeral service. Merkle Funeral Service, Inc. in Monroe County, Michigan, recently acquired Crane Funeral Home in Romulus, Michigan. The Romulus location is the fifth facility under the Merkle name and the first to be located outside of Monroe…
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By Andrew Kennedy, VP - Funeral Home & Cemetery Lending, Live Oak Bank Are you a funeral director looking to expand your business through acquisition? An SBA 7(a) loan can significantly advance your goals. Let's explore how this financing option can streamline your path to acquiring or expanding your funeral…
Read MoreAlan Creedy and Danny Jefferson, two funeral service innovators who host a popular podcast called “Two Guys and a Question,” shared a bevy of insights on whether and how to post prices online in their latest episode. Both men alluded to the fact that funeral homes may very well soon…
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Alan Creedy and Danny Jefferson, two funeral service innovators who host a popular podcast called “Two Guys and a Question,” shared a myriad of insights on “the ins and outs of discounting prices” in their latest episode. “The implicit assumption in funeral service is that the form of disposition dictates…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Cadence, a leader in comprehensive digital aftercare solutions, recently announced the launch of a multilingual feature that includes a fully translated Spanish version of its platform. This latest development empowers Spanish-speaking families to navigate essential tasks and responsibilities in their preferred language, ensuring that no one…
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By Andrew Kennedy, AVP - Funeral Home & Cemetery Lending at Live Oak Bank In our recent Voice of the Customer Survey, powered by Barlow Research, 28% of Live Oak customers cited cash flow management as a primary concern. Effectively managing cash flow is paramount to the sustainability of any…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee If you know someone who needs their estate settled, think twice about volunteering for the job. Alexandra Mysoor, who once offered to settle the affairs of a close family friend, learned that the hard way. When it was all said and done, she had spent about…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee When Service Corporation International detailed its second-quarter earnings on a conference call with Wall Street analysts Aug. 2, two things got a lot of attention: its new preneed agreement with Global Atlantic and some accounting changes in SCI Direct business. Tom Ryan, the company’s president, CEO…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee If you’ve ever suddenly found yourself as the executor of an estate, you know that it can be a real chore. As one of several heirs to a small estate that was recently “created” so to speak when multiple family members of mine died around the…
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Did you know that nearly $70 billion in assets of estate assets are currently unclaimed? That’s the estimated value between bank accounts, real estate, retirement accounts and more according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. Sunset Software's latest innovation, the Free Estate Asset Discovery Tool, helps families find…
Read MoreBy Bill Williams, president and CEO of FSI Although we hear of cyberattacks often, the reality of a data breach incident can often seem improbable – at least until it hits close to home. The Florida Department of Health recently suffered a cyberattack, causing the operations of funeral homes and…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee When you get a chance to make three to four times the typical rate of return compared with a traditional investment, you take a good look at it. At least, that’s what you do if you’re Steve Shaffer, president, CEO and board chair at Homesteaders Life…
Read MoreAlan Creedy and Danny Jefferson, two funeral service innovators who host a popular podcast, shared a myriad of insights in about 10 minutes in the latest episode of “Two Guys and A Question.” Focusing on how to tackle the challenge of there being “too much month at the end of the…
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