By Thomas A. Parmalee Jon Lefrandt, 40, thought his destiny was to follow in his father’s footsteps to enjoy a successful career in real estate, but life took a sudden turn when tragedy struck his family when he was in his mid-twenties. That was when his father, Harold – only…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Lisa Pahl, a licensed clinical social worker, had no way of knowing that she was about to embark on an exciting business adventure when she met Lori LoCicero, whose husband was dying of pancreatic cancer at age 44. While Pahl was accustomed to helping navigate the…
Read MoreFuneral Directors Life is pleased to announce that it has been approved to sell preneed life insurance in Michigan. Funeral homes throughout Michigan can now explore FDL's proven and flexible preneed products and see how these services can grow their business and improve their service to families. "We are excited…
Read MoreBy Bill Williams, president and CEO of Funeral Services Inc. Trust is at the heart of every strong, lasting relationship. For funeral directors and cemeterians, it will be the deciding factor in earning new business, especially from the next generation of consumers planning to purchase preneed services. In today’s increasingly…
Read MoreBy Peter Klamkin Every funeral home has at least three file cabinets. The first is for those at-need families you’ve served; the second is for those who’ve prearranged and funded; the third is for those who have taken the step to let their wishes be known but did not fund…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Matthew Van Drimmelen was a civil engineer working in the government sector. It was the type of stable job most people spend years trying to get – and when they get it, they hunker down and stay put. But he realized pretty quickly that he was…
Read MoreThe newest edition of Homesteaders’ Preneed Motivators report is now available to download. Since 2006, Homesteaders has gathered data from Homesteaders’ policy owners to uncover key information about what motivates them to prearrange. It’s all part of the company’s continuing effort to help funeral home owners make more informed decisions and…
Read MoreWellabe recently announced a growth rate increase for its Preneed Voyage and Course products, which are underwritten by Great Western Insurance Company. The increase of 25 basis points will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, and will be applied to new, qualifying policies written on or after April 14,…
Read MoreBy Jon O’Hara, CEO at Great Lakes Family of Companies Some exciting news for preneed in the state of Michigan: Our determination, focus and strategy worked in changing one of the most critical pieces of legislation in decades for funeral professionals. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently signed State Senate Bill…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee If you’ve been in funeral service for a few years, you’ve probably tried getting your hands on those socks everyone seems to be wearing. Yes, those ones: Sepio socks. And that’s just fine by Chris Johnson, the co-founder and CEO of Sepio Guard, which is not…
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