By Thomas A. Parmalee When Dan Lodermeier joined Homesteaders Life Company in 1991, preneed was still finding its footing. Some consumers had never heard of funeral preplanning. Many funeral homes believed they didn't need a formal preneed program. Account executives carried pagers, relied on answering machines and often pulled over…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Homesteaders Life Company recently issued its 2025 annual report, celebrating its 120th anniversary and updating the deathcare profession on its strong momentum. Steve Shaffer, president, CEO and board chair, reflected on the year, writing, “In 2025, Homesteaders issued more policies than ever and paid a record…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee When Homesteaders Life Company made the bold move to join Birch Hill Equity Partners in taking Park Lawn Corp. private in 2024, it saw a transformational opportunity to double down on the funeral profession through a $250 million investment made through an affiliate, Viridian Acquisition. Now,…
Read MoreNational Guardian Life Insurance Company reported continued financial strength, steady growth, and ongoing investment in its preneed insurance segment in its 2025 Annual Report, reinforcing its position as a key funding partner to funeral service providers. The mutual insurer, which serves more than 2.4 million families nationwide, emphasized long-term stability and…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee Charlie Greene lost his father, Donald Freeman Greene, at 10 years old, when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field near a reclaimed coal strip mine in Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 11, 2001. “He was traveling from the Tri-State area to San Francisco to…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Many funeral professionals underestimate how early and how often families engage digitally before making a decision. “The journey doesn’t begin at the point of need — it often starts months or years earlier,” said Courtney Gould Miller, who recently joined Homesteaders Life Company as its chief…
Read MoreBy Jack Hirsch, president, Funeral Services, Inc. The funeral service profession is always competitive, and staying ahead means offering more than compassionate service but expanding ever further into modern technology. Investing in digital tools can improve efficiency, support compliance, and help manage the growing operational complexity of your firm, thereby…
Read MoreU.S. final expense life insurance new annualized premium increased 16% year over year to $1.05 billion in 2024, according to the latest LIMRA-Life Insurers Council Final Expense Survey Report. The study examines 2024 sales data reported by 28 life insurance companies, including policy size, premium and policy count, and breakdowns…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee Rachel Moring grew up with an awareness of the funeral profession, since her father was in the preneed business. “My mother worked in real estate,” she said. “We were always surrounded by sales and self-motivated individuals.” She knew she wanted to pursue a career in business,…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Tim Bridgers has been named managing director of preneed at Global Atlantic Financial Group, a company spokesman confirmed. "In this role, Tim will oversee all aspects of Global Atlantic's preneed business, including sales, agency and funeral home relationships, as well as strategies for marketing, pricing, and…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee It’s been about six months since Joe Celentano, who formerly worked more than 30 years at Pacific Life, took on the role of president and chief executive officer at National Guardian Life Insurance Co. FuneralVision.com recently had the chance to catch up with him to learn…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee If you’re trying to grasp the significance of Foundation Partners Group’s acquisition of Cake, it’s helpful to understand what it’s buying. Lee Senderov, chief marketing and digital officer at FPG, explained it like this: “It’s kind of like the Expedia for all things end of life.”…
Read MoreGlobal Atlantic Financial Group, a leading insurance company meeting the retirement and life insurance needs of individuals and institutions, announced a 10-year partnership with Service Corporation International , positioning it to become the preferred provider of preneed insurance for North America's largest provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services, according…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Chris Rose, founder and president of Cairn Partners, wants to make one thing clear: He does not run a preneed marketing company. “We work in the death-care profession and work with independent, family-owned funeral homes and cemeteries to help them defend, grow and protect market share,”…
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