President's Note
Happy New Year! We hope you, your family and loved ones had a wonderful, relaxing and safe holiday season and that your 2023 is off to a great start. The beginning of a new year often fills us with hope and dreams of achieving new goals, of moving beyond plans and putting into action the work to grow both personally and professionally.We remain optimistic about our industry in 2023, despite the very real impact of inflation and all the talk about a potential recession this year from so-called economic “experts.” Why? Well, it’s pretty simple really, and it all comes down to technology. Deathcare professionals have continued to build upon the successes and lessons learned from the previous years. More funeral directors and cemeterians are using today’s digital tools to improve the effectiveness and productivity of their sales and marketing and administrative teams. They know consumer attitudes toward end-of-life celebrations have changed, and that leveraging new technology is the best way to offer families the choices they are seeking. At FSI, we remain steadfast in our commitment to create and deliver innovative solutions and enhance current services to provide best-in-class data analytics, workflow and recordkeeping tools. Our goal, which has been the same from when the company was founded, is to provide you with a turnkey platform – and world-class customer service – so you spend less time on administrative tasks and more time doing what you do best: taking care of families during their time of need and help them ease the stress of planning for final arrangements. Here's to a healthy, happy and productive 2023! Sincerely,  Bill Williams President and CEO, Funeral Services, Inc. |
|
FSI Joins the Argent Financial Group Family. October 2022 marked a major milestone in the historyof FSI when our company announced we had been acquired by Argent Financial Group, one of our country’s leading deathcare trustee and fiduciary wealth management firms. While we are now part of the Argent family, clients will continue to receive the same superior service that you have come to expect from our team. FSI will keep our name and our leadership team and, just as importantly, continue to operate independently from our headquarters in Tallahassee. FSI has worked closely with Argent for many years, and Argent’s Funeral & Cemetery Trust Services experts have extensive experience helping clients build a modern-day trust program to ensure greater service and success. Through its subsidiary Argent Trust Company, Argent has provided the deathcare profession with trustee and investment management services for 32 years. The firm is qualified to serve funeral homes and cemeteries in 41 states. This exciting partnership combines two companies with shared values that will provide best-in-class service to the deathcare industry! |
 |
|
FSI’s innovative eContract solution is one of the most advanced preneed-contract generating applications in the deathcare industry. Our eContract platform allows death care professionals to easily create contracts and upload their client’s information directly into an online database for simple, accurate record-keeping. Here are some of the key benefits:
For more information about eContract or any of our eServices, please contact our Client Services team at 1-800-749-1340 or ClientServices@FSITrust.com. |
|
FTC Funeral Rule is Open! As you likely know, the Federal Trade Commission has “opened” the Funeral Rule for consideration of changes for the first time in decades. The changes that the FTC are considering are primarily related to the disclosure of pricing online and via social media – finally acknowledging the existence of the internet. There are also suggestions of change coming relating to the embalming disclosures, readability of materials and service to underserved populations. Industry associations have received input from stakeholders of all sizes and there is a likelihood that the associations, joined by some stakeholders, will propose their own changes to the Funeral Rule rather than simply awaiting the changes proposed by the FTC. There appears to be a widely held perception that burdensome requirements to provide the GPL via various electronic means is not necessary. The perception is supported by the lack of consumer driven complaints relating to price transparency. Notwithstanding, it seems unavoidable that change is coming, and that change will result in a requirement that each funeral provider include, at least, access to its GPL via link on the funeral provider’s website if it has one. What is less certain, and some would say less likely, is that the FTC will impose a requirement that a funeral provider post its prices on its social media and other advertisements. FSI is a member of all the major deathcare associations and has its finger on the pulse of the rule amendment process. We will keep you updated as the changes progress. However, that should not stop you from following up with your local state association and making your opinions heard. The FTC listens to feedback – that much is evidence from the questions asked of the industry after the initial hearing on amending the rule during which the FTC noted hundreds of comments received from consumer groups. Now is the time to tune into changes that could impact the way you sell your services. |
|
|
|
Here are brief summaries of several recent stories featuring FSI:
Proper identification of a decedent is one of the most common issues in disciplinary civil cases that funeral homes face. In the October issue of Memento Mori, FSI General Counsel Wendy Russell Wiener shares practical tips that your business can implement to avoid this issue and its legal repercussions. Read more here. Practical Strategies to Provide Better Service to Families AND Improve Your Bottom Line Technology is no longer a “nice to have.” It is a “must have” in today’s digital world. In the November issue of The Director, FSI President/CEO Bill Williams discusses actionable strategies to maximize new technology so funeral directors are meeting the expectations of families, while also increasing profits. Learn more here. |
|
|
|
 |