Q1 eNewsletter

     Happy New Year!

     We hope you all enjoyed a warm and restful holiday season with your loved ones and that, like us, you’re feeling refreshed and ready to take on 2018. As we leap into the new year, our team at FSI is already busy making plans for what is sure to be an eventful first quarter full of opportunities, and we can’t wait to get started working on these for you.
 
     At the top of our calendar is the world’s largest sales and marketing conference for death care professionals: The International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association’s Wide World of Sales Conference. As always, the FSI team is attending this educational event, which takes place Jan. 10-12 in New Orleans. We’re looking forward to a productive few days with fellow death care professionals, and we hope to see you there!
 
     At the start of every year, we always recommend you evaluate your trust program and identify its areas of opportunity – beginning with identifying the right experts to help you manage every facet of your business. If you missed it, our team hosted a webinar aimed at helping you understand the importance of having a full trust team at your disposal. We brought together an entire group of death care professionals that we work with closely to educate you on the duties of all parties of a preneed or perpetual care trust team. If you weren’t able to join us live, this is a great opportunity to catch up while the webinar is still available.
 
     As you make your resolutions and plan for the year ahead, know that our resolution remains the same: we are committed to providing you with innovative products and services, expert knowledge and personalized support for your preneed and perpetual care programs. We wish you all the best as we move forward into a new year and look forward to speaking very soon!
 

 

     Over the last quarter, FSI and fellow colleagues have been sought out to provide thought leadership on a variety of topics in several industry publications. Here’s a quick look at some of the most recent stories featuring FSI:
 
Tech Touchpoints: Utilizing Technology to Move Your Business Forward
     Technology has been the greatest driving force of growth over the past 20 years. It has impacted how we think and interact, but it’s also changed consumers’ expectations and how they make decisions. So, how can you make sure you’re using the full potential of the technology we have to improve your business’s performance and meet consumers on their turf? FSI’s Paul White covers off on several tech-focused tactics to enhance your offerings in American Funeral Director. Read the full story by clicking here.
 
Is it Fact or Fiction? Navigate Through the Myths and Realities of Trust Administration
     There are some things in life you know you can't get by without addressing – taxes, retirement planning, insurance – but that doesn't make you an expert on it. We get it.  At Funeral Services, Inc., we conduct a service called trust administration every day, which offers more benefits to your business than what initially meets the eye.

     FSI President & CEO Bill Williams helps you understand these benefits by navigating you through the myths and realities of trust administration in the article, "Is it fact, or fiction?" published in American Funeral Director. Read the full story by clicking here.
 
What is a Trust Administrator, and Why Do I Need One?
    As a death care professional, you know trusts play a vital role in growing and sustaining your business. However, the management of your trusts is always complicated, to say the least. Just keeping up with constantly changing regulations and documenting trust transactions can consume all your time ... and mistakes are very costly.

    The good news for you is that there's a solution: a trust administrator. But who is that, exactly? FSI President & CEO Bill Williams explains in The Director. Read the full story by clicking here.
 
     Every time FSI is published by industry media, the article is posted on FSItrust.com. Check our ‘Resources’ tab frequently for continuous updates on FSI news and coverage!

     Kerrie Brandon is a member of the Client Services team and has been employed with FSI since November, 1999. Kerrie is involved in various aspects of the daily processing of paperwork and makes her number one priority to assist each individual client to their satisfaction. Kerrie also assists systems development with testing to keep FSI services and computer programs technologically up-to-date and in compliance with changing state laws.
    
     During her career at FSI, Kerrie has seen the company continue to offer clients the latest in technology solutions year after year. Today, those offerings include the availability of e-contracts, monthly reporting and secure, online access to accounts down to the individual contract level 24/7/365.

     Kerrie is proud of the many milestones she’s helped FSI achieve, especially this year’s move to the new PRISM system. PRISM is a digital platform on FSITrust.com that gives clients access to all their preneed contracts in one easy-to-manage location. While the transition to PRISM was finalized this year, Kerrie saw firsthand the years of hard work that went into this process, completed primarily by the IT department, but with support from everyone, including Kerrie’s Client Services Group. From the input, development and testing phases, the entire FSI team was involved before PRISM was turned on.

     Kerrie’s nearly two decades of loyalty to FSI have been inspired by the dedication and teamwork of every employee. She enjoys the fantastic work environment at FSI and says that you couldn’t ask for a nicer group of people than her extraordinary co-workers.

     Outside of work, Kerrie enjoys spending time with her two-year-old granddaughter, Laya, and her family. She also keeps her mind and body active by going to the beach, working in her yard, going to the gym and reading.

January 1, 2018
New Year's Day
FSI offices closed.

January 10-12, 2018 
ICCFA Wide World of Sales Conference
New Orleans, LA

January 15 - 16, 2018
AFDA Mid-Winter Meeting
Birmingham, AL

April 18 - 21, 2018 
ICCFA Annual Convention & Exposition
Las Vegas, NV - Booth #416!