President's Note
I am confident most of you feel as I do these days, that we are each finding some sense of "normalcy" in our daily lives.Looking back on it now, I am so proud of how our industry rose to the occasion when it mattered most. That we remained true to our values of caring for families with compassion and kindness and supporting them during their time of need. We found creative ways to adapt our services, and still provide that "personal touch." And in doing we also discovered that:
Sincerely,  Bill Williams President and CEO, Funeral Services, Inc. |
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With our proprietary, user-friendly technology, you can:
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Selling Preneed to a Person Holding a Power of Attorney You may occasionally be presented with a Power of Attorney form during the preneed contracting process. Many of our clients are unsure about how to properly consider the person holding the Power of Attorney. Before clearing the matter up, let me define the parties to the Power of Attorney. There is the "giver" of the power, that is the person who signs some powers over to another person. And, there is the "holder" of the power, that is the person who receives the powers from the giver. The Power of Attorney form, itself, will limit the powers given and held. Florida law defines, with specificity, what is necessary to make a Power of Attorney form legal. So, when presented with a Power of Attorney, you should reach out to your lawyer to make sure that it is, indeed, valid. The holder of a valid Power of Attorney can, if the Power of Attorney form allows, sign for the giver. That means that the holder can execute a preneed contract AS the giver. The holder can also execute other deathcare related authorizations, such as a cremation or embalming authorization. The holder should, when acting under the authority of the Power of Attorney, sign his or her name and beside write "as POA for [name of giver]". Those documents may be treated as though they were signed by the giver himself or herself. Where so many licensees go wrong is in acknowledging a Power of Attorney but then having the holder sign AS the holder, rather than AS the giver. This is especially problematic when the giver is an applicant for public assistance and the preneed contract must identify that the Purchaser is the beneficiary of or applicant for public assistance. Takeaway: When presented with a Power of Attorney form, pay special attention to how the holder of the Power of Attorney executes the preneed contract. Always have the holder sign "as POA for" the giver. |
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Here are brief summaries of several recent stories featuring FSI:
The pandemic has taught deathcare professionals several lessons on how embracing technology can better help serve families in need. In a recent issue of Catholic Cemetery Magazine, FSI's Senior Vice President of Client Development and Marketing, Paul White, focuses on three ways that an increased digital approach can support the assistance Catholic cemeteries are providing to their communities. Read more about Paul's insights here. Bill Williams Discusses Technology & Job Satisfaction in The Director Today's new technology can help state associations improve their Frontline and back-office employees are the heart and soul of every successful funeral home or cemetery, but do they have the necessary digital tools to provide first-class service to your families? FSI President & CEO Bill Williams highlights three ways to enhance employee job satisfaction and company culture through effective trust and sales program administration and technology. Learn more here. |
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