April is known as National Records and Information Management Month, which exists to emphasize the critical importance of keeping the books of your business properly reconciled, organized and secure. To kick off the month, FSI President and CEO Bill Williams shares best practices for recordkeeping that can help automate workflow, enhance efficiency and keep you out of regulatory hot water.
Each day, firms that utilize FSI as a servicing agent mail FSI transmittal reports and checks for processing. So long as those mailings are received by FSI within the timeframe set out in law for deposit of funds to trust, the deposits are made and are considered timely. However, the delay resulting from use of “snail” mail can be detrimental to you from a regulatory and compliance perspective. Wendy Russell Wiener, general counsel of FSI and partner at Nelson Mullins Broad & Cassel, shares insight on how online submission of transmittal reports equals compliance for your sales programs.
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March 2019
January 2019
FSI President and CEO Bill Williams shares insight on doing business in the Cloud and how it represents a giant step into the future of business..
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January 2019
With nearly four decades of experience in every aspect of the funeral service profession, including ownership and management of funeral homes and cemeteries, Bill Williams, President and CEO of Funeral Services Inc., has seen firsthand how dramatically the landscape of deathcare has changed. He was interviewed by ICCFA Magazine to share his perspective on the many strides the deathcare profession has made over the years. Read the full spotlight article here.
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December 2018
In many ways, your trust program drives the success of your business and, if properly maintained and preserved, sustains your firm into perpetuity. All funeral directors and cemeterians should understand and adopt several practices to help preserve their futures – some that may be intimidating and overwhelming. To help get you started, FSI and Argent Financial Institutional Services share five key actions in American Funeral Director that can help you make meaningful progress in a relatively short period of time.
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November 2018
When it comes to protecting your preneed or perpetual care trusts, you may be making a key mistake that you don’t even know about. This mistake can hurt the stability of your trusts, lead to serious legal consequences, and you may ultimately lose everything you’ve worked for. Bill Williams, FSI president & CEO, and Wendy Russell Wiener, partner at Nelson Mullins Broad & Cassel, LLP, share how to keep your trust out of trouble in a recent webinar.
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October 2018
In a world of lower interest rates and a growing economy, mergers and acquisitions are rising in popularity for many in the deathcare industry. But just because M&A is an attractive option doesn’t necessarily mean it is a walk in the park. FSI President & CEO Bill Williams explains in the October issue of American Funeral Director.
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September 2018
Selling PreNeed services online is an emerging trend that will only continue to increase over the next five years and give you a significant competitive advantage. FSI President & CEO Bill Williams discusses why in the September/October issue of Funeral Business Advisor.
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June 2018
In 2018, FSI is celebrating an important milestone: its 40th anniversary in business. From the establishment of the first master trust in Florida in 1978, FSI has evolved substantially over the decades to become the national player in trust administration it is today. To commemorate this anniversary, American Funeral Director interviewed several key leaders on the FSI team to discuss the deathcare industry growth they’ve seen during their careers at FSI.
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June 2018
Before you ever step onto the lot of a dealership, you know exactly what you want in a new car. And here's the thing: your potential clients know exactly what they want from your services before they come to you, too. A new car and a powerful deathcare sales program have a lot more in common than you'd assume - learn more in this issue of Funeral Business Advisor.
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June 2018
The performance of your deathcare sales program is one of the primary determining factors for the success of your business. But sometimes, you may not even know the questions you should be asking about it. Thankfully there are professionals, including FSI President & CEO, Bill Williams and Wendy Wiener, Partner at Broad and Cassel, who know these questions and have the answers, too. Read on in this issue of American Funeral Director to learn more.
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April 2018
In the first quarter of 2017, the State of Florida officially adopted the Unitrust distribution method for the deathcare industry. Just one year later, FSI has seen the financial capabilities and performances of many cemeteries increase significantly. Learn more about Unitrust's impact on cemeteries from FSI's Bill Williams in the latest issue of ICCFA Magazine, with special insight from FSI client John Williams, President of Farley Funeral Homes & Crematory & Venice Memorial Gardens.
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February 2018
We live in a digital world, where cyberattacks are commonplace and our private information is constantly vulnerable. And yet, many of us overlook the importance of protecting sensitive data, like the financial information of a deathcare firm's trust. This oversight can lead to a data breach happening, funds being stolen, and private client information being captured and shared. Fortunately, there are practices you can put in place to protect the financial information of your firm's PreNeed trust. Learn more from FSI's Bill Williams in this issue of The Director.
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February 2018
Perpetual Care Trusts are vital to sustaining the value of a cemetery and communicating that value to clients and the community. Unfortunately, there are many common mistakes associated with perpetual care trusts, and it's easier to make one than you think. Lack of planning, underfunding, and an unawareness of investment performance, among other mistakes, can affect your ability to support cemetery maintenance needs. The good news is that these mistakes can all be avoided by implementing a few effective best practices. FSI's Bill Williams covers these in American Cemetery & Cremation.
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February 2018
Almost every successful funeral home today offers PreNeed services to their communities. But, why is offering PreNeed critical to a funeral home's bottom line? What do funeral home directors need to know about offering PreNeed in 2018? And, how can funeral homes market their PreNeed services? FSI's Bill Williams sounds off on these questions and more in Funeral Business Advisor's PreNeed Q&A.
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December 2017
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.
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October 2017
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.
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October 2017
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.
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August 2017
At this point, you've probably heard about how the Unitrust Distribution Method can help grow your trusts, but if it's not legally available to use in your state, what do you do? See how you can take steps to adopt Unitrust–which has provided up to a 37 percent annual increase in funds–in your state by reading Bill Williams' and Wendy Wiener's story in the latest issue of
ICCFA Magazine.
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August 2017
One day, you walk into your office and find a regulatory audit letter. What do you do next?
For many licensees, a notice from the state that a regulatory audit is coming up strikes fear in the heart. . .but it doesn't have to be that way. FSI President & CEO Bill Williams & Wendy Wiener, Esq., partner at Broad & Cassel, explain in the latest issue of American Funeral Director.
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August 2017
Death care business owners have a lot of tasks to address and not enough hours in the day to complete them. While you're working hard to accomplish those tasks and goals, you may think you're consistently following the law and staying within ethical boundaries. But, the reality is there are hundreds of rules and regulations and, every now and then, you may overlook a few. This oversight can potentially put your business at legal and financial risk.
FSI President & CEO Bill Williams & Wendy Wiener, Esq., partner at Broad & Cassel, discuss little-known regulations that all industry professionals should be aware of in the latest issue of
The Director.
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May 2017
Over the last several years, technology has shaped how we communicate, do business, and live every aspect of our daily lives. But how should technology impact the death care profession? FSI's Paul White explains in the May/June issue of Funeral Business Advisor.
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February 2017
FSI's collaboration with Live Oak Bank, Roosevelt Investment Group, and Broad and Cassel has officially launched! American Funeral Director published an exclusive story in its February issue to introduce the collaboration and explain how it provides a powerful, convenient trust solution to funeral home and cemetery owners.
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January 2017
FSI's Bill Williams was featured in January's edition of ICCFA Magazine discussing the importance of building a strong trust team. With the Super Bowl around the corner, Bill breaks down the complexities of a trust team using a football analogy to show how each "player" plays an important role. Curious what role FSI plays on the field of trust management?
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October 2016
In Funeral Business Advisor's recent cover story, "Funeral Services, Inc.: A Trusted Business Partner for PreNeed and Perpetual Care Trusts", FSI's Bill Williams and Paul White discuss how innovative trust solutions help funeral directors and cemeterians remain focused strictly on their businesses. The article also talks about the firm's history as well as all of the services and benefits FSI provides to its clients.
Read the full article here.
April 2016
Paul White, Vice President of Client Development and Marketing, shares his expertise in the article "Preneed Funding Options: Insurance, Trust or Hybrid" featured in the April issue of Southern Funeral Director. Read the article to learn how to select a PreNeed funding option that will maximize your business' success, today and tomorrow.
Read the full article here.
May 2016
In the article, "How to Get the Best Returns from Your Preneed Trust Fund Investment", Jim Atwood, FSI Board member and CEO of Infinity Management Advisors talks about the relationship between the investment strategy of your PreNeed trust, cash flow and trust performance. The investment strategy of your PreNeed trust can significantly impact your business. This financial column will help you better understand trust investment strategies, their impact on cash flow, key indicators of investment performance and provide you with important questions to ask your financial advisor regarding your PreNeed trust.
Read the full article here.
March 2016
Florida's recent adoption of the Unitrust distribution method for perpetual care cemeteries could mean new business opportunities for trust organizations statewide. In the article, "Death care industry adopts estate planning techniques, yielding new opportunities for trust organizations", Jim Atwood, President and CEO of Infinity Management Advisors and FSI Board member, shared his insight into the new legislation, perpetual care and the opportunity for trust organization to provide expertise to the evolving death care industry. Read the full article featured in the Association of Trust Organizations 2016 Q1 newsletter on page 4.
Read the full article here.
March 2016
FSI is no stranger to utilizing the latest technology in the death care industry, so its no surprise Bill Williams, President and CEO of FSI, was invited to participate in the Technology Roundtable for the March issue of American Funeral Director. This piece offers insight from Bill and Zachary Garbow, co-founder of Funeral Innovations, on how to use technology to efficiently and effectively run your business, the risk of security breaches, how to assess your technology needs and much more.
Read the full article here.
February 2016
The Winter issue of The Chronicle features FSI in its Affinity Partner Spotlight. Often times we are asked, "What exactly does FSI do?" - the spotlight not only answers the question but dives into who we are and how we serve our clients. We are a proud member of the Florida Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, and believe industry relationships are essential to our success.
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January 2016
Most trust organizations have a business model that revolves around a primary target market of clientele. In the article, "Providing trust services to a niche industry", Jim Atwood, President and CEO of Infinity Management Advisors, LLC and FSI Board member, shares a few basic principles that can help business owners consider a niche market as a viable growth strategy for your business. The article, found on page 5, was shared in the Association of Trust Organizations 2015 Q4 newsletter.
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November 2015
Funeral services and products have changed dramatically in the last several years. In the article, "Updating PreNeed Clients: An Opportunity Hiding in Your Filing Cabinet", Paul White, Vice President of Client Development and Marketing at FSI, discusses the hidden business opportunities you may find with existing PreNeed clients.
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November 2015
It's no secret that PreNeed trusts are complicated. In this article, "Four Questions to Ask Your Trustee", Jim Atwood, Board member at FSI, gives you important questions to ask to ensure you are dealing with a trustee that can handle your trusts responsibly and work in your best interests.
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October 1, 2015
Bill Williams, FSI President and CEO, was recently spotlighted in the October issue of the American Funeral Director magazine. In the article, ‘How Fate Caught Up with W.H. "Bill" Williams’, Bill shares stories and lessons learns throughout his career from Funeral Director to President and CEO of FSI, a PreNeed and Perpetual Care Trust administration and recordkeeping firm.
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August 2015
In the August 2015 issue of The Director, Bill Williams, FSI President and CEO, explains how to equip your staff with the knowledge and resources necessary to successfully and properly manage a PreNeed program.
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July 30, 2015
The way you market PreNeed programs can be vitally important to the future success and long-term viability of your funeral home or cemetery. But exactly what kind of PreNeed program are you operating? How ambitious are your efforts? And should you make changes? This white paper offers death care professionals with a methodology for accurately assessing passive, active and competitive PreNeed programs. This white paper will explain how to assess your current program with those three categories in mind.
Download the full white paper here
May 4, 2015
Jim Atwood, CEO of Infinity Management Advisors, published an article on how to measure and improve the financial stability and fitness of a business. In this article, Atwood details a multitude of factors that should be monitored or could improve the success of a business.
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September 5, 2014
On October 1, FSI will launch an online resource center to expand industry
knowledge of PreNeed and Perpetual Care programs and advance best practices. This new tool features
quarterly e-newsletters, white papers, articles and other informative materials.
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July/August 2014
Jim Atwood, CEO of Infinity Management Advisors (IMA) and FSI Board member, shares how regulators and death care professionals in three states work together to help ensure the financial health of cemeteries.
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CFDA Annual Convention, June 30 - July 1, 2014
FSI is proud to exhibit at this year's California Funeral Directors Association Annual Convention taking place in San Diego, Calif. Please stop by and visit us at booth number 13.
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IFDA 134th Annual Convention, June 23-25, 2014
Funeral Services Inc. is a proud sponsor of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association's 134th Annual Convention. FSI was one of more than 70 exhibitors at the annual event taking place in Tinley Park, Ill. In addition to the exhibition, the convention includes four separate networking events and educational opportunities.
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May 6, 2014
In the May 2014 issue of American Cemetery, FSI Vice President of Client Development, Paul White discusses common obstacles and provides tips for improving advance sales.
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May 6, 2014
John Williams, FSI Board member, Licensed Funeral Director and owner of Farley Funeral Homes and Crematory in Florida, explains how he applies his prior experience as a Certified Public Accountant to his current business. In the May 2014 issue of American
Funeral Director, Williams discusses how he uses PreNeed recordkeeping data to measure, evaluate, and develop PreNeed marketing and sales strategies.
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April 21, 2014
FSI will offer a free webinar about PreNeed and Perpetual Care programs to funeral service professionals. The webinar, "Understanding Your PreNeed and Perpetual Care Programs: What You Need To Know About Investments, Risks And Consumers", takes place June 12 at 2 p.m. EST.
Register today to learn
how you PreNeed and Perpetual Care program can add value to your bottom line.
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February 24, 2014
Paul White, FSI Vice President and LFD, discusses how to integrate technology into PreNeed programs. In the March 2014 issue of The Director, the National Funeral Directors Association magazine, Paul explains how funeral service professionals can save money, drive sales and enhance marketing efforts when utilizing technology to help manage PreNeed programs.
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January 6, 2014
In the January 2014 issue of American Cemetery, FSI President and CEO, W.H. "Bill" Williams highlights strategies for success and common mistakes when it comes to Perpetual Care funds.
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January 6, 2014
In the January 2014 issue of American Funeral Director, FSI President and CEO, W.H. "Bill" Williams joins other industry executives to discuss guaranteed and nonguaranteed PreNeed programs. In this article, Bill outlines five questions funeral service professionals should ask when considering whether to offer guaranteed or nonguaranteed PreNeed programs.
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December 6, 2014
In the December 2013 issue of American Funeral Director, FSI President and CEO, W.H. "Bill" Williams discusses the biggest stories, trends and expectations for the coming year in the PreNeed sector of the death care industry.
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November 26, 2013
FSI President & CEO, Bill Williams has been asked to lead an informational breakout sessions at The International Cemetery, Cremation, and Funeral Association Annual Convention & Exposition taking place April 8-11, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nev. In his session "Building a PreNeed Program That Supports Your Business Model", Williams will provide information and highlight tools that attendees may use to help build, manage and perfect PreNeed programs.
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September/October, 2013
In the series, which began running in the May/June 2013 issue of Funeral Business Advisor, FSI President
and CEO, W.H. "Bill" Williams highlights a hybrid model that offers advantages of both trust and insurance funding for preneed programs. This is the third article in a three part series titled "Perfecting PreNeed Programs."
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September 6, 2013
New application streamlines the PreNeed contract sales process by generating error-free, professional and compliant contracts that upload directly into PRISM, FSI's proprietary recordkeeping system.
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July/August, 2013
In the July/August 2013 issue of Funeral Business Advisor, FSI President and CEO, W.H. "Bill" Williams outlines the basics of both trust and insurance funding mechanisms and offers guidance on what funeral service professionals should consider when selecting a program for their firm.
This is the second article in a three part series titled "Perfecting PreNeed Programs."
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July 2, 2013
FSI expands its clientele and services by offering a new PreNeed program for funeral firms in Virginia.
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July 1, 2013
Funeral Business Advisor takes a closer look at what sets FSI apart from other trust administration and recordkeeping companies. In the July/August issue, the publication examines how FSI's innovative technology and expertise in regulatory compliance helps funeral directors concentrate on what matters most with serving families, not pushing papers.
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July 1, 2013
In the July 2013 issue of American Funeral Director, Williams provides insight into the future of PreNeed programs
and how to design a trust-funded model that supports business development.
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May/June, 2013
In the May/June 2013 issue of Funeral Business Advisor, FSI President and CEO, W.H. "Bill" Williams discusses the
importance of analyzing return rates, developing investment strategies and ensuring transparency when managing a successful trust-funded PreNeed program. This is the first article in a three part series titled "Perfecting PreNeed Programs."
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