How FTC’s Funeral Rule Overhaul Will Affect Your Business | Poul Lemasters #24
Every ten years, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reviews the Funeral Rule. This time, the proposed changes could dramatically reshape how funeral homes operate, especially online.
In this episode of the Direct Cremation Podcast, Tyler Yamasaki and Will DeMichelis sit down with death care attorney Paul Lamers to break down what’s happening, what’s coming, and what it means for your funeral home, cremation website, and overall funeral home management strategy.
If you operate in today’s digital environment—using cremation software, funeral arrangement software, or even just maintaining a funeral website, and this conversation matters.
Let’s unpack it!
What Is the FTC Funeral Rule (And Why Is It Being Revisited)?
The Funeral Rule, originally enacted in 1984, was designed to protect consumers by requiring:
- A General Price List (GPL)
- Itemized pricing
- No forced bundled purchases (e.g., mandatory casket purchases)
- No misrepresentation of services
At its core, the rule ensures pricing transparency and informed consumer choice.
But in 2023 and beyond, transparency looks different. Consumers expect pricing online. They expect to compare services instantly. And according to FTC data, fewer than 40% of funeral provider websites display pricing—and only about 25% make a GPL easily accessible.
That disconnect sparked this current review.
The Big Issue: Online Pricing
Of all the proposed changes, one towers above the rest: mandatory online pricing.
Consumer groups overwhelmingly support it. The argument is simple: if families can shop for hotels, cars, or appliances online, why not funeral services?
From a consumer advocacy standpoint, it makes sense. But from an operational standpoint, it’s more complicated.
Paul made an important point: not every funeral home operates at the same level of digital readiness. In rural areas, some firms still rely heavily on fax machines. Updating a website isn’t always as simple as “upload a PDF.”
Yet the digital shift feels inevitable.
For forward-thinking operators already using funeral tech, cremation software, or online cremation services platforms, this may feel like a natural progression. For others, it could feel like being pushed into the deep end.
Who Wins (And Who Loses)?
If online pricing becomes mandatory, the biggest winners may not be who consumer groups expect.
Large operators with robust funeral management systems, marketing cremations expertise, and well-optimized cremation websites will likely thrive. They already understand digital marketing, SEO, and value-based messaging.
Smaller funeral homes that struggle with digital strategy could find themselves at a disadvantage.
However, this shift also creates opportunity.
Right now, most funeral homes only promote direct cremation pricing online. When families Google “funeral cost,” they see low-cost cremation packages everywhere.
What they rarely see? Transparent pricing for full-service funerals, memorial services, or premium options.
If pricing transparency expands across the board, funeral homes may finally compete on service and value—not just price.
The GPL Problem: Clarity vs. Confusion
One ongoing criticism of the current Funeral Rule centers on the General Price List itself.
The GPL can be confusing. Without explanation, most consumers struggle to interpret it correctly. Paul noted that many violations stem from timing technicalities—when the GPL must be presented—not from withholding pricing.
If the rule shifts toward digital transparency, the bigger question becomes:
How do you present pricing in a way consumers understand?
Simply uploading your GPL as a PDF won’t solve the perception problem.
Funeral homes will need to:
- Rewrite service descriptions
- Clarify value propositions
- Use visuals and plain language
- Explain what families receive for each price point
This is where funeral home software, funeral planning software, and innovative funeral home ideas intersect. Technology alone isn’t enough—messaging must evolve.
Could This Change Consumer Behavior?
Paul introduced a fascinating possibility: unbundling on a new level.
If every funeral home publishes itemized pricing online, consumers could:
- Purchase a casket from one provider
- Buy a vault from another
- Hire a different funeral home for services
Technically, they already can. But widespread online transparency could normalize this shopping behavior.
For funeral homes, this means your service quality, facility, staff, and experience become your primary differentiators—not just merchandise margins.
In many ways, that shift favors firms that focus on hospitality, communication, and streamlined online funeral arrangements.
Enforcement in the Digital Age
Another major development: enforcement could become automated.
Currently, the FTC conducts mystery shops. If pricing moves online, regulators could theoretically scan thousands of websites at once.
This changes compliance risk dramatically.
If your funeral website lacks required disclosures or your pricing isn’t displayed properly, violations could surface faster than ever.
Preparation matters.
Should Funeral Homes Prepare Now?
Absolutely.
Waiting for final rule changes is reactive. Smart operators will:
- Audit their cremation website now
- Improve pricing transparency voluntarily
- Refine value-based copywriting
- Simplify service explanations
- Align funeral home management processes with digital expectations
As Paul put it, this moment resembles COVID’s impact on electronic signatures. When pushed, the industry adapted quickly.
The same could happen here.
The Bigger Picture: A Forced Evolution
The FTC’s proposed updates may feel uncomfortable. But they could also modernize death care.
Transparent pricing doesn’t eliminate premium service. Hotels prove that daily. Families will still pay for quality when they understand what they’re buying.
The real question becomes:
Are you positioning your funeral home to compete on value in a transparent marketplace?
If your answer relies solely on tradition, it may be time to rethink your strategy. Because whether by regulation or by market demand, digital transparency is coming.
And those who prepare now will lead the next chapter of funeral service.
🎧 Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue0lONXqUh0