Utah Insurance License Number: 88816         Pre-Need Sales Agent Number: 325672-5802

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This agency only works with local, privately-owned funeral homes. This means you will be dealing with a trusted member of your community, not some distant corporation only worried about a bottom line.





Why A $3,000 Funeral Plan Guarantees You Highest Quality Service




I have always recommended that your family use a privately owned funeral service provider, not a chain. I have also counseled against using high-profile funeral homes, which may be privately owned, that are over-priced. A privately owned funeral service provider that charges less is most likely to give the highest quality service and provide high quality merchandise (caskets) also. They give your family the individual attention and care you deserve, instead of cookie cutter service. As I've outlined throughout this Web site, there are problems with chain operations, including high turnover of morticians, funeral directdors, and managers. And some funeral homes, which provide excellent service and have been in business using most of the same people for many years, are just plain too expensive. There are many alternatives to the "game."

A high profile, busy, and well-established funeral home might have an very good reputation and much valuable "goodwill" in your community. It may have been in business for over 100 years. They may have already done a very good job with the funeral of one of your family. They may be considered a pillar of good, reliable service in your community. Your town may think of no other name when the word "funeral" is mentioned. Whatever they charge must be "fair" and "reasonable," because they are so busy and because you see their advertisements everywhere.

If you take control with my tools on this Web site, you won't fall for any of it.

Because of their higher budget for advertising and visibility, however, the ownership may feel it is entitled to keep raising its prices year after year especially if they are a chain funeral home. And they feel this is justifiable, since "prices are going up," and that's just the way it is. But they also may feel they must make a lot of money on their pre-paid, pre-need funeral plans. In Utah, many funeral home owners are loyal to Great Western Insurance Co., a funeral funding company based in Ogden, simply because it is a "Utah based" company. But here's the reality about these funeral homes and what they offer. Their typical full funeral with casket is right around $7,000 (see more about this figure), and if you finance that funeral plan through Great Western (or Forethought or Security National Life) over ten years, this plan will cost you on average around $15,000 per person. This is what I refer to on this Web site as "getting BUFFALOED." You have to decide if it's worth doing business with any funeral home that will do this to senior citizens.



The big funeral homes get away with deceiving more easily than smaller operations can. Not only do they have the advertising money to promote the fact that they are "the best," they have a snowballing price increase illusion rolling year after year. Your subconscious mind is programmed into believing yearly price increases must be normal and necessary--regardless of the reality. They just want more and more profit year after year. The smaller operations operate on smaller budgets (which is one reason they can charge less), and rely more on word-of-mouth and agents such as Richard R. Bruneau. The biggest ad in the becoming-obsolete Yellow Pages doesn't mean "best." It means "more money to throw around."



SMALLER DOESN'T MEAN INFERIOR

Look first at the experience of the ownership. This is how quality can be defined. The price is only a secondary consideration. Experienced morticians/funeral directors understand how "the game" is played in the big companies. Those who decide not to play it "defect" and form better companies with more personalized service at better costs with better funding options. This is the reality the bigger companies try to hide from you.











This isn't even the worst news. Your favorite, family-owned funeral home may have been purchased by Service Corporation International, the big conglomerate that gobbles up as many funeral homes and cemeteries as it can buy out. SCI purchased Valley View Memorial Park and Funeral Home, Wasatch Lawn, and Evans and Early. They may still appear to you as the same family-owned funeral homes they once were, but the reality is that now they are operated by a big corporation and their prices are highest of all. I haven't done a comparison of their funding, but rest assured it is even worse than Security National Life and Forethought. Their full funeral service with casket, even if you use your church, is in the neighborhood of $9,000 (if you pay now with one check, $18,000 to $20,000 if you fund over ten years).

If you think your favorite funeral home is worth the higher prices they charge, you don’t have to use their funding insurance company, which may be too expensive for you. Use them if you feel you should for the funeral itself, but consider using an alternative funding company like National Guardian Life--which is the largest of the funeral and final expense funding companies. I have done side-by-side comparisons of what their plans costs for the same dollar amount to Security National Life, Forethought, and Security National Life. These companies funeral funding is expensive, unless you get it done in a few years or less. And early payoff may not even be an option after a couple or three years have passed. You are then stuck with the "whole enchilada" of ten years' worth of payments no matter what. You can have the benefits of guaranteed costs but still be over-charged greatly and get buffaloed. That won't happen with me, because I know how all the plans work and steer you toward only the good plans.

I have built this Web site to help make the process of planning and paying for final expenses painless, thorough, and as affordable as possible with no sacrifices in quality. But you can do this yourself through self-education, especially in this age of the Internet. You don’t have to take anybody’s word for anything. No one can fool you or manipulate you. But most people trust me after reading only a few of my Web pages.



My first choice is Premier Funeral Services for various reasons. First, I have experience working with the owner Jared Fairbanks and know what principles he operates by. He also was the head manager for two chain operations: Memorial Estates (now Memorial Utah) and Wasatch Lawn (owned by Service Corporation International). He knows first-hand what the chain funeral homes get away with and how you can prevent over-paying for questionable service and merchandise. I have written hundreds of funeral and cremation plans for Premier Funeral Services with zero complaints. I can freeze your costs of funeral services, casket, and burial vault with Premier. I use a guarantee contract funded through the best funeral funding company National Guardian Life. This is the best funeral plan offered in Utah. You can't get this anywhere else. Meet with me once and you will be happy.








Guaranteed Issue Regular Whole Life Insurance - Ages 40-80 – UP TO $50,000

If you need regular life insurance, whole life or term, I can get it for you—regardless of whether you’ve been turned down by other carriers and regardless of your health history and status. Between ages 40-80, I have life insurance policies up to $50,000 if your needs go beyond funeral and other final arrangements.



Read through the rest of this Web site. It will be worth many thousands of dollars to you and your family.

This is what I can get you:

Inexpensive GUARANTEED Funeral and Final Expense Plans – All BAD HEALTH cases accepted.

Don’t pay too much for a funeral plan. Don’t be penalized for your health history. I have the only plan you’ll need.

How to Properly Put Together Funeral and Burial Plans

One of the most useful services I provide is to put together a one-page summary of all your final wishes and preferences, in a way that prevents your family from making any mistakes. You can do this without my help by downloading the worksheets from my Web site, but I can produce a printed copy of the Final Wishes Summary with a color photo of your casket selection (if casket is part of your plans). This is a critical task, because it is a "snapshot" and "reminder" of what should and should not be done.

And if your favorite funeral home's caskets are over-priced, consider buying the casket elsewhere. You still get to use their funeral home with the assurance of high quality service, but you save money at the same time. They can only penalize you by, at most, $300 for buying a casket elsewhere. (This means they can only charge you a little bit more for the service if you buy your casket from Costco). This is explained in the Federal Trade Commission's "Funeral Rule."

Here's how the important FTC rule reads:
"Accordingly, you cannot condition the furnishing of any funeral good or service to a consumer on the purchase of any other funeral good or service except for your basic services fee and any items required by law.(20) You also cannot refuse to serve a family because they do not purchase one particular item (e.g., a casket or embalming) or a combination of items or services from you."
The bottom line of what I do is simple. You put your funeral money into the National Guardian Life Funeral Expense Trust, a product of a large insurance company, which I believe is the best investment of its kind. There’s no way you can pay twice today’s funeral cost as you do with some of the smaller funding companies like Security National Life, Great Western, or Forethought Life. Next, you select the funeral home or funeral service provider who has the best prices with a good reputation of high quality, consistent service. Another critical factor is to examine how much and how often a funeral home raises its prices. Premier Funeral Services, for example, has been charging the same price for a full traditional funeral service for six years (since 2009). You'll want to think twice about funding a funeral through an operation whose prices go up year after year for no good reason. In any case, I can help you work out the details of every last cost, so everything is accounted for.

It’s not as important that 100% of your costs be “frozen,” which no funeral home can really do, although I can help you get 60-80% of your costs guaranteed. What’s most important is that you have everything “accounted for,” funded, and at the right price and on the right terms. This is not something every funeral home representative will take the time to do, especially if they are more interested in making money or if suggesting better alternatives is against their company's policies. The “chain” operations are notorious for leaving loose ends or things “hanging,” so they can clobber your family with more bills at the time of need.

Burial Costs

Next, make it clear what you interment requests are. These are instructions relating to cemetery arrangements. Do you have cemetery property paid for, which may include burial vaults, and a marker? If you do not, your family should know that. They should also be aware that at the time of need there is a charge for opening and closing of the grave and often a fee just for setting the vault in an already open grave, which can be quite steep. If you have not provided funds for all these things, they should know that the bill could easily be several thousand dollars for only the cemetery charges. If you have not chosen a cemetery, consider a city cemetery, which generally charge a lot less than perpetual care cemeteries. The outlining of anticipated costs need not be summarized on this one page summary. You can elaborate on a separate sheet, like the Cost Checklist on this Web site or the Funeral Plan Worksheet. I have done an extensive survey of cemetery costs in the Salt Lake area. Download this cemetery price guide here.

Always find out your veterans benefits first. Put that information, if it pertains to you and you are eligible, on your Final Wishes Summary worksheet. National Guardian Life also has a brochure I can give you in your home about veterans benefits.

Know Exactly How to Draw the Line on Casket Cost

Choose your casket in advance, and set spending limits. This is very important, because the funeral industry is notorious for overcharging families for caskets. Get a photograph of the casket you want—at the price you expect to pay and no more. In 2015, you should be able to secure the price of a high quality casket for under $1,600.00, even though high-profile funeral homes would like you to think otherwise. Use Costco as your benchmark, because they have excellent prices on caskets. But buying from Costco requires payment in full and then immediately delivery. Nonetheless, they are a good "gauge" to look at to see if you are over-spending. If you want a casket that suits the purpose, make sure also you provide instructions that prevent your family from being sold an “upgrade” at the time of need. Funeral homes will often try to do this when your family is distraught, just to earn another $1,000.00 or more in profits. Don’t let it happen.



Some of Darryl Roberts' advice from his book Profits of Death:

"The key to controlling future funeral and cemetery costs is to arrange and pay for them in advance."

"...people will purchase more in an emotionally charged at-need moment than they will in a calmer and more stable pre-need moment."

"Pre-planning is absolutely the best thing you can do to ensure that you get the final arrangements you want and save money at the same time."

"In my opinion, insurance policies are the best way to go. The insurance industry is highly regulated. Also, insurance companies are typically more balanced and more stable than most death merchants. Even when insurance companies go bankrupt, state and federal agencies come to the rescue of policyholders. Certainly the same cannot be said of funeral homes and cemeteries!"

The only advisor with the qualifications needed to give good advice about funeral planning is one who has extensive experience in the industry. I have written many hundreds of funeral, burial and cremation plans over 23 years, and it has not been for just one company. I have represented large and small operations, totally honest and somewhat crooked operations. I have been in the trenches and seen every tactic used in the interest of making money, even at the expense of families. I have studied and adhered to the standards of the National Funeral Directors Association. I have applied my education in accounting to the numbers that pertain to funeral planning and the related life insurance funding. With me it's "always about the money," but it's about YOUR money. It's not about whether or not I'm making money for the funeral home or the funding company. It's about zeroing in on the best value for your money.

See my other Web page Which Plans Are REALLY Best for Most Seniors?

And look at these Web pages on the Internet also:

Should You Prepay Your Own Funeral Expenses?

Let Your Legacy Be Peace Of Mind, Not Debt

What is the Difference Between Life Insurance and Funeral Plans?





I have set up over 150 plans in the past three years alone that pay for a full traditional service with casket included for around $3,000.00-half of what most funeral homes charge. You use your church, a reception center, a lodge, the graveside, or some other location you arrange. No sacrifices! Just a better plan for your money. And your casket and services costs are FROZEN. This applies to other plans that include cremation. All the factors discussed on this page make my funeral plans no-brainers.

All plans are guaranteed portable, including cash value growth as long as you're alive. Even though you may have designed your plan around the prices of one particular funeral home, the funds can be used at another that charges similarly or less so you get the same result if your plans change. In any case, your money is never stuck with a funeral home where you have to pay a penalty for withdrawing that money. You don't have to worry about getting any money back from a funeral home, because your money is safely deposited with a large insurance company. And no current or past health condition can disqualify you from the insurance plan.


Your money stays safely deposited with a large life insurance company until you pass away, a company in business since 1909. www.nglic.com. You can change whom you want to use for a funeral at any time. We have 1-3-5-7-10 year plans, with full insurance coverage should something happen before you make all the payments, and always a discount for making a single payment or paying off your plan early. And always with growing cash value tax-free.



NGL is No. 92 of all insurers in the U.S. Read Report.


Our average ten-year plan at most ages is around $33.00 a month. Compare that to what other funeral homes you may have had in mind can offer you. The average funeral plan in the Salt Lake area on a ten-year plan is around $80.00 per month per person.

Let me show you in detail in your home how to outline your final wishes and preferences in the best way possible. Let me show you the best plan for your money.

I don't need your Social Security number. There is a major funeral funding company based in the Salt Lake area that owns many mortuaries and cemeteries that insists on getting your Social Security number when you set up a plan with them. Don't fall for this. That number is only needed for a death certificate, not for a funeral or burial plan. National Guardian Life does NOT require your Social Security number. Turn down any plan that does.

Get professional, personalized service at the right price, on the best terms.

    UtahsFuneralPlanningSite.com serves the funeral and funeral planning market in the Salt Lake City, Utah area. Our goal is to help you plan a funeral in as much detail as possible well in advance. This website provides the tools you need to pay for funerals the right way, so affordable funerals don’t end up being a sacrifice but instead a more comfortable reality. We offer or point you to Utah's best funeral prices and lowest cost for funeral plans, which can include caskets and burial vaults, and final expense whole life insurance, especially for seniors with bad health and with low incomes. You will be able to not only outline your final wishes with accuracy, but you will know exactly how to calculate and control the cost of a funeral (church, mortuary chapel, or graveside), the cost of a burial, and, if applicable, cremation options. You will not become the victim of funeral rip-offs, over-priced caskets, or plans that don’t suit your family’s true needs and budget. There will be no confusion in your family at the time of need concerning arrangements. Once you have done things correctly, they will know where the line has been drawn on spending for your final expenses, and no mistakes will be made.