Ep. 390 Funeral Consumers Alliance: Resources for Funeral Planning with Martha Lundgren

End-of-Life University

Learn how the FCA helps consumers plan ahead for funerals and make informed choices for themselves and their loved ones.

My guest Martha Lundgren is the president of the board of Funeral Consumers Alliance of Arizona. She also serves on the speakers bureau for FCA-AZ and is a representative in the Arizona End of Life Care Partnership. Martha will tell us the role FCA plays in educating people about their rights when planning a funeral and how to avoid costly mistakes, which is information we all need to know for ourselves, loved ones, patients and clients. Learn more at the websites:

Funeral Consumers Alliance of Arizona: www.fcaaz.org

National Funeral Consumers Alliances: www.funerals.org

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

• The role of the Funeral Consumers Alliance
• Why planning ahead is important for funerals, especially if you have specific wishes for what happens
• How FCA helps consumers “shop around” for funeral arrangements
• The funeral industry in general lacks transparency about pricing
• Why you should plan in advance but not pay in advance for funerals
• Consumers should beware of deceptive advertising in the funeral industry
• Why it’s important to name someone to pay for and plan your funeral
• What to do if your loved one doesn’t want a funeral
• How to cover the cost of a funeral or disposition
• What happens if someone dies while traveling out of state or out of the country

Links mentioned in this episode:

• FAC-AZ Annual Meeting in March: Register here (you can attend in person or virtually)
• Caitlyn Doughty’s book: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
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