The Funeral Rule is a very important law that limits Funeral Homes’ ability to use bad and manipulative sales tactics. One important piece of the Funeral Rule is that Funeral Homes must provide prices for any and all items for sale to consumers. The way to obtain these prices is to ask for the general list price. This can include in person, over the phone, or by snail mail. They must always comply with this request over the phone. The national Funeral Consumers Alliance has a guide for how to read the information they give you on their website here:
https://www.funerals.org/get-help/how-to-save-money/how-to-read-a-funeral-home-price-list/
Another piece is that the funeral home must allow you to refuse specific items and buy only the items you want. For example, if you find a cheaper casket from another seller, the funeral home legally has to allow you to buy the other items but not the casket. They also cannot require embalming (an extra charge) if you don’t wish to They cannot refuse the sale of the other items or charge any extra fees for doing so. For anything specific they sell you, they must provide you a reason why that specific item is necessary, such as the cemetery you have chosen, or compatibility with other items. They must give you this information in writing, if you request that.
If the funeral home refuses to comply with any of these policies, you can and should report them to the Federal Trade Commission, the government agency that enforces the Funeral Rule. Click here for more information on how to file a complaint with the FTC:
https://www.funerals.org/your-rights/filing-a-complaint/
If the Funeral Rule did not exist, it would be much worse for funeral consumers. They would have no idea of the cost of anything they were purchasing. One in three Americans have funeral debt, which is already too high but that number would almost certainly be far higher. It would also result in consumers buying items they have little or no need to but might think they need
We hope this helped you better understand your rights as a funeral consumer. In 2025, about 3.1 million Americans died and even more will follow in 2026, meaning there are many people experiencing these issues who need resources. The best way to give people these resources is to join our team as a volunteer board member. You can join by applying here at this link:
If you have any questions about the form, you can reach out to Gerald Fierst, FCANNJ Vice President at geraldfierst@gmail.com
Here is also more information on the Funeral Rule:
https://www.funerals.org/your-rights/ftc-funeral-rule/
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/truth-advertising/funeral-rule
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_Rule
