Shopping for Funeral Services

When a loved one dies, grieving family members and friends often are confronted with dozens of decisions about the funeral - all of which must be made quickly. What kind of funeral should it be? What funeral provider should you use? What are you legally required to buy? Should you bury or cremate the body, or donate it to science? What are the choices for a green funeral and burial? What other arrangements should you plan? How much is it all going to cost? Each year, people grapple with these and many other questions as they spend billions of dollars arranging funerals for family members and friends. Many funeral providers offer various "packages" of goods and services for different kinds of funerals. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, wants you to know that when you arrange for a funeral, you have the right to buy goods and services separately. You do not have to accept a package that includes items you do not want.