May 8, 2020
Published by 
Dan Isard on May 8, 2020
Dan Isard on May 8, 2020Tax planning issues, four decisions to make for your business return and things your accountant should know. I’m going to open your 2020 vision on taxes based on some quotes. So, while you may not believe me, believe them. Taxes are so important to plan because they are a huge cost to your business with no return on investment. “Our new Constitution is now established and has an appearance that promises permanency, but in this world, nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1789 Those of us in funeral service have a unique perspective. We have seen how the government, via the FTC Funeral Rule, has messed with “death,” and via the IRS, “taxes.” This quote has survived 221 years but will not survive another 100. The problem is most funeral home owners […]
May 8, 2020
Published by Dan Isard on May 8, 2020
Dan Isard on May 8, 2020Never in my 35 years in this profession have I shied away from a fight, and it’ll be no different when addressing the subject matter here. I was recently in Singapore, and upon our arrival, there were Christmas trees, Christmas music and Christmas decorations everywhere. That may not seem unusual to us, but it seems to make little sense in a country that is 42.5% Buddhist, 14.9% Muslim, 8.5% Taoist, 4% Hindu, 14.8% atheist and only 14.6% Christian or Catholic. For these 5.7 million people, Christmas is a nontraditional holiday (not a holy day). And while this casual observation by a nation of nonbelievers must be disconcerting to people who believe Christmas is one of the two holiest days of the year, the Singaporeans have simply taken the traditional from the tradition. For them, decorating for Christmas is something to […]
May 8, 2020
Published by 
Stephanie Ramsey on May 8, 2020
Stephanie Ramsey on May 8, 2020Scenario: Delmond Funeral & Cremation Services is a multi-location business owned by Ken and Stacy Delmond. The business employs more than 20 employees between its various locations. The funeral directors move freely between the various locations as needed, and are licensed to sell preneed on behalf of the business. Recently, while preparing for a family that was coming in to arrange for an imminent death, Stacy pulled the preneed contract that was written a few years ago by one of their funeral directors, Darrin Rodgers. Stacy realized that she did not recognize the insurance company named on the contract as the policy provider. She then began researching their records and discovered that there was no indication that the business had ever had a relationship with the insurance company. Further, the funeral business had never received commissions for selling preneed insurance […]
April 28, 2020
Published by 
Chris Cruger on April 28, 2020
Chris Cruger on April 28, 2020In these totally uncharted waters we are all facing, it is imperative that we all plan for our future. It essentially boils down to three simple rules – Accept the things we cannot change Change the things we can Create a plan that maximizes your opportunity for success Accept the things we cannot change As we are all adjusting to the “new normal”, it is absolutely beyond our control what restrictions the federal, state or local governments are going to impose around our ability to serve families. Social distancing and other restrictions being imposed are having everything from minimal to extreme impact on our business. Recently the Governor of New Jersey imposed a mandate that all deceased be handled as a direct burial or direct cremation. Now, we don’t have to totally accept that lying down but it does have […]
April 24, 2020
Published by Chris Cruger on April 24, 2020
Chris Cruger on April 24, 2020$370 billion to replenish SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program Congress moved quickly to pass legislation that appropriates an additional $484 million to continue to finance the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL), along with several other initiatives aimed to mitigate the economic hardships caused by Covid-19. Following the Senate’s approval Tuesday, the House passed the bill last night and President Trump is expected to sign it into law today. The new legislation provides an additional $310 billion in new funding for the PPP and $60 billion for the EIDL. It also allocates $75 billion for hospitals and health care providers, and $25 billion for the development and expansion of coronavirus testing, The $310 billion for the PPP includes $30 billion reserved for community-based lenders, small […]