Funeral Directors Life Focus 2024

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MORE THAN A P R E N E E D C O M PA N Y

Table of Contents LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

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FINANCIAL SERVICES

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Choose the right preneed strategy Get your cash flowing Focus on capital improvements

MARKETING SERVICES • • •

A one-stop shop for all your marketing needs An end-to-end ecosystem for your funeral home Get the results you want to see

SALES SERVICES • •

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Choose your team players Equip your team with the right tools » FDL Mobile app » Pipeline CRM » DIGicon Sales System » Passare Case Management with Preneed Integration Provide your team with the best coaches Give your team the best training » WeCare™ Sales System » On the Go Protection » Burial Space Items » The Virtual Wolfelt Experience » Wolfelt Hospice Program

ACCOUNTING SERVICES • • • •

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Get a clear financial picture Best-in-class accounting services All-inclusive payroll services Fully automated accounts payable services

CONCLUSION COMPANY OVERVIEW

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Letter From

THE PRESIDENT In the past year, our clients at Funeral Directors Life have seen incredible momentum.

The biggest reason many of our clients are seeing record-breaking success in their businesses and attracting new families is that they have a secret weapon:

TIME. They’ve regained control of their work lives. They’re no longer feeling overworked, overwhelmed, and stressed.

They are free to do their best work. To take their time with families. To serve each family well, as if they were their only customer.

And all of this is thanks to a simple philosophy our leadership at Funeral Directors Life has taken to heart: We are more than a preneed company.

We understand that it’s harder than ever to run a funeral business. Your to-do list is a mile long. Something always has to give. Sometimes, that’s work. Sometimes, that’s family.

WE WANT BETTER FOR OUR FUNERAL HOME PARTNERS. That is why we are committed to helping our funeral home clients with much more than just a great preneed product.

At Funeral Directors Life (FDL), we have spent the last decade perfecting a full line of services that help you save time,

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streamline your business, and eradicate busy work.

We want to free up your time so you can be truly present with the families you serve. Everything else that you do to keep the business side of things running can now be handed off to a highly qualified team of professionals who are ready and willing to get the work done.

To help our customers reclaim time, we’ve focused on four key areas: financial services, marketing services, sales services, and accounting services. In each of these areas, we’ve invested our time, resources, and heart and soul to deliver our customers the very best solutions in the funeral profession.

WHY? Because we want our customers to succeed. We want you to grow. We want you to be able to step away for a few precious moments with your family and rest. That is what drives us to do more and to be more for our clients each and every day.

Wishing you a happy and successful year,

KRIS SEALE

President and Chief Executive Officer FUNERAL DIRECTORS LIFE

MORE THAN A P R E N E E D C O M PA N Y "From preneed, to marketing, to aftercare (not to mention the technology offerings), Funeral Directors Life is the full package.

Once we saw everything they offer to help funeral homes, we knew we would be crazy not to work with Funeral Directors Life."

JASON WILSON

MANAGING FUNERAL DIRECTOR WILSON FUNERAL HOME BRIDGEPORT, OH

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Financial Services

If you are like most business owners, you want to make sure your business is financially solid. Yet many funeral homes are plagued by cash flow worries, decreasing volume and market share, and lower funeral averages.

Together, we can help you build your dream business with financial services that increase your cash flow, grow your market share, increase volume and averages, and grow the overall value of your business.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

At Funeral Directors Life, we take a multi-pronged approach to helping our funeral home partners build a solid financial future.

Instead, you could be building the value of your business so that you can be proud to pass it on to the next generation or retire after selling it for top dollar.

Here’s How:

CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRENEED STRATEGY Your preneed program should be an asset, not a liability.

But many funeral homes we’ve worked with are hesitant to decide on a preneed program. They may have had a bad experience with a salesperson in the past. They may have a preneed block of business in a trust that generates a lot of work and fees.

If this has been your experience, it’s no wonder you aren’t quite sure whether you should pursue an active preneed program.

But here’s the deal: preneed isn’t the problem. The strategy behind your preneed program is.

Your preneed strategy makes all the difference in the world.

When you have the right preneed product and the right approach, you’ll start seeing your preneed program as an asset to your business!

Our sales management team can work with you to get your preneed program on target by selecting the right product and converting any preneed trusts to insurance. This ensures that your preneed program has the proper foundation to grow and add value to your business over the long term.

GET YOUR CASH FLOWING Next, we will help you get a handle on cash flow.

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And the biggest enemy of great cash flow? Slow-moving insurance companies. If you do your own insurance assignments in-house, you are missing out on better cash flow for your business.

WHY? Because you have to wait 6-8 weeks (or longer) to get paid for a service, whereas your employees, vendors, and overhead costs have to be paid today.

That just doesn’t make much business sense.

To help our funeral home partners get their cash flowing again, Funeral Directors Life launched an insurance assignment company over 17 years ago called CLAIMCHECK. With CLAIMCHECK, you get paid for a service within 24-48 hours of verification of benefits, which means you can continue to operate your business in the black.

Another benefit? No more write-offs on bad policies. You’ve probably been there. You take on a policy for a family that ends up getting rejected by the insurance company. Or worse, the insurance company mistakenly sends the money to the family!

The end result is the same: you are left holding the bag. That’s not good for business, either.

With CLAIMCHECK, we stand behind our verification process 100%, so there is zero risk to you for accepting a policy we have verified. If the verification process brings up any issues or red flags, you have a chance to arrange for an alternate form of payment BEFORE the services are performed.

FOCUS ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Now that your cash flow is running smoothly, it’s time to think about the long-term value of your business. When you invest in your business, your business will pay you back.

That is why Funeral Directors Life provides expert guidance on capital improvements and acquisitions. Most banks don’t understand the funeral business. We do. Our experienced team can help you with mortgage lending for updates, remodeling, or purchasing a new location to expand your business.

If you are thinking about succession planning or selling your business in preparation for retirement, our experts can also provide you with a valuation of your business so you know exactly what it’s worth.

"Everything with insurance companies moves slowly. That delays us, that delays the family getting their funds, and it’s an extensive process.

I would recommend CLAIMCHECK because they are easy to use, always accessible, efficient, and more than willing to help."

CHELSEY AYERS

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPERVISOR BROUSSARD’S MORTUARY BEAUMONT, NEDERLAND, SILSBEE, WINNIE, AND KOUNTZE, TX

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Marketing Services

Stand Out from the Crowd MARKETING IN TODAY’S DIGITAL WORLD IS HARDER THAN EVER. We M a ke I t E a s y.

With so many new tools, including social media, online ads, streaming ads, and more, it’s harder than ever to get your funeral home noticed. But with Funeral Directors Life, you have access to the latest marketing strategies that allow you to stand out from the crowd!

A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR MARKETING NEEDS With Funeral Directors Life, it’s easy to put together a comprehensive marketing package that meets your needs and budget.

No need to work with multiple vendors. Funeral Directors Life does it all!

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT Posting consistently on Facebook can be a hassle. That is why our team is dedicated to keeping your Facebook page fresh and updated with content that your followers love.

WEBSITE MANAGEMENT Your website should be the hub for all your marketing efforts.

Our experts can help you turn your website into an educational platform that generates leads!

GOOGLE/YOUTUBE ADS Every digital marketing plan needs a strategy for Google and YouTube! Our Google experts will help you connect with families in your community and increase your rank over time.

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PRENEED LEAD GENERATION To have an active and successful preneed program, you need high-quality leads to follow up with. Funeral Directors Life offers proven, successful lead-generation campaigns, from direct mail to community-based event marketing and Facebook ads.

AFTERCARE Aftercare should never be an afterthought! With our automated email and text aftercare program, you can stay connected to families after the service, gather Google reviews through our automated system, and generate preneed leads.

PRENEED eCOMMERCE Many families are interested in planning ahead but want to explore their options online. Our eCommerce solution allows families to plan and fund a preneed contract online from start to finish from the comfort of home.

VIDEO PRODUCTION You have a story to tell…and what better way to share your message than through video? With custom, onsite video production, it’s easier than ever.

LIVESTREAMING During the service, it’s important for family and friends to stay connected with each other. Funeral Directors Life’s livestreaming service makes it easy for you to navigate the setup, operations, and management of streaming funeral events, even if you have no prior experience with livestreaming technology.

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When we first met with FDL in Abilene, we thought: There is no way that they can promise all of these things and can deliver on those promises. But that’s exactly what happened, and they actually delivered even more than they promised.

R.T. DELHOMME

Vice President of Operations Funeral Director MARTIN & CASTILLE FUNERAL HOME LAFAYETTE AND SCOTT, LA

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AN END-TO-END ECOSYSTEM FOR YOUR FUNERAL HOME

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We’ve seen some incredible results from just a few seminars done the right way. One client held a seminar recently in his small town.

Close to 100 people showed up at two events! Sales totaled $279,278. Needless to say, he was very pleased with the results!

MIKE KACHENMEISTER MARKET CENTER MANAGER FUNERAL DIRECTORS LIFE

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Now that you have leads coming in from your digital marketing program, you need a system to track activity, progress, and sales from various sources.

The great news? Everything about your digital marketing package with Funeral Directors Life works together in a synchronized ecosystem!

That means every lead from your website, Facebook ads, aftercare program, eCommerce solution, Google ads, YouTube ads, and more filters into your customer relationship management (CRM) system so that no lead ever falls through the cracks.

Does It Really Work?

Yes! According to an internal review of our Funeral Directors Life customers, here’s what we found:

Funeral home customers who signed up for social media management services grew their preneed sales by 22%.

Funeral home customers that added Google Ads and YouTube Ads grew their preneed sales by 60%!

SCAN THE QR CODE TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR ALL-INCLUSIVE DIGITAL MARKETING PACKAGES BUILT WITH YOUR NEEDS IN MIND!

GET THE RESULTS YOU WANT TO SEE We understand you want to see a good return on your marketing investment. Our team has worked with thousands of funeral homes across the nation to develop proven marketing strategies that get results.

"The new online planning and funding tool is simple and streamlined for funeral homes and families. There isn't another company out there that is offering an eCommerce solution that is so well-integrated into an all-in-one KASI WELCH BAKER

FUNERAL DIRECTOR/OWNER NALLEY-PICKLE & WELCH FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY BIG SPRING, STANTON, AND MIDLAND, TX

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Sales Services

Now that you’ve chosen the right preneed product and the best marketing solutions, you have your bases loaded, and it’s time to bring your star players to the field to hit a home run.

For each client we serve, we combine the 4 key elements you need to build a winning preneed program: star talent, the right tools and technology, great coaches that provide accountability and support, and excellent training!

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS? We work directly with you to understand your needs, the unique challenges in your market, and your goals for your preneed program. Then, we develop a plan that works best for you!

Let’s Walk Through It Step By Step: CHOOSE YOUR TEAM PLAYERS

EQUIP YOUR TEAM WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS

When you work with Funeral Directors Life, you’ll get to choose your team players for your preneed sales program.

Once your team is assembled, they need to be equipped with

Want a turnkey, all-expenses-paid program? We can provide you with a highly qualified, carefully selected sales professional (Select Producer), that reports to our sales management team with an accountability structure that goes from grandma’s kitchen table straight to our President and CEO. What if you like working with a marketing partner or agency? No problem! We partner with some of the largest, most reputable agencies in the nation.

Or maybe you want to run and manage your own program with an in-house employee or independent contractor. Great! We can help you recruit and train the right person for the job. The choice is up to you!

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the right tools for the job. FDL makes it simple with a variety of tools to help your team get the job done quickly and efficiently.

FDL MOBILE APP FDL’s mobile app will help you manage your preneed program with at-a-glance business insights, insurance assignments, digital claims process for preneed, scanning capability, and much more. The mobile app makes it easier than ever to manage the preneed side of your business from the palm of your hand.

PIPELINE CRM Next, your sales team needs to be able to stay organized with leads so that no potential sale ever falls through the cracks.

That is why FDL has partnered with Pipeline CRM to adapt their customer relationship management software for the preneed profession. Leads automatically flow into Pipeline from direct mail campaigns and Facebook campaigns, ready for a sales professional to follow up with.

"Since starting with the Select Producer program, our call base has gone up. We have people in here almost daily meeting to set up prearrangements. The volume of business we’re doing has definitely increased."

SCOTT KISH

FUNERAL DIRECTOR SCHUMACHER-KISH FUNERAL AND CREMATION SERVICES LA CROSSE AND LA CRESCENT, MN, AND ONALASKA, WI

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DIGICON SALES SYSTEM Your sales team also needs the best of the best when it comes to writing contracts. With DIGicon, preneed contracts are a breeze to write. DIGicon is FDL’s proprietary preneed sales contracting software, which also integrates with Pipeline CRM and our eCommerce tool. These integrations make it easy to keep up with families as they move through the sales process from lead to sale.

PASSARE CASE MANAGEMENT WITH PRENEED INTEGRATION We understand how important it is to save time and streamline your operations as much as possible.

That is why FDL has teamed up with Passare, your funeral home’s best friend. Passare’s case management system is built with efficiency in mind, with multiple integrations with your favorite software systems to eliminate duplicate data entry. Plus, with FDL’s preneed integration, your policies are automatically synced into Passare, so you can easily convert a preneed to an at-need case, communicate with families through the Planning Center, provide updates, write the obituary with help from the AI Obituary Writer, and much more.

PROVIDE YOUR TEAM WITH THE BEST COACHES No matter which team players you choose to work with, they will need coaching and support from an expert who can guide them every step of the way.

Think of your local sales managers as your team’s coaches! They are there to advise, train, support, and bring home the wins for you and your funeral home.

Our sales management team will work with you to select the right product for your business, the right team for your funeral home’s culture, and get them equipped with the right tools to help make everything run smoothly.

"Funeral Directors Life’s technology offerings are the best. DIGicon, their preneed sales software, allows us to track our preneed business. We also use the integration with Passare, our case management software, which seamlessly supports our preneed to at-need efforts."

MICHAEL CAPEHART GENERAL MANAGER NEW HOPE FUNERAL HOME SUNNYVALE, TX

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GIVE YOUR TEAM THE BEST TRAINING Every team needs great training to learn and develop new skills. That is why FDL offers the best training programs in the funeral profession!

WECARE™ SALES SYSTEM Our sales professionals are trained in the WeCare™ sales system, which helps preneed professionals get to know the family first, uncover needs, and provide solutions that match those expressed needs.

Professionals trained in the WeCare™ system immediately start seeing an improvement in their performance metrics and income potential!

ON THE GO PROTECTION Sales professionals with FDL also receive training and coaching on how to present On the Go Protection, a cost-efficient travel protection plan, that covers any transportation costs in case of an emergency situation when death occurs 75 miles or more away from home. These travel plans provide an opportunity for preneed professionals to increase their sales and bring in additional revenue to the funeral home.

Families also benefit from these valuable tools. It’s a win-win-win!

BURIAL SPACE ITEMS In addition, sales professionals at FDL are trained in how to sell burial space item contracts. These contracts allow families and individuals to set aside burial funds for immediate family members and their spouses for the purpose of Medicaid spend down, effectively preserving assets for the family that would have gone to the nursing home.

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Funeral Directors Life has talented staff and high expectations for their Select Producers.

Ours are professional, punctual, and skilled at what they do. We’re very happy with the results, training, and consistency.

From preneed to atneed, there’s no gap in the quality of our service.

JAMES RAWLINGS

DIRECTOR OF FUNERAL OPERATIONS BROUSSARD’S MORTUARY BEAUMONT, NEDERLAND, SILSBEE, WINNIE, AND KOUNTZE, TX

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"Through programs such as The Wolfelt Experience, we can educate ourselves and our sales agents about the elements of a funeral so that we can help restore that knowledge about having a healthy grieving experience to our families and to our communities."

JEFF HARTQUIST

FUNERAL DIRECTOR/OWNER HARTQUIST FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES PIPESTONE, LUVERNE, LAKE BENTON, TYLER, AND JASPER, MN

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The Virtual Wolfelt Experience When planning a funeral, many families confuse EFFICIENCY with EFFECTIVENESS. But that means that they may be missing out on the value of a healing and meaningful funeral service.

The Virtual Wolfelt Experience training provides your preneed and at-need staff with all the tools, resources, and education they need to be able to share the WHY of funerals with the families they serve.

Funeral professionals who have gone through the training start to see an amazing transformation in the families they serve.

They see direct cremation families making informed decisions after being educated and fully embracing a meaningful ceremony. They see lives changed, complicated grief avoided,

and the impact of legacy on their community. And they find a renewed sense of fulfillment in the work they do.

Want another way to educate families about funerals? Go to www.FuneralBasics.org, our free online resource library that covers topics ranging from preplanning to grief support.

With hundreds of articles written using Dr. Wolfelt’s teachings and principles, you will be able to find helpful resources and information to share with the families you serve. Feel free to share articles via social media or email!

Wolfelt Hospice Program Have you ever wished you could provide better education to hospice workers in your community about the value of a healing and meaningful funeral? Well, now you can. With the Wolfelt Hospice Program, you can serve hospice families by partnering with community hospice organizations to help them educate and support families during a time of loss. Work with your

Funeral Directors Life sales manager to sponsor a Wolfelt Hospice Program and provide education and support tools, including www.HospiceBasics.org, an informative website with articles specifically for families with loved ones in hospice.

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Accounting Services

SAY GOODBYE TO BEING YOUR OWN ACCOUNTANT You didn’t go to school to be an accountant. You went to school so you could serve families in their time of need. But accounting and bookkeeping are things you can’t do without.

BEST-IN-CLASS ACCOUNTING With years of experience in the funeral home industry, our accountants know what is important to a funeral home owner.

We offer our funeral home clients an array of services:

So, you have two choices. Do it yourself, or hire an accountant.

Daily account balancing

Doing it yourself just isn’t in your wheelhouse. So, you hire an accountant. The problem is that those accountants continually let you down. From poor communication to consistent tax return extensions from year to year and late financials, funeral home owners like you get frustrated and feel that they aren’t getting the attention they need from their accountants to run their business efficiently.

Monthly statements with cash flow analysis

The result? Most funeral home owners have a murky picture when it comes to their daily, weekly, monthly or even annual financial position. What’s worse, they are spending so much time trying to do the daily accounting themselves that they don’t have time to really look at and analyze the results.

GET A CLEAR FINANCIAL PICTURE That is why Funeral Directors Life’s Directors Business Solutions (DBS) team partnered with Passare to provide our mutual customers with the best accounting services in the funeral profession.

And because our focus is on the funeral industry, our most important client is you!

Our expert team can take all of the great data within Passare and help you make sense of it through daily account balancing, payroll services, and on-time financial reporting.

When you finally have a clear financial picture, you will be able to make important decisions for your business such as hiring, expanding, or purchasing new vehicles or equipment.

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On-time financial reporting for annual tax preparation Consulting services on budgets, business planning, and future expansion projects, and more!

ALL-INCLUSIVE PAYROLL SERVICES Our accounting experts also have the ability to fully automate your payroll processes. We provide services such as:

Direct deposit Time tracking Online access to paystub information Federal, state, and local tax reporting and remittance

Our goal is to save you time, offer convenience to your employees, and keep you in compliance, and we can tailor the payroll services we offer to fit the needs of your funeral home.

FULLY AUTOMATED ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SERVICES On the list of things you like to do, paying bills likely ranks somewhere near the bottom. The process is time-consuming and prone to errors, especially if paper is involved. Not to mention, there are security and fraud concerns associated with sending checks in the mail.

DBS is here to automate your accounts payable process! Here's where you’ll see an immediate impact on your business's efficiency:

CONTROL: Stay on top of your cash flow anytime, anywhere TIME SAVINGS: Focus on families while we handle bill management and alert you when there’s a payment to approve FLEXIBILITY: Pay international and domestic vendors however they choose SECURITY: Experience data encryption in motion and at rest consistent with leading industry practices

"I am very pleased with the accounting services provided by DBS. I have more insight into what’s going on at the funeral home on a daily and monthly basis."

MARLAN GARY

MARLAN GARY FUNERAL HOME, THE CHAPEL OF PEACE COLUMBUS AND MANSFIELD, OH

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Conclusion Ultimately, our team at FDL wants to do all that we can to help you achieve your goals for your business. Every one of our services mentioned here came about because our clients expressed a need. We simply listened.

Regaining control of your work life and feeling less stressed is a possibility when you partner with us. Our experts are here to give you time back so you can spend it doing what you love.

Ready to get started? Contact your FDL sales manager about any or all of the solutions mentioned in this resource or request a consultation!

Here’s to building the business you’ve always dreamed of.

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Request a consultation!

• Established in 1981 by funeral directors for funeral directors

• Phones answered live by real people who really care

• Privately-held • Recipient of numerous awards

“We had experience with other preneed providers, but we found that Funeral Directors Life is the best of the best all around.”

from FORTUNE magazine and Texas Monthly magazine for being a great workplace

• Dedicated to helping funeral

homes grow and succeed in a rapidly changing marketplace

• Rated A- (Excellent) by AM Best

• $2.29 billion in assets • Over $186 million in capital & surplus

MICHAEL CAPEHART

General Manager

NEW HOPE FUNERAL HOME SUNNYVALE, TX

• Board of Directors

comprised of funeral service professionals

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Company

Overview 600

$600 MILLION*

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I N MI L L IONS

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SALES GROWTH

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2024*

2023

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$2.29 BILLION*

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IN MIL L IONS

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TOTAL ASSETS

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2024*

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2018

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2015

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$186 MILLION*

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IN MILLIONS

CAPITAL & SURPLUS

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201

2015

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*These numbers are projections for Funeral Directors Life, Kentucky Funeral Directors Life, and Funeral Directors Life of Louisiana.

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STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

To Be the Best, Most-Respected Provider of Service to the Funeral Profession.

OUR STORY Funeral Directors Life (FDL) began as the vision of four independent West Texas funeral directors who owned their own funeral homes. They were especially concerned about the fair and proper

representation of prepaid funerals in their communities, as well as the long-term effects that prepaid funerals would have on the value of their businesses. FDL has now grown far beyond the original

founders’ expectations. We are currently licensed in 48 states and are dedicated to being the best and the most-respected provider of service to the funeral industry.

VT

RI NJ

Licensed in 48 states and Distrcit of Columbia

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6550 DIRECTORS PARKWAY | ABILENE, TX 79606 WWW.FUNERALDIRECTORSLIFE.COM 800-692-9515 ITEM #202 © 2024 FUNERAL DIRECTORS LIFE