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Washington Report
January 2008
AARP: More than 60 percent of people age 50 and over never solicited for preneed
by ICCFA General Counsel Robert M. Fells, Esq.
In November, AARP published the findings of its Funeral and Burial Planners Survey, a telephone poll of 1,087 Americans age 50 and older concerning whether they have preplanned or prepaid for a funeral or burial.
Sixty four percent said they have never been contacted (by mail, phone, in person or online) about purchasing a funeral. Even more, 67 percent, said they have never been contacted about purchasing a burial space.
These figures represent an increase from past years' AARP surveys. In 1995, 60 percent said they had never been contacted about funerals; in 1998, 61 percent said they had never been contacted about burial space.
Some of the results track the industry-sponsored Wirthlin surveys. For example, the 2005 Wirthlin report shows that 64 percent of consumers age 40 and older have not taken any steps for prearrangement. The new AARP survey shows that 65 percent of consumers have not prearranged.
However, unlike the Wirthlin reports, the AARP survey never inquired about the level of satisfaction, positive or negative, consumers experienced in dealing with the funeral profession. The complete AARP survey can be viewed on its Web site at www.aarp.org/research/endoflife/funeral/funeral_survey.html.
Copyright ICCFA 2007
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