Trade Secrets of a Mortician (Funeral Director)

Of the many questions asked of me in my more than 25 years as a funeral director, there is one that is asked most: Why are funerals so expensive?

According to the National Funeral Directors Association's web site, the national median cost for a traditional funeral in 2009 was $6,560. This figure does not take into account outside costs for the cemetery or crematory, flowers, death notices, pallbearers and vaults. Add in all these expenses and the funeral bill can easily exceed $10,000 these days.