In October 2026, pre-planning news — arranging and paying for a funeral before death — comes from states, not a new federal mandate. The FTC Funeral Rule still sets national shopping rights, while June 2026 actions in Virginia and New York changed preneed fees and fraud warnings.
Preneed funding stays state-regulated, so contract and trust rules vary by state. The FTC started a modernization review in 2020. As of early 2026, that review had not produced a federal online price-posting mandate.
Official resources:
- Read the official notice from FTC — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
- Read the official notice from FTC — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
Table of Contents
- What does the FTC Funeral Rule still require?
- Do homes have to post prices online?
- How is the FTC enforcing price transparency?
- What changed in Virginia and New York in June 2026?
- How do you protect a prepaid plan?
What does the FTC Funeral Rule still require?
According to Federal Trade Commission consumer guidance, shoppers keep core protections when they visit or call a funeral provider your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule. In-person shoppers must receive a keepable General Price List. Phone shoppers must receive accurate prices.
Buyers may select only the goods and services they want. Providers must accept a third-party casket without adding an extra handling fee. In practice, this means you can decline a package and build an itemized arrangement. You can also compare a provider casket with a retail casket without paying a penalty for bringing your own.
Do homes have to post prices online?
No federal online-posting mandate had been finalized as of early 2026. The FTC sought public comment in 2020 on online pricing and other possible changes. A 2026 industry status summary reported no final federal rule requiring funeral homes to post GPLs online.
That gap matters for comparison shopping. Many homes may post prices voluntarily, but the federal right still centers on an in-person keepable list and accurate phone quotes. Ask for the list in hand and ask for any phone quote in writing.
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How is the FTC enforcing price transparency?
In its first undercover phone sweep, FTC staff called more than 250 funeral homes, according to the agency announcement FTC announcement of its first undercover phone sweep. It sent warning letters to 39 homes that failed to provide accurate pricing or withheld price information entirely. The sweep tested whether callers could get prices without visiting in person. Violations carry financial risk.
The FTC business compliance guide sets civil penalties up to $53,088 per violation. The Rule covers every funeral home and third-party seller that meets the definition of funeral provider. For families, the lesson is direct. Note the date, name, price quoted, and what is included. If a caller will not give prices, shop elsewhere and keep the notes.
What changed in Virginia and New York in June 2026?
Virginia made emergency preneed regulations effective June 15, 2026, according to the Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers notice Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers notice. The rules make the optional, declinable preneed funeral guarantee fee available to licensees. By statute, the fee cannot exceed 25% of guaranteed goods and services and is refundable if the purchaser cancels. New York focused on fraud.
On June 3, 2026, the Division of Consumer Protection warned grieving families about funeral fraud and ghosting, according to the state bulletin New York Division of Consumer Protection bulletin. Listed tactics included fake funeral-home websites, bogus donation and flower solicitations, and identity theft using obituaries or death certificates. The two actions point in different directions. Virginia addresses how a guaranteed preneed price may be structured. New York addresses how criminals exploit public death information during arrangements.
How do you protect a prepaid plan?
Prepaid funding is state-regulated, not set by the FTC Rule. Texas Finance Code Chapter 154, for example, requires a written, department-approved contract that names the responsible provider. It also requires funding through an approved trust or insurance mechanism.
Use the same three checks on every shop: Ask whether guaranteed prices include cash advances, such as cemetery, flowers, or clergy honoraria. Ask who holds the money, what happens on cancellation or transfer, and what fees are declinable. Confirm the license with your state board before you pay.
- Get the keepable General Price List before you discuss packages.
- Get any phone quote in writing with itemized goods, services, and fees.
- Verify state licensure for the funeral home, director, and preneed seller.
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