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Article: How and why the Funeral Rule was constructed.
- Article from:
- The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX)
- Article date:
- August 28, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 The Dallas Morning News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Pamela Yip
DALLAS _ After compiling complaints from consumers, the Federal Trade Commission investigated the funeral industry in the 1970s.
"The most significant problem was lack of price disclosure," said Stephen Cohen, an FTC attorney. "Back in the `70s, when you wanted to arrange a funeral, there were no prices available. There was no way to compare those prices to anything."
In 1982, the FTC gave its reasons why special rules were needed to protect funeral shoppers:
"It is a unique transaction, one whose characteristics reduce the ability of consumers to make careful, informed purchase decisions," the FTC said. "Decisions ...