Private equity is taking your final $25,000 through a death monopoly that turns grief into an organization model. Wall Street is purchasing funeral homes and cemeteries to financialize your loss.
TL; DR: Personal equity firms like SCI are rolling up independent funeral homes, keeping regional names while boosting costs through "non-declinable" charges and predatory "DeathTech" funnels. From the $61M Michigan cemetery trust fund scandal to the 2024 Chevron ruling weakening the FTC, this investigative deep dive exposes the institutional real-asset grab of the death care industry and provides a family playbook to defend your wealth.
Timestamps:
0:00 - The $25,000 Concern 2:15 - How Death Became an Organization Model (SCI Roll-Ups). 8:45 - The PE Playbook: Rebrand, Reprice, Repackage. 15:30 - The $25,000 Shock: At-Need Cost Escalators. 22:10 - The Funeral Rule's Weak Teeth (FTC Chevron Ruling). 30:05 - Cemeteries: Continuous Maintenance vs. Perpetual Cash Flow. 38:50 - Pre-Need Contracts: Tomorrow's Revenue, Today's Utilize. 45:15 - DeathTech: Lead Funnels BNPL Financial Obligation Traps. 52:30 - The Neighborhood Cost: When Independents Disappear. 58:45 - YOUR DEFENSE: The Family Playbook to Stop the Steal.
What You'll Find out:.
In this 60-minute investigative documentary, we expose the "Death Monopoly." You'll see how Service Corporation International (SCI)-- with a $11.5 Billion market cap and 1,900 areas-- utilizes brand camouflage to hide corporate margins behind local names.
We break down the $61 Million Michigan cemetery scandal where perpetual care funds disappeared, and describe how the 2024 Supreme Court Chevron judgment has left the FTC helpless to stop predatory upselling. Discover why "Buy Now Pay Later" (BNPL) is the newest trap in the plan room and how to use our "Family Playbook" to secure your last $25,000.
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