Question: A close friend has been diagnosed with a rapidly progressing terminal illness. She has no family left here and I am trying to help her son make initial arrangements from a distance. One delicate question is about the budget for a funeral; none of us has any idea how much this should cost.
Answer: You might start by reviewing a list of funeral, cremation and burial prices at various Hawaii mortuaries as posted at https://808ne.ws/funeralcosts, on the website of Kokua Mau, a statewide network devoted to end-of-life planning and care. This list has information about the recent costs of caskets, urns and services offered by mortuaries on Oahu and the neighbor islands, which are listed by name. The document also includes contact information (phone number and website) for each of the mortuaries, as well as definitions of common industry terms.
Elsewhere on the Kokua Mau website, https://kokuamau.org/, you can find information about the rights of consumers planning such services, as specified in the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule. On the Kokua Mau homepage, go to Resources and choose “Making Decisions Regarding Mortuaries” from the pull-down menu.
The FTC’s Funeral Rule, requires, among other things, that funeral homes give accurate prices over the phone, without requiring the caller to identify themselves or demanding that the caller come to the business in person for detailed pricing. The FTC has tips for consumers and a compliance guide for mortuaries on its website, at https://808ne.ws/conftc and https://808ne.ws/morftc, respectively. Or go to the FTC’s homepage, ftc.gov, and search “funeral rule.”
The FTC says consumers should ask about itemized prices, rather than learning only about funeral packages; find out exactly what is included in the price; and ask whether there will be other costs that are not included. Get a written statement before agreeing to any arrangements. “A funeral home must give you an itemized list of the services and merchandise you choose and the price for each item,” the FTC says.
As for setting a budget, Hawaii has the highest median funeral costs in the United States, according to one recent analysis. “Hawaii funerals with a viewing and cremation cost $13,430.46 on average, $5,694.21 more than the national average ($7,736.24),” according to Forbes Advisor, which based its ranking on data from the National Funeral Directors Association. The analysis, which was posted on forbes.com in September, also looked at end-of-life medical costs; Hawaii was second-highest in that category.
Q: I had power of attorney for a relative who has since passed away. Is that enough for me to claim their abandoned property?
A: No, not according to the FAQ posted on the website for the state of Hawaii’s Unclaimed Property Program, which says “a Power of Attorney document does not authorize you to file a claim form on behalf of a deceased reported owner.” There are special instructions for heirs of deceased reported owners and you would have to follow those steps. To see the instructions and to search for unclaimed property owned by your deceased relative, go to https://budget.hawaii.gov/finance/unclaimedproperty/.
In this program, unclaimed property includes, for example, the contents of safe deposit boxes; deposits held by utility companies; dormant savings and checking accounts; insurance and medical refunds; shares of stock; and uncashed travelers checks, money orders, dividend checks and payroll checks, according to the website. It does not include real estate.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
