Written by Adam Goller
Some time ago, I was asked by one of my readers to explain what a funding company is and how it operates. Not knowing a great deal about them myself, I reached out to Adam Goller, Director of Marketing, Unity Funding Company and asked him to provide a brief explanation of how a funding company works. If you have additional questions or comments for Adam, you can phone him at (855) 414-8814 or email him at: marketing@unityfundingco.com.
On another note… The “Perfect” First Call Telephone Sheet pads are now printed and ready for distribution. The U.S. Postal Service loves me with as many as I have already mailed out to funeral homes across the country. They are absolutely, positively free for the asking. Just e-mail your name, funeral home/mortuary, mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address to ckuhnen@uflife.com and I will gladly add you to my distribution list.
Funding companies are nothing new to funeral service. In fact, some have been serving funeral homes for quite some time. Funding companies charge a small fee to advance proceeds on life insurance policies quickly. In order to initiate the funding process, an individual who has signed up with the funding company will sit down with a policy beneficiary at the time of need, fill out a small number of simple forms, and then submit them online, by fax, or by email. When the funding company receives the request for funds, they verify certain details associated with the policy through the insurance company that underwrote the policy. After the details have been verified, funds are typically released within 24 hours. Funds can be deposited from the funding company by ACH or made immediately available by wire.
Funeral homes and mortuaries who choose to take advantage of a funding company and the services they provide are typically looking to reduce the burden associated with filing death claims and/or better the turn-around time associated with collecting payment for the services or merchandise they provide. The amount of time, effort, and paperwork associated with filing a death claim can be substantial. A funding company will provide payment, file the claim, handle all of the follow-up, and manage the process from start to finish. Using a funding company to better cash flow and reduce the time and effort associated with filing claims allows a firm to put a greater focus on the families they serve and spend less time on paperwork.