https://www.obitley.com Investigative journalism covering the business, politics, and people of the American deathcare industry. en-us Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:37:03 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/sci-47-funeral-homes https://www.obitley.com/stories/sci-47-funeral-homes We tracked every deal, every price increase, every community left with fewer choices. The consolidation of American deathcare is accelerating — and it's happening without scrutiny. Consolidation Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/carriage-services-knoxville https://www.obitley.com/stories/carriage-services-knoxville When the fourth-generation family funeral home changed hands, residents noticed: higher prices, shorter services, and a corporate script replacing personal care. Consolidation Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-rate-62-percent https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-rate-62-percent CANA's latest data shows cremation accelerating beyond projections. We map what this means for small-town funeral home revenue models and survival strategies. Cremation Trends Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/women-mortuary-students-leadership-gap https://www.obitley.com/stories/women-mortuary-students-leadership-gap The pipeline is full. The leadership is empty. We spoke with 14 women across the industry about the barriers that keep them out of the executive suite. Women in Deathcare Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/ftc-funeral-rule-rewrite https://www.obitley.com/stories/ftc-funeral-rule-rewrite The first major update to the Funeral Rule in decades. We break down what changes, what stays the same, and what it means for consumers and operators. Regulation Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/aquamation-legalized https://www.obitley.com/stories/aquamation-legalized Alkaline hydrolysis is gaining legal ground fast. We map the state-by-state landscape and what's driving the expansion. Cremation Trends Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/private-equity-funeral https://www.obitley.com/stories/private-equity-funeral Deathcare is recession-proof, cash-rich, and fragmented — exactly what PE firms look for. We trace the money flowing into the industry. Finance Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/death-cafe-1000-events https://www.obitley.com/stories/death-cafe-1000-events What started as a quirky idea in a London basement has become a global phenomenon. We look at why Americans are gathering to talk about dying. Culture Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/independent-funeral-directors https://www.obitley.com/stories/independent-funeral-directors They can't compete on price, they can't compete on marketing, and they can't find successors. We examine the slow extinction of the independent funeral director. Operators Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-vs-burial-cost-comparison-2026 https://www.obitley.com/stories/cremation-vs-burial-cost-comparison-2026 The national cremation rate has crossed 62%. But the decision between cremation and burial isn't just about preference — it's about thousands of dollars in costs most families never see coming. We broke down the real numbers. Cremation Trends Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/hedge-funds-buying-local-funeral-homes https://www.obitley.com/stories/hedge-funds-buying-local-funeral-homes Beyond SCI, a constellation of private equity firms and hedge funds has been acquiring independent funeral homes at an accelerating pace. We traced the money — and the impact on the families who pay the bills. Finance Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/embalming-industry-sustainability-problem https://www.obitley.com/stories/embalming-industry-sustainability-problem The United States buries an estimated 800,000 gallons of formaldehyde-based embalming fluid every year. As environmental regulation tightens globally, the American funeral industry's reliance on a known carcinogen faces an uncertain future. Culture Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/alzheimers-death-rate-reshaping-end-of-life-care https://www.obitley.com/stories/alzheimers-death-rate-reshaping-end-of-life-care Alzheimer's disease deaths have increased 145% since 2000 while heart disease and stroke declined. For funeral directors, the dementia epidemic means longer visits, harder conversations, and families who need something different from the traditional funeral. Operators Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/direct-cremation-startups-rise https://www.obitley.com/stories/direct-cremation-startups-rise Direct cremation startups are offering transparent pricing, online ordering, and zero upselling — forcing traditional funeral homes to compete on price for the first time. But regulatory barriers and industry resistance are slowing the disruption. Operators Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/funeral-workers-mental-health-crisis https://www.obitley.com/stories/funeral-workers-mental-health-crisis A national survey of funeral directors reveals alarming rates of burnout, substance abuse, and PTSD. With an aging workforce and few mental health resources tailored to deathcare, the industry faces a personnel crisis that threatens the quality of care grieving families receive. Culture Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/last-family-funeral-home-closes https://www.obitley.com/stories/last-family-funeral-home-closes When the fourth-generation funeral home in Milledgeville, Georgia closed last year, residents faced a 45-minute drive to the nearest alternative. It's a story repeating itself in rural communities nationwide as aging directors retire without successors and corporate chains fill the void. Operators Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/body-donation-industry-who-profits https://www.obitley.com/stories/body-donation-industry-who-profits Body donation is often presented as a noble final act. But behind the scenes, a multi-million-dollar industry of body brokers operates with minimal oversight, selling donated remains to medical training companies, researchers, and the military — sometimes without donor or family consent. Finance Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/state-by-state-funeral-regulation-breakdown https://www.obitley.com/stories/state-by-state-funeral-regulation-breakdown The federal FTC Funeral Rule sets a baseline of consumer protections. But state regulations vary wildly — from states that require itemized pricing and transparent contracts to states where funeral homes can operate with virtually no oversight. Here's what the map looks like. Regulation Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-advertising-targets-grieving https://www.obitley.com/stories/deathcare-advertising-targets-grieving A review of digital marketing practices in the deathcare industry reveals how funeral homes, cremation providers, and pre-need insurance companies use targeted advertising to reach families at their most vulnerable. FTC enforcement has been limited, and existing rules were written for a pre-internet era. Regulation Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/women-ceos-funeral-groups https://www.obitley.com/stories/women-ceos-funeral-groups From StoneMor Partners to regional funeral groups, a new generation of female chief executives is challenging the good-old-boy network that has governed American deathcare for over a century. Their leadership styles are different — and so are their business strategies. Women in Deathcare Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/green-burial-movement-mainstream https://www.obitley.com/stories/green-burial-movement-mainstream The number of green burial grounds in the U.S. has tripled since 2019. What began as a fringe movement embraced by environmentalists and back-to-land practitioners is becoming a legitimate alternative — and the fastest-growing segment of the deathcare market. Culture Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/cemetery-land-running-out-major-cities https://www.obitley.com/stories/cemetery-land-running-out-major-cities London has been reusing graves for decades. Singapore has gone nearly 100% cremation. Now American cities are confronting the same math: finite land, growing populations, and a burial tradition that consumes real estate at an unsustainable rate. Operators Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/covid-changed-funeral-services-permanently https://www.obitley.com/stories/covid-changed-funeral-services-permanently The pandemic forced funeral homes to adopt technology overnight. Five years later, many of those emergency adaptations have become permanent features of American deathcare — changing not just how we mourn, but who gets to participate. Culture Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/pre-need-funeral-contract-trap https://www.obitley.com/stories/pre-need-funeral-contract-trap An estimated $40 billion sits in prepaid funeral contracts across the United States. But when families try to collect, many discover coverage gaps, inflated prices, and contracts that don't travel across state lines. An investigation into the fine print of planning ahead. Finance Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/oklahoma-vetoes-human-composting-burial-freedom https://www.obitley.com/stories/oklahoma-vetoes-human-composting-burial-freedom Oklahoma was poised to become the latest state to legalize natural organic reduction. Then the governor's veto pen turned a quiet regulatory debate into a national flashpoint over disposal freedom, industry lobbying, and who gets to decide what happens to your body. Regulation Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/everstory-franklin-memorial-park-acquisition https://www.obitley.com/stories/everstory-franklin-memorial-park-acquisition When Everstory Partners acquired Franklin Memorial Park in New Jersey, it was one more deal in a buying spree that has gone largely unnoticed. Behind the warm rebrand lies a company transformed from a troubled publicly traded cemetery operator into a private equity-powered consolidator with 460+ locations and global capital backing. Consolidation Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/pinnacle-draeger-langendorf-acquisition https://www.obitley.com/stories/pinnacle-draeger-langendorf-acquisition When Mark Langendorf sold his family's nearly century-old funeral home to Pinnacle Funeral Service, he described the buyer as "the right steward for the future." But behind the warm language of legacy and continuity sits a company that has acquired 15 Wisconsin funeral homes, advertises pre-approved acquisition financing, and operates a Free Valuation page designed to identify its next targets. This is what the succession crisis looks like from the inside. Consolidation Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.obitley.com/stories/hidden-fees-funeral-bill-investigation https://www.obitley.com/stories/hidden-fees-funeral-bill-investigation Americans spend decades planning for retirement. Most spend less than 48 hours planning a funeral. We analyzed hundreds of funeral bills across six states and found a pattern of opaque pricing, inflated markups, and fees that regulators have known about for decades. The FTC Funeral Rule was supposed to fix this. It hasn't. And with private equity flooding into deathcare, the problem is getting worse, not better. Regulation Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT