BEAVERTON,
Ore., July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Essential
Planning Group (EPG), a leading provider of death care industry services since
1993, announced that it has formed the National Cemetery Endowment Care Trust
Services (NCECTS), focused exclusively on helping small and mid-sized cemeteries
increase monthly earnings from their endowment care investments.
“Our cemetery clients tell us their biggest
challenge is meeting their ever-increasing maintenance costs with their monthly
earnings. It’s a gap that is hard to close,” said Hal Martin, The Essential Planning Group’s CEO and a pioneer in
developing master trust programs for both preneed and endowment care. “We formed
NCECTS based on client feedback and our confidence that we could serve this
pressing need. Our experience managing master trusts and developing state specific
administrative and investment guidelines uniquely positioned us to create and
launch this service.”
Portland Management, Inc., which owns and
operates three cemeteries, three mausoleums, and four funeral homes in Oregon, provides early testimony to NCECTS’ effectiveness
in narrowing the gap between revenue received and maintenance expenditures.
“We have used The Essential Planning Group services for preneed funeral plans for
many years,” said David Schroeder, Portland
Management’s CEO. “They had a great track record so we asked them if they
could help us with our cemetery endowment care returns. We are all familiar with
the financial challenges of keeping cemetery properties in ‘top notch’
condition while income from endowment care continually goes down as maintenance
expenses increase.” Schroeder’s discussions with EPG helped catalyze formation
of NCECTS. “We were pleased to find out they could, indeed, help us,” said
Schroeder.
Since moving his organization’s endowment
care funds to NCECTS, Schroeder said he could “already see a positive material
difference in income from our cemetery operations maintenance fund. Now that
NCECTS is generating additional income for us, it has dramatically helped narrow
the gap between revenue received and maintenance expenditures.”
“Producing positive business benefits for
clients like Portland Management is our mission,” said Craig Martin, The Essential Planning Group’s CFO and vice president.
“We specialize in managing endowment care income streams by investing in both
traditional and alternative investments, selected to maximize risk-adjusted
returns. This is unique in the industry. An added strength is our team of nationally
respected trustee, depository and investment professionals committed to the
highest levels of integrity, safety, and compliance.” Martin added that, in
addition to investment acumen, the company maintains a full-time, on-site
compliance manager and longstanding relationships with financial institutions, regulatory
agencies, and industry leaders to remain current with legislative and
regulatory requirements.
NCECTS is a turnkey service with easy
enrollment, disbursement flexibility, and services including assistance with tax
reporting, computer services, and compliance. Hal
Martin summed up NCECTS as their way to “help cemeterians manage the complex needs
and requirements necessary to compete in today’s environment.”
About The Essential Planning Group
The Essential Planning Group, founded in
1993, provides comprehensive death care industry services. The Group is recognized
as one of the leaders in its field based on in-depth industry knowledge, expert
support and service, and the innovative services and solutions. Nationwide
independent funeral homes, cemeteries, and state associations form the Group’s
customer base utilizing the Group’s six distinct offerings: American Funeral
& Cemetery Trust Services (AFCTS), National Cemetery Endowment Care Trust
Services (NCECTS), Third Party Administration, Preneed Insurance, American Prepaid
Cremation Service (APCS), and Worldwide Travel Protection.
For additional information visit www.ncects.com and www.EssentialPlanningGroup.c
om
SOURCE National Cemetery Endowment Care Trust
Services