Epically Awesome

I-Trust: Triumph

Everywhere I go Funeral Directors ask about the Association’s pre-need trust. The question goes, “How’s the I-Trust doing?” Here is the good news. In 1994 we started at $0 in trust: by December 31, of 2022 we had grown to $54.8 million. A year later we stood at $67 million.  At the end of September, the I-Trust surpassed $91.6 million! “Yes, the I-Trust is doing well!”

The next question is “how have you grown by 67% in the last year and a half?” It was an immense group effort.  The IFDF Board of Directors led by two Presidents Bruce Buggs (Buggs Funeral Home, Melbourne) and David Rosenbalm (Beyers Funeral Home Leesburg) led the charge.  ASI, led by Paul Von Schoeler, a founding consultant, and Chrissy Fichtner from his staff do all our record keeping: they pitched in with experience from across America.  Eric McKenna our amazing investment manager at Gables Capital Management and Charlie Davis (Charles E. Davis Funeral Home, Inverness) and of the I-Trust Committee developed a strategy which included:

1. Attracting new I-Trust members by allowing non-members of IFDF to join.
2. Recruiting members of IFDF to join the Trust and transfer assets from competing trusts into I-Trust.
3. Keeping I-Trust fees and costs among the lowest in the U.S.
4. Allowing our Investment Manager to do his job!

The results since January 1, 2024, prove the strategy has worked.  In the last 20 months, the  I-Trust has secured  a net inflow from other trusts of $21.3 million: members have deposited $1.9 million net of fulfillments; and  investment performance, net of all fees and expenses  was up 19.93% or $13.7 million.  Add all of this up and it represents a 67% increase in our I-Trust since Jan 1, 2023. Low fees and high returns benefit every I-Trust member.  We intend to continue this strategy into 2025 with one new addition… The launch of a new Care & Maintenance Master Trust.

Care and Maintenance

One of the founding principles of the IFDF was to perpetually fund the care and maintenance of cemeteries. It was a major fight in the legislature which led to the compromise state policy that ensures approximately 10% of every burial space contract in a cemetery be placed in the Care and Maintenance Trust Fund. The corpus of the trust cannot be used i.e. only the interest could be spent on cleaning, repairing or improving cemetery space.

When the IFDF started in 1992 we focused on the I-Trust even though several of our founders had cemeteries. We are excited to announce that thirty-three years later we are developing a cemetery care and maintenance trust fund for the benefit of Florida families and funeral professionals.

Increased Income and Reduced Costs

 Once again, the proposal is: increased income and reduced overheads and fees for participants. We will soon make this available to both members and non-members of IFDF. We are constantly searching for ways to benefit the death care profession. We are proud to be a part of every member’s success plan. With a simple phone call to Heather Bernier 850-222-0198 you can join or move your care and maintenance or other trusts into the I-Trust.

Celebrate success with us! Start by asking for a comparison of your earnings and/or costs over the last month/year or over 30 years between IFDF and any other care and maintenance alternative, or funeral trust, then you will know WHY the IFDF is Epically Awesome!