08/11/2008

President's Message: Are You Taking Full Advantage of Your OFDA Membership?

By: Walt Lindsey, CFSP, OFDA President

During the past three years, I have had the pleasure of traveling around the state visiting and meeting with OFDA members at our district meetings.

It has been interesting talking with members from different regions of Ohio. I try to mention to members the many services the Ohio Funeral Directors Association provides our member firms that would be too expensive to institute on their own. Here are just a few for you to think about:

Did You Know, the OFDA has one of Ohio's best run member-owned health insurance plans? The OFDA Benefit Trust has a competitively priced plan for every funeral home and for all ages. OFDA offers medical, dental, life, prescription and eye care.

Did You Know, the OFDA offers one of the best Merchant Credit Card Processing plans available? The plan is available through First National Merchant Solutions. It has no monthly fees and one of the lowest processing rates available.

Did You Know, the OFDA, through our association with Compensation Consultants, Inc., has saved member firms thousands of dollars a year in Workers Compensation premiums?

Did You Know, OFDA has one of the first funeral trusts in Ohio and one of the largest in the country? If you select the Managed Account, we presently offer a minimum crediting rate of 4% compounded per year, or the market return, whichever is highest. JP Morgan Chase oversees the Managed Account on a daily basis for expert service.

Did You Know, the OFDA offers professional continuing education programs for funeral service as well as insurance at varied locations and multiple times each year? Your local district is a great way to fulfill your continuing education requirements.

Did You Know, the OFDA through its partnership with WebFH can assist member firms with state-of-the art website design? You can have a professionally designed website at a very reasonable cost.

Did You Know, the OFDA has partnered with State Auto Insurance Company to offer a specially tailored insurance program for funeral homes at a very competitive rate? Member firms may use their local State Auto Insurance Company agent to provide personal service for their property and casualty needs.

Did You Know, the OFDA has recently endorsed Funeral Directors Life Insurance Company as our pre-need insurance provider? FDLIC offers great service, competitive rates and local support for any member firm.

Did You Know, the OFDA has available to any member one of the largest selection of brochures, books and videos on grief and other funeral service issues?

Did You Know, OFDA legal counsel, T. Scott Gilligan, can provide member firms with answers to common legal issues? Mr. Gilligan has developed frequently used forms that are available online at www.ofdaonline.org. Mr. Gilligan may also be retained to assist with other legal issues.

Did You Know, the OFDA has available to member firms through CT Communications of Urbana, Ohio, a 24-hour answering service? CT Communications is available around the clock so your firm may be professionally represented at all times.

Did You Know, the OFDA can help member firms list their job opportunities, advertise items and vehicles they desire to sell, as well as other items of interest through the OFDA Newsletter and Website?

Did You Know, the OFDA is your voice at the Statehouse in Columbus and on Capitol Hill in Washington through their lobbying efforts and the OFDA Political Action Committee and the Executive Committee?

These are only some of the many services that your association can and does provide to those who take advantage of their membership in OFDA. Why not look into some of these services and see how they can help funeral directors and the families we serve.

Walt Lindsey, CFSP