How we research and source our guides
People read this site at a hard moment and act on what it says. These are the rules we hold ourselves to.
Sources we rely on
- Federal agencies: the Federal Trade Commission, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Industry associations that publish data: the National Funeral Directors Association and the Cremation Association of North America.
- Consumer organisations: the Funeral Consumers Alliance and the Consumer Federation of America.
- Published consumer research, named and dated where we cite it.
Each guide lists its sources at the end. Where a figure comes from a specific study, we give the year and the size of the study so you can judge it.
What we will not publish
- Statistics without a source, or “average prices” for a city that we have not gathered ourselves.
- Testimonials, reviews or ratings that we cannot verify.
- Claims about named companies.
- Language that pressures a grieving person toward a purchase.
Prices and legal information
Cremation law is set by each state, and fees are often set by each county. Our guides describe what is common and say plainly where the rule depends on your state. They are general information, not legal, financial or medical advice. Your funeral director or the state licensing board can tell you what applies where you live.
Advertising and editorial are separate
Funeral homes pay to be listed in the directory. They do not pay for, review or influence our guides, and a listed funeral home cannot buy a mention in one.
Who writes the guides
Guides are written by the CremationMatch editorial team and checked against the sources listed on each page. We publish under the team’s name, and each guide shows the date it was last reviewed.
Corrections
If you find an error or an out-of-date figure, email contact@cremationmatch.com with the page address. We check every report and correct confirmed errors promptly, updating the review date on the page.