New Ways to Plan & Pay for Final Expenses
“Tax Sheltering Death Care”
Victoria Haneman, JD, Trusts & Estates expert to speak at national conference on funeral poverty, June 26–29 in Raleigh, NC
What if families could save for funeral expenses the same way they save for college or retirement? It’s a timely question. In Professor Haneman’s view “Funerals are expensive and death is not considered an appropriate time to bargain shop”. This innovative approach to death care financing drives Professor Haneman’s research and her upcoming presentation as a featured speaker at the Funeral Consumers Alliance 2025 Biennial Conference.
The conference, called “The Cost of Goodbye: Confronting Funeral Poverty in Our Communities,” will be held June 26–29, 2025, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Rethinking How We Prepare for the Costs of Dying
Haneman’s presentation on “Tax Sheltering Death Care” will explore whether policy should help consumers save for end-of-life expenses through structured, tax-advantaged accounts. Her research considers how a 529-style savings plan could help shift funeral planning from crisis response to more stable, informed decision-making—especially for working families and people with limited means.
Professor Haneman proposes a creative solution: a 529 End-of-Life Savings Plan that leverages the Internal Revenue Code by taking advantage of existing tax law and infrastructure created for college savings plans, as outlined in her Wealth Management article (April 2025). These proposed plans would enable advance planning while potentially lowering costs and reducing the financial stress families face during grief.
Her expertise spans three critical areas where policy innovation could make a difference: tax-advantaged savings structures (similar to education and retirement accounts), consumer protection in death care (ensuring transparency and fairness), and funeral poverty prevention (helping families avoid debt-driven decisions during vulnerable times).
Death is Not an Appropriate Time to Bargain Shop
The cost of an adult funeral can often exceed $9,000. End-of-life costs are rising, and families often face them during times of intense emotional stress and financial vulnerability. For those without pre-paid arrangements or sufficient savings, the burden can be overwhelming.
Haneman’s research opens conversation about what public policy might look like if it prioritized proactive savings models for death care, giving families tools to prepare with dignity and foresight rather than making reactive, often debt-driven decisions during their most difficult moments.
About the Speaker
Victoria Haneman, JD, LLM, is the Verner F. Chaffin Chair in Fiduciary Law at the University of Georgia School of Law. Formerly the Frank J. Kellegher Professor of Trusts & Estates and Associate Dean of Research and Innovation at Creighton University School of Law, she is a nationally recognized expert on tax policy and family wealth, with work appearing in publications such as Tax Notes, the Harvard Law & Policy Review, and Wealth Management. She brings a clear voice to conversations about fairness, transparency, and consumer protection in death care.
Her academic research on “Funeral Poverty” examines how death expenses can exacerbate cycles of poverty and advocates for options that allow families to preserve dignity while transitioning human remains. As an Academic Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and BARBRI lecturer, she combines deep technical expertise with practical understanding of family financial challenges.
Haneman has previously presented to FCA audiences on tax-free funeral savings accounts, making her return to the conference particularly valuable for continuing this important policy conversation.
Join the Conversation in Raleigh
We invite advocates, funeral professionals, and anyone who cares about social justice to join us in Raleigh for this important conversation about funeral poverty and dignity in death.
Learn more and view the full conference schedule: Visit the list of FCA Conference Speakers or check out the full event details at FCA Conference Schedule.
Professor Haneman’s presentation asks us to consider a simple but powerful question: Should families have better policy tools to plan and pay for death care—just like they do for college or retirement?