Yet the traditional funeral now carries a $3,000 to $5,500 pricetag. Because costs of most everything connected with it can vary, it's worth comparing prices.

You can compare. The Federal Trade Commission's funeral rule requires that a funeral provider give terms, conditions or prices over the telephone.

"While the rule requires that funeral directors give consumers an itemized price list, it doesn't regulate terms of payment, which is a contract between the funeral home and customer," explained Carol Jennings, funeral rule coordinator for the FTC, whose rule doesn't extend to cemeteries and crematoriums.