CPC Ethics & Professional Standards 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ethical principle requires a CPC to act in the client's best interest rather than the funeral home's financial interest?
- Non-maleficence
- Fiduciary duty (Correct answer)
- Beneficence
- Autonomy
Correct answer: Fiduciary duty
A fiduciary duty requires the CPC to prioritize the client's best interest over the interests of the funeral home or themselves, especially when recommending products and funding options.
Question 2: A CPC discovers that a colleague has been misrepresenting preneed contract terms to clients. The appropriate course of action is to:
- Ignore it unless a client files a formal complaint
- Report the behavior to a supervisor and, if unresolved, to the appropriate state licensing board (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague directly and demand they stop
- Document the behavior but take no action unless required by law
Correct answer: Report the behavior to a supervisor and, if unresolved, to the appropriate state licensing board
Professional standards require CPCs to report unethical conduct through proper channels — first internally and then to the state licensing board if the issue is not resolved — to protect consumers.
Question 3: Which of the following practices would constitute an ethical violation for a CPC?
- Presenting multiple funding options to a client
- Receiving an undisclosed commission for recommending a specific insurance product (Correct answer)
- Following up with a client 90 days after signing a preneed contract
- Documenting a client's religious preferences in the preneed file
Correct answer: Receiving an undisclosed commission for recommending a specific insurance product
Receiving undisclosed commissions creates a conflict of interest and violates the CPC's obligation of transparency and full disclosure to clients.
Question 4: The principle of client 'autonomy' in preplanning ethics means:
- Clients must make all decisions without input from the CPC
- Clients have the right to make informed decisions about their own funeral arrangements (Correct answer)
- Clients may not change their minds once a contract is signed
- Clients must consult family members before making any selections
Correct answer: Clients have the right to make informed decisions about their own funeral arrangements
Autonomy is the ethical principle that individuals have the right to make informed decisions about their own affairs, including funeral preplanning, free from undue pressure or coercion.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of 'high-pressure sales tactics' that a CPC must avoid?
- Explaining the financial benefits of preplanning
- Suggesting the client will burden their family if they do not sign a contract today (Correct answer)
- Offering multiple service packages at different price points
- Providing a General Price List at the beginning of the meeting
Correct answer: Suggesting the client will burden their family if they do not sign a contract today
Using fear-based language — such as warning clients they will burden their family if they don't sign immediately — is a coercive tactic that undermines informed consent and violates professional ethics.
Question 6: What is the ethical obligation of a CPC when a client has limited English proficiency?
- Proceed with the meeting and have the client sign an acknowledgment form
- Provide translation services or reschedule until an interpreter is available (Correct answer)
- Ask the client's family member to translate all contract terms
- Offer a simplified verbal summary instead of the full contract
Correct answer: Provide translation services or reschedule until an interpreter is available
Ensuring full, meaningful comprehension requires professional translation services when a client has limited English proficiency; relying on family members to translate can compromise accuracy and informed consent.
CPC Ethics & Professional Standards 1
Which ethical principle requires a CPC to act in the client's best interest rather than the funeral home's financial interest?