There has been a lot written about the stock markets in the two weeks of the Presidency of Donald Trump.  So much seems to depend on what the item of the day with President Trump is and that item seems to move markets one way or another.

I’m an amateur investor and I pay attention to what is happening in the markets. I’m also a long-term investor and pick companies to invest in that I have researched and believe that their stock value (company value) will be worth more ten years from today than the company is worth today.

I’ve said before in this column that I’ve bought and held stocks for a long-term and have been rewarded for my patience in companies gaining  value over that time.  I have a certain group of stocks that I hold as my “Long-Term” or “Forever” stocks because I believe that the companies will gain value over time.

One such company is Service Corporation International. Regardless of what you think of SCI, the company has rewarded long-term shareholders with stock appreciation that has averaged 21.71% growth (not including dividends) over the past ten years according to Seeking Alpha data.

And, when I look at some of my other forever stock hold cornerstone companies such as Berkshire Hathaway, McDonalds, and Mastercard, I am reminded that, in relation to those companies, my investment in SCI has been every bit as rewarding as most of them.

However, when I checked on Wednesday, another stock I hold in the Death Care business and a part of the Death Care Index (DCI), Security National Financial Corporation (SNFCA), has provided an even better return over the past ten years than SCI.  I find that extremely interesting because SNFCA is no where near as well-known as SCI.  It is a company that seems to have a lot less public profile in the industry/profession than SCI, but seems to get the results just the same.

As you can see from the chart below, SNFCA has returned, according to Seeking Alpha, an annual return of 25.02% to its shareholders for the 10-year period ended February 4, 2025.

Ten-Year and Annual Average Stock appreciation growth of the DCI.  Exclusive of any dividends that may be paid.

Interestingly, Security National Financial is entering its 60th year of business in 2025.  Their website, which you can access here, tells that story.

The Security National Financial Corporation business model rests on three distinct legs — Security National Life Insurance Company which serves the Death Care profession through preneed and its C&J Financial unit which deals in assignment funding,  Memorial Mortuaries and Cemeteries which serves the consumer public with Death Care services, and Security National Mortgage Company which is a full-service lender offering in-house underwriting.

The company, which started out in a rented home in 1965, continues to be based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Disclaimer — The author of this article for Funeral Director Daily is a shareholder of Service Corporation International, Security National Financial Corporation, and Carriage Services.

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