Let's face it, if life insurance makes the news it takes abnormal circumstances. It might be a high profile murder. Maybe a remarkable instance of charitable giving.
When people who don't buy insurance die, their family's hardships don't make the news at all.
Recently a story concerning the purchase of life insurance hit the news. Admittedly, it took place in the United Kingdom, but the US press has run with the story.
In brief, a Royal Marine buys the equivalent of $400,000 plus in life insurance before shipping out to Afghanistan. He always loved going on trips with his best friends so he leaves instructions that more than $150,000 of it should be used to send 32 of his friends and their girlfriends to Las Vegas in his memory should he die.
David Hart was killed in action and now his friends are leaving for the United States.
See excerpt from The Sun, or click for the whole story:
A ROYAL Marine killed by a Taliban bomb left £100,000 to send all his mates to Las Vegas.
David Hart, 23, took out life insurance before he went to Afghanistan.
And he wrote a letter saying a chunk of the £250,000 policy proceeds should pay for his pals and their girlfriends to go on a party trip in his memory if he died.
Now 32 friends are jetting to the US - a year after David died in the Helmand danger spot of Sangin.
Pal Andy Hare, 25, said: "He loved going away with his mates - it was always the best two weeks of the year. They were lads' holidays and great times."
Money also went to a charity which cares for injured marines, and the remainder to his family.
The event might get a little criticism, and the Vegas Party aspect of it is getting most of the media attention. This isn't what most life policies are usually used for, but in reality, it's what life insurance is exactly meant to be.
Life insurance should be used to complete what you wanted to get done when you were still alive, but ran out of time.
Sending children to college. Paying-off a home. Securing the family business. Supporting loved ones. Retirement. Supporting a church, charity, or scholarship fund.
Life Insurance can be a final statement about what was truly important to you during your life, but after your death. Obviously, I don't know this man, but I'm guessing what was most important to him was his family, spending time with his friends, and the Marines that made up his new family.
In the end it was his insurance money and he wanted to send a final message to those he loved...his way.
Further, charity such as this tends to breed further charity. His family and friends are planning to help injured Marines in their own way.
Chris (father), Sarah (sister) and David's pals will cycle 170 miles in September to raise cash for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. A JustGiving webpage has been set up. To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/David-Hart. Source: The Sun
What will your final statement be?
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When Real Life Interferes with the Sports World (Sept. 2011)
Often I use sports as an escape from reality. Little bit of enjoyment after work, or an excuse to crash on the couch all day Sunday and watch football.
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| Tragedy consumes Russian Hockey Team |
But too often the world of sports reminds us of the worst of reality. Drugs and steroid scandals. Arrests. Domestic violence. Labor strikes. Sexual harassment cases. The need for taxes to build new stadiums. Bar fights.
As a hockey fan, I'll admit, one of the best things is that most people aren't a hockey fan. Especially in California. When you meet another hockey fan you immediately have something unique to talk about. A way to be different.
Being a hockey fan is like being the fan of a baseball team that always losses. You're an underdog, and you're a die hard fan since you stay loyal despite always being outnumbered. It's easy being a Yankees or Lakers' fan.
You can't swing a dead cat over your head without hitting a football or basketball fan. They're everywhere. They're not special.
But, this off season has been a horrible one for the NHL and its families. Probably most of the world doesn't know, or remember what happened two weeks later. During the summer, there was a drug overdose (drugs mixed with alcohol), and two suicides. All three were enforcer types. What some might call goons.
The problem is, these enforcers, who are sent out to protect their scorers and intimidate the other teams scorers often have difficulty with the role they are cast. When needed, they drop the gloves and battle each other. It's an important part of hockey, but it has a price.
Often nice, small town, farm kids, they have to act the brute to remain in the league. Can't be a scorer? Can't be a goalie? Then you need to be an enforcer. Some have trouble with this role.
I read a great article on Grantland.com by Chris Jones who wrote about Stu Grimson, an enforcer who has pretty successfully moved on after years of being the enforcer. I can't do it justice, read HERE.
Then a bigger hit to the hockey world happened. In Russia, a plane carrying an entire team crashes on it's way to an away game. Every player is killed immediately, except one who dies a day or two later. Many were past NHL players here in North America.
The following appears on the NHL Facebook Page on 9/19/2011:
Before the puck drops for tonight's preseason games, we ask you to join us for a moment as we remember and honor our fallen warriors. They will not be forgotten.We Remember . . .
Click HERE to watch the attached tribute video.
Click HERE for a partial list of their names, ages, and career info. Does not include the coaches or those who had just retired.
I'll admit it, I'm a math geek. I see the numbers side. I also see all the resulting tangents in things. Maybe it's why I got into insurance.
During the video I counted up the number of NHL teams all these players had played on or coached, were playing for, or were drafted to and might play for someday.
26 different past and present cities / teams were affected by the sum of all these deaths. There's only 30 teams in the league at this time. Then add in all the Russian players who weren't connected to the NHL.
This is where the insurance geek in me comes out. These thirty some men were all young and healthy and should have lived decades longer, but they didn't. How many families will miss their love, their friendship, their moral support, and yes, incomes.
How many friends will miss their laughter?
How many businesses were impacted, especially the Russian team which lost every player? What about all the surviving employees who are negatively impacted when these key-employees were lost.
We all have our time to go, and sometimes horrible coincidences happen where many are lost all at once. If there had been one suicide, or these player died one at a time, and not in a plane as a group, they wouldn't have gotten the media attention. And, I wouldn't be blogging about it. But we all love trends and coincidence.
How many times have you heard a celebrity died and immediately tried to figure out who the other two are? After all, they die in three's, don't they. We love patterns.
Still, whether we notice or care, when men like these men die, or any of us, families and businesses are impacted. Lost companionship, lost contributions of time and talent, and lost sources of income.
In the end, I guess we just need to prepare like we'll die tomorrow, but pray, plan, and hope we'll live "forever."
Don't leave projects incomplete.
Learn from the lessons of others...good and bad.
Experience new opportunities. Check off some bucket list items.
Enjoy time with friends and family.
Give a little to church and charity. Lessens money's control of your live when you can let some of it go.
Save some money for the future too.
Take time to enjoy a good hockey game.
Buy the insurances and get a will. It relieves stress.
Forgive those that hurt you so you can move on to something new.
Tell those you love, that you love them. May not get another chance.
* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarily an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.
