Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Insurance Companies

My last couple of posts haven't made a lot of sense . I have outlined this one so maybe my thinking is clearer.

Both of my sons think I understand a lot more than I do. I try very hard to keep up with my educated sons. Having worked for 15 years in the education field I understand that degrees do not necessarily mean intelligence. I have worked very hard at self education, reading hubbies required reading in his college classes. Reading the set of encyclopedics we had at home, studying various fields I worked in.

I have been trying to make some sense of the financial mess the world is in today and I am really struggling. Number one son has a lot of information on his blog that is sometimes very difficult for me to understand. Number two son doesn't spend a lot of time trying to figure it out. Maybe I have too much time on my hands is why I am trying to understand it. So here I go at my understanding.

1954 father-in-law (less than a high school education), he reads everything that is printed that he can get his hands on. Prediction corporations (what or who?) will take over the world. It was such of silly idea that we didn't find out why or how he came to that conclusion. I wish now, I had paid more attention.

1961 Homeowners policies new product for insurance companies. I was working for a Savings and Loan and they wanted to persuade all their mortgage holders to change fire policies for homeowners. This began my years of working in the insurance field first fire and casualty and ending up in life insurance in 2000.

Here is some of the things I learned about insurance. Insurance was started to provide coverage for ships and their cargo. Lloyd of London, had a group of men who would underwrite or pledge so much money to cover the ship and cargo that it would arrive at the port intended for the goods. If the ship and cargo was lost they would pay what amount of money they had pledge to the ship owner. If the ship an cargo arrived they had a profit from the premium they had charge for pledging there money. Groups of men pooled money to set up insurance companies to cover not only ships and cargo's but fire insurance, and other types of insurances. Insurance companies were then founded. Laws were enacted to protect public to ensure that they had a big enough pool of funds to pay claims in case of a catastrophe. That money had to be invested to keep the company a float. Claim pools had to be invested very secure investments. Premiums had to be large enough to pay expenses of insurance company and add to the claims pool. Then you understood the law of large numbers that keep that pool of money at a safe level.

Somewhere along about the late 60's or early 70's I became aware that corporations were buying up big insurance companies. Why? Or course they discovered that large claims pool that by law insurance companies were required to keep. If the corporation owned the insurance company it was a small matter to get the laws changed to get there hands on all that money.

2009 Government is having to loan money to insurance companies to keep there doors open?
Corporation (who?) got there hands on the claims monies. Now they were no longer required to keep such a large claims pool, so what were premiums used for (?) obscene salaries and bonus's.

Why working for 48 years off and on in the insurance field did I only make enough money to pay a mortgage and feed a family. Something is wrong with this picture or is something wrong with my thinking?

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Unity

Does everything happens for a reason. My little Methodist Church has a month or longer program entitled "What I would do if I had one month to live?" Sorry this is too close to last year I can't live through that again. I told the pastor I would be back after this program is over. By chance I stabled into a Unity church meeting in the local elementary school cafeteria. I found the widow of my hubbys first Principal she is a member of the church. I had been thinking of looking her up.

I have been there for the last three weeks. I was by myself the first time by myself with family members the second week and Shari came today. I have been trying to get Shari anywhere near a church for months. So today was a break through and she really let me talk to her about about Jesus and being saved. She really listened for a change.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Earliest Political Quesion

I don't remember how old I was when I first became aware that the State of Colorado was about to execute a man. I was very concerned that what if he wasn't guilty? How could you give him back his life if you found out he wasn't guilty? I kept asking why the state would do such a thing. No one could give me an answer then and no one can give me an answer now.

I'm glad it is the Governors decision and not mine. I'm also glad that it isn't the deciders decision.
Keep loging on and I will post the Governors decision.

Monday, March 09, 2009

Pictures of my new dog Missy




I have had my new puppy a little over a month now but you can see she has made herself at home. She is so sweet and lovey. She stays at my heels all day, while I am gone she sleeps on the pillow on my bed.

Mark was over and helped me a lot, maybe I can post pictures once in awhile.

When I have a free day to just scan pictures into my computer and put them on CD's. I may be sending a box of family pictures to the boys. After I get them on a CD I need to reduce the amount of storage space. My little office is getting organized little by little.

Enjoy pictures of Missy I am really enjoying her.

Monday, March 02, 2009

Rocking in the Wind

I was offered a balloon ride by the couple that head up the Bible Study. Getting up at 5:00 am didn't stop me from going on this adventure. When I was little I use to dream of swinging in the wind. I was in a porch swing way up in the air swinging in the wind. This hour long balloon ride was as close to that as I will ever get. I went up once before but it was only 15 minutes. It is so peaceful and calm up in the air drifting over the west side.

Hubby was the night security a little college on the river bluff while he finished his degree. During his time there it was the only thing on the bluff above the river. The kids had to walk miles to the bus line on Central. I could see all the roof of that little college among all the houses they have built around it. Hubby took classes there as well as number one son. I think number one sons BA degree is from that college. I quess our lives were very involved with it at one time.

I located my old house it was the only green roof on the west side of the golf course. It was a little more difficult to find my present house but I did I didn't like the looks of my roof. I need to get someone up there to look at it.

We couldn't find a place to land so we kepted sailing along until we were over my sons house. We called to him and he looked up. I called grinnygranny on the phone and they came out and helped take the balloon down.

We went to breakfast after the trip and had a good time just getting to know one another. I spent part of the afternoon with son and family. All and all one of the best Sundays I have had sence I returned . I have been back almost a year. It has been such a busy and eventful year. Maybe the next year will be more peacful and calm.