X-Message-Number: 24021 From: Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 21:00:29 EDT Subject: Response to Ben Best Comments re: funding issues In a message dated 4/30/2004 5:01:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time, writes: Ben Best wrote: Rudi, in the past we have enjoyed a relationship of respect & goodwill and I hope that we can do so in the future. Nonetheless, this statement of yours seems too loaded with insurance-salesman hype and Alcor-partisanism for me to let pass without comment. Insurance funding per se is not a panacea and the cremation of a CI Member by his cousin was a tragedy, but not a "travesty" indicating that CI is run by idiots. It could have happened at Alcor (Rudi writing) Hi Ben. Small apology...but not a big one...for what may have come across as a little strong or overstated in my comments. And, yes, the capital letters on emphasized words may not be to your liking. So be it. I will not put any in this response, trusting intelligent readers to put their own in. :) Having said this, I respectfully disagree that my statements were overreaching. They certainly did not reflect partisanism for ALCOR, unless one gets this from the sign off "ALCOR member since 1994." This is merely a fact, relevant to my interest and genuine passion for the overarching mission of all cryonics organizations to preserve individual lives. Nor did it imply ANY criticism of the Cryonics Institute. Or imply CI is run by idiots. It was not my intention to be critical of any cryonics organization, and I was not. But since you misread this as a criticism, I apologize. And assure you that NO criticism was even remotely meant for CI. I think you know I am a pretty clear communicator. (Note, the intelligent reader will capitalize clear in his/her mind.) If I got a bitch, excuse me...have a problem... with you or CI policies or protocols, I would certainly make it clear in my posting. I clearly did not do any such thing here. But writing is always subject to misinterpretation. I don't want to go to war over this, but I also see no reason to back down. So, perhaps the sentences were a bit succinct, and you may have thought too simplistic. But they are accurate. And I stand by them. (Ben writes) Insurance funding is not a cure-all. No, Ben, of course insurance funding will not eliminate every possible problem that may arise in any circumstance. But, a properly structured estate plan and policy will (yep, add those caps to the word "will") go a long ways toward eliminating many problems that may come up with heirs. Might have in this recent circumstance. I don't know and cannot say without the complete fact pattern. Nor do I wish to be specific and backwards looking about this particular case, which Ben is good and honest enough to write about on Cryonet. A fact I and all of us should respect and appreciate, by the way. But I do have to tell you that I am involved in a cryonics "death" claim, in which there are children involved who do NOT want Pop to be cryonically suspended. And these children (actually grown adults with lawyers on retainer) could be causing all SORTS of problems about the suspension, possibly another "Ted Williams" case writ small. Fortunately, there is a life insurance policy to create this immediate cash, it does not reduce the amounts going to the heirs, and the policy is set up to virtually eliminate any question about funding. So this what the real world, "shit happens" cryonics funding controversial case should look like. The bottom line? You will probably never even hear a word about any problem. Because of proper cryonics life insurance funding. And because of the elements I identified in my earlier posting. Life insurance proceeds do avoid probate. They do go directly to the specified beneficiary. In nearly all states, they are considered protected even from legitimate creditors of the insured. I am sorry if you thought this sounded like hype to you, Ben. It does not sound this way to me. I was merely pointing out some unique features and benefits that are legal and financial aspects of life insurance many people do not know. And they are indeed counterintuitive. Many people, highly educated and intelligent, do not understand life insurance. Much less the reasons that make life insurance the preferred way to create an "instant estate" at legal pronouncement of death. I happen to eat, live, and breath financial planning, investments, and life insurance, and have been doing this for the last 25 years. And I still occasionally get confused! So I can understand people of good will, intelligence, and extreme education who don't quite understand...or even want to understand...all elements of estate planning, cryonics estate planning, and life insurance. So, as Forrest Gump says, "That's about all I have to say about that..." So, Ben...are we still friends? Regards, Rudi Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" [ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING HTML ENCODING! ] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=24021