ב"ה
Tuesday, 25 Adar I, 5784
  |  March 5, 2024

I Have GoFundMe Fatigue

Op-Ed: "I confess. I have "GoFundMe" fatigue. I'm referring to a specific type of fundraising campaign — the type we have seen too frequently..." Full Story

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So true
September 16, 2019 11:48 pm

Amazing article, if you get a car/house.. you must get insurance how much more so if have kids.. you must have insurance

YES
September 16, 2019 11:48 pm

this is so so so important!!! Gofundme, thechesedfund, and everything else – it’s too much!!

YES
September 16, 2019 11:49 pm

Chas vsholom I’m not saying I don’t want to help – just want to stress the importance of taking care of your own

I totally agree
September 16, 2019 11:49 pm

I agree with everything you wrote. My husband’s wasn’t renewed due to minor health issues. I would hope in that case people would be understanding. A young healthy man can get at least a million term 20 years dirt cheap. Women should have as well!

Advice from a licensed insurance agent
Reply to  I totally agree
September 17, 2019 12:48 pm

A major issue on term insurance is that once it is over (usually at 65 or earlier), it just gets more expensive to renew, or sometimes becomes impossible to renew due to health concerns. As an insurance agent, I would recommend universal life insurance if you can afford a little more (whole insurance is not worth it unless late in life or health issues), since it will cover you for life and will guarantee a payout. If you want more info on the benefits of universal life insurance you can email me at [email protected]

not nice
September 16, 2019 11:56 pm

Food for thought: When young fathers ‘suddenly’ pass way, often time they had an underlying disease that led to their demise. That disease also prevented them from purchasing life insurance. Don’t forget that these people knew of their health risks and they desperately wanted life insurance. they just had a sickness that prevented them from purchasing this financial package. Now, after their passing, the families don’t announce all the health details of the deceased. as they shouldn’t. It’s none of anybody’s business. It is true that the author did mention my point. however, this point was presented as an exception… Read more »

Generalities Harm
Reply to  not nice
September 17, 2019 4:36 am

It is important not to generalise either way. The article acknowledged that there are of course people who are uninsurable. The purpose of the article was specifically to encourage those who are young and perfectly healthy and ARE insurable to not lose another moment and get themselves insured period. It is a shame to throw cold water at the article and criticise it in any way. Thank you to the author for taking the time to write the op-Ed and for submitting it.

argument
Reply to  not nice
September 17, 2019 8:53 am

It looks like you just need to be argumentative. The author made this point. And it was made very clear that it’s meant for all those men and women who are healthy at 20 and 21 when they get married. Unless you have real statistics I’d like to believe that it’s not the majority of people that are born with issues making them uninsurable.

You actually don't know
Reply to  argument
September 17, 2019 10:08 am

Diabetes, high cholesterol, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, high cancer risk due to genetics, epilepsy, cancer survivor,
It is likely that you know people with these diseases. Usually these diseases automatically disqualify an insurance applicant, or at least makes the price prohibitively expensive

Read the article
Reply to  You actually don't know
September 17, 2019 11:57 am

The author acknowledged that some people are uninsurable. While these conditions are debilitating the reality is they affect a minority of all insurance applicants. The majority of people are insurable and the author did a great job sensitively acknowledging those who are not.

come on
Reply to  Read the article
September 17, 2019 7:08 pm

yes, these facts are relevant to a minority of insurance applicants but not a minority of premature deaths. (that’s why they can’t get the insurance!!)

Unbelievable
September 17, 2019 1:45 am

Fatigue?!!! The language and slant of this op-ed is cold and heartless and reflects a community that has boutique charities which distract from the absence of a real overall general safetynet charity fund which remains a daily churban and inundates a cold and indifferent attitude to the needs of others as compared to what we ought to see as a natural facet of our community. It is arguably the anxiety of having nowhere to turn unless some “special” boutique need arises that JUSTIFIABLY leaves families with the feeling that such expenses as life-insurance are a luxury that ought be forgone… Read more »

Huh?
Reply to  Unbelievable
September 17, 2019 7:05 pm

This article was thoughtful, coherent, and persuasive—something your comment was not. Although your point is unclear, the tone belies the very entitlement mentality that the author is pointing out. No safety net and too many expenses so when tragedy strikes everyone must pick up and step in. The author said specifically —kol hakavod to those who want to help. But the expectation that everyone has to is simply unfair in this day and age. Those you expect to contribute have the same type of expenses you mentioned. Bottom line, life insurance shouldn’t be a luxury, it’s a necessity incumbent upon… Read more »

Better believe 'unbelievable'.
Reply to  Unbelievable
September 17, 2019 7:41 pm

Agree with ‘Something is wrong, but it certainly isn’t about life-insurance, but rather where is Bavel’s Kolel Chabad and Kupat Ha’ir, our protective safetynet that one of ours can easily turn to, if even only in theory, and certainly, if needed, in practice. ‘The above institutions urgently need more support so that communities can be locally and appropriatelysupported.

Landsmannschaft
Reply to  Better believe 'unbelievable'.
September 22, 2019 7:21 pm

I think in the old days Jews who belonged to a certain town started their own self-help group, called Landsmannschaft, to cover burial & immediate expenses. Nowadays it’s more derech-affiliation (e.g. Satmar, Lakewood). Maybe we should do the same.

Totally get you
Reply to  Unbelievable
September 18, 2019 9:50 am

Obviously if possible everyone should get life insurance. However there is still the need for inter community assistance and it should not be seen as a problem. I grew up in a very wealthy community with not such a nice phisycal shul, yet things that were unheard of were families struggling to pay tuition, helping widowers, people loosing their homes etc. Now I live in another well off community with a multi million dollar shul with more than the bells and whistles. Yet I see on a continous basis people not being able to afford tuition to the point home/public… Read more »

Thanks for this article
September 17, 2019 2:15 am

Anyone heard of Areivim. Is it a reliable program?

About Areivim...
Reply to  Thanks for this article
September 18, 2019 3:49 pm

Yes! Areivim is a wonderful program. Designed for teacher/rebbes/sofrim. The group all chips in. Some months, BH, no contributions are needed. Other months, some member(s) are nifter, and the members are asked to contribute a set amount to the Survivors. So at least wedding expenses, mortgages are covered for the families of the bereaved. It’s not exactly term insurance, but it is some kind of safety net.

Best wedding present
September 17, 2019 7:29 am

Thousands of dollars are literally wasted on a wedding.
Skip fresh flowers & buy your kids life insurance for a few years!
We get all our kids life insurance when they marry.
Maybe you think we are cheap on the wedding? But at least our kids are insured!

rediculous
Reply to  Best wedding present
September 19, 2019 8:50 pm

yes, weddings are expensive for the parents. however, the lavish event tends to stimulate people to gift the newlyweds generously. Thus, the expensive weddings actually make it easier for the couple to afford insurance.

So true...
September 17, 2019 7:51 am

Maybe we can cut down on other less important expenses of the engagement/wedding parties & GIFT our newlyweds with insurance. They have so much on their young shoulders as they start out…

Wishing that everyone has a healthy year & never needs it…but better safe than sorry!

Truer words never said!!!
September 17, 2019 9:18 am

BOTH SPOUSES SHOULD HAVE LIFE INSURANCE!!!
If the wife is a stay at home mom, then maybe not as much as a breadwinning husband. But there will be expenses connected to cleaning the home caring for children etc

Lol
September 17, 2019 10:22 am

Thank you for the article. From the comments it seems most young people can afford a mobile that costs $1-2,000 a year but can’t afford life insurance of $300 a year.

At a minimum!
September 17, 2019 7:14 pm

B”H There are all kind of situations in life that require reaching out to our brethren for help. Pidyon Shvuyim, emergency health issues, etc., etc. The fact that Yidden are “Rachamonim B’nei Rachamonim” does not give young people the license to shirk their responsibilities and then saddle the public with their families support! As the author stated, term life at a minimum must be provided while it can still be purchased economically! (Of course, if regular whole life insurance can be purchased, so much the better.) Certainly this comes ahead of all kinds of purchases that might be considered “luxury… Read more »

You are correct
Reply to  At a minimum!
September 17, 2019 10:09 pm

Perfectly put. I believe you’re saying the same thing the author of this op-ed said. To those who want to give-great. But it is irresponsible for heads of families to shirk their responsibilities under the expectation that the community will pick up the slack. It’s irresponsible and wrong, lo aleinu.

Here to help...
September 17, 2019 8:59 pm

I have been in the industry for 18 years. Happy to answer any questions & assist in putting in place life and disability insurance coverage for families.

Shmuly Wachtel
786-302-1621

Grateful we left
September 18, 2019 11:15 am

This article promotes something I’ve been teaching young adults for year. Term life insurance should be a must like blood tests for tay Sachs. When a,man passes away without insurance it falls on the community to support the family. Our communities are struggling themselves. We transferred our term to whole life when we could afford it and when we didn’t need, used to buy a house
Another peave, using GoFund me for personal perks. Tuition? I need to go to Tahiti. GoFund me anyone ?

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