The other day, I was asked by my partner, who is also my daughter, to participate in a Zoom call she was conducting for an annual Medicare review. She wanted me to talk to a couple about my personal health story and how my atrial fib came about, and what I did right and what I did wrong in my personal life journey.
To be clear, I did not plan correctly, which makes me just like everyone else. You see, I’m convinced that for most males, something bad happens when you turn age 55. At age 52 I was very healthy. My doctor wanted me to be part of a study so my perfect health could serve as a learning tool for others. Well, that didn’t last long.
3 years later I developed Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and atrial fib! I was no longer “healthy”.
This totally ruined my life insurance and long-term care planning because I was now uninsurable. My reliance on low-cost term insurance was about to teach me an important lesson.
All of us should buy whole life insurance while you’re young and healthy. There’s a reason we have spare tires in our trunk. That reason is you will need it someday.
This of course reminds me of the ambulance that made its presence known in our condo complex the other night. Sirens and lights ablaze they pulled into a unit just down the street. They were not practicing.
So, as I look back from my perch at age 74, these are the truths that I believe in, some I did and some I sure wish I had done. My top truths:
- When you are young exercise like you mean it. By exercise, I mean cardiovascular type exercise. If you can, run marathons.
- For goodness sakes take golf lessons early.
- Buy term when young to protect your children and buy whole life when young to protect your spouse.
- Find a growth mutual fund you like & invest (dollar cost average) monthly come rain or shine.
- Eat healthy. No carbs please. 😊
- Be nice to everyone.