tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post5291941478784931751..comments2024-03-20T09:32:16.592-04:00Comments on Michael James on Money: Pet Insurance is Hard to JustifyMichael Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362529610470788243noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-69664761777855150552010-08-05T09:27:56.250-04:002010-08-05T09:27:56.250-04:00@Geoff: I agree with your conclusions. I tend to...@Geoff: I agree with your conclusions. I tend to see things rationally as you do. This all comes down to whether you want to be right or you want to sway others to the right way of thinking. My suggestion for rewording was designed to sway more people who might have difficulty turning off their emotional blinders.Michael Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10362529610470788243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-32010026588967482010-08-05T09:24:15.072-04:002010-08-05T09:24:15.072-04:00@ MJ - I don't really live in fear of causing ...@ MJ - I don't really live in fear of causing people to react emotionally... while at the same time I don't try to incite hatred or anything. But I'll stand by statement as written, because like you said, it's true - my son's daycare cost is $1215 a month, and one doesn't pay daycare for a deceased person. It's difficult to argue otherwise. And I did point out that emotionally such an event would be crippling.Geoffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-43170425551448899572010-08-04T13:15:55.380-04:002010-08-04T13:15:55.380-04:00@Astin: Your approach seems sensible. It's a...@Astin: Your approach seems sensible. It's amazing how quickly things have changed. In my youth, few people would spend much money on a vet for a pet. Some would even do a mercy killing themselves and bury the pet in the back yard.Michael Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10362529610470788243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-48026757508563529352010-08-04T12:55:05.040-04:002010-08-04T12:55:05.040-04:00The bigger problem with pet insurance is that it g...The bigger problem with pet insurance is that it generally doesn't cover the regular stuff - vaccinations, check-ups, stool testing, etc.. Some doesn't even cover regular illness and treatment. They tend to only cover the unexpected - broken limbs, injuries, disease, etc.. So you can't get any value out of it.<br /><br />The other factor that comes into play with pets is the question everyone asks - "How long will it extend their life?" If you pay pet insurance for 14 years and your dog gets hit by a car, then you still ask yourself the question. If he's only got a year or so to go, then is the pain and rehab worth it even if you do have insurance?<br /><br />It's generally always better to put $50/pet aside per month. Put it in a savings account. If your pet leads a long, happy life, you'll still have the money. If their health care gets expensive as they get older (which it does), then you have the savings for it. And you can always access that account for regular vet costs.Astinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04349033187012323688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-17972717775293345542010-08-04T09:43:38.251-04:002010-08-04T09:43:38.251-04:00@Big Cajun Man: Readers may be interested to know...@Big Cajun Man: Readers may be interested to know that cats at Big Heartless Brute's house are sometimes allowed to reach 50% of their natural lives, but sometimes not.Michael Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10362529610470788243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-24828244962202115902010-08-04T09:40:29.658-04:002010-08-04T09:40:29.658-04:00@Geoff: I agree with you, but the way you phrased...@Geoff: I agree with you, but the way you phrased it may cause some people to react emotionally. While true, few people will react well to being told that the loss of a child is a good thing financially (even among those who have never lost a child). I prefer to say that life insurance for children does not protect the child. The child is no more or less likely to die. Further, the life insurance pay out will not bring the child back. Combine this with the fact that it is a bad deal financially and there is no good reason to buy life insurance for children.Michael Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10362529610470788243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-88404637058716579252010-08-04T09:38:57.596-04:002010-08-04T09:38:57.596-04:00Best insurance for your pet is a loaded shot gun o...Best insurance for your pet is a loaded shot gun or a full rain barrel.<br /><br /><i>I am going to hell for that one aren't I?</i>.Big Heartless Brutehttp://www.canajunfinances.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-74379163033828355652010-08-04T08:55:24.980-04:002010-08-04T08:55:24.980-04:00This is very similar reasoning as to why I don'...This is very similar reasoning as to why I don't like life insurance for children. They make it sound like not getting your kids 'protected' makes you a bad parent. In fact the death of a child, although crippling emotionally, is financially a good thing (no more daycare, that's a big expense gone) and insurance is meant to protect you from bad financial hits. It's all about the benjamins, people!Geoffnoreply@blogger.com