Mom and dad invested some money in a thing called an annuity, a Greek word for "a very complicated, opaque, money-suck." This annuity was sold to them by an organization associated with their particular church sect. This means that it is a perfectly safe investment administered by god-fearing people who would never, ever do anything that wasn't in the best interest of the clients, in this case my parents.
Well, I don't know about that. I took a look at an annuity many years ago and I found it to be an incredibly confusing contractual financial product sold and administered by life insurance companies. It isn't a life insurance product, exactly, begging the question as to why it's being sold by a life insurance company. I think I'm pretty good with math but I have no idea what the fuck this thing is or what it cost or anything. I'm at this company's mercy at this point.
I met the salesman once. I thought he was a decent guy. I don't think he cheated anybody and I don't think he behaved in an unethical, let alone illegal way. I think he works for a company that makes a whole shitload of money selling confusing stuff to worried old people who don't really understand what they're buying and definitely don't understand what it's costing them, stuff that is stacked heavily in favor of the company, and imagine that in this day and age.
I contacted this guy with some questions. They were pretty hazy questions with an underlying odor of "how quickly can I get these funds out of your selfish company." He took his time replying; he didn't answer the questions although he provide me with a lot of information; he told me he was going to deal with my sister first, and then me; and that he was out of the office for a week.
Somebody's starting to get on my shit list and I'll give you a minute to figure out who.
I responded that my sister and I had discussed this, and that since I was the executor of the estate that he should start out with me. I asked very politely if someone else in the office could help me in his absence? I did not ask very snarkily that if I had called up asking for help in investing the sum of money that I was trying to withdraw if, at that point, someone would have been able to help me? That would have been dickish but oh, so satisfying.
See? See how it starts? I'm at war already and I'm looking for someone to fight. I must really like war, battling, Don Quixote getting knocked head over tails by a windmill that is surely a fire-spitting dragon.
It's all going to work out OK. The money has been invested in this account for 20 years so another couple of weeks isn't going to make any difference one way or another. It is annoying that he's responding when he finds it convenient - I feel like the little kid trying to get the ball that the big kid is holding up in the air just out of my reach, watching me flail and jump to no avail. I'm sure this guy has decided it's in his best interests to drive a wedge between my sister and me and I'm sure he's starting with the woman, not the guy who fired off a list of pointed questions. My sister - busy raising too kids and exhausted from taking care of a sick man for a year - took the information and passed it on to me and I contacted the guy again.
He has no idea who he's dealing with. I can outlast this guy. I'm tireless. He's got my money and I'm either going to get it or I'm going to make him regret ever being born, and I say that in the nicest way.
:)
Well, I don't know about that. I took a look at an annuity many years ago and I found it to be an incredibly confusing contractual financial product sold and administered by life insurance companies. It isn't a life insurance product, exactly, begging the question as to why it's being sold by a life insurance company. I think I'm pretty good with math but I have no idea what the fuck this thing is or what it cost or anything. I'm at this company's mercy at this point.
I met the salesman once. I thought he was a decent guy. I don't think he cheated anybody and I don't think he behaved in an unethical, let alone illegal way. I think he works for a company that makes a whole shitload of money selling confusing stuff to worried old people who don't really understand what they're buying and definitely don't understand what it's costing them, stuff that is stacked heavily in favor of the company, and imagine that in this day and age.
I contacted this guy with some questions. They were pretty hazy questions with an underlying odor of "how quickly can I get these funds out of your selfish company." He took his time replying; he didn't answer the questions although he provide me with a lot of information; he told me he was going to deal with my sister first, and then me; and that he was out of the office for a week.
Somebody's starting to get on my shit list and I'll give you a minute to figure out who.
I responded that my sister and I had discussed this, and that since I was the executor of the estate that he should start out with me. I asked very politely if someone else in the office could help me in his absence? I did not ask very snarkily that if I had called up asking for help in investing the sum of money that I was trying to withdraw if, at that point, someone would have been able to help me? That would have been dickish but oh, so satisfying.
See? See how it starts? I'm at war already and I'm looking for someone to fight. I must really like war, battling, Don Quixote getting knocked head over tails by a windmill that is surely a fire-spitting dragon.
It's all going to work out OK. The money has been invested in this account for 20 years so another couple of weeks isn't going to make any difference one way or another. It is annoying that he's responding when he finds it convenient - I feel like the little kid trying to get the ball that the big kid is holding up in the air just out of my reach, watching me flail and jump to no avail. I'm sure this guy has decided it's in his best interests to drive a wedge between my sister and me and I'm sure he's starting with the woman, not the guy who fired off a list of pointed questions. My sister - busy raising too kids and exhausted from taking care of a sick man for a year - took the information and passed it on to me and I contacted the guy again.
He has no idea who he's dealing with. I can outlast this guy. I'm tireless. He's got my money and I'm either going to get it or I'm going to make him regret ever being born, and I say that in the nicest way.
:)
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