Only a Heart Beat Away

Neil Armstrong, the first man to step foot on the moon, once commented that “We only have a certain number of heart beats, and I don’t intend to waste any of mine.” What an awesome philosophy about life.

This past month, August 2017, we delivered death claims to the beneficiaries of two of our clients. Wow!  What an awesome way to provide for those you love when your heart beats are all used up.

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Interestingly, neither of these two clients were old.  One was 60, the other was only 49 years young.  One was a male, the other a female. But because of their understanding about time, it being the only thing that limits each of us in this life, they purchased more time for pennies on the dollar and didn’t waste one beat of their heart in doing so.  Now, the people they really love don’t have to waste any time worrying about how they’re going to afford to keep carrying on.  Like Neil Armstrong, our clients realize that we are all only one heart beat away from possibly our last.  Waiting one more heart beat will never change that fact.  Unless you allow us to provide you more time today for your loved ones, they will waste their time in the future attempting to carry on without you.

Whether it is an education for your children, tax free income for your beloved spouse or cash for an endowment for your church or special interest group, there is nothing like the return provided on your time today like life insurance.

In fact, life insurance is the purchase of time for pennies on the dollar.  Time for others because your heart only has so many heart beats until it stops and you can’t afford to waste any of them.

Neil Armstrong was so wholehearted about his philosophy regarding the number of heart beats we all have in us, that he devoted his later years to actively serving as a board member to one of the mutual life insurance companies that we represent here at McFie Insurance.  His dedication to making each of your heart beats count is a testament to his overall character.  “One small step for man, one giant step for mankind” were not just poetic words of platitude that he spoke as he stepped onto the lunar surface that July 20, 1969.  Armstrong understood that each small step we take today ensures time for tomorrow.

Interestingly, Neil Armstrong’s heart beats ran out over complications due to a cardiac surgery, but his commitment to life insurance lives on.  In fact, when Neil was headed to the moon back in 1969 no life insurance company would assume the risk of insuring his life, especially on his meager salary of $17,000.  And so, he and his fellow astronauts went to work about 1 month before Apollo 11 was set to launch.  Whenever they had a free moment they signed hundreds of “covers,” envelopes that would then be mailed by a trusted friend on the day of the launch and the day of the lunar landing. Once postmarked they were then distributed to the astronauts’ families so that “If they did not return from the moon, their families could sell them—to not just fund their daily expenses, but also fund their children’s higher education and other life needs.”[i].  In essence, Neil and his fellow astronauts purchased life insurance for their loved ones in the form of their autographs.

We all know that the lunar launch and landing was successful today. And Neil came home to sign tens of thousands of autographs for free. But today an Apollo insurance autograph can bring as much as $30,000.[ii] Not a bad return on Neil’s time capsule insurance policy strategy.

Of course, most of us are not astronauts or even famous and our autograph wouldn’t be worth a dime even if it was signed during the last beat of our heart. That is why, for pennies on the dollar, you can purchase the time your loved ones will need today without waiting another heart beat.

Dr. Tomas P. McFie

Most Americans depend on Social Security for retirement income. Even when people think they’re saving money, taxes, fees, investment losses and market volatility take most of their money away. Tom McFie is the founder of McFie Insurance which helps people keep more of the money they make, so they can have financial peace of mind. His latest book, A Biblical Guide to Personal Finance, can be purchased here. 

[i] http://flame.org.in/KnowledgeCenter/NeilArmstrongsLifeInsurancePolicy.aspx

[ii] http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2012/08/30/160267398/what-the-apollo-astronauts-did-for-life-insurance