Stuff Happens

As much as I try to forecast our financial future, I realize that life is unpredictable. In the past month, a couple incidents have made it clear to me how truly unpredictable life can be.

Beach jogger killed by emergency plane landing. In a freak accident, a 38 year old father jogging on the beach and listening to his Ipod was killed by a gliding plane which had lost power. He was on a business trip for his company.

Iceland volcano disrupts air travel for Europe. A volcano that last erupted in 1821 is spewing enough ash into the skies to cause the cancellation of flights to and within Europe. A neighbor was scheduled to teach a class in Europe next week and has cancelled the engagement.

Who'd ever expect to be killed by an airplane on a beach while jogging? Who'd expect all flights to Europe being cancelled for several days or longer? Before they occurred, the probability of these events happening was likely infinitesimally small.

Of course, I don't spend any time worrying about the occurrence of such events. We just recognize that stuff can happen beyond our control. In some cases, we have insurance, e.g. survivor benefits. In other cases, we end up significantly changing our plans, e.g. stock market crash of 2009.

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This is not financial or insurance advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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