Officiating Literature

[IowaMike]

Originally Posted by mbyron

FYI: I looked at the NASO site this morning, and my browser blocked access. Apparently, at least 4 Chinese spammers have hacked the site and loaded it with malware, which can download and install itself on your computer when you merely visit the site.

Also: insurance premiums do not "disappear." They're not an investment, which "pay off" only when you file a claim. They protect you from risk, a concept that many people do not understand (or they would buy more insurance).

And: the insurance premium portion of your NASO membership fee does not pay for your magazine subscription or other benefits of membership, so your premium does not "get something" for you other than liability insurance. Bundling other goods with insurance does not make the insurance more or less valuable.

Are you an insurance agent? I appreciate the need for insurance, but I wouldn't call it an investment. I've been driving for 31 years and have never collected on a claim. I had one homeowners claim when part of tree fell on my garage during a storm, causing minor damage. After the deductible, I received $270 and was promptly dropped by my carrier. Then, I had to pay a much higher rate with the one carrier who I could find to cover my home because I had made a claim in the last 3 years. More a racket than an investment in my opinion. Sorry for hijacking the thread.

I used to get referee magazine and I guess it was OK, but nothing that I felt provided real useful information. The best resources I have found are working with veteran officials and yes, online forums.

[Kevin Finnerty]

I remember this one guitarist I worked with, who rode a motorcycle and didn't own a home, but rented a fabulous rent-control apartment in Santa Monica. He self-insured. He paid a bare liability on his motorcycle, but banked every cent he would have otherwise paid for health, vehicle, homeowner's, fire, flood, earthquake, renter's and all the other insurance that we pay $24,000-to-$26,000 per year for. He didn't trust an insurance policy to pay $hit if he filed a claim. He had stories ... man, did he have stories. He used to brag about how he would be a millionaire just on the money he saved from paying premiums that would just disappear. He even showed me a box that he was filling with Krugerrands that he was buying with all the would-be insurance premiums. That was in the early-80s.

Now, he has a townhouse in Newport Beach and a townhouse on a golf course in Scottsdale, two of the most beautiful Harleys imaginable, season tickets to the Angels and Lakers, and several other compelling symbols of disposable wealth. And he's the picture of health. The reason that he only owns townhouses, rather than mansions, is that he pays for all that stuff in cash. He's 51 and has been retired for about seven years and has virtually no monthly payments. (I suppose he insures his condos, but you never know.)

I dutifully pay my thousands in premiums each year like I am almost required to do. But, after doing so for over 30 years, I am still waiting to see an insurance company actually handle one of my few claims responsibly.