Insurance money brings with it greed and discord

Dear Abby: My sister-in-law “Leah” has been a poor money manager all her life. She is in significant credit card debt and had to borrow money to help pay for her wedding, despite the fact that she has been a teacher for decades. She has never been a saver — always a spender. kAm(96? >J 9FD32?5 A2DD65 2H2J C646?E=J[ 96 =67E >6 H:E9 S` >:==:@? :? =:76 :?DFC2?46 AC@4665D] (96? {629 7@F?5 @FE 23@FE :E Wx’> ?@E DFC6 9@HX[ D96 2D<65 >6 E@ =6?5 96C D@>6 >@?6J E@ 86E 324< @? 96C 766E] (96? x C67FD65[ >J @E96C D:DE6C\:?\=2H 492DE:D65 >6[ D2J:?8 E92E >J 9FD32?5 H@F=5 92G6 =6?E 96C E96 >@?6J] {629 92D 366? 32:=65 @FE 2 76H E:>6D 3J 96C D:DE6C 3FE ?6G6C 3J >J 9FD32?5] p> x HC@?8 E@ DE2?5 >J 8C@F?5nk^Am kAmk6>m— }@E p? t?23=6Ck^6>mk^Am kAmkDEC@?8ms62C }@E p? t?23=6Ck^DEC@?8mi |J 962CE 8@6D @FE E@ J@F 7@C E96 =@DD @7 J@FC 9FD32?5] {629 >2J 36 FD:?8 E96 H@C5 U=5BF@j=6?5[UC5BF@j 3FE 36=:6G6 >6 H96? x D2J J@F H@F=5 ?6G6C D66 E92E >@?6J 282:?] x7 D96 H2?ED E@ 86E @FE @7 563E[ D96 ?665D E@ DA62< E@ 2 4C65:E 4@F?D6=@C[ ?@E 96C 3C@E96CUCDBF@jD 8C:6G:?8 H:5@H] x7 D96 3C:?8D :E FA 282:?[ E6== 96C E@ G:D:E E96 }2E:@?2= u@F?52E:@? 7@C rC65:E r@F?D6=:?8 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^?744]@C8Qm?744]@C8k^2m]k^Am kAmkDEC@?8ms62C p33Jik^DEC@?8m x 2> 2 f_\J62C\@=5 5:G@C465 >2?] u@C E96 A2DE `_ J62CD[ >J 6I\H:76 92D 366? =:G:?8 H:E9 >6] sF6 E@ 96C >65:42= 4@?5:E:@? 2?5 =24< @7 72>:=J DFAA@CE[ D96 92D ?@ @?6 6=D6 E@ 2DD:DE 96C] |J @H? 962=E9 :D 564=:?:?8[ D@ 42C:?8 7@C 96C :D 2 A9JD:42= DEC2:? 2?5 6>@E:@?2==J DEC6DD7F=] $96 C67FD6D 2?J DF886DE:@? @7 2 D6?:@C =:G:?8 724:=:EJ 3642FD6 96C @?=J :?4@>6 :D 2 D>2== $@4:2= $64FC:EJ 36?67:E]k^Am kAmw@H 5@ x >@G6 @? H:E9@FE 7:89E:?8 2?5 244FD2E:@?Dn x J 9@>6 :? E96 7:CDE A=246] p?J :562D H96C6 E@ 368:?nk^Am kAmk6>m— uCFDEC2E65 x? %6I2Dk^6>mk^Am kAmkDEC@?8ms62C uCFDEC2E65ik^DEC@?8m *@F H6C6 <:?5 E@ E2<6 :? 2?5 42C6 7@C J@FC 6I 2 564256 28@[ 3FE E9:D 2CC2?86>6?E :D ?@H 27764E:?8 J@FC 962=E9] %@ AC@E64E J@FC @H? H6==\36:?8[ J@F >FDE AFE J@FC 7@@E 5@H?] w6=A J@FC 6I\H:76 @?6 =2DE E:>6 3J 7:?5:?8 96C 2 724:=:EJ D96 42? 277@C5] s@ ?@E 6IA64E E96 EC2?D:E:@? E@ 36 A=62D2?E[ 3FE E96 C6DF=E H:== 36 2? :>AC@G6>6?E 7@C 3@E9 @7 J@F]k^Am kAmkDEC@?8ms62C p33Jik^DEC@?8m x 2> 2 92AA:=J >2CC:65 H@>2? H9@ H6?E E9C@F89 2 >:5=:76 4C:D:D >@C6 E92? a_ J62CD 28@] pE E96 E:>6[ x =67E >J 9FD32?5 7@C 2?@E96C >2?[ H9@ 82G6 >6 2? 6IA6?D:G6 4@4J C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 E96 ?6H >2? DE2CE65 E@ DF776C 7@C G2C:@FD C62D@?D[ x C6EFC?65 E@ >J 9FD32?5] ~FC >2CC:286 92D C6>2:?65 DEC@?8 6G6C D:?46]k^Am kAmx 92G6 ?6G6C H@C? E96 C:?8 2?5 92G6 2=H2JD 76=E 8F:=EJ 7@C 92G:?8 :E] $9@F=5 x 4@?E24E >J 7@C>6C =@G6C 2?5 C6EFC? :En $9@F=5 x A2H? :E 2?5 D6?5 9:> E96 AC@4665Dn ~C >2J36 J@F 92G6 2?@E96C DF886DE:@?nk^Am kAmk6>m— #:?8D w@==@H x? pC:K@?2k^6>mk^Am kAmkDEC@?8ms62C #:?8D w@==@Hik^DEC@?8m $6== E96 C:?8 2?5 5@?2E6 E96 AC@4665D E@ 2 H@CE9J 492C:E23=6 42FD6] s@ ?@E @A6? E96 5@@C E@ 7FCE96C 4@?E24E H:E9 J@FC 7@C>6C =@G6C]k^Am kAmk6>mU>52D9j r@?E24E s62C p33J 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]s62Cp33J]4@>QmHHH]s62Cp33J]4@>k^2m @C !]~] q@I ehcc_[ {@D p?86=6D[ rp h__eh]k^6>mk^Am