Subscribe to Common Dreams News Updates
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Is There Anything Lower....
.....than insurance companies ripping off the families of soldiers killed in our illegal wars? Nope. An investigation by Bloomberg News finds that Prudential and other insurers reap big profits off death benefits for soldiers by putting the money in an uninsured, so-called "retained-asset account," complete with "checkbook," that only makes them money. For six months after her son Ryan was killed by an IED in Afghanistan, Cindy Lohman saw the account as "a consolation prize I didn't want." When she finally tried to buy a bed with one of its "checks," it was rejected.Talk about blood money.
"You can hold the money in the account for safekeeping for as long as you like." - accomodating letter from Prudential.
Cindy Lohman’s son, Sgt. Ryan Baumann, 24, was killed by an IED in Afghanistan.
23 Comments so far
Show AllKeep sending the children of the poor and ignorant to die for the profits and comfort of the rich. What freedoms do we have left to fight for anyway? Just another digusting story defecated on us from the diseased bowels of corporate Amerika. I have to vomit now..
I don't really understand what is happening. I wish the story would explain it more. I'm sure it's bad and they will keep getting away with whatever they are doing.
Simply put, they steer the people receiving the payouts to these accounts where the company holds the money, and make about 4.5% on the money while they give the recipient of the money .5% interest. They do their best to hide from the recipient the fact that they could actually take possession of the money for themselves and invest it in a way that suits the recipients best interest, not the companies.
Bring America Back !!!!
**Right, if the insured son is now gone, how does Prudential have any
possession rights for money plus interest which should go directely to
the veterans heirs. They need to claim all of it, file for it, sue and
do with it what they will !
Will this deception by the government perhaps cause this mother to condemn what the government did to her son or will she continue to believe that her son died for an alleged noble cause?
Important point, Erroll
Prudential gives a new meaning to the statement: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SON'S SERVICE!
But what is the "death benefit" payment for the civilians we kill in Iraq and Afghanistan with our corporate imperial invasions and occupations ?
I found this looking at John Young's site Cryptome. It appears that the leaked "wikileak" documents have assigned SSN's to deceased Afghani children according to one of Mr. Young's readers or sources:
A sends:
The WL database contains abundant SSNs. Interestingly, Wounded Aghani kids get SSNs too, starting with 860- numbers.
Injuries from an IED blast, traumatic amp to lower ext. compund Fx to upper ext
Pt. # 1: 6y/o Male LN DOB: 1/1/02 SSN 860-91-1534(SALERNO TRACKING #). Injuries L ankle lacerations burns, L forearm- amputation and L abd- penetrating wound.
Pt # 2: 5 y/o female LN DOB: 1/1/03 SSN: 860-91-1535(SALERNO TRACKING #). Injuries L hand burn and R hand abrisians.
(Column A entry = DE6F2426 for this item)
Cryptome: Finds welcome: cryptome[at]earthlink.net
Bring back conscription, involve all Americans and see the war end in a microsecond.
I'm sure the magic of the Free Market will rectify every thing. No more government regulations - the Free Market is just that humane.
I read the article in Bloomberg very carefully
It's very pro - FDIC
that seems counter intuitive
Until you realise the FDIC is just another tax payer treasure chest for the rich to plunder
what scum
but should this surprise us
what is theft and lying compared to murder
Bring America Back !!!!
**You've got that right, Jill !
Jill please. Bush started both wars by lying though his teeth. These ins cos is why there is a Republican Party. They fight tooth and nail all regulations to humanify it's business. The Repugs fight any attempts to regulate big business so it can continue to rip off the general public.
The only thing lower than an insurance company is a mercenary that will go anywhere to blow-up and kill anyone, man, woman, and child for coins in their pockets.
These are the lowest form of human life, even lower than a terrorist bomber.
I've never seen a CD poster hate or wish death on anyone.
and a big fuck you for saying we don't give a damn about veterans
I do not quite get it. I would think that most Republicans would cheer over corporate profits, even if it means screwing over any poor person, vet or not. More Democrats than Republicans want to bring you home now, because the longer you stay there the more of you will die.
Did Clinton or Obama take us to war TWICE in the mid East or was it Bush I and Bush II?
Oh, Timothy, your sincerity has moved me to post here.
I think it is your folksly, down home word smithing that moves me - even more than the sentiment itself. "anyways". So few write like this when wishing to be taken seriously. Yet you boldly go where most fear to tread. And see. You even got a response out of me. Pure genius.
Insurance companies are just one of the top five leaders in this country and the world in money laundrying.
Well I didn't sit in and help organize Say No to Iraq War for the good of my health as I am way past the age of having to fight it- so for those of you who did not get the message back then you vets who did not find any weapons of mass destruction must now know that you were lied to about the reasons for war and should condemn it. If you want to go on being a hit man for the economic rulers of the country I am afraid it is not in my interests to support you as you will be pointing your gun at me so that they can keep even more of the wealth that they have stolen through the system known as capitalism.
If you realize your mistake and repent, well you have my full support and I will join you in the struggle to end an immoral system that promotes war profiteering something that used to be illegal in this country.
RR