Margaret Donaldson was sitting in the living room of her nice three-bedroom London home near Fulham Road. When she finally signed the papers to sell her house, she had tears in her eyes and her hands were shaking. This was the house where she had built her life, her dreams, and her hopes.
She thought back to when she married Michael, who was the Sales Manager at her small company. It had been almost ten years to the day. She thought back to their wedding day, the vows, her friends, family, and everyone else. Her new life was just getting started.
It felt like just yesterday that Michael had picked her up and brought her into this house. With Michael in her life, there was never a dull moment. He was so charming, fun, and full of energy.
Margaret thought back to the time when she brought her sons David and Jonathan into the world. She thought back to how much fun it was to raise her two boys and how Michael was there to help her every step of the way.
Michael was a great father and a good husband. He didn't spare any money to make sure his boys went to the best schools, and he worked extra hours to pay off the mortgage on their small home. He had done everything he could to make sure that his family was happy. Margaret had never felt like she needed to work, and she never learned anything new.
Then, out of the blue, Margaret's whole life changed. Michael was told he had a type of cancer that spreads quickly. The hospital tried chemo, radiation, and other treatments to help him get better. Nothing helped, and Michael died a month later, leaving his family behind.
And that was the end of Margaret's happy time with life.
When the main source of income in a family dies, everything comes down to money. Michael hadn't taken care of his money and didn't have health insurance or life insurance. He had always thought he was too young and that he would do it someday. He didn't leave behind very much. After paying for school and living expenses, all he had left of his salary was the house. Margaret had lived there all her life, but now she had to sell it because she had to move.
Margaret had to sell the house to pay off her debts. The school fees were due. Also, Margaret had borrowed money from a friend to pay for the funeral. Then there were the costs of living every day. No one was there to take care of the house.
If only Michael had bought himself a life insurance policy to protect his family. Things would be different now if that hadn't happened. Margaret wouldn't have to sell her house and move to a place she doesn't know well just to buy a cheaper one. Her sons wouldn't have to face the harsh realities of life at such a young age, either.
Margaret signed the sale deed while her eyes were still wet. She got just under GBP300,000 for the house. She would now buy a small two-bedroom semi with half of this money and use the other half to pay the hospital bills and other debts. The little money that was left was put in the bank.
Margaret had to start over with her life. A life in which she had to work and learn new skills, and one that would never be the same again.
That was the sad story of Margaret. And for all you know, this could be the story of thousands of people in Britain.
If you are responsible for someone else's money, you need to know that anything can happen in life, and you need to be ready for anything. You owe it to your family, to the people who will be left behind if the worst happens. You need to feel safe.
